A-Ha - Homecoming - Live At Vallhall (2001) Starring Magne Furuholmen, Morten Harket, PÃ¥l Waaktaar, Anneli Marian Drecker, A-Ha, 175 minutes
5.5/10 (19 votes)
About the Movie: Compared to the spectacular shows other performers put on these days, the concert featured on Homecoming--A-Ha Live at Vallhall is a very simple affair. There's no fancy lighting or special effects, with the plain stage set looking like a remnant from the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest. In fact with the guys' looks and music having changed little after nearly two decades in the business, the concert has a distinct feel of 1985 about it. That said, the track-listing contains an equal sprinkling of greatest hits, and songs from the more recent Minor Earth Major Sky. The newer tracks sit particularly well alongside the classics, and you can detect the trio's joy of being able to perform the newer songs such as "Little Black Heart" and "Summer Moved On" live. The home audience, many who grew up listening to A-Ha, clearly adore the guys just as much they did when they were teens. Sadly judging by the shots of the audience, the fans (predominantly 30-something women) haven't aged as well as Harket and co.
On the DVD:
Homecoming on disc has a great audio soundtrack (Dolby Digital 5.1), but the concert visuals are grainy and poor. This is more than compensated for by the vast amount of bonus material included. As well as three short documentaries on how Pal, Magne and Morten spent their seven-year break from A-Ha, there's a 20-minute interview with the band and behind-the-scenes footage of the after show party presented by a rather annoying Ian Wright. As well additional live performances of "Early Morning" and "Summer Moved On" recorded at a benefit concert, the videos for the four singles from Minor Earth Major Sky are included. The comprehensive English subtitles are particularly handy for understanding the Norwegian dialogue during the concert. --John Galilee
