Soft Cell

In the early '80s, new wave synth pop duo Soft Cell was heating up the British music charts with a string of Top 10 hits. Best known for their songs about sex and seedy relationships, tunes like "Tainted Love" and "Sex Dwarf," despite being played to near saturation at retro nights, still pack dance floors. In light of this strange compulsion to cling to that of the past, Sanctuary releases the Non-Stop Exotic Video Show. Unfortunately, unlike its title, and apart from the subtitles in French, German and Italian, it's not exotic. Non-Stop Exotic Video Show contains just 12 retro videos and one extra (the full audio version of "Sex Dwarf"). And while it is nice to finally have the option to view these classic cuts in remastered 5.1 Surround Sound, that doesn't make up for everything this collection could have had but is ultimately missing. In essence, it is easier to summarise what is not here than what is. Such a legendary band must certainly have some old interview footage or rarely seen live performances stashed somewhere in their vaults, so why isn't anything like that included? In a time when the DVD-buying public is hungry for "bonus materials," rarities and commentaries, this collection comes up frightfully short. That said, there is no great insight to be gained from Non-Stop Exotic Video Show. In fact, it is probably very safe to say that this DVD is worth skipping for everyone except Soft Cell completists and '80s nostalgia diehards hungry to relive the early years of modern music video (and terribly stupid fashion). (Sanctuary/EMI)