I love the movies.
I don’t love the way theater chains rip the guts out of their customers and charge seven dollars for a bottle of Joplin water that cost them maybe 50 cents. I get profits and the theater industry has a much different model than other businesses but come on, let’s play fair. The real abuse is in popcorn. 8.50 for literally 11 cents worth of corn.
I am just rambling, I know, but the movies traditionally were a place where you could bring your family for an afternoon or evening, sit in air conditioning and be entertained for 2 or 3 hours.
The full screen experience still can’t be rivaled at home no matter what you do and that is why people keep going back. The immersion.
The problem with the industry now (forget the strike, this is a years long situation) is that almost everything that is released sucks. Ok Barbie and Oppenheimer might be the exception but look at the crap that is in your local theater.
The Nun II, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, Jawan(?), and The Meg, Trench. Yea, I am going to spend 15 dollars for a ticket and another 15 for a water and popcorn. Not happening. The longer Hollywood puts out junk the longer people will stay away.
How many Marvel movies can one person see? The Avengers? Aren’t they all dead? If they are not insulting our intelligence they are insulting our wallets.
The longer they are on strike the better. Maybe some creativity will overtake the picket lines and we may see something worth watching.
I am no critic but let’s just be honest here, they produce nothing of value or enjoyment and they complain. Create a movie like The Sting and then we can talk. There are just a few directors worth waiting for, Spielberg, Scorcese, Nolan and maybe David Fincher. The rest just build on what was made in the past with limited creativity.
I bring all this up because I have an idea that I think would work in theaters across the country: Re-release the greatest concert films of all time.
Now I know that Taylor Swift is a completely separate situation but just look at what she is doing. She is releasing a concert film of a tour that is still ongoing. That girl is beyond anything we have seen before. I will admit, I have never listened to one of her songs. I could not identify anything she has ever done but I will give her the respect she deserves. She literally has told the record industry to shove it. Ticketmaster, same. She calls her own shots and lets the chip fall where they may. Releasing a concert film while you are still on the same tour is a stroke of genius and ticket sales have proven it.
People will go into theaters to see a legendary concert film. The visual experience of seeing The Song Remains The Same is only matched by the sound. The technology of Dolby Audio can pretty much make any theater rock like the Garden did that night. I was there, I know.
With all of this in mind I am going to give you a list ( I love lists, sorry) of some of the greatest concert films of all time and if you have any you want to include just email me.
Not really in any order:
Woodstock-The film might seem dated now with the multiple screen nonsense but back in 1970 it was groundbreaking. This film holds a very special place in my life because up until seeing it, I had very limited tastes in music. Maybe the Doors and The Who were as far into Rock and Roll as I got but from the moment that this movie started, my eyes opened to all of the possibilities of Rock and Roll. I was mesmerized. My brother took me to see it and I can honestly say it probably changed my life.
The Last Waltz-Then young director Martin Scorsese took on this project and created a masterpiece of concert filmdom. The interviews interspersed with the performances and the overall feel that this was an incredible celebration of a great Canadian American band was what makes this film so impressive. The concert was put together by Bill Graham to celebrate the impact that The Band had. He brought together the artist that influenced them and the artists they influenced. Again, another unique presentation and I can only imagine how good this will sound in Dolby Surround sound.
Stop Making Sense-This concert starring the Talking Heads was released in 1984 but I had not seen it until probably 2009 or so. Why? The Talking Heads were not really my favorite band. I liked a couple of songs but I felt David Byrne was just too out there for me. Incredibly smart and creative Byrne was not well liked by his bandmates at the end and you may not get the true sense of it but if you watch this film, you can tell they weren’t this tight knit rock band. That’s really besides the point when it comes to this film. It was recorded in Hollywood over 3 nights, and directed by Jonathan Demme. It starts with Byrne putting a boombox on the center of an empty stage and it’s almost like karaoke night as the boombox plays all of the music to “Pyscho Killer”. The performance is extraordinary and worthy of my top picks. The positive news is that they digitally remastered the show and released it once again in theaters. I will be there once it come around here.
Gimme Shelter- This 1970 film directed by the Maysles Brothers was a combination documentary film, concert film and tour de farce with the Brothers Maysles. The Rolling Stones 1969 tour ended with the fiasco at Altamont where the Hells‘s Angles, hired as protection, ending up stabbing a concert goer, Meredith Hunter, to death. Watching Mick and Keith watch the tape of Hunter’s stabbing is moving and while I may be putting too much into it. It seems like they knew that it was the end of an era. The 60’s were dead and so was Meredith Hunter. The concert footage is excellent considering the limitations of technology back then and you can really get a sense of how great the Stones were live.
Summer of Soul- This concert film boasts being “The most popular music festival no one has ever heard of”. I never heard of it until one day on PBS they played this movie. It is an excellent documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival that took place in New York City for during the late 60’s. I believe the footage comes from various shows over that time span but the emphasis is on the show in 1969. Let’s just take a look at the list of performers and you tell me, how could this not be one hell of a concert film. B.B.King,The Chambers Brothers, The 5th Dimension, Gladys Knight and The Pips, Sly and The Family Stone and it was closed out by Nina Simone. Simone brought down the house and if they ever released this to theaters, she would be the highlight for sure.
Rattle and Hum-Having seen U2 three times, I can attest to how good they are live and this concert film gives a very close approximation to one of their live shows. It is essentially a Rockumentary with interviews and some historical context as to what is on the screen. My only complain is that there should have been more music and less Bono jabbering. He does like to hear himself talk now doesn’t he. Still an excellent film and in the theater it must be incredible.
Live From The Isle of Wight Festival-This was The Who at the top of their game. Loud, brash and bordering on out of control, that is the Who in 1970. Very hard to find but I know it’s out there. The Isle of Wight festival was and probably still the largest concert audience in history. The track list is basically, Tommy, and every other hit. I am not sure how this would go over in a theater since the decibel level in the theater should match the level on stage and that is considerable. Probably needs to have some genius audio engineer to go in a remix it a bit because if you watch it, they are flaws and flubs in the recording. But really, who cares?
Monterey Pop-D.A. Pennebaker’s ultimate concert film. This was the first truly spectacular rock festival. Held in California during the Summer of ‘67 it had Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding and maybe 20 other groups, known and unknown at the time. The filming is raw and so are the performances and that is why you would pay the 15 bucks, to see Janis Jolpin sing “Ball and Chain” or watch Keith Moon tear up “My Generation” and then destroy his drum kit.
It’s only Rock and Roll but I like it.
😊👍