Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage

OK, as a Rush fan, I am biased. I loved Beyond The Lighted Stage. For those who are not Rush fans, I am sure you will enjoy Kim Mitchell's description of Geddy's voice. ("Like a cat stuck in the door with a blowtorch up its @@@!")

This blu-ray looks absolutely amazing in beautiful 1080p. Consisting mostly of interview footage, Sam Dunn and co. have created another fantastic, glowing, appreciative documentary. Gathering up such fans as Mitchell, Billy Corgan (who is a SERIOUS fan), Trent Reznor, Les Claypool, Jack Black, and Sebastian Bach, Rush is finally given the movie treatment that they deserve. Dunn covers the early years, the 80's, Neil's tragedies, and beyond. Outside of Neil's books, I have never heard him speak about his personal tragedies before. This was especially enlightening.

Amazingly, somebody in the Lifeson clan had a camera rolling at the dinner table one night when a 16-year-old Alex told his father that he wanted to quit school and do music full time. It is hard to believe such footage exists, but here it is. Such footage is very special, but only one of many such moments in Beyond The Lighted Stage.

Bonus features are fantastic. A hilariously tipsy dinner at a hunting lodge gives you that fly-on-the-wall feeling. A revealing bit with Geddy and manager Ray Danniels sheds light on the day that Geddy was fired very early in the band's career. Live footage of "Working Man" with Rutsey on drums is a blu-ray first. Samples of other Rush DVDs give you some more music to sink your teeth into. A little bit more detail on Hemispheres, Presto, and Roll The Bones are also available as bonus features. This is just a portion of the generous bonus features included.

Certainly, since they still have not been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rush have not achieved the ultimate in mainstream appreciation. This movie goes a long way into making up for it. Best of all, it maintains the feeling that Rush fans are in a secret underground club -- those who "get it". This is "our" band, not "theirs". Now you can get the whole story, the way the Rush fans see the band.

Enjoy. 5 stars.

Finally! I haven't come across anything this in-depth about this talented and reclusive trio until now. The documentary is well put together and the commentaries made by Rush's peers,including Jack Black & Billy Corgan, are both enlightening and entertaining. There's also lengthy bonus material that's worth a look. This is a must have for Rush fans young and old. I even know people who weren't ever into their music but after seeing BtLS have developed a certain admiration for the band and the persons behind the name.I also recommend the concert DVD R30 as a companion piece to Stage and make a full Rush evening out of the two.

Blu-ray quality is exceptonal with great visual and audio. However, I'm not sure why others are mentioning two discs in the package. A single BR enclosed in a metal case along with a mini booklet is all I got.

While I have always liked what I heard from Rush on the radio I have never been a bonified Rush fan. However this is an excellent documentary, can't think of it being better. I have a new appreciation for these guys, thouroughly enjoyed the movie's pacing and in-depth interviews, learning about their history, along with some great music. Is there a better rock documentary out there?