Grady Reid
Stunt Coordinator
I don't think Criterion releases review copies, but its worth a shot to ask!
I don't think Criterion releases review copies, but its worth a shot to ask!Yes, they do send out screeners...
I am very pleased, but am still dissapointed that there was no footage or audio of the Grateful Dead even though they mentioned that they had shot about 45 minutes worth of footage.Larry,
In the latest Dead bio, A Long Strange Trip, author Dennis McNally explains that the Dead would not sign the release to have their performance recorded. Thus, Pennebaker had to turn off the cameras and point them down while they were performing. (In fact, I think a bunch of bands refused to sign the release but some relented later on.) McNally did say that Pennebaker managed to catch some of the performance, but I can't remember how much. If I remember tonight, I'll grab my copy of the book and let you know some more of the details.
I'm wondering where the information in the digitallyOBSESSED review about the jams being too long came from. Did Pennebaker say that in the commentary?
After all the machinations over film rights, ABC-TV took one look at the Jimi Hendrix footage and lost interest, realizing it was a family network. Pennebaker's movie would become a staple on the art-house circuit, and over the years, as half owner, he would profit. Although they violated their promises and Pennebaker did shoot the Grateful Dead for a minute or two, Lou Adler was never able to get the Dead to approve their footage.
Pennebaker was forced to cut a number of acts: The Paupers, Lou Rawls, Johnny Rivers, The Steve Miller Band, Moby Grape and The Grateful Dead. The latter, the director explains, ran all his cameras out of film with their notoriously lengthy jams.For review, I watched and rewatched this (excuse the pun) jam-packed set in a 3-day period that is now a big blur (can't wait to do it again at a leisurely pace!). It is either in the commentary or the interview that Pennebaker makes this claim, and that's his only mention of it. (I'm leaning toward the interview.) I believe the gist was that the crew never managed to capture any Dead songs in their entirety.
I just checked, and he does say it in his foreward to the accompanying book: "The Grateful Dead presented another problem. They got started and didn't know how to stop. They purely outlasted us. After ten minutes they were still on their first song, and we simply ran out of film and lost them."
It still could well be that there are no outtakes because there are no rights to the Dead footage. I suss it depends on who's telling the story