Woodstock Diary (1994)

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Recently via trade I received Woodstock Diary on 3 dvdr's (one for each day. Fantastic footage and this is mostly music just a few short interviews with Joel Rosenman, John Roberts, Michael Lang, Wavy Gravy, and Lisa Law are quite funny at times. Originally shown on the ShowTime Channel in 1994. What I have is a rebroadcast from the (now defunked) 'Trio' channel in 2002. Picture is excellent (full screen) and sound quality is very good but mono. At the end of the fast scrolling credits for each hour show is 'Copyright licensed to Gravity Limited 1994'. What's odd is the fist day (1 hour) is titled Woodstock Diary. The second day (1 hour) and the third day (1 hour) are titled Woodstock The Lost Performances. All three have the same flying dove animation and music at the start of each hour and the same style opening and ending credits.

Alongside 'Woodstock' itself, this film presents further performances and alternate cuts (rehearsals?) from the three days of the legendary 1968 festival.From Friday, we have Richie Havens, Country Joe MacDonald, John Sebastian, Incredible String Band (but not much of them!), Bert Sommers (with the lilting 'Jennifer', a lovely song), Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Arlo Guthrie (clearly stoned and rather embarrassing), and Joan Baez.From Saturday, there's Quill (dull), Santana, Canned Heat (not enough of them considering their set on the original film was so cropped), Mountain, Sly and the Family Stone, Janis Joplin (great performance of 'Try'), The Who (their best stuff was on the original film), and Jefferson Airplane (the ubiquitous 'White Rabbit').From Sunday, the artists presented are Joe Cocker, Country Joe and the Fish, Ten Years After (boring), The Band, Johnny Winter (forgettable), Crosby Stills and Nash (very good), Paul Butterfield, Sha Na Na (fun), and Jimi Hendrix (again better served on the original film).More a companion piece than something you would view in isolation, there are three hours, largely of music, but some of it comment, here for you to enjoy, and I am glad to see it available again.

I have seen only a good portion of this film, but can judge right now (and by the CD it is based on) that the performances are pure gold! Janis Joplin and Joe Cocker are the true highlights of the film, with Mountain and Johnny Winter a close second. This film contains the filmed performances of the songs from that CD, I have only seen those, but judging by the running time, there must be extra long-lost footage!!! The performers I saw were: Joe Cocker, The Band, Johnny Winter, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Janis Joplin, Richie Havens, The Jefferson Airplane, Tim Hardin, Mountain, Sly and the Family Stone, and Jimi Hendrix. The worst were Tim Hardin, Richie Havens, and Jefferson Airplane, their sets being either boring or full of flaws. As said before, Joe Cocker, Janis Joplin, Mountain, and Johnny Winter steal the show. The Jimi Hendrix song isn't his best, check out the JIMI HENDRIX: WOODSTOCK video instead. Look around for this, it is a wonderful addition to the original film and will look great beside your Woodstock Director's Cut!

D. A. Pennebaker belongs really to the best documentary film makers of our time. Woodstock Diary is a great music film without extern comment. The only thing you can hear and see is the feeling and the music of that time. And there is surprisingly previously unreleased footage in it.