MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

This iconic musical documentary covers the three-day 1969 music festival on the property of Max Yasger's farm that symbolized the late 1960s in terms of musical, social and political ideology of the era. American audiences are introduced to Ten Years After, featuring guitar great Alvin Lee. Jimi Hendix, The Who and Joe Cocker give riveting performances. As naked flower children romp, the New York freeway is closed because of traffic congestion. Music lovers leave their cars and travel on foot only survive torrential downpours of rain, food shortages and non-stop music. Jefferson Airplane gives the wake up call with their song "Volunteers Of America." Crosby, Stills and Nash deliver a memorable performance. John Sebastian gives an impromptu set with a borrowed guitar from Tim Hardin. Santana, Sly and The Family Stone, Sha-Na-Na, Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens and Joan Baez also appear. The movie did big box office business and a successful three record set sold millions of copies. The Grateful Dead, Credence Clearwater Revival and Janis Joplin performed but were not shown in the film. The Dead's Jerry Garcia recalled that it was the worst live show the band ever did, ironic for a band known for their spirited live performances. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: French, Spanish, English
• Features:
  • • cc Interactive menus
    • Scene access
    • Language: English
    • Subtitles: English, Français, Español

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Won Best Documentary Feature - 1970 (Bob Maurice)
•     Nominated Best Editing - 1970 (Thelma Schoonmaker)
•     Nominated Best Sound - 1970 (Dan Wallin, Larry Johnson)

• Library of Congress

•     Won U.S. National Film Registry - 1996

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Michael Wadleigh

• Producer:

  Bob Maurice

• Cinematographer:

  David Myers, Richard Pearce, Michael Wadleigh, Don Lenzer

• Composer (Music Score):

  Joni Mitchell, Larry Johnson

• Editor:

  Jere Huggins, Thelma Schoonmaker, Martin Scorsese, Michael Wadleigh, Yeu-Bun Yee

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Larry Johnson

• First Assistant Director:

  Thelma Schoonmaker, Martin Scorsese

• Production Manager:

  Sonya Polonsky, Lewis Teague

• Sound Editor:

  Larry Johnson

REVIEW:

• Woodstock set the standard for all rockumentaries to come. Sensing that the 1969 Woodstock concert would be something more than a mere "happening", director Michael Wadleigh brought along a battalion of cinematographers and assistants. As a result, what could have been an aloof, detached record of the landmark concert is as "up close and personal" as it was possible to get without actually being there. Utilizing widescreen, splitscreen, and stereo-sound technology to the utmost, Wadleigh puts us right in the middle of the 400,000 screaming, mud-caked spectators, then zooms in to loving closeups of the stars. Edited by Martin Scorsese (among many others), the finished product won the 1970 Oscar for Best Documentary -- and was also stamped with an "R" rating due to some innocuous (by modern standards) nudity and profanity. The talent lineup includes Canned Heat, Richie Havens, Country Joe and the Fish, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, David Crosby and Stephen Stills, Jefferson Airplane, Joe Cocker, Arlo Guthrie, John Sebastian, Sly and the Family Stone, Ten Years After and Sha Na Na. The original 184 minute running time was expanded to 224 minutes for the 1994 video version, featuring previously excised footage of Janis Joplin. One of the best shots in Woodstock has no music at all: the final image, as a group of dour policemen survey the garbage and debris left behind by the Woodstock Naton. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi