Blu-Ray Review: Woodstock

1970 - Warner Brothers
Directed By Michael Wadleigh



The cultural landmark of the 60's generation meets the high tech 21st century.


The film looks as good as it possibly can. It was entirely shot in 16mm and never looked amazing blown up to 35mm. Like a Bob Dylan song... the voice is not pretty, but what the voice says is what's important. The blu-ray makes it look as good as it ever did.


The disc includes the 1994 Director's Cut along with some cool bonus features.

Instead of one long documentary covering the festival, the making-of documentary is chopped up into about 15 different segments (totaling about 1 hour and 20 minutes) on one topic (like the concert lineup, cameras used, production problems, the legacy.) This makes it easier to go through. Included is a Hugh Hefner interview of director Wadleigh on the TV show Playboy After Dark

One of the highlights of  Criterion's amazing Monterey Pop box set was the inclusion of roughly 30 performances not included in the original film. Woodstock's blu-ray follows this model and doesn't disappoint. 18 never-before-seen performances are included... with performers that never appeared in the original film (or director's cut) like Creedence Clearwater Revival (3 songs!) Paul Butterfield, Johnny Winter, and the Grateful Dead (a 37-minute take on Bobby 'Blue' Bland's "Turn On Your Lovelight.") Additional performances by bands in the film include The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Joan Baez, Country Joe McDonald, Canned Heat, Sha Na Na, Joe Cocker, Santana and Mountain. These can be viewed separate from the film and YOU can arrange and watch them in any order that you want!

A fluff piece on the Museum of Bethel Woods is also included... a museum that chronicles the 60's and the Woodstock experience.

For anyone who was there... or wishes they were... this blu-ray is the best way to live the Woodstock experience today.