"This movie," begins The Band's The Last Waltz, "is meant to be played loud." That's true for any film trying to recreate the great gig-going experience. The best titles keep you in (or is that out of?) your seat by delighting the eye as well as the ear. Festival Express does both.
Woodstock (1970) Michael Wadleigh's three-hour doc confirms that everything you've heard about the '60s is true. The Who kick Abbie Hoffman off stage, Hendrix deconstructs Vietnam experience for the hippies, and everyone is united in mud. The term "mind-blowing" doesn't do it justice. The Last Waltz (1978) The Band rolled out their resume for their going away bash, roping in the good (Muddy Waters), the bad (Neil Diamond), and the ugly (dig Van Morrison's jumpsuit). Their old boss Bob Dylan nearly got cold feet, but even he knew he couldn't miss this one. Stop Making Sense (1984) It's less a movie about a concert than about the idea of a concert. Talking Heads crack the conventions of playing live even as the band joins David Byrne and his ghetto blaster on stage. You might know it immediately, though. The thoroughly exhilarating world funk takes your head too far away. Madonna takes the documentary form and wraps it around her little finger. So skip the backstage stuff for the erotic cavalcade of her Blonde Ambition tour -- perhaps the greatest "show" on earth. Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival (1996) Like Woodstock with a bad buzz, this 1970 shindig became a disaster when promoters faced down ticket-less fans and artists who wouldn't play without pay. Those who make it on stage include Dylan, Hendrix, Joni, and The Doors. Idealism, alas, is DOA. |
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