Courtesy: Eagle Rock Entertainment
Tour documentaries today seem to be a dime a dozen. From one end of the musical universe to the other, the tour documentary has become a key part of every act’s live experience. Sadly, it has also become little more than a watered down live recording that is ultimately little more than another space filler used to satisfy acts’ contractual obligations. Considering that, one can’t help but ask why The Rolling Stones’ new 2016 Latin American tour documentary Ole! Ole! Ole! stands out from its counterparts. The answer to that question is threefold beginning with the story presented in the documentary, which will be discussed shortly. The cinematography presented throughout the program stands out just as much as the doc’s story. The bonus live performances included in the recording also stands out. Each element, in its own way, makes Ole! Ole! Ole! stand out from its fellow tour documentaries. All things considered, this look at The Rolling Stones’ 2016 Latin American tour proves to be a program to which audiences will give three cheers.
The Rolling Stones’ new 2016 Latin American tour documentary Ole! Ole! Ole! is a program to which audiences around the world will give three cheers. That is because while it is a tour documentary, it isn’t just another run-of-the-mill tour documentary. It actually stands out in its own right against its counterparts. That is proven in part through the program’s central story. Admittedly, the story itself is what people have come to expect of tour documentaries. The band goes from one destination to the next with lots of footage of the cities where the shows are scheduled. On another level though, audiences are presented with a band that even after half a century of performing the world over is so humble. From Brazil to Argentine and all the way to Cuba, the band continuously shows so much appreciation for its fans and the cities that host its shows even as rabid as the fans remain. In an age when so many bands continue to put out maybe three albums at best (if they’re lucky) and then disappear or become diva-esque, it is refreshing to see such a seasoned band continue to be so appreciative of the support that it receives around the world.
Along with that narrative, audiences will also be interested to watch the story at the center of this doc because it is also a timeline that takes them (and the band) up to its historic 2016 Havana, Cuba concert. Throughout the course of the band’s Latin American tour, audiences are constantly taken back to the work put in to make that concert a reality, including the hurdles of then President Barack Obama’s visit and even protestation from the Vatican. That protestation came simply because of the day of the week on which the concert was planned. The determination shown by the band’s touring staff to make Havana Moon a reality proves to be quite engaging. This aspect of the story couples with the overall story of the band’s 2016 Latin American tour to make for a story that will keep audiences fully engaged throughout the course of its 90-minute-plus run time. The story however, is only one of the elements that makes this doc stand out from its counterparts. The cinematography exhibited throughout also makes it stand out.
The story at the center of Ole! Ole! Ole! in itself does plenty to make this tour documentary stand out from its counterparts. That is because it isn’t just a carbon copy of the stories presented in the docs released by so many of The Rolling Stones’ counterparts. It is only one of the elements that makes the recording stand out in its field. The program’s cinematography makes it stand out, too. The cinematography stands out because of its attention to angles, lighting and other key details. The wide, sunrise shot of Rio and the footage of fans overcome by emotion in Argentina support that statement. That is because of the emotion that it is certain to evoke in home viewers. The footage of the Cuban people rushing to the gates in Havana to be the first to the stage, and the audiences’ joyous emotion is powerful in itself. Considering this, those behind the lens (including those charged with editing the collective footage) are deserving of their own applause here. The only thing for which those behind the cameras can perhaps be criticized is the fact that no on-screen English translations are presented as the locals in each city talk about the band’s importance in their lives and about their own cultures and regions. It would have been nice to have had that as the otherwise powerful footage is experienced firsthand. Even with that in mind, it is not enough to completely take away from the importance of the cinematography in the program’s overall presentation. Considering that, the doc’s cinematography, just from these few examples, proves in itself its importance. When joined alongside the rest of the doc’s footage, the whole of the program’s visual experience proves completely to be just as important to its presentation as its story, and is still not the last of its most important elements. The bonus live performances are also important in showing what makes Ole! Ole! Ole! stand out from its counterparts.
The story at the center of Ole! Ole! Ole! and the cinematography that helps tell that story are both important in their own ways in showing what makes this tour doc stand out from its counterparts. Each element’s importance has already been discussed and won’t be repeated again here. Rather, the focus will move to the doc’s bonus live performances. Eagle Rock Entertainment has included with the program, seven live performances lifted from the band’s 2016 Latin American tour. Considering the extensive nature of the tour, it would have been impossible to include performances from every stop on the tour. Maybe that will happen in a future Rolling Stones live recording. Yes, that is a direct hint to the heads at Eagle Rock if they haven’t already considered taking this route. The performances featured as bonuses are taken from the band’s stops in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Sao Paulo, Brazil and Lima, Peru. They feature some of the band’s biggest hits, too, including ‘Paint It Black,’ ‘Honky Tonk Women’ and ‘Sympathy For The Devil’ among others. It should be noted here that the performances’ audio mixes cry out for home theater systems. That is not to say that they are inaudible on regular home televisions. But those with standard HDTVs might find themselves having to turn up the volume quite a bit in some of the performances in order to hear them. Those with home surround sound or theater systems will find the audio more easily handled. Even despite this, the bonus performances presented in this doc still prove to be just as engaging and entertaining as the program’s central story and its cinematography. Keeping that in mind, all three elements join together to make Ole! Ole! Ole! a tour doc that proves clearly why it stands out from its counterparts. In doing so, it becomes a program that will get three cheers from every Rolling Stones fan.
The Rolling Stones’ new tour documentary Ole! Ole! Ole! is a program that deserves three cheers of its own. That is because it uses its own merits to stand out from its counterparts, including its story, its cinematography and its bonus live performances. Each element stands on its own merits, as has already been discussed. All things considered, the elements discussed here make Ole! Ole! Ole! a standout tour documentary that deserves three cheers and more. It is available now in stores and online. More information on Ole! Ole! Ole! is available online now along with all of The Rolling Stones’ latest news and more at:
Website: http://www.rollingstones.com
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More information on Ole! Ole! Ole! and other titles from Eagle Rock Entertainment is available online now at:
Website: http://www.eagle-rock.com
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Twitter: http://twitter.com/EagleRockNews
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