a a massive fan of dm and it go without say that i have see this film numerous time . however and i watch it purely for the concert footage . the rest of the film be and um and pretty dreadful and sad to say . famed rock music film director da pennebaker follow mode around on their late 80 music for the mass tour and which promote the superb album of the same name . the title 101 derives mostly from the fact that the concert material include be from the 101st and final concert of the tour at the pasadena bowl and but be also a reference to the movie be a beginner course on the band and how it tick ie depeche mode 101. amidst footage of the quartet play live and explore america be a second story thread cover a group of dm fan who have win a competition to meet the band and go on the tour in their own coach bus and attend the finale gig . now and a i say above and the concert footage be great . mode be here on top of their form a stadium rock god and which be a somewhat unusual achievement for an electrorock band back in the late 80 . though the film catch the band before they record their 1990 masterpiece violator and there be still countless excellent track see and hear here eg behind the wheel and the majestic never let me down again and everything count and just can not get enough from the vince clarke year and shake the disease and many more . when mode be onstage and they be brilliant . when they be not and theyre and well and very boring . nothing even vaguely of interest happens to the lad a they check out the u in the dying day of the reagan administration . a an example and the probable highlight of the material be a visit to a country music store to buy cassette . not exactly thrill stuff . i know all band do not have to be wild and reckless idiot and but these guy make the mormon tabernacle choir look like rammstein . the only real excitement come from various clip centre on the band lead singer dave gahan . gahan come across in 101 a be mildly psychotic and talk about a violent power inside himself he can not control and recall a bizarre rage attack involve a taxi driver and so on . there one point in the film where he throw a prima donna tantrum at some poor guy backstage truly embarrass . the man clearly have issue back then and which thankfully have be resolve . songwriter martin gore and keyboardist andy fletcher be present a very articulate and clearly massively talented and but also utterly colourless men while while the somewhat enigmatic fourth member alan wilder be the only one of the quartet who pull off the rock star persona with any sort of aplomb . and a for the fan tour thread and well it unwatchable dross . let not kid ourselves . maybe it just because it all so very late 80 and but the gaggle of young devotee do little for me but raise a feeling of irritation . they be and to a person and singularly shallow and vapid people and whose antic be banal when they aren not hide your face cringeworthy . let me reiterate . nothing happen in the footage that isn not onstage that be of any interest . nothing . endless scene of kid spray their hair and argue pointlessly and change their clothes and get lose in city on the way to gig and find their partner in bed with another competition winner make me wonder just one thing if cure fan be this mind bendingly dull back in 88/89 . the love the youngster have for the band be something i can definitely relate to and and be at time infectiously joyous and but if what we see be the most interesting stuff out of what be film of them and then i would hate to see the outtake . but the music be all that matter and and in this regard 101 excels . the pasadena concert and one of their all time best gig and make the film worth see . the recent dvd edition of the movie come with a bonus disc contain what remain of the unedited concert footage ( a good 80 % of the performance ) and and thus make the dvd an absolute must for fan . the audio commentary by the band ( minus wilder and who leave mode in the mid 90 ) on the first disc be also and oddly and far more interesting than the film itself . a a document of the boy from basildon during their amphitheatre idol period and depeche mode 101 be invaluable . but if youre look for excitement and youre good off get the accompany double live album ( now available in super audio cd format ) .