I Watched Whiplash – It was Bloody Horrible
I knew I would hate it. I had seen comments by drummers and musicians. I’d watched clips of it on Youtube. I made a pledge to never watch it. But…it appeared on Youtube as a free movie with paid ads. I took the ride. I’m not commenting on it. Hollywood thought it was great.
In the 80s and 90s, I loved going to theatres to watch movies.
Some people like sitting alone in the dark.
In the past 20 years, these are the three films I’ve seen in a theatre.
Fog of War (2003) by Errol Morris : music by Phillip Glass – Neil Young / Heart of Gold (2005)– Zeppelin 02 (2007)
In 2016, I drove up to The Villages Theatres and saw the Ron Howard – Beatles film, Eight Days A Week.
I haven’t owned a television since 1978. As a kid I loved television. I’m not an elitist. When I get around a TV, it sucks me in and hypnotizes me.
When I lived in Orlando/Winter Park in the 90s till 2010, I was a regular customer of Stardust Café and Video. They had a great selection of abstract films and documentaries.
I currently watch Youtube, on my iPad.
The first music film I saw in a theatre was Hard Days Night from The Beatles. It was 1964. I was 14 years old. I saw it in Orlando at the Colonial Plaza, Rocking Chair Theatre. It was a surreal experience to see The Beatles on big screen. They had only been on television, a few times.
In the 1990’s, at Stardust Café & Video…I discovered a film by The Maysles Brothers called “The Beatles: First U.S. Visit”
It’s an extraordinary documentation of The Beatles, starting when they arrive at JFK airport to play on the Ed Sullivan show…February 9, 1964. Albert and David Maysles were hired to document this for a British production company.
They traveled with The Beatles in NYC, Washington, D.C. and Miami Beach. It’s a must see for Beatles and music fans. When I saw this for the first time, I realized “A Hard Days Night” was a (rip off - from this documentary. I’ll leave it at that.
The Maysles Brothers also filmed the Stones documentary, Gimme Shelter, Salesman and Grey Gardens.
I mentioned the Neil Young film Heart of Gold and the Led Zeppelin film 02 / aka - Celebration Day. Both are great.
Monterey Pop is a 1968 concert film by D. A. Pennebaker. Albert Maysles was an associate of Pennebaker for this documentary.
This is a fantastic view into the beginning of pop music, post Beatles / British Invasion. Featured performers of the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival were: Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Otis Redding, Canned Heat, Eric Burton, Ravi Shankar, Mamas & The Papas, Big Brother, Hugh Masekela, The Who and Jimi Hendrix.
I’ve seen this film several times. It always produces something new to socially digest. My memory reflects on how different music events were, before Woodstock, in 1969.
I didn’t see this film till the 2000’s. You can see the innocence of music fans…how the festival was about the music. (Unlike Woodstock, and the festival events that exploded after Woodstock)
Monterey Pop in 1967 was a Sunny & Dry, Relaxed, (Drug Free) music festival. It resembled early Newport Jazz and Folk events from the 50s. The music and crowd reaction to Ravi Shankar is beautiful. (Everyone was Feelin Groovy)
Everything changed after “The Summer Of Love” War-Political unrest-social change. Much like today. Everyone started drinking the Kool-Aid.
The Doors---Live At The Hollywood Bowl, July 5, 1968 is a well-documented audio video from the band. I became a fan of The Doors in 1968. I speak about their music in my book: Notes of a “YOUNG drummer 1966-1969. The drumming of John Densmore was always interesting to me.
50+ years later, I understand why I liked their attitude and music. It was poetic and artsy, which wasn’t on my mind at all in 1968.
As a musician in 1968, music wasn’t segregated by genre. It was without the corporate intrusion of titles.
As a Door’s fan, this film is a clear presentation of the band in 1968. Morrison is in great form. John Densmore, Robbie Krieger and Ray Manzarek are dynamic and tight.
Morrison was a Rock Star. His stage presence and confident attitude reminds me of Frank Sinatra. (A swinging performance art psychedelic apocalypse now version of Ole Blue Eyes)
If you only watch one song from this film, let it be “Light My Fire” The Doors and Morrison’s avant-garde spoken word intro, before the drum rim shot, into…Light My Fire…is brilliant.
Morrison does his Native American Monk Dance, screams into the microphone. The Music’s Over - This Is The End.
Two more music documentaries I’ve watched several times are “Genius Within – The Inner Life of Glenn Gould” and “Glass: A portrait of Phillip Glass in twelve parts”
I’ve been a fan of Phillip Glass for many years. My fascination with this documentary is the insider view of his daily routine as an artist. The Glenn Gould documentary is similar.
In closing, I was going to talk about my favorite music documentary of all time, but I’ve decided to note about it as a single feature.
That will be the Bob Dylan documentary, Don’t Look Back. Recorded during Dylan’s 1965 concert tour in England, it was released in 1967.
Notes from an “OLD” drummer