Phish - Bittersweet Motel (2001)

Trey Excellente!!

This is a fantastic DVD that gives you a taste of the wonderful world of Phish. I don't understand the statements of some reviewers saying that Todd Phillips hates Phish. He did a freakin' movie about them for cryin' out loud. And a pretty damn good one. Trey dominates much of the footage because (guess what Phish fans)...He dominates the band. I've seen and read countless interviews, and generally he's the one who has the most to say. It's not his out-of-control ego, he just happens to be more verbose than the other 3 guys. And he is also the primary songwriter of the band and the obviuos "ringmaster" of the group in their live performances. I miss Phish just as much as the next guy, but enough with all this Trey-hating. He is a BIG part of what made Phish so special (and may again.)

I thought this film was great. It captured the scene, the band, the music the personality. Plus it was majorly cool to see the Great Wendt and remember what it was like to be there (that was actually my first Phish concert and my life was never the same afterwards.)

If you don't know Phish and are curious, check out this film.

If you are so hardcore that you argue about which was the best version of My Sweet One, then you'll probably complain about this film. May 25, 2006

Really Does Not Do the Band Justice

I bought this video a long time ago, and immediately sold it on ebay. I watched it again recently, and still do not like it. Why? As many reviewers have stated it is the Trey show. However, I really wonder if it was Trey's ego that took over the movie, or whether the other band members didn't like doing a movie? I say this becaue Fish stated in an interview that at first he was for the movie and then changed his mind and didn't want to do it. Maybe the rest of the band didn't like how it was produced. So instead of scrapping the movie, Trey jumped and tried to complete it. To save face for the band? However, if Trey (and his ego) took over the movie, then I think offers some explanation of why the band split.

Aside from that, I gave the movie 2 stars because it does give fans a glimpse (however small) of the band off stage, and tries to incorporate the fans. The only good parts are at then end. However, the movie, in many respects, tries to be like the Grateful Dead Movie. In that respect it fails. Ironically the director asks Trey about this subject (i.e. Phish's similarity to the Dead), which goes to show how little the homework was put into the project; why not ask about Zappa? If you want to see a good jam band movie see the original... The Grateful Dead Movie. If your a phan of Phish, listen to the live shows. November 11, 2005

Bittersweet Motel

This video shows the true character of the members of the band. The video shows a lot of behind the scenes type footage including interviews, conversations and candid footage from the road. The mixture of these elements mixed with the raw live footage exposes the reallity of the bands personality come to life. This is the best video for people who don't know a lot about phish and want to understand the legendary phenomena. October 7, 2005

Bittersweet Motel

How a film-maker who has such obvious disdain for the band could have made such an entertaining documentary is pretty obvious when you think about it...it's Phish for pete's sake! If you already know you don't like Phish, then you wouldn't be reading this review so screw you. If you love Phish music and like laughing at weirdo hippies then this dvd is for you. don't worry about what songs/jams are shown and which ones were ommitted...that's missing the point..it's all one big organic whole. it's the music that counts and the subtle messages you glean from it. August 31, 2005

Divided Sky

Full disclosure: I am a Phish fan. I'm not quite a die-hard fan, I've probably seen them less than 10 times live, but I've listened to hours of bootlegs. One of the shows I saw was at Red Rocks in Colorado during a thunderstorm. Not a drop fell on us, buffered by the foothills, we had nothing but blue sky above us. But behind the stage, we looked down on a dark storm pouring on Denver, with bolts of lighting creating an intense light show. Phish opened with a Divided Sky, the crowd went nuts, and a catecholinergic soup bathed my nucleus accumbens like never before. Guess you had to be there. Which is the point, and the flaw in this movie.

I liked Bittersweet Motel. I liked the backstage look at the band interacting. It had the effect of demythologizing the members. Like anything that takes on a life of its own, the reality behind Phish is both fascinating and disappointing. The guys are basically likeable, guys you can imagine yourself drinking beers and laughing with. At times they seem to take themselves too seriously, come off as your basic high school band geek, or even come off as jerks. Just like your overgrown college buddies who stop by unannounced.

The best is watching Trey respond to negative reviews. I don't know quite why, but nothing amuses me more than artists reacting to critics. Beethoven's letters to critics are hilarious, Tchaikovsky is said to have committed all his negative reviews to memory, word for word, until his dying day. Trey makes a point of letting us know he doesn't care what people think. But he's clearly smoldering underneath, and it's all there for our entertainment.

What I didn't like was the selection of songs in the movie. Whether trying to explain the phenomenon to people who don't get it, or trying to entertain those already converted, I don't think this was the right mix of musical moments to get the job done. Too many of the slow, somber songs and not enough great jamming. There are some high-energy jams but not necessarily their most creative handiwork, in my opinion.

I do think the movie conveys the fun of being a fan. Loved the footage of the mass nude scene. I loved hearing the stoners pontificating, reconciling the rich girls versus the more authentic hippie girl in her VW bus: "the girls rolling up in their Cherokees, their pits are shaved obviously..." but "it's how you're brought up, it's not their option...they're both on the same level, everyone here is chill."

Thumbs up overall, it'll entertain and make you wish you were back at a show. August 22, 2005

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