Arcade Fire: The Reflektor Tapes

Kahlil Joseph, the filmmaker behind Beyoncé's visual album Lemonade, directed this kaleidoscopic look at the making of Arcade Fire's 2013 album Reflektor, which the Grammy Award-winning Montreal art rockers recorded in Jamaica. Joseph combines rehearsal, recording, and concert footage with interview excerpts and scenes of island life. Most of the spoken-word sequences come from front couple Win Butler and Régine Chassagne. Although the voiceover tends towards the opaque, Chassagne adds a few introspective moments by way of her Haitian heritage and its influence on the record. The look of the material here varies widely, from saturated color sequences to abstract imagery to black-and-white footage processed to appear silvery grey, making for a visually attractive film, but also one that feels more like an extended highlights reel, particularly since most of the 23 songs here are presented in truncated form. For those who aren't already on the band's wavelength, The Reflektor Tapes will likely leave them cold, while fans may want to play it on an endless loop like a tuneful screensaver. The second disc, which captures a 20-song 2014 concert at London's Earl's Court, should have wider appeal since the band draws from all four of their studio albums and the show includes the favorites “Rebellion (Lies),” “Neighborhood # 1 (Tunnels),” and “Wake Up.” Although Joseph uses some of the same techniques featured in the documentary, the effect during the concert proves less distracting since the band's famously intense performances come to the fore. Presented in DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, and DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo on DVD, extras include promo videos and alternative cuts of various tracks. A strong optional purchase. (K. Fennessy)