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.

I saw this movie for the first time tonight. It has a special meaning to me as Big Brother (with Janis) played at my Senior Prom in May, 1967. For better or worse, I wound up meeting her again at a concert they did that summer at Lake Tahoe (old Kings Beach Bowl). While there is undoubtedly much more film of her that has never been released, this movie does a decent job of showcasing a woman whose talent still remains unsurpassed. When I had a shot of Southern Comfort with her at 10:30 in the morning the day after the concert, I was too naive to see the seeds of destruction that led to her premature death in 1970. If you ever have the opportunity to visit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, there is an excellent display devoted to her life and her music, with some revealing letters sent home to Port Arthur, Texas while in San Francisco. On the whole I very much enjoyed the movie and recommend it to others who lived through this era or want to know more about it.

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.

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.

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)