Metallica: Cunning Stunts (1998 Video) User Reviews

Excellent 90's representation of Metallica

[furious_d25 · 8/10 · 30 May 2005]

This DVD is an excellent representation of the 90's era of Metallica - an era marking a shift away from the thrash metal of their youth and maturing into greater musicians (in the sense their repertoire has expanded). Exploring blues and country and mixing it with a pop flavour whilst still retaining the hard rock element of the 80's, this DVD reflects all of this.

Opening with a fun jam (a collection of riffs that would later become 'Bad Seed' on ReLoad, which hadn't been released at the time of the concert), they head into 'So What' and the music doesn't stop for another 90 mins or so. James entertains with his usual speeches that never get boring (unlike a certain someone PHIL) and the camera work, whilst not superb, is definitely above par. The lighting however does get annoying at times and a constant blue is not the most interesting.

However, all this aside, it is a collection a Metallica fan would already have. If you're looking to get into Metallica and don't know what album to start off with, try this or S&M.

A down side to the tracklisting however is that they do not delve into much material from their first few albums, save a few concert staples. Medleys do not count - play the entire song.

Check it out.

'Tallica boys give you heavy, baby!

[natalie_lockett · 9/10 · 26 July 2005]

I love this DVD. I never used to listen to Metallica until I saw this and now I love them. The bonus features are great, particularly the footage from backstage before the show, the making of the Deconstruction scene, and the angles which you can choose to focus on each individual member during three of their songs (my personal favourite is Kirk!)

Metallica's songs sound great on their own but certain songs like For Whom The Bells Tolls, Fade to Black and One, just sound incredible live. I'm unsure whether it's the screaming fans, the way James sings it or the awesome solos by Kirk but they go from great to epic.

I definitely recommend this to any Metallica fan, or even non-Metallica fans like myself.

Amazing!

[Stefanowich · 8/10 · 4 January 1999]

This has to be the "most value" dvd so far. With over 140 minutes of glorious picture and sound Metallica sets a new standard for future dvd's. Crammed into two dvd's with both Dolby Surround and Dolby Digital 5.1 Metallica delivers THE ultimate ride! If you got a dvd-player this is definitely a "reference-must-have-disk!". Sweden, 4th jan 1999.

I was there man!

[killgore-6 · 10/10 · 8 July 2000]

I saw this concert live. I must say after buying this DVD I am much more satisfied with video than performances. I stood on the chair during the whole thing to see past the other standing idiots. However there are few other places to see naked women for free. METALLICA RULES THE WORLD!!!!!!!

A true Metallica classic !!!

[Brian Blueskye · 16 September 1999]

Metallica is one of my favorite bands, and I think this is definitely a great tape. The concert is 100% performance from their "Poor Touring Me" tour. There are no interviews, or backstage stuff, (Only on the DVD there are backstage shots) but other than that, it's a great concert video. Some shots are black and white, some are aerial views of the band performing. A must have for the true Metallica Fan.

The Greatest Band, the greatest Fans, the greatest Live DVD!

[kitrx · 10/10 · 24 October 2003]

Having just launched the follow-up to the Black Album, Load, which came out 1996, the interest around Metallica was huge. Reaching Forth Worth, Texas, as the next gig, Metallica was up for recording it and putting out one of the best Live DVD's I have ever seen. Metallica giving 100% on stage playing classics like Enter Sandman, Master of Puppets and Nothing Else Matters this DVD really gets to you. With a lot of bonuses and multiple angles on some songs this DVD is worth seeing even if you don't like Metallica and just want to see some great live stuff.

What more can I say? I was not a real Metallica fan when I saw this movie but after I saw it I became a Metallica freak!

Best Concert Ever Held

[reidkuelz · 10/10 · 30 April 2018]

I was not alive when this event, but I purchased the DVD of this movie very recently and I loved every second of it, and all members sound great, Lars's drumming is amazing, Kirk's guitar playing is god tier, James's vocals and guitar playing are amazing, and Jason's playing is awesome. I love the way the bass and guitar doodle sound and the Kill/Ride Medley is amazing, and One sounds great, and Enter Sandman, has a hilarious moment when the band pranks the audience by having a guy on fire run across the stage, and the band "pretends" to get hurt, which is hilarious. If you like metal music, and like Metallica, buy this movie. You will not regret a thing.

What else can you expect from the greatest band ever?

[sabbra_cadabra · 10/10 · 8 February 2000]

What else can you expect from the greatest band ever? This is definitely the best concert DVD I have seen yet. Excellent video, sound, extras, quality. I am a HUGE Metallica fan and I was very impressed by this DVD. It is a must have for any fan. It is an excellent concert with a great set list. The only disappointment I had with it is that they didn't have songs like "Sanatarium" or "Harvester of Sorrow." That doesn't take away from anything though. It was interesting to see one of the first versions of "Fuel" live before it was officially released. This is a great disc at a decent price, if you have a chance to get it I highly recommend it.

Wooooooooowwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!

[Celest · 10/10 · 11 January 1999]

This is just amazing, I have not seen it on DVD, but on VHS. It is f.... great. I Can't wait to see it on DVD, from what I have heard from Metclub. It should be mother f.... a good f.... live movie.

The best DVD in my 30+ collection !!

[Big E-5 · 10/10 · 30 March 1999]

This disc (or rather discs) is awesome. The picture quality, while not as gobsmacking as, say, Fifth Element, is superb given the fact it's live footage. The sound quality is absolutely spot-on in 5.1 mode with Hetfields vocals coming from the centre and the rest of the group coming from the front mains is surprisingly natural sounding and builds a lovely soundstage. The sound from the crowd is heard from all over the place, with the rears active also. The panning effects during the intro to "One" when the camera is spinning around are superb !! The pyrotechnics, if your system has a subwoofer, will rattle your light fittings !! What really stands out about this disc though is the multi-angle feature. The only downside of this is that it's only on 4 songs. Bummer. But on the songs it is on, you can opt to stick with the general camera, which switches between band members in the usual fashion or you can choose one of four other camera angles which will then place you with one individual member of the band for the whole song !!! Or switch them at will !!!! Cool. If you like Metallica or Hard Rock in general, get this disc NOW.

Metallica... the greatest Hard rock music of two last decade

[yunisisapta · 6/10 · 6 February 2000]

Metallica is the Biggest......no...the best Group in two last decade. Metallica's music always a legend, that's what Michael Kamen said at the moment he conducted San Fransisco Symphony Orchestra and has a historical Concert with Metallica. Hetfield didn't look like he has trauma of his arm's accident. That's great.......

First show!

[stefan_tangstrom · 10/10 · 5 December 2020]

This tour(1996) was the first time i saw Metallica live and i was 16 years old(29 times now) and I was blown away by the energy! I think this dvd really capture that. It is not that polished and kind of raw. A must see! Not only for fans of Metallica but for any fan of live music! Cheers from Sweden!

"Make the Bad Man Stop..."

[metlmike · 1/10 · 10 November 1999]

A friend of mine lent this video to me and I was fairly excited to watch it, but after ten minutes of James Hetfield's slow pitched vocals and Lars banging on his drum set in what appeared to be slow motion I began to think, `Why am I watching this?' That question will be coursing through your minds in 5 – 10 minutes after you hit Play. I gave the tape back the same day, as you would suspect, not worth buying or watching!

Just my opinion!

How I learned to love live...

[wierzbowskie · 22 August 2000]

This "Documentary" changed my way of looking at concerts on video. At first I thought they were all alike: boring two hour concerts where you can't hear what the dude says let alone what he sings. But with CUNNING STUNTS it was different. Metallica gave it their best on EVERY song and gave everyone, including me, a great live show (Even if it was on tape).

I love metal and this concert shows that metal still lives!!!

Best concert video I have seen

[RetroRam · 10/10 · 11 April 2009]

I first saw Metallica live in October 1996, when I was not-quite-sixteen, at Earls Court in London. Cunning Stunts is from the same tour, although filmed in Forth Worth, Texas, and therefore I already have a strong emotional tie to this DVD set.

Kicking off with So What, and into Creeping Death, you know they mean business right from the off. Songs including as One, Nothing Else Matters, Master of Puppets and Enter Sandman are spread out between songs from all of their albums up to Load, and include an early version of Fuel from the at-the-time-unreleased ReLoad.

Concert videos are a great way to remember your favourite gigs (Green Day's Bullet in the Bible for example was recorded while I was there), but not all of them accurately capture the raw emotion of the occasion. Cunning Stunts is not such a film - for me at least it brings back the emotions I felt way back then, and lets me replay them whenever I see fit.

Whilst the first three or four albums may be considered by many to be the golden age of Metallica's studio output, this collection goes to show that even eight years after the release of ...And Justice for All, the band still had what it takes.

In 1996 the band's still young, still full of the passion and energy that carried them to the top of their game. Their hair's shorter, but their playing is no less heavy or relevant.

A top watch for any fan - as far as the quality of the performance, it is up there with Nirvana's and Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged performances. Anyone who's on the fence, this might be the live recording to tip you in favour of Metal's finest.

One comment only-GET THIS DVD

[ugh_66 · 10/10 · 18 January 1999]

Can only say one thing about this dvd. If you have any interest in Metallica, just go ahead and get it. It's magnificent!

'Tallica Gives You Heavy, Baby

[andres_zamora_11 · 10/10 · 14 January 2008]

The concert is just amazing. It was an amazing set list , going over Kill 'Em All songs up to the ReLoad tunes without even being released, which is clear in that lyrics of "Fuel" are different. This video proves that not because James, Lars, Kirk or Jason had cut their hair they became "less" metal, quite the opposite in fact, now that they were not scared about doing it. Audio is amazing, you can actually listen to every single drum hit or guitar lick, which in other videos maybe it's not so clear. Surely a must-have for a real Metallica fan! Bass/Guitar Doodle is astonishing, because it evolves melodic aspects and an awesome medley from "Sanitarium" and "Nothing". One of their best gigs ever!

I enjoyed the show but was disappointed by censorship.

[Pigmata · 12 August 2001]

As a long time Metallica fan, I of course went right to Walmart and bought Cunning Stunts as soon as it was available. The concert was excellent but I was suprised and offended that Hetfield's swearing was dubbed in backwards. I've seen Metallica over 15 times and I bought Binge and Purge, Cliff'em All and Year and a Half....all of which were uncensored. Not that I particularly care for swearing that much, but two things really bother me about Cunning Stunts being censored. The first being that I'm not a kid, so I take offense to someone else deciding which words I shouldn't hear. and secondly, this chopped release leaves me with the feeling that I'm not getting the full deal like I normally do from Metallica.

I swear I will never buy another video or CD from Walmart because my friend bought the Papa Roach "Infest" cd and it's swear words were just missing. My copy of Infest, which I bought at Warehouse was uncensored. Like I said earlier, I'm not advocating bad language, but I think that there should maybe be a "kid's cut" and an "adult's cut" available, and have them clearly marked so I don't have to have my music softened-up for me. When you were a baby, your mommy had to cut your meat for you, but now that you're all grow'd up, you'd kill her if she made a move toward you with a knife, right? All-righty then.

This one was cool.

[blazer010 · 23 December 1999]

This performance was a really good one, but why open with "So What"???? Killer tune, but most new fans would not know it is a cover. Only three covers in the entire vid, but the energy level was at a low ebb. Live S*%t: Binge and Purge Seattle tape was a much better, if not the best performance ever filmed. As of this writing I have not seen all of S&M vid. Metallica has really come a long way since "Kill'Em All" in '83, but they have really stopped advancing and started copying other styles.

Metallica should quit before they alienate all the original fans, like me. Or remember what they started out to do. Awaiting Live S*%t on DVD

2 out of 5

Great concert

[Sebri1 · 12 January 2004]

*spoiler alert*

Well, Metallica being my favorite band, I of course bought this thing on DVD to put in my collection. I had heard a lot of good things about it, and I was not let down. In addition to playing a lot of their great songs, Metallica tore down the whole damn stage. What a finale, I thought it was all real, and really wondered why no one had told me about it before. Well, now I know.

Jason and Kirk also have this amazing bass/guitar doodle playing parts of My Friend Of Misery, then going into Sanitarium, and finally NEM. Good stuff. The extras are also really cool, they include interviews, behind the scenes and some other fun stuff. And last but not least, the box just looks great. The only let down of this concert was James' voice, it was really off, especially Ain't My bitch.

Overall: 10/10