DVD Corner

Moonage Daydream Criterion 4K UHD Review

“Moonage Daydream” is an immersive cinematic experience.  

Written and directed by Brett Morgen (best known for the documentary films “The Kid Stays In The Picture” and “Kurt Cobain: Montage Of Heck”), “Moonage Daydream” is a documentary about rock music superstar David Bowie. The unique film is entirely comprised of interviews, pop culture movie and Tv footage (which correlates with scenes), concert footage, and never before seen footage and is narrated by Bowie himself via archival interview and audio recordings. The film itself covers his early music career, interest in the arts (especially painting), fashion and style, stardom, the places he has called home in Europe, musical collaborations and reinventions. That’s just scraping the surface of what all is included here. 

You don’t have to be a David Bowie superfan to be affected by “Moonage Daydream” as this is an involving documentary through and through. The film plays like a personal Bowie video diary that dives into his inner thoughts, changes and musings while also showing his on and off stage persona (although it’s perhaps a bit too serious for its own good). Does it really capture who the enigmatic Bowie was as a person and an artist? Can any film? That’s up for debate, but there’s something profoundly moving about the film’s expertly done editing and construction. In many ways it plays like one of the great Michael Apted “Up” documentaries in that it traces the life of a person through the years. In the case of ‘Moonage,’ we see the growth and evolution of Bowie through the decades. There’s something so spellbinding about that kind of storytelling.

The one knock on the film is that there is a lot missing here such as in-depth looks at his seminal albums, his key music collaborators and collaborations, his lovers and family, and his 90’s, 00’s and 10’s output. Still, given that the film already runs 134 minutes, it’s understandable why some material didn’t make the cut.  

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.78:1 2160p. How does it look? The 4K digital master is rather immaterial given that the film is made up of scenes culled from numerous sources of various picture quality. Still, there’s no question this is the best print you will see.  

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos and Stereo. How do they sound? You can’t go wrong with either track here as they both offer up dynamic audio.

Extras:
* “Moonage Daydream” trailer
* A poster/booklet featuring credits and an essay by film critic Jonathan Romney.
* Blu-ray copy
* Commentary by Brett Morgen (on the 4K and Blu-ray).
* An unreleased 1974 performance of “Rock ‘n’ Roll With Me.”
* “Moonage Soundscapes”- Anear 27 minute technical discussion with Brett Morgen and rerecording mixers David Giammarco and Paul Massey that sheds light on the sound design process.
* “Q&A At The TCL Chinese Theatre”-2022 23 minute Q&A with Brett Morgen, director Mark Romanek, and pianist Mike Garson.

September 25, 2023 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Concert Movie, Criterion Collection, David Bowie, documentary, Moonage Daydream, Moonage Daydream Criterion 4K UHD Review