Almost Famous Untitled: The Bootleg Cut

Universal/MCA ($34.99)

The Almost Famous that came out in theatres last fall is for the rest of the world. Almost Famous Untitled is for the fans, man. Drawing inspiration from the rock culture the film celebrates, director Cameron Crowe offers a two-disc DVD box set — “the bootleg cut” — including the theatrical film, a CD of original songs from the film’s fictional band Stillwater, and the kind of sloppy backstage snapshots and marginalia only a devotee could possibly care about. The centerpiece of Untitled is the nearly three-hour director’s cut. Nothing revelatory here — some nice but indulgent shots, a few essentially redundant comic and romantic bits, and tons of insider-y rock references. (“Russell’s very Bob Dylan in Don’t Look Back today,” Kate Hudson’s character says.) But there’s plenty to get lost in so that, like a great rock album, you can skip the boring stuff and play your favorite parts over and over again.

This article appears in December 7 • 2001.

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