Festival Express
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Movie Reviews of Festival Express
Movie Review: I've loved you ever since the day I saw you
Summary: 5 Stars
I can't say I enjoyed every performance shown, but it's a treasure in its entirety. The film captures the moment between the 60s and 70s and reflects the awkwardness, innocence, brutality, and insecurity of the time. Showing people in such a raw state is always tricky and the film could be taken apart and criticized in various ways, but I think that would be missing the point.
I've long had a soft spot for Janis Joplin and to see her in absolute top form only a few months before her death was especially moving. I also gained new respect for Jerry Garcia; what a mensch! In Toronto, still young and beard jet black, taking charge during a riot and defusing the situation was impressive.
The film's saturated, grainy 16mm look is gorgeous and the sound is reasonably good given the vagaries of the production. The extra interview footage of the concert promoter on the second disc had me literally in tears laughing with disbelief at some of the more extreme aspects of what went on.
Movie Review: Makes you wish you'd been on that train!
Summary: 5 Stars
God, what a party! Great music from some unique performers.
The Band: Truly soulful rocking, featuring the greatest unsung Soul-singer ever, Richard Manuel.
Janis Joplin: Enjoying herself and (as usual) pouring everything into her performance.
Grateful Dead: Melodic and relaxed, with Garcia stretching out and embracing his audience and fellow performers.
Buddy Guy: Rocking out with a glorious 'Money'
And the jamming on the train: Danko and Janis having inebriated fun singing together with Jerry Garcia. Incidentally, did anyone else spot Danko standing in the wings in the dark, watching Garcia jamming with Ian and Sylvia? It's a lovely portrait of fellow musicians really appreciating each others' talent.
This is a fantastic film that really makes you wish you could have been right there. As Janis crowed in an audio clip released on 'Joplin In Concert', 'It sure turned a trainload of freaks into a party, man! Didn't it boys!'
Movie Review: Extra tracks worth the price ...
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw the film in the theaters and enjoyed it quite a bit. The Band and Janice are top notch; I was a bit disappointed by the Dead cuts - not quite the monster jams they often delivered in '70. Then I viewed the DVD release with the additional material -- wow, this stuff was great. The two additional Dead cuts are both great Pigpen pieces played to the hilt and the best Pigpen videos by far that I am aware of. The Janice pieces are great, as always. I always liked Seatrain and know of no other video recording of them in existence. But being a bit of a folkie the other fantastic tracks are the Ian and Sylvia and Tom Rush tracks. Both dramatic performances.
I don't understand at all why they bundled these great tracks on disk 1 leaving disk 2 totally worthless. We would have all been happy campers to pay for the two disk set if they just put the 50 minutes on disk 2. Also wish they could have found something from the Band to add to the extra cuts.
Movie Review: Hop on for a ride of your life .
Summary: 5 Stars
Great documentary from the beginning to the last stop. Casey Jones and crew takes you on a ride from Toronto to Winnipeg and on to the last show in Calgary in june 1970 with 14 major musical acts ( Janis Joplin and Band , The Grateful Dead , Buddy Guy , The Band , Flying Burrito bros , Ian Andersen , Sha-Na-Na and more) . The footage and mixing with split panel shots and trippy color lighting is just right. My favorite is Janis belting out perhaps the best song ever filmed (Cry , Baby) of the Hippie times. The Dead New Speedway boogie is great and so is a Dont Ease Me In , even with a riot going on protesting the high tix price of $14. On the last night on board they filmed a priceless tripping jam with Danko , Janis , Jerry and Bob Weir. Jerry is off screen but says to Janis "I loved you the first time I saw you". Buddy Guy in Winnipeg is another highlight. This could only be pulled off once , at that time and it was filmed for all to see. - Thank YouMovie Review: Would be worth the price of admission only for Joplin's performing of Tell Your Mama...
Summary: 5 Stars
...which blows everything else out of the water (probably even including most of the numbers from the Woodstock film!): breathtaking, galloping, electrifying, moving, tight... words that barely convey the musical experience! ...And I was not even a fan before watching and hearing this number!!
I cannot really add anything much to the other positive reviews, which are more knowledgegable than mine in film making and rock music history, but to join in in the praise of this experience, one of the very best rock documentaries I ever saw... Beautifully shot... Beautifully mixed (Eddie Kramer!)... Edits of interviews NOT intruding with the stage performances... If you enjoy early 70s country- and blues-rock and also documentaries on important pieces of history in the making, just ignore the idiotic, irrelevant box front graphics (well, save maybe that this IS a double DVD set...), and hurry up to catch the "Festival Express"!