Cast: Kirk Franklin, John Legend, Dr. Bobby Jones, J Moss, Patti LaBelle, Pastor Shirley Caesar
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: April 29, 2008

Every now and then we receive something for review that no one at Literary Illusions is really interested in seeing. When this happens the DVD or product is usually given to the writer with the least seniority to handle. The idea is that eventually, they won’t be the last in line and they will not have to do DVDs that no one else will review. As the last in line, Celebration in Gospel – Spirit in Song was mine. This just prompts me to recommend that Literary Illusions start taking applications for reviewers post haste. I am only one man and I’m not sure I can handle another repeat performance of a dry, over-edited piece of junk again.

The premise of this BET series is simple enough and from what I can tell, people seem to really enjoy the television production of Celebration in Gospel . However, this heavily edited piece of television history is likely not worth the cost of the DVDs that it was placed on. I don’t recall seeing anything on the cover that explains that this DVD is edited from the performances that were shown on television though I heard this common complaint from the people that seem to like this show. For me, it didn’t really matter though the addition of Steve Harvey might have added some comedy to the boredom that I was forced to endure while watching this crap.

Release Information:
Celebration in Gospel – Spirit in Song was made available by Paramount Home Video and BET on April 29, 2008. This DVD, which likely has limited release availability, is able to be found at most DVD venues online, including Amazon, where it is available for $20. Why anyone would want to pay $20 for a DVD that lasts an hour and has been edited more than an episode of Sesame Street where the Muppets smoke crack is beyond me, but if you want the DVD you know where to find it.

The Celebration in Gospel – Spirit in Song Plot
I am not going to deny the popularity of Celebration in Gospel – Spirit in Song. When it’s in its televised form, people really seem to enjoy the show. I haven’t seen it, and I’m not big into gospel, so I really cannot comment on how great it is. When it comes to this specific DVD, it is a huge waste of time. It stands to reason that the eighth time is not the charm for Celebration in Gospel, at least not once it came to DVD.

The performances included offer some of gospels hottest names. Is gospel hot? Anyway, you get to see Patti LaBelle, John Legend, and Kirk Franklin perform. The performances are good for what they are offering, but they aren’t great, and they aren’t worth the cost of the DVD. If you’ve seen the other seven Celebration in Gospel specials then you won’t see anything here that is so drastically new that you need to see or own this one, as well.

The performances in order include:

Kirk Franklin: “Declaration (This Is It)”
Patti LaBelle: “Walk Around Heaven”
Henry Simmons and John Legend: “Show Me”
Fred Hammond: “Sprit of the Lord/Loud, Loud”
BeBe Winans: “I Feel Like Going On/I Got a Feeling”
J Moss: “Jump Jump”
Kirk Franklin: “Jesus”
Pastor Shirley Caesar: “Never”

I could have let this one pass as not for me, but maybe for you if the editing hadn’t hacked it to pieces. Unfortunately, that’s just not the case. Removing the hosting spots by Steve Harvey made little sense and left the DVD feeling pretty odd overall. Other cuts were made to the performances, such as the removal of a Yolanda Adams spot. Considering this was supposed to be one of the better performances, it really didn’t help to sell the DVD any by not adding it.

In the end, this uplifting powerhouse of gospel fizzles and dies thanks to a bad editing job. I wouldn’t have been interested in seeing it before, but knowing the difference between television and DVD versions makes me loathe it even more.

If you really need something to do, save your time in watching this and go clip your toenails instead. It may just prove to be a more interesting experience. That and it will save you about $20 in the process. I know entertainment doesn’t come cheap, but this isn’t even entertaining so what’s with the highway robbery?

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
Celebration in Gospel – Spirit in Song offers a standard video quality much like you might expect to see on television. The video quality is available at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The quality here isn’t awful, but it’s nothing spectacular either. I could see it. Nothing was obstructing my vision. Of course, the colors weren’t too impressive and nothing really stood out either. Much like the production, it was just there, for better or worse.

Like with the video, the audio leaves a lot to be desired, as well. You would think that Celebration in Gospel – Spirit in Song would have good audio track since it’s primarily about the sound of the songs. Unfortunately, the Dolby Digital Stereo is basic at best, and at worst it’s utterly boring to listen to with absolutely no dynamic sound, although, on a more positive front it’s nice to see they’ve ruined every aspect of this DVD and not just the main performance.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
There are two lone special features on this DVD and I would like to thank the folks at BET and Paramount for only making it two. The special features include “Wise Words with Pastor Shirley Caesar” and “Access Gospel”. Neither feature was really worth watching. It felt like they were added because they needed to have something on there.

“Wise Words:” includes BET interviews with Pastor Shirley Caesar concerning gospel and BET, among other things. The interview segment is dull and unnecessary. Fans might find some worth in it, but most everyone else will be happy enough to leave it behind them. “Access Gospel”, is the second featurette, hosted by the host of Sunday Best. This feature serves as a behind the scenes look and includes information and shots of the parties, the red carpet moments, and serves as a general all access pass.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
Don’t bother buying Celebration in Gospel – Spirit in Song because it certainly isn’t worth the asking price. There is absolutely no point in buying a DVD that has been over-edited the way that Celebration in Gospel – Spirit in Song has been. In the age of DVR and Tivo, you would be better off catching it on BET and just recording it. $20 is ridiculous for this special, but then again with the way it has been handled, I would have probably said the same thing for a purchase price of $5.

Overall Rating:

Technorati Tags: Movie, DVD Review, BET, Paramount, Celebration in Gospel, Spirit in Sound, Music, Gospel, Kirk Franklin, Patti LaBelle