Duel - discussion thread

[Burak]

So do you like it?


I would like to see an amg or black series in drifting competition and more exciting duels instead of Gallardo and FocusRS

[ahpadt]

Originally Posted by ahpadt

His videos really are getting cheesier and cheesier.

It was meh. Also, why didn't he feature any 911's? The new GT3 runs rings around the V12 Vantage and is 30k cheaper.

[Posmo]

It was very meh in my opinion. The music has been featured in the last 3 of his DVD's, and it was very repetetive. The directing was crap, and the video was cut very abruptly and suddenly. The offroad celebrity bit was crap, the Focus RS bit was crap, the Aston vs. man race was crap, the Talbot convertible bit was crap..

Overall it had a lot of very bad content, and the few powersliding shots didn't make up for the rest. Clarky Clarks comments very also very worn and repepetive, and there seemed to be very little point in anything they did on the dvd..

I can't press the music point home enough either. The same fucking "generic adventurous swashbuckling music" kept playing OVER AND OVER AGAIN. It's a track that sounds very juvenile when pasted on the whole video. To think that the production values must have been quite high since they could afford to total a few hyundais..

Also, they destroyed a Scorpio Cosworth, which has a fantastic engine that I would kill to have in my Sierra.

My rating 3/10, which is actually a bit too generous..

[Evel]

Originally Posted by ahpadt

It was meh. Also, why didn't he feature any 911's? The new GT3 runs rings around the V12 Vantage and is 30k cheaper.

Do you know Jeremy Clarkson? If you do, you should know that he's not a big fan of the 911, while he is a huge fan of Aston Martin.

I haven't watched it yet, in the process of downloading, looking forward to it.

[CD82]

Originally Posted by Posmo

Overall it had a lot of very bad content, and the few powersliding shots didn't make up for the rest.

Yes, I think it started rather well (the drifting) but after a while every scene was more or less "I know what's going to happen" (i.e. Gallardo versus Focus, I can't imagine how that's going to end). I think the only other thing I liked was "Top Gear" against "another Gear". And the music was quite dreadful, especially when you are used to the soundtrack Top Gear usually uses.

[ahpadt]

Originally Posted by Evel

Do you know Jeremy Clarkson? If you do, you should know that he's not a big fan of the 911, while he is a huge fan of Aston Martin.

I do, and I read almost everything he posts and he secretly likes them but is too embarassed to admit it.

[IceBone]

What's been said before and the Ferrari California is one of the ugliest cars on the market today.

[maxtortheone]

Originally Posted by Posmo

Also, they destroyed a Scorpio Cosworth, which has a fantastic engine that I would kill to have in my Sierra.

It looked like the engine was removed when it was crushed, at least to me

And the segment with Tiff and VBH was nice, he should have done the entire DVD like that

[Evel]

Originally Posted by ahpadt

I do, and I read almost everything he posts and he secretly likes them but is too embarassed to admit it.

Well there you go.

[Karoug]

Originally Posted by IceBone

What's been said before and the Ferrari California is one of the ugliest cars on the market today.

It looks more like a toad than the Scorpio...

[Dr_Grip]

Originally Posted by maxtortheone

It looked like the engine was removed when it was crushed, at least to me

Same here.

All in all, though, it was pretty much what i expected. I can't complain about editing, cinematography or directing (no wonder, as most of the staff is from Top Gear). Some of the effects (especially the "line of cars" effect during the Aston test and the "three Focuses" rehash of it) i'd even like to see on Top Gear.

What annoyed me was the sillyness of the Lambo vs. Focus race ("funny" title cards instead of race footage? Come on, please!), the stupidity of the both the "Brawn test driver can't drift" joke, the complete lack of any humour whatsoever in the two Stig jokes (Vicky with gun/Bike) during the Battle of the Gears and the worst audio dubbing EVER in the second monologue of the Focus segment (around 1:08:40, when cutting to JC's closeup).

And don't even get me started on the drifting with funny footwear.

So, we got some excellent guest stars (and i actually liked the off-road segment!), some good jokes, tons of jokes falling flat, another Marina gone, some stunning cinematography, lots of cars that were already featured on Top Gear - a solid effort for a Clarkson DVD, but nothing outstanding. Seventy minutes well spent, but i won't watch it again.

[FordGT]

I thought it sucked. Scripted nonsense. Glad I didn't pay for it!

[Hidden_Hunter]

Originally Posted by FordGT

I thought it sucked. Scripted nonsense. Glad I didn't pay for it!

fraid that's the same with me,


a bit of a dissapointment though gogogo vxr8

[SMN]

Originally Posted by Dr_Grip

Same here.

All in all, though, it was pretty much what i expected. I can't complain about editing, cinematography or directing (no wonder, as most of the staff is from Top Gear). Some of the effects (especially the "line of cars" effect during the Aston test and the "three Focuses" rehash of it) i'd even like to see on Top Gear.

What annoyed me was the sillyness of the Lambo vs. Focus race ("funny" title cards instead of race footage? Come on, please!), the stupidity of the both the "Brawn test driver can't drift" joke, the complete lack of any humour whatsoever in the two Stig jokes (Vicky with gun/Bike) during the Battle of the Gears and the worst audio dubbing EVER in the second monologue of the Focus segment (around 1:08:40, when cutting to JC's closeup).

And don't even get me started on the drifting with funny footwear.

So, we got some excellent guest stars (and i actually liked the off-road segment!), some good jokes, tons of jokes falling flat, another Marina gone, some stunning cinematography, lots of cars that were already featured on Top Gear - a solid effort for a Clarkson DVD, but nothing outstanding. Seventy minutes well spent, but i won't watch it again.

signed.

Just like Posmo said, everything is a bit worn and repetetive... and something was missing. It's like he didn't even try to let it look like it was unscripted or something. Can't explain really. He didn't act that well...

I guess our expectations are bit too high...

[Dr_Grip]

About the scriptedness: I have said that a gazillion times regarding Top Gear:

If you do a car review, be it on TV, in print, on Radio 4 or on a DVD, you got to write. You got to sit down, organize your thoughts about the car, structure them and then write a text. That's the only way to do it.
If you're working for a magazine, you print this text.
If you're in radio, you go to the studio and record this text. And re-record it. And edit it. And mix noises in.
If you're working with film, you got to make up your mind about what pictures you want to go with the text, to bring across your point. Then you get your crew and shoot this pictures. Then editing, sound design, a car review as the final product.

So, everything on the DVD except for the Battle of the Gears was scripted legitimately. That's not what i complain about. What i complain about is the lack of quality in the writing.

[matt2000]

I've bought these DVDs for years (well, been given them as Christmas gifts) bar last years and yeah they use generic music that was used back in the early '90s VHS videos and the cars have been shown before, even the track has been used before on Supercar Showdown, but I'll be asking for it as a gift this Christmas and I'll enjoy it regardless of any faults, because it's Clarkson.

From a technical point of view the G-wiz versus table race in SS was terrible but I liked it. I'm already looking forward to the off-road celeb challenge (although Ronan destroying a D90 might make me cringe a bit) and the 'Apple on the apex, apple on the exit' challenge looks like a laugh. You can't take his DVDs seriously, you just sit back and enjoy the madness. They're the last of their kind, I doubt half of what he does would be allowed on the BBC, so enjoy it while it lasts.

[Stoner]

I didnt like it much either, but I heard a song again I`ve been looking for for ages.

I havent found a thread for music request regarding the Duel DVD so I just post it here, hope thats ok.

It starts at 1:04:55 and goes on till 1:05:28 when Clarkson starts talking about the Focus RS. I tried mailing and asking when I last heard it when he reviews the Veyron but got no answer maybe someone here can help me? Would be very much appreciated. Maybe someone recognizes it.

Thanks

[jonimatix]

My rating 4/10 the content mostly and the music were really nothing worth paying for

[Dr_Grip]

Originally Posted by Stoner

I didnt like it much either, but I heard a song again I`ve been looking for for ages.

I havent found a thread for music request regarding the Duel DVD so I just post it here, hope thats ok.

It starts at 1:04:55 and goes on till 1:05:28 when Clarkson starts talking about the Focus RS. I tried mailing and asking when I last heard it when he reviews the Veyron but got no answer maybe someone here can help me? Would be very much appreciated. Maybe someone recognizes it.

Thanks

The name of the copyright-free music library used is in the closing credits

[Stoner]

Yea I know but try to find a music track there...

+ I mailed them also. Their response was "thank you for your interest".