Queen/Japan Broadcast 2001 & more

Freddie Mercury, an unparalleled genius and eternal star. A video work that deeply explores his life has been decided to be released. At our store, we have introduced many QUEEN special programs, but this work is an especially deep and special masterpiece. This work includes the Japanese special program “Queen Special” that aired in December 2001. This broadcast was a special program in which programs produced overseas were broadcast in two parts. Each program is 1 hour long, totaling 2 hours. It is a piece that depicts a program with a completely different personality with the best master. Now, let’s introduce the two programs individually. [First half: A documentary that approaches Freddie personally] The first thing that appears is a one-hour documentary program. The source material is “THE UNTOLD STORY” produced by the BBC in 2000, which is a one-hour re-edited version of the documentary released on DVD as “LOVER OF LIFE SINGER OF SONGS”. Not only is the content more dense, but there are also additional videos. In fact, the focus of this documentary is not on Queen, but on Freddie as an individual. Perhaps because of this, there are almost no scenes of QUEEN’s performance on commercially available DVDs, and the production is rather plain. On the other hand, this broadcast version includes live scenes of QUEEN and comments from famous musicians. These musicians include Phil Collins, Mick Jagger, Ian Hunter, Slash, Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, Liza Minnelli, Paul McCartney, Elton John, and many more. It adds some flair to documentaries that tend to be dull. Even more important is the Japanese narration. Each comment has Japanese subtitles, but the narration is dubbed by a Japanese person. It is finished in a version that approaches the heart even more directly. ●Childhood and contents that reveal roots. This is really deep. Of course, the members of QUEEN also talk, but the focus of this work is Freddie’s life. Many of his friends and acquaintances appear and talk about Freddie’s life. His mother Jah Bulsara, his sister Kashmira Cooke, and his partners Mary Austin and Jim Hutton. In addition, there were teachers, classmates, principals, and designers who coordinated costumes for both public and private work. While many documentaries focus on Freddie’s music and accomplishments, this film focuses on the person. I thought it would be boring if QUEEN wasn’t the main character, but that’s not the case. The cinematography and editing are exquisitely crafted. The beginning of the story follows the standard chronology of “student days → formation of QUEEN,” but once we get to the point where he meets Mary, we really get into Freddy’s inner life. Because of Mary’s love for him after he accepted his confession that he was gay, he went back to his childhood (age 8) when he was in school in India to look for signs of this, and a person who knew his life at the time said, “There were times when he was out of place.” Jump to the orgy of the QUEEN era. You can freely move back and forth through the eras. This is very effective. Usually, pre-debut videos and comments (albeit valuable) tend to be plain and boring, but this work mixes in the familiar QUEEN era, so it’s not boring at all. Also, although the structure may seem difficult to understand at first glance, since it focuses on “Freddy’s personality,” “Freddy we know well” and “roots” are directly connected. For example, during the riot, Freddie looked like a star, saying, “There’s no such thing as overdoing it. I might go to hell because of that.” “The costume theme (for the party) was someone I admired. He was just himself.” When he was a child, he said, “From the class diary at that time, I learned that Freddy often appeared in plays. Most of the time, the roles were played by women.” . Moreover, childhood is not just about precious photos. In the episode about THE HECTICS, the school band that they formed for the first time, not only their bandmates at the time, but THE HECTICS, which still exists as a school band, appeared and performed in the auditorium. Even the synchronization of photos from those days with his current children brings a realistic picture of Freddie’s life at the time. It’s far more skillfully crafted than many documentaries. ●Freddie’s final years witnessing his final moments The highlight is his solo career, which is often omitted in other documentaries. An improvised version of “Barcelona” recorded at home will also appear (amazing!), and Freddie proudly talks about how deep his bond with Montserrat Caballé was, and that his solo album is “the best!” The movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” treated it as a dark age, but the truth is conveyed. The ultimate stage is in later years. Mary’s comments were seen in “IS THIS THE REAL LIFE?” which I introduced the other day, but in this work, she also talks about her last lover, Jim Hutton. After confessing his HIV status, Freddie tells Jim, “The door is open, so you can leave,” to which Jim responds, “Don’t be an idiot. Are you leaving?” In 1987, not changing your relationship with someone infected with HIV would have required you to be prepared to share your fate. I am moved by the deep love between Mary and Jim. The story then moves on to Freddy’s final moments. The assistant and Jim, who noticed something strange, called a doctor and called Mary, but they still refused visitors, thinking that “it might get better,” and so on, looking back on that fateful November 24th. When the doctor and Mary return home and are about to change Freddie into his nightgown, they notice that Freddie has stopped breathing… His final moments are written in the words of the person who actually witnessed them. The program that chronicled Freddie’s life ended with QUEEN’s “No-One But You.” Not only the sight of the three performers, but also the Japanese subtitles of the lyrics are heart-wrenching. “An angel stands by the lake and raises his hand to the sky. They’re all sad. You’re the only one who touches their hearts. One by one, the good guys die prematurely. The angels get too close to the sun. “Unforgettable Eternity” [Second half: 3rd LIVE AT WEMBLEY] Following the first part, which deeply explores Freddie as a “person”, is the second part, where you can feel the “music” directly. “July 12, 1986 Wembley Stadium performance” was one of the highlights of Freddie’s last tour. This is the multi-camera pro shot. Of course, this show was released as a live video “QUEEN AT WEMBLEY”, and now the complete version DVD is also familiar. However, this work is the third broadcast version that is different from either of them. “In The Lap Of The Gods…. Revisited”, “Who Wants To Live Forever”, “Is This The World We Created?” were featured in the edited version aired on March 13, 2000 by the British broadcasting station “CHANNEL 5”. “Tutti Frutti'” and Freddie’s singalong were cut, and the intros of some songs were also omitted. It is packed into a one-hour broadcast time slot. Of course, Japanese unique captions are also added here. It is now an edited version for collectors, but it is wonderful that it is a set with the documentary in the first half. The first half focuses on “other than Queen” and “personality,” and the second half makes you feel directly “why we like Freddie.” The movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” was also so moving because the last scene was the reenactment of LIVE AID. The Wembley Stadium in this work also gives us the same joy. A documentary that brings you closer to the truth about Freddie, and Wembley Stadium, where you can enjoy a famous performance full of excitement with rare editing. This is a masterpiece of a Japanese program that aired both in two features. I would like to thank not only the British side who produced it, but also the Japanese broadcasting station that chose this combination, and the recording enthusiasts who left it in the highest quality. This is one of the many video works that will leave you with a special impression. ★A special double feature program that was broadcast once in a 2-hour time slot in December 2001. THE UNTOLD STORY, this is the best history program (and it includes Japanese narration, which is very valuable). A must-see for fans! Broadcast Date: 1st December 2001 1. Program Introduction ★Freddie Mercury The Untold Story : Japanese Edition The documentary profiling the life of Freddie Mercury, telling the story of his early life in Zanzibar and India, his early days in England, his life in Queen , his solo projects and collaboration with Montserrat Caballe, and his illness and death. It features contributions from many people closest to Freddie, including his mother Jer Bulsara, sister Kashmira Cooke, Brian May, Roger Taylor, long term partner Jim Hutton, former girlfriend and longterm friend Mary Austin, personal assistant Peter Freestone, best friend Peter Straker, and numerous other people who knew Freddie socially or through Queen projects. 2. Intro 3. The Great Pretender4. Early Years & Art College 5. Into Music & Smile 6 Birth Of Queen 7. Mary Austin 8. Going Back 9. Let’s Turn It On 10. Get Down, Make Love 11. Interviews with Freddie & Jim Hutton 12. Stage Costumes 13. School Years 14. Hectics 15. Montserrat Caballe 16. Staying Power, Mr Bad Guy & New York 17. A Winter’s Tale 18. No-One But You　 ★Live At Wembley Stadium : 1-Hour Special Edit Version Live at Wembley Stadium, London, UK 12th July 1986 19. Intro 20. Brighton Rock 21. One Vision Intro 22. One Vision 23. Tie Your Mother Down 24. Seven Seas Of Rhye 25. A Kind Of Magic 26. Under Pressure 27. Another One Bites The Dust 28. Who Wants To Live Forever 29. Is This The World We Created? 30. Bohemian Rhapsody 31. Hammer To Fall 32. Radio Ga Ga 33. We Will Rock You 34. Friends Will Be Friends 35. We Are The Champions 36. God Save The Queen PRO-SHOT COLOR NTSC Approx. 119min.