Solemplex
To me, this movie is perfection.
Wordiezett
So much average
SnoReptilePlenty
Memorable, crazy movie
Hayden Kane
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
krusty_the_baker
This is a film that helped me really get into Grateful Dead - I already owned a couple of albums, but hadn't quite figured out what all the fuss was about, although 'Skull and Roses' was just about starting to come together for me. The key thing is that this is very human in the way the relate the way they arrived at 'American Beauty'. Robert Hunter and Phil Lesh are particularly articulate in the way they describe the development of the record. The only member of the band who didn't contribute to the film was Bill Kreutzmann, and that's his business.When I first saw this, broadcast on the BBC as part of their 'Classic Albums' series, it was stated that this was Garcia's last television interview. I don't know if this is true, but it must be one of the last. Whatever your own reaction to 'American Beauty' - it can elicit tears and smiles from me - Jerry Garcia has a permanent wry smile when talking about it on this film. Ever the joker.
flickman67
I enjoyed this DVD. Amazing footage that this Head has never seen before....I really enjoyed seeing/hearing Hunter. He seems like such a wonderful man. My only complaint with this release is that it seems to end very abruptly, and it is rather short (75 minutes).
vanderIMDB
The Dead have been described as the greatest bar band of all time. From this documentary it's clear to see that the bar they started out in and the bar they ended up in are two very different bars. This chronicle of their movement from house band of the acid tests to a return to their traditional American roots is amazing. "Anthem of the Sun" is wild. Bob Weir tried to get the sound of the desert in the mix. They mixed live and studio recordings into an amalgamation of tripped out acid tinged songs. Then things changed. Band members' parents were dying or dead. The acid tests were over. The Dead were returning to their roots. They started as a jug band (if you want to count Jerry, Bob, and Rob as the beginning of the band) and on "American Beauty" they went back to the feel of folk/country. They followed it with "Workingman's Dead", another album in a similar vein. Both latter albums are classics that belong in any rock and roll fan's collection. The Dead were going acoustic while Dylan went electric. That's not all they were doing, however. They were also going into the acid jazz realm, the experimental realm, and further out into space when they played live. But after a few orbits around the earth they could always splash down and play a rocker like "Scarlet Begonias", a country ballad like "Friend of the Devil", or a folkie like "Ripple". If you're interested in the development of the Dead or of rock itself you should own the albums (I call them that although I never bought an album in the store--I'm too young. Wait, I think I bought a Cure album.) mentioned here. If you don't, see why you should by watching this movie.
