Eminem - E

Review by Peter

Production Year: 2000
DVD Release Date: December 19, 2000
Studio: Polygram Video
Cast: Eminem (Marshall Mathers III)
Genre: Music - Videos
MPAA Rating: Unrated

Eminem, protege of Dr. Dre, first reached commercial success with his 1999 album The Slim Shady LP, which included the overnight sensation "My Name Is". What no fan or critic was prepared for was his follow-up album released in 2000 and simply named The Marshall Mathers LP. This album would quickly define Eminem's career and be met with both commercial success and heavy criticism for its depiction of women.

Eminem - E is a compilation of what can be considered some of the best music videos released by this artist. Music videos included are: Stan, Way I Am, Real Slim Shady, Role Model, Guilty Conscience, My Name Is, and Just Don't Give A ****. And they are presented just as they should be -- uncensored. While I will not analyze all the music videos, it is important to take a look at a few of them and explore their meaning and why they proved to be commercially successful.

"Stan" is simply about an obsessive fan who looses touch with reality, a psychosis that results in death. The video stars actor Devon Sawa as the fan and singer Dido as his girlfriend, whose music is featured in Eminem's song. The music video plays out more like a mini-movie than a music video and helps emphasize the already strong message in the lyrics. While not all of Eminem’s songs or music videos probe as deeply as this one they are still of a high quality. One of Eminem’s most commercially successful music videos was "Real Slim Shady", which poked fun at celebrities like Tom Green, Tommy Lee and Christina Aguilera. While not as thought provoking as Stan or some of his other music videos it is still very entertaining.

Video Quality

The picture is presented in a variety of different aspect ratios. Some videos are presented in widescreen, while others are presented in full screen. The aspect ratio is consistent with what was aired on television. The picture quality varies, but most videos are well presented and at least meet or surpass expectations of how the music video looked when it appeared on television. For the most part the colors are very good, skin tones look natural and the DVD is free from any major pixelation or digital artifact problems.

Audio Quality

Luckily we get two audio tracks. The first is a Dolby Digital 5.1 track which proves to be the best of the two. While there is not a lot of use of the back channels, the front ones provide good separation with the vocal levels at a very good level when compared to the music. The other track is a Dolby Surround 2.0 track which also provides a good presentation of the videos.

Special Features

This DVD surprisingly contains two special features that many fans will enjoy and add great value to this DVD. The first is the Making of "Stan", which gives a brief but interesting look at the making of this popular music video. This feature lets the viewer see what's going on behind-the-scenes during the filming, how the concept for the video emerged and offers brief comments from Devon Sawa, Dido, Dr. Dre and Phil Atwell. The second special feature is a spoof of The Blair Witch Project as it relates to Eminem‘s childhood home. While not as good as the Making-of feature, those who have seen The Blair Witch Project will probably find this almost as ridiculous as the movie.

Summary

Eminem - E undoubtedly contains the best and most recognizable of the Eminem music videos. The DVD is surprisingly well produced with the respectable inclusion of both a 5.1 and a 2.0 surround sound track. The only thing that might make an Eminem fan hold off on buying this is the possibility of a release of a complete music video collection DVD.