Festival Express (2004)
I guess it was bound to happen eventually. Here it is, the first concert film I can think of where the audience is incidental. At one point, a musician claims, "Woodstock was a treat for the audience. The Festival Express was a treat for the performers!", which I think sums up the pointlessness of this film quite nicely. Musical numbers are hit-and-miss (adjust your expectations upward if, unlike me, you're a Grateful Dead fan); stabs at context and social relevance are oft-embarrassing. It still has a lot of great footage, and I do owe this film for my newfound respect for Janis Joplin (I'm not a big fan of her music, but damn she was a hell of a performer). But it's not that great, people. Settle the fuck down.
Grade: C+
I guess it was bound to happen eventually. Here it is, the first concert film I can think of where the audience is incidental. At one point, a musician claims, "Woodstock was a treat for the audience. The Festival Express was a treat for the performers!", which I think sums up the pointlessness of this film quite nicely. Musical numbers are hit-and-miss (adjust your expectations upward if, unlike me, you're a Grateful Dead fan); stabs at context and social relevance are oft-embarrassing. It still has a lot of great footage, and I do owe this film for my newfound respect for Janis Joplin (I'm not a big fan of her music, but damn she was a hell of a performer). But it's not that great, people. Settle the fuck down.
Grade: C+
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