Woodshock (1985)

Powerful

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I've never been to the Woodshock music festival in Texas, but watching the footage from Richard Linklater and Lee Daniel it looks like a lot of fun (though it depends on the word "lot"). It's just a simple stretch of interviews and images capturing the people who camp out, dope up, drink up, sometimes get naked, and jump into a nearby waterfall, whilst listening to musicians like Daniel Johnston. It's nothing very provocative or entrancing, but I liked how it opened with the two shots of just the sun in the horizon surrounded by trees, and the neat pan going across the empty grass and river. Then it cuts right into the mayhem of the festival- not as chaotic or beautiful as Woodstock but pretty 'neat' in its own right- and it's not too far removed from the kinds of characters one might find in the foreground &/or background of Dazed and Confused. Some of the 'psychedelic' moments aren't too complicated either, which is a plus, as there are only a few shots where an image is superimposed over another to create something strange. I liked it.

This comment is directed to "craigjohnson20," the first IMDb member to review this movie. What I don't understand is if you know the director or not. You call him "Rick" throughout your review, but I've never heard anyone call Linklater that before. This would lead me to believe that you either know the director personally, or you just referred to him informally without any good reason (which would be a bit weird).I'd love to know if you really *are* an acquaintance of Linklater. I'm a huge fan and I'd like to know how approachable he is. I'm a Ph.D. candidate at a university in New England and I'm currently doing research on an article about the changes in the way youth are portrayed in movies over the lat 15-20 years. As such, it's important to know how best to contact busy directors/actors/etc for interviews. I've found that some Hollywood people are *VERY* accessible and even read and respond to their own email, but I also know that some directors/actors/etc are fan-shy and consider direct contact to be unacceptable. In those cases, requests for interviews usually need to be directed to their agent/publicist/etc.So... can you fill me in on your relationship with Linklater? Thanks in advance.

This short film - a documentary of a local Austin rock festival and co-directed with Linklater's friend Lee Daniel - is little more than some hand held footage and short interviews with festival goers, mostly potheads and drunks. It is an interesting document of the times, and perhaps the most interesting aspect for most people is comparing these children of hippies and hippie culture in the light of the original Woodstock. For me, it was nostalgic to see this film - like Linklater, I am a Texan and grew up with kids like these. But I don't see much appeal for other people, it reveals very little about Linklater or his style. Mike Judge (another Texan) no doubt found his inspiration for Beavis and Butthead from these types of concert-goers.

Perhaps, because the Ausitn music festival, "Woodshock" obviously lifted their name from "Woodstock", young filmmaker Richard Linklater, decided to shoot this documentary short film in the same style as that acclaimed documentary from which it borrows it's name.This short appears on the "Slacker" DVD, and like that disc's other bonus film - the feature length, "It's Impossible to Know How to Plow By Reading Books" - it's a chance to see a young talented filmmaker trying to figure out how to make movies.The film shows that Rick does understand how to shoot stylistically - even if he is only imitating "Woodstock". But that in later years, Rick would decide to shoot his films in a more subtle style, where dialog takes precedence over visuals.