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This raucous documentary of the 1999 Hard Knock Life Tour--featuring Jay-Z, DMX, Method Man, Redman, and other rappers--is chaotic and confusing, but that seems entirely appropriate. Life on tour is notoriously grueling, and this tour (with such an abundance of high-profile performers and support staff) proves to be no exception. Surprisingly, the egos of the performers seem reasonably under control; the driving motor of the entire event is Roc-A-Fella Records CEO Damon Dash, who rants to great effect--in one entertaining sequence, as someone fruitlessly tries to shave Dash's head, Dash vents at length about how everyone is wearing jackets publicizing Def Jam instead of Roc-A-Fella. Backstage depicts naked groupies, drug use, internal squabbles, and hardly a sentence goes by that isn't filled with obscenities or epithets, but the rappers come across as a surprisingly genial, friendly lot just enjoying themselves. Jay-Z is particularly charming, but rapper Beanie Sigel has the sharpest comments to make as he describes the treatment of demo tapes at record labels. Curiously, the concert footage only comes across in snippets, though it certainly communicates the flavor of the show. Backstage is unlikely to tell you anything you didn't know or already suspect about the touring life or rap music, but it depicts the experience vividly. --Bret Fetzer

Its time for the Ms New Booty shake-off. We brought in 25 hot exotic dancers and put them all on one stage. Sit back and watch as the top amateur exotic dancers work the brass pole. We found these girls in some of the Souths hottest gentlemen clubs. The hype is real, because everyone wants to know who is Ms New Booty. You be the judge and enjoy the show.

Beastie Boys fans with a firm command of DVD angle and subtitle features will find the Criterion Collection's version of the group's Video Anthology a must. Augmenting 18 videos with more than 100 camera angles and remixes old and new, the 2-disc set brings Criterion's attention to detail and quality to bear on some of the most hilarious and visually creative music clips ever. In addition to hits such as "So What'cha Want," "Intergalactic," and "Shake Your Rump," the set also includes such lesser-known cuts as "Ricky's Theme" and "Netty's Girl." Finally, director comments, a mock talk-show appearance by "the cast of Sabotage" (the Beasties' spoof of '70s cop shows), and behind-the-scenes mastermind Nathanial H??rnblow??r's "The Robot vs. the Octopus Monster Saga" lend further insight into the Beasties' creative process with their collaborators. Long may they tape. --Rickey Wright

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