Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is to ultimately set the record straight for everyone who is confused about the state of "Shag: The Movie" in relation to its musical soundtrack. It all boils down to what you are used to and by that I mean where or how you first saw and grew to love this gem of a classic. How did you come to see this movie? It was released in theaters in the summer of 1989 and HBO aired it a few months later. If you were like me and got HBO you taped any and every great movie they showed so that you could watch the good ones over and over. This was the case for me with Shag. I taped it off HBO so that I could watch it over and over and over. This was back in the days obviously before dvds but also before videos were as affordable as they were later on. VHS was rather expensive and was mostly meant for video store rentals. Eventually Shag was released on VHS at an affordable price- around 1998- nearly 10 years after it was originally released. But when I got my VHS copy and eagerly put it on, I immediately noticed something wasn't right. The songs which I knew by heart were different and some were gone altogether. I had watched this movie so much that I could tell you what song was played in each part. For example, the song played during the opening credits was this serene little jingle appropriately titled "The Shag." But on the new video the song had been replaced by "Mama Said," a great song but not a fitting substitute. As I watched more and more of the video I noticed that several songs- like 5 or 6- had been completely replaced by different songs. They were all great old classics but they were just not what I was used to when watching Shag. Songs like "What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am?" and "Seven Lonely Days" were taken out and other songs such as "Another Saturday Night" and "He's So Fine" were put in. Again, great songs, but not what I was used to. Eventually I just reverted back to my taped copy of Shag from HBO if I wanted to see it because I couldn't stand the "altered" or "new" version. Then in 2001 when this movie was released on DVD I was hesitant to purchase it because if the music was not what I was used to then there was no point in getting it. I'm so glad I did because to my delight I discovered the original songs I loved so much had been put back in and gone were those replacement songs. Now I had "The Shag" and Chris Isaak and kd Lang and others back in where they should be. So that brings me to the most important point- it all depends on how you first watched this movie. If you are like me and saw it on HBO first then were disappointed with the altered VHS release then this DVD is for you because it contains the original songs played in the theatrical version that was also aired on HBO. On the other hand, if you first watched this movie on VHS (the 1998 copy with Melaina and Carson's faces on the front and Chip and Pudge in the background) then you are probably used to the altered or "newer" version containing songs such as "Mama Said" and others I mentioned above. The 2001 DVD is therefore not for you. You are not gonna like it. Your only hope is to find someone who can make a bootleg DVD copy out of the VHS edition. I've heard there is another version of the VHS but with the cast in a car on the cover. I'm not sure which version is contained on here. If the first song is "The Shag" then it is the authentic original version after all. But if it is "Mama Said" then it is the altered version. So to sum up: original theatrical version=HBO version= 2001 DVD= original or old soundtrack songs which are also contained in part on the soundtrack CD while VHS=altered or new soundtrack songs. BTW- there is a very helpful thread on IMDB listing every single song played in each scene for each of the two versions. Now as for this dvd, it is great. Purists will be thrilled to have Shag in its original intended theatrical form. Starting with "The Shag" and containing all the original music including new songs by Chris Isaak, kd Lang and Louise Goffin this version is wonderful. A sweet charming story set in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina during the weekend of the Sun Fun Festival in the summer of 1963, "Shag" is the story of four best girlfriends who embark on a weekend getaway before their lives change forever. There are no real bonus features on here. Sadly the dvd and video are all out of print so as fans our only hope is that someone will re-distribute this classic on dvd and hopefully make both versions with the original music and the altered music available. I hope this helps clarify so people will now know what is what...