Released on November 25, 1997 from nothing records and Interscope Records, Closure (halo 12) is a 2-VHS set home video release from Nine Inch Nails that features a documentary of the band’s tour in 1994 and 1995 in the first VHS tape and a collection of their music videos from 1989 to 1997 in the second VHS tape. The release would mark the end of a successful period for NIN and its mastermind Trent Reznor as it is a retrospective release of sorts of the band’s career from that point on. The result is one of the finest home video releases for any musical act.
Self-Destruct (tape 1)
Nine Inch Nails: "Closure" part one: Self Destruct (1997) from Nine Inch Nails on Vimeo.
Directed, edited, and shot by Jonathan Rach with additional footage from Jeff Richter, the documentary film doesn’t really have a narrative as it’s a collection of performances and backstage footage during the band’s tour for The Downward Spiral in 1994 and 1995. Throughout the entirety of the tour, Reznor would struggle with stardom while trying to have a good time whether it’s backstage antics with members of the live band at the time such as drummer Chris Vrenna, guitarist/keyboardist Robin Finck, keyboardist James Wooley (who would leave the group in December of 1994), Wooley’s replacement Charlie Clouser, and multi-instrumentalist Danny Lohner. Along with shenanigans with one of the opening bands in Reznor’s protégé Marilyn Manson as well as the Jim Rose Circus, the film would feature cameo appearances from El Duce of the Mentors and Lou Reed who compliments Reznor’s approach to rock music.
The footage that was shot on video at was the norm at the time where it would look grainy but there is something unique to the way it looks. Even as it has a sense of realism into the performances that includes a duet of the song Hurt with David Bowie who would also appear in a backstage scene talking with Reznor and other members of NIN at the time. The video would also showcase Reznor and Clouser doing work on music for the Natural Born Killers soundtrack. It’s a documentary that is filled with a lot of excitement even though alternative music at the time was trying to avoid the antics of rock stardom and the usual forms of debauchery including trashing dressing rooms and groupies.
Music Videos (tape 2)
The collection of videos is presented with footage directed by Peter Christopherson that mixes stock footage with material that comes in between the music videos the band did from Down In It to The Perfect Drug as the only music video from that period that doesn’t appear is Burn from the Natural Born Killers soundtrack while Sin appears in a partially-edited version. While many of the videos on the tape do appear years later on YouTube uncut and uncensored (including the widely-popular video for Closer in its uncut form), the collection would also include three video clips exclusive to the release such as a different video for the song Gave Up that is completely different from the video made for The Broken Movie that is directed by Jon Reiss which has the band recording the song at the infamous home where Sharon Tate was killed by the Charles Manson family as it features a young Marilyn Manson playing guitar on the track.
The collection included three live videos for the songs Wish, Hurt, and Eraser as Hurt was an official video release as these three live videos directed by Simon Maxwell for what was supposed to be a live video concert film that was eventually rejected by Reznor aside from the three videos that appear. Both Hurt and Eraser have the band performing behind a projection screen with footage appearing for the audience to see.
Halo 12-DVD appendage
In August of 2004 while recording the fourth full-length album With Teeth as well as doing remastering for a 10th Anniversary release of The Downward Spiral, Reznor announced plans for a DVD release of Closure with additional material that would include additional rare footage, rehearsals, a photo gallery, unreleased versions of scrapped music videos for March of the Pigs and Hurt, making-of footage for a couple of music videos, and live footage from Lollapalooza ’91 and Woodstock ’94. It was supposed to come out later that year but issues involving Interscope Records postponed the release indefinitely as a DVD/Blu-Ray release as of 2018 still hasn’t come to fruition. The main bulk of the bonus feature is a 50-minute compilation of live footage from the band’s early tours from 1989 to 1991 including news snippets and interviews with the band during that time that included future Filter co-founder Richard Patrick, Wooley, and the late Jeff Ward of Lard. The section also showcases the band’s very first show back in 1988 as well as tour antics from the Self Destruct tour including a hilarious tribute to This is Spinal Tap.
Then in 2006, material for the 2-disc DVD release was leaked through the Pirate Bay BitTorrent site that would include an audio commentary track by Mark Romanek for the making of the Closer music video who reveals many of the tricks that he did on the video including information of the film stock. The most popular rumor about the leak is that it came from Trent Reznor himself who hasn’t denied nor has he said that he was the one who leaked it.
Closure is a tremendous home video release from Nine Inch Nails as it showcases the outfit at the time when they were extremely popular as well as creating music that was daring. Though it’s unavailable publicly in a physical component, it does remain one of Trent Reznor’s finest releases as well as marking the end of an era for NIN. In the end, Closure is a spectacular release from Nine Inch Nails.
Nine Inch Nails: halos: halo 1 - halo 2 - halo 3 - halo 4 - halo 5 - halo 6 - halo 7 - halo 8 - halo 9 - halo 10 - halo 11 - halo 13 – (halo 14) – (halo 15) – (halo 16) – (halo 17) - (halo 18) – (halo 19) – (halo 20) – (halo 21) – (halo 22) - (halo 23) – (halo 24) – (halo 25) – (halo 26) – (halo 27) - (halo 28) – (halo 29) – (halo 30) – (halo 31) – (halo 32)
seeds: (seed 1) – (seed 2) – (seed 3) – (seed 4) – (seed 5) – (seed 6) – (seed 7) – (seed 8)
Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross Film Soundtracks: null 1 - null 2 - (null 3) – (null 4) – (null 5) – (null 6) – (null 7)
Soundtracks/Miscellaneous: The Broken Movie - Natural Born Killers OST - Quake OST - Lost Highway OST
Live Shows: (NIN/Bauhaus/TV on the Radio-6/7/06 Atlanta, GA Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheater) – (NIN/Deerhunter-8/13/08 Duluth, GA Gwinnett Arena) - (Jane’s Addiction/NIN/Street Sweeper Social Club-5/10/09 Atlanta, GA Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheater) – NIN/Godspeed You! Black Emperor-10/24/13 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena - NIN/Jesus & Mary Chain/Tobacco-9/27/18 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre
© thevoid99 2018
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