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Janis

  • 1974
  • R
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
847
YOUR RATING
Janis Joplin in Janis (1974)
Janis: Blues
Play clip2:13
Watch Janis: Blues
1 Video
4 Photos
Music DocumentaryBiographyDocumentaryMusic

The life and music of Janis Joplin.The life and music of Janis Joplin.The life and music of Janis Joplin.

  • Director
    • Howard Alk
  • Writers
    • Howard Alk
    • Seaton Findlay
  • Stars
    • Janis Joplin
    • Peter Albin
    • Sam Andrew
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    847
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Howard Alk
    • Writers
      • Howard Alk
      • Seaton Findlay
    • Stars
      • Janis Joplin
      • Peter Albin
      • Sam Andrew
    • 11User reviews
    • 11Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Janis: Blues
    Clip 2:13
    Janis: Blues

    Photos3

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster

    Top cast17

    Edit
    Janis Joplin
    Janis Joplin
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Peter Albin
    • Self
    Sam Andrew
    Sam Andrew
    • Self (Big Brother and the Holding Company; Kozmic Blues Band)
    Dave Getz
    • Self
    James Gurley
    • Self
    Brad Campbell
    • Self
    Roy Markowitz
    • Self
    Terry Clements
    • Self
    Snooky Flowers
    • Self
    Luis Gasca
    • Self
    Richard Kermode
    • Self
    Richard Bell
    • Self
    Ken Pearson
    • Self
    Clark Pierson
    • Self
    John Till
    • Self
    Dick Cavett
    Dick Cavett
    • Self
    John Simon
    • Self - music producer
    • Director
      • Howard Alk
    • Writers
      • Howard Alk
      • Seaton Findlay
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews11

    7.7847
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    Featured reviews

    5Billiam-4

    Not that informative

    This documentary lacks any narration, comment or a historic timeline nor shows any development of Janis's career, but consists of lots of rare concert, on-the-road and interview material; it may be a feast for die-hard fans, but for a broader audience it's simply not that informative.
    7runamokprods

    The best stage footage I've seen of one of the best live performers ever!

    Amazing live performances captured on film are the reason to see to see this.

    The interviews with Janis don't reveal much, and there's no real sense of her history.

    Even the stage stuff is shot pretty straightforwardly, but, man-o-man could she sing!

    One wonderful thing is that a lot of the numbers are uncut, allowed to go their full length, which, with Janis in concert, could easily be 8 minutes or more. The power, the emotion, the energy, the sexiness, the sweet sense of fun she brought to the stage could only be hinted at on her albums. For those reasons it's more than worth sitting through the slightly homogenized off-stage material.
    10foreverjanis

    Janis

    this is "must have" for all the people out-there that are loving Janis.It's a really touching film,Janis is just playing herself.Beautiful,magnificent and above.Unfortunately,Janis's story hasn't yet really been said properly and it is my feeling that she deserve much more than she got by now,at least for the passion that she put in her music.Watch her in this film,see with what intensity she can perform and you'll understand.Janis is among the few that live for whatever she is doing and that thing is shown in every aspect of this film.Watch her especially in live performances,you never saw anything like that before! A film on which i could die watching it.
    10Dunhill

    A great collection from a gutsy blues singer.

    This is one of the best movies I have ever seen. It documents Janis Joplin with her 3 bands: Big Brother and the Holding Company, Kosmic Blues Band, and the Full Tilt Boogie Band. It is a collection of her best songs, Ball & Chain (1969), Piece of My Heart (1969), and Maybe (1969, also). I personally think that the Kosmic Blues Band is the best, especially their rendition of "Summertime". This is a must-see for fans of Pearl.
    7jmillerdp

    Good Documentary That Doesn't Get in Its Subject's Way

    Very good, narration-free documentary that intercuts performance footage with interviews. This is a straight compilation film, using then-existing material. I don't think there was anything shot specifically for this film.

    For such an electric talent, it is especially good that the directors just stay out of the way, and not try to staple significance, meaning or whatever to their subject. They just let Janis Joplin sing and speak for herself.

    And, that's the best thing you could possibly do for a Janis Joplin doc!

    ******* (7 Out of 10 Stars)

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    Music

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Connections
      Features The Dick Cavett Show (1968)

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • October 18, 1974 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Canada
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Janis, the Way She Was - A Film
    • Filming locations
      • Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany
    • Production company
      • Crawley Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Gross US & Canada
      • $396,020
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      • 1h 36m(96 min)
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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