Alec Baldwin narrates this information-packed music documentary that revolves around a 2008 Billy Joel concert—the last to take place at New York's Shea Stadium. To commemorate the event, Joel invited famous friends such as Paul McCartney (“I Saw Her Standing There”) and Roger Daltrey (“My Generation”) to share the stage. In between performances, director Paul Crowder incorporates interviews and footage of games and concerts. The remembrances here can be less than flattering. As announcer Gary Cohen puts it, “There are 50,000 seats in this ballpark, and probably about three or four thousand good ones. It's a dump.” Baldwin backs him up, noting that the city built the stadium on a dump, while also describing the New York Mets as “the worst team in major league history” (although they did finally win the pennant in 1969 for the first time). Joel's crowd-pleasing setlist includes originals (“Movin' Out”), covers (the Beatles' “She Loves You”), and, naturally—given the venue—“The Star-Spangled Banner.” In interview clips, Joel talks about growing up in nearby Hicksville, NY, while also touching on work with early bands, his solo career, bad business deals, and divorce. Other speakers include Mets players Mike Piazza and Darryl Strawberry; Sting, who quit the Police shortly after playing Shea; and McCartney, who reminisces about the Beatles' landmark 1965 appearance at the stadium. As he recalls, “We couldn't really hear ourselves, because the audience was much louder than us.” Also on hand to fill in the blanks are various authors, historians, and Ireland-born groundskeeper Pete Flynn. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and stereo on Blu-ray, extras include bonus performances and an extended interview with Joel. An entertaining historical journey sure to appeal to music and sports fans alike, this is recommended. (K. Fennessy)
The Last Play at Shea
(2014) 78 min. Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $19.99. Virgil Films (avail. from most distributors). Closed captioned. Volume 30, Issue 2
The Last Play at Shea
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