Depeche Mode: 101

I think this film is great as a documentary and as a musical event but for me one of the BIGGEST selling points PERIOD is that David Gahan, DM's lead singer, is at his absolute HOTTEST in this movie. Not only is he looking incredible in those white jeans and black leather jacket, but his singing performances are all-out awesome, especially when you consider that most people think of DM as leaning heavily on electronics, when in fact's Gahan's voice has been one of the main carrying forces. If you're a DM fan, especially if you were one during this particluar late 80s time period, you MUST see this!

This is a great documentary of the band in their prime. This is probably where the creators of the Real World got their idea for the show. They take some major fans and allow the access to a tour bus and a ton of concerts and they film the whole thing along with the rigors of touring as Depeche Mode. It is a must see for any fan or anyone else interested in seeing a great behind the scenes take on a band at the height of their career.

Screw Woodstock! That's what I say! I have no idea if I would enjoy Depeche Mode 101 as much if I didn't love the group as much as I do. But mind you, I've seen a lot of rock docs that I've really liked, yet I wasn't crazy about the artist (Jimi in Monterey for example), so I would imagine I would like this. But since I like the band to begin with, that's a mute point isn't it? DM101 profiles Depeche Mode and their grandiose final concert, their 101st, when they were supporting their amazing album 'Music For The Masses. The concert was at the Pasadena Bowl, and this covers all about the logistics of putting a concert of that size there, profiles some VERY scary 80's kids who win a concert to travel to a couple of concerts performed by the band, and their travels across America! Oh and as for the concerts themselves, the songs are great, and they're shot by D.A. Pennebaker for pete's sakes, so you're going to get the best bang for your buck here!

As "Depeche Mode 101" (1989 release; 118 ,in) opens, the guys in Depeche Mode drive into the Rose Bowl in a convertible, to announce that on June 18, 1988, they will play the very last show of their "Music For the Masses" world tour at the Pasadena venue. We then go back in time as the band is in the US leg of the tour... At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this film is co-directed by none other than D. A. Pennebacker himself. I've had the live album of the same name (taped entirely at the Pasadena show) in my extensive CD collection for many years, but as crazy as it sounds, I had never seen the documentary of the same name. Imagine my surprise that the documentary was very different from what I expected. I thought it would be a straight-forward rendering of the Pasadena show, but as it turns out, the Pasadena show is not featured much at all. Instead we get a road movie of what life is like for a band fast on the rise as DM was back then. Even more fascinating, it shows a time capsule of what the US was like back then in the late 80s, more than 30 years ago. As to Depeche Mode, they look so incredibly young, but you can also see what this could lead to. One of the reviewers here terms this "Depeche Mode At Their Height" and I will respectfully disagree with that. After "Music For The Masses", DM truly became a global phenom with albums like 1990's "Violator" and 1993's "Songs of Faith and Devotion". It is in fact on that 1993-94 "Devotional" tour that the band reached its absolute peak in creativity and live prowess (but that's just my opinion, of course).

"Depeche Mode" is currently streaming on Showtime, where I caught it the other night, among many other music documentaries available there. If you are a fan of Depeche Mode and, like me, you know the 101 album but had never seen the movie, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

1988 is a monumental year for Depeche Mode. After then, they chose to become darker and alternative. They are still 'alive' now in 1999 despite members' ill health (both mental and physical).

This film shows inside stuff on DM very well and even predicts what they are gonna be. They were doomed to be great even when they were regarded as New Wave Pop Band when this film was made.