I got the new Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers DVD Runnin' Down a Dream for my birthday this year. I eagerly anticipated it's arrival while reading reviews in Rolling Stone and watching some trailers and live concert footage on You Tube. Once it finally arrived, I had to devote an entire night (and following morning) to it, but let me assure you it was one well spent.This film is seriously as epic as the band itself. There are things you think you know about this band, but you really have no idea. A documentary 30 years in the making - the film takes you through the entire history of the band. From their early days in Gainesville, FL to their sold out tour across the US in 2006 - not a drop of the band's rock 'n roll double shot is missed.
Tom Petty is one of those guys that I never grow tired of listening to. If you're like me, you grew up on this guy and get a mainline shot of nostalgia and bittersweet memory with every song. You might need to be a bit of a die-hard to sit through four hours straight - but if you pace it out over a couple nights, you'll be glad you watched it. I personally liked the pace of the film and the stylistic interweaving of concert footage between band and friend interviews.
Accompanying the four-hour documentary is a live concert DVD from Gainesville in September of 2006. That concert took place exactly 6 days after I saw them play in Chicago. The fire they had on stage in Chicago rolled straight through to Gainesville and they captured the energy perfectly. My only complaint with this show was too much friggin' Stevie Nicks. She's such a has-been and I honestly cringed with embarrassment during her performance with the band at times. When I saw them bring her out live at Bonnaroo in 2006, it was pretty cool because...well shit, because it was live! But on DVD for whatever reason, it just seemed like a weak attempt to keep Stevie Nicks relevant in the rock world. Particularly there is a scene that is illuminated by strobe lights and Stevie looks like she's dancing in some wicca-esque Fatboy Slim video. She seems like she is really trying to hold on to fame as tightly as she can and Tom and Co. were gracious enough to take her out on tour after her own arena tour was scrapped due to poor ticket sales a few years prior. Admittedly, her voice sounds great but she came off like a real clown in this performance - at least to me.
Other than that, this show rocks. The band comes out swinging and leaves you with a shit-eating grin on your face by the end of the second song. These guys have become absolute fucking masters of their instruments and the editors of this DVD were gracious enough to give you long shots to watch each one of them play. Mike Campbell is god! 
The fourth disk in the set is a CD, which is a sort of abridged soundtrack to the film. Some highlights include an early take of Breakdown, a raucous Honey Bee from an SNL performance with Mr. Dave Grohl on drums circa 1994, and a near-perfect one-off take of Hank Williams' Lost Highway.
I highly recommend any fan picking this up. I'm ready to watch the film again already. There is a ton of material to take in with this set and it will please any fan of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
