DVD, Video — February 3, 2010 at 11:54 pm

Perry Farrell: Jane’s Addiction’s ‘Gift’ film coming out on DVD for first time this year

Jane's Addiction, 'Gift'

The long-out-of-print Jane’s Addiction film “Gift” — a semi-autobiographical, drug- and music-filled feature created by frontman Perry Farrell and then-girlfriend Casey Niccoli — will receive its first-ever DVD release this year, Farrell announced via Twitter tonight.

The 83-minute film was made around the time Ritual de lo Habitual was recorded, but wasn’t released by Warner Bros. on VHS until 1993. It has later was issued on laser disc in Japan, but never on DVD; new VHS copies sell for upwards of $150 on Amazon.com and eBay.

This evening on Twitter, Farrell revealed: “I never thought Lucifer and I would become chums. We have plans to release the dvd of Gift. It is assembled, and will come out this year.”

The All Movie Guide describes “Gift” as “connect(ing) live concert and studio footage with a strangely tragic narrative about love, death and hard drug use.” The JanesAddiction.org discography site notes the film is “quite odd to watch, because it mixes some history of the two with some fantasy … The movie is not real, only minor parts of it have any factual basis.”

Musically, “Gift” features Jane’s Addiction playing “Been Caught Stealing,” “Three Days,” “Stop!,” “Classic Girl” and “Ain’t No Right” (the latter two were excerpted from the film as the songs’ official music videos), as well as music by sometime Red Hot Chili Pepper John Frusciante and a performance of Sly and the Family Stone’s “Don’t Call Me (Expletive), Whitey” by Jane’s and Ice-T and Body Count (see video below).

No further details are known of the “Gift” DVD release, which has been rumored for years — and left many fans disappointed when it wasn’t included on last year’s Cabinet of Curiosities multi-CD/DVD box set.

 

Video: Jane’s Addiction and Ice-T, “Don’t Call Me (Expletive), Whitey” from “Gift”

 

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15 Comments

  1. So when is the release date? I have lost my VHS copy to other people 5 times, and before I buy it again, I want to know if I should wait until it is out on DVD (it says this year and it is already October). Or am I going to have to buy a VCR again and buy it on VHS again just to watch it? :(

  2. Todd Treadawy

    Is there a date that it will be released on DVD yet or has it already been released? It is now 11/2/10

  3. I am with April. All my vhs copies were stolen throughout the last 20 years. I would really like the dvd.

  4. Lucifer? Is he referring to Casey as Lucifer?

  5. So it’s been, like, a year since the announcement. What happened to it?

  6. Agree with DW, what’s the deal. I can’t find a DVD version anywhere. Any one know the deal???

  7. Agree with DW, what’s the deal?? I can’t find a DVD version anywhere.

  8. August 27, 2011. No information anywhere online. This is the website that comes up when you search for Perry Farrell Gift. And no one is responding to comments here. Saw Jane’s Addiction on the NIN/JA tour the other year and goddammit if Perry’s energy didn’t just stomp the shit out of all us muddy goons out on the lawn. It was on level with the time I got to see Motorhead Feb. 15, 1994.

    One of the best live performances I’ve seen.

    Where’s my damned DVD?

  9. I cannot find it either….today….the 15th of october….2011…..

  10. houdenti1

    OK I’LL GO THE DOUBLE DAMMIT WHERES THE DVD”>” 5/2012

  11. Jesse Wilkinson

    Has anyone ever found this?

  12. Tammy ruvs peripheral

    Where the hell is it? I tried to talk to him (Perry) tonight to no avail. Riot Fest Chicago was amazing though. He was a little drunk, he admitted.

  13. The gift is very cool and groovey!

  14. I owned gift on VHS tape and original also soul kiss. Absolutely loved the movie gift. Had it burned off the VHS tape onto a DVD which I cannot find at this point in time. My house was flooded during hurricane Irma and things I’ve been a little out of place so to speak. I had to throw a lot of things out including a whole lotta VHS tapes. So here it is all these years later, and I’m still the same person I ever was wanted to watch gift. Was hoping I could find a DVD laugh out loud online. Guess not what a disappointment.

  15. I agree with Nikki. My house just flooded due to the artic freeze in Texas, 4 pipes burst in my house. This vhs tape was ruined and I’m trying to find it on dvd. I can’t even get a vhs copy. Very disappointed.

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