Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out
Produced, written and directed by Stewart Copeland
Hip-O/A&M
Review by David Chiu
This is not so much a conventional documentary about the Police but a collection of super 8 movies of the band’s concert and road adventures captured by drummer Stewart Copeland.It’s a somewhat fascinating glimpse into the band’s history from punk wannabes to world conquerors through live shows all over the world, hotel rooms, recording studios and press conferences. Through Copeland’s lens, not only do we see the Police transform from a band that traveled in vans to performing at the major Us Festival, but we also see the lighthearted moments of a relatively serious band—the playful fist-fights between vocalist/bassist Sting and guitarist Andy Summers or the three of them acting goofy on the beach. You become so fascinated with how the footage was assembled that you can overlook the sometimes disorienting camera shots or the grainy quality of the scenes. The audio commentary by Copeland and Summers is quite enlightening as it is humorous, and the bonus features includes additional film footage and concert performances.
NewBeats 