Arsenal - Arsene Wenger’s Magic Hat [2002]
Arsenal - Arsene Wenger’s Magic Hat [2002]
Manufacturer: Fremantle Home Entertainment (Limited availability)
Magic Hat? More like pile of old tatGreat season - awful video/DVD. This is no more than a lazy compilation of goals cobbled together in five minutes. Half of Arsenal’s Champions League campaign is missing, the interviews are dull and uneccesary and if you’re looking to see anything but goals you’re in the wrong place.
I hate this video/DVD and I’m angry with Arsenal for putting no effort into documenting the best season in the club’s history. Of course they know that whatever they produce will be snapped up by the fans, but this cheap effort really does plumb a new low.
Take my advice and avoid this video nasty. If you want an accurate and entertaining account of Arsenal’s double winning season you’d be better served videotaping SkySports “The Premiership Years” when it next comes on.
who makes these things?
And why do Arsenal let them? You’d think we’d just come joint 7th in Division 3, such is the lack of drama and weight given to what is arguably our best-ever season.
As has been the case since the Arsenal Video Club stopped a few years back, there is hardly any context or rhythm given to the season, the matches fly by in a flurry of just the goals (no neat moves, no great near-misses, no great saves), and if it wasn’t for the fact that there is no coverage at all of incidents showing our “dark side”, you’d think the video was made by a Man U fan, so damp is the mood and so understated is the celebration.
It is shameful that the club should allow such a bad job to be made of such a great season, it’s as if they asked someone to cut and paste a few things together and get it out the door. I’d happily have waited another month for a more polished, longer (and more expensive if necessary) and more documentary-style effort.
And the player interviews . . . well, just fast forward. The bits you understand make sick as a parrot comments seem intelligent. Why not interview Lee and Tony? Gilles? Pires ? (the clip of him receiving his award is hilariously pathetic).
Arsenal commercial management : wake up, grow up, treat your fans like intelligent human beings, take pride in showing the exploits of your club.
Great team shame about the Video
As a diehard fan, my initial reaction on seeing this video advertised was to acquire without hesistation. Unfortunately, I believe Fremantle video also knew this fact all too well because this offering is nothing short of bland and uninspiring. To review such a historic season with such disregard to effort or style is insulting to all true Arsenal fans. The opening screens of this video are filled with cheap video effects which would put a 1980s Pop video to shame. The background music is as plastic as a McDonald’s restaurant. The video itself is a comprehensive review of Sky TV’s coverage of the season and there is no running commentary to ease us through this procession. Although, there are some personal insights and behind the scenes interviews with key players, I can’t help but think that a good opportunity to review a fantastic sporting story has been lost to the short term thinking of profit hungry Video company executives. Shame on Fremantle for producing such bland fodder. Do me a favour and start working on Manchester United’s video instead.