Synergy: Visions of Vibe

Mostly shot on 16mm, Valerian Bennett's 1998 documentary on rave culture is essentially a montage of wild parties, dancing, and bad dancing overlaid with choppy narration. Although interview excerpts from techno techs like Carl Cox, Jonathon More of ColdCut, Sandra Collins, Orbital, and Sven Vath help prop up the production, the commentary tends to be spaced-out and pretentious on the whole, offering scattershot observations on the roots of rhythm, eclectic boogying styles, the underground vs. commercial mainstream debate, drug use, and the atmospheric sense of community. While much of the conjecture about the rave scene is on target, the loosely connected structure doesn't serve up much of a coherent picture, which makes the candy-wearing, pacifier-sucking, neon-bedecked partygoers seem even more whacked out and hippie-fied. For the clueless, this might serve as a surface-scraping intro to a popular subculture, but devoted candy and club kids--who've been there, done that, and dance better--won't be much impressed with this dated overview. DVD extras include interviews, extra footage, and a photo/flyer slideshow. Not recommended. Aud: P. (J. Williams)