Jimi Plays Berkeley (2003)

i must have seen a different film!!

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

This is yet,another in the myriad of midnight films I had the pleasure of seeing in the early 1980's,when late shows were still plentiful (and just about the time when late night audiences were beginning to act out of line,thus heralding the beginning of the end of the midnight movie---the video revolution didn't exactly help either). With the exception of the first ten minutes of this film,which is given to footage of protesters refusing to see Woodstock at their local cinema,due to a epidemic of what I referred to as "armchair Marxism" (rich college kids who wanted the world handed to them on a silver platter),the film launches into a non stop Hendrix concert for the rest of the bulk of the film. Some cynics have stated that this was not Jimi's best performance, but you would not know that with the reaction of the crowd that was in attendance that night (plus,the cinema had the good sense to crank the volume up to concert level,as there wasn't another film in progress). This "rockumentary" (or rock doc,as they're calling them these days)is well worth seeking out for Hendrix fans (and fans of period music,as well)

The number one reason that I like this film is because Hendrix was awesome. The music is mind blowing, which is a given because it is Hendrix. But in my favorite part of the film Jimmy does not even have a guitar in his hand. It's before the show even starts. In my opinion it is when he is on the way to the show. It is there when you get to see maybe what Jimmy was like. He seems so calm and collective. He seems so quite. After the limo pulls up to the venue, he gets out and walks up to the door. It's this point that I watch over and over again. The way he walks up to the door. It's almost like he knows, yep, I am a bad mouth. He knows it, but he wouldn't shout it out. He will just keep it in his head, keep it to himself.After I get past this part, the rest of the film is awesome as well. It is pretty much like the rest of the live Hendrix material you will see. Watching him perform is amazing. He was so violent with his guitar, but yet he had so much control. Hendrix was an amazing guitar player there is no doubt about that.

I give this five out of 10. All five marks are for Hendrix who delivers a very decent set of his latter day material. Unfortunately the quality of the camera work and editing is verging on the appalling! We have countless full-face shots of Hendrix where he could almost be doing anything, taking a pee perhaps? We don't see his hands on the guitar thats the point! Also we're given plenty shots of Hendrix from behind? There appears to be three cameras on Hendrix, but amateur fools operate all of them. The guy in front of Hendrix seems to be keen to wander his focus lazily about the stage as if Hendrix on the guitar is a mere distraction. While the guy behind is keener on zeroing in on a few chicks in the stalls than actually documenting the incredible guitar work thats bleeding out the amps (the sound recording is good thanks to Wally Heider) Interspersed on the tracks are clips of student losers protesting against Vietnam etc on tracks like Machine Gun, complete waste of film! If Hendrix had lived even another two years Berkeley is one of those things that would never have seen the light of day as far as a complete official release goes. The one gem it does contain is the incredible Johnny B Good but all in a pretty poor visual document of the great man and inferior to both Woodstock and Isle of Wight

Despite its shortcomings this is my favorite official Jimi film.I first saw it at the local midnight flicks when I was in my early teens.I never missed it again.Even then (late 70s)I really wanted one of the "new " VCRs just to play this movie.The performances are outstanding.In my opinion Mr. Hendrix was at the top of his game in 1970 and this shows edited performances from two shows he did on the same night.Backstage scenes of a rehearsal and the limo ride to the show are very interesting.Songs such as Lover Man and Hey Baby are spotlighted along with better known songs (in 1970 anyway)including Purple Haze,Star Spangled Banner,Voodoo Child,and a great version of the recently (in 1970) released Machine Gun,ruined in my opinion by the intercut shots of the Berkeley riots.Maybe this was needed in 1970.The modern era of everybody seeing everything was still very far away.Anyway,too many edits,too much intercut footage and too short.Still THE classic documentary of Jimi in 1970.Nothing against any other official show.I love them all.This one though ,is special.