I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Blistering performances.

Quite possibly the best concert movie of all time! I was able to copy this off TV a few years ago, after watching this NUMEROUS times during the 1980's and wearing out a VHS tape. (it may have been Betamax!) The Police are the biggest name of the 36 acts that appear, but there are SO many different bands that perform. I could list them all, but that would be redundant. However, there are some performances that are very good.If it wasn't for this movie, I probably wouldn't own any CD's by XTC or many of the featured bands. It's too bad that the video was licensed for a type of system that is no longer made, or we might have seen the DVD sooner, than later.For some of these bands, it was their 15 minutes in the spotlight, so to speak. Some never made it past 1985 and very few are still performing today. Some have reformed, but it was this concert movie that put them on the map in the first place.If you can find the DVD of this for a reasonable price, buy it, because the chances of this showing up on DVD in the near future is the same as a snowstorm in July.

Derek Burbidge helmed this document on various music groups of the early 1980s, many of whom (coincidentally or not) had a direct connection to the I.R.S. record label. Some of these acts went on to bigger and better things (Police, Joan Jett, Go-Go's), but most languished in obscurity (Wall of Voodoo, The Fleshtones, The Cramps, Gary Numan). This mixture of heavy-hitters, one-hit-wonders and underground stars should have resulted in a much edgier cinematic experience; instead, the film is far too long and full of peaks and valleys. Shot in a raw, muddy style, the movie was eclipsed visually by the slick music videos of MTV which exploded on the tube around this very same time. Still, it's a time-capsule relic worth revisiting for music buffs and aficionados of the bizarre. Fitfully interesting. **1/2 from ****

Although it may seem dated now, in its time this was a collection of some of the best bands that were "out there," the most commercial being the Police and the Go-Go's. It also offers a very rare insight into seeing XTC live [which hasn't occurred since this video was released.]Sadly impossible to find now, it was really worthwhile to see in the early 1980's. Maybe someone like Rhino will pick up on this and release it again...

From London to La, we are treated to some of rock's all-time greatest bands performing , unfortunately, one song each, during a great time in rock music: the post-punk era of the early '80s. You'll love some and you'll hate some, but you definitely won't be bored. Watch out for X, the go-gos, Echo and the Bunnymen, Oingo Boingo, Joan Jett, Cramps, Alley cats, Magazine, Au Pairs, Police, Wall of Voodoo, Fleshtones,999,XTC, Surf Punks and on and on and on. Great!