The Grateful Dead Movie

I am and was a big fan of the dead but too young to have been a fan when this film was made. The film chronicles the 1974 4 night stint at the historic winterland in san francisco. at the time there were some that did not know whether or not the band would tour again. of course they did decide to hit the road again and the rest is history.

the movie shows the essence of the grateful dead experience from the fans to the crew to the band. it is a trip to look in on the scene as it truly was in 1974. i could think of no better way to show future generations what the early 70's rock scene and particularly the dead scence was like. the band footage is pretty good and is mixed in with great shots of the fans. additionally you get a look at the "wall of sound" which was the set up the band employed during the 1974 tour. donna jean describes the film as the good, the bad and the ugly of the dead experience. i think that is accurate.

the rest of the features on the DVD are great. the extra songs are awesome although they completely lack any flow. they could have formatted them in the same order as they were done. instead they are very random. the interviews are great and lend some light on the tremendous amount of work that has to go into bringing the extra material to the public.

if you like the dead and have been to a show (or 2 or 20) this is a must see. if you are younger and just want to see what all the fuss was about you should also get the movie.

This captures the GD in their prime and in front of a loving, hometown audience in 1974. There is concert footage mixed with some trippy animation, but the real time capsule is all the footage of their fans that is included. You get to see a lot of Deadheads grooving to the music, goofing around, dancing, and verbally expressing themselves. Apparently the post-production and editing were very expensive, time-consuming, and stressful. I don't think it was a big hit in the movie theatres, but like most of their music, it stands the test of time very well. There would be plenty more live GD videos in the years to come. The same group of shows also led to their "Steal Your Face" live album and its famous logo.

... and I LOVE this movie! Now expanded on DVD, this movie is even better, and I consider it among the very best in rock'n'roll films. Why? First, the performances are good and capture The Dead at one of it's many creative peaks. But the real show is the audience, those lovable Deadheads who party as if it's their last night on earth. The movie shows the whole scene, warts and all, from tech support to the band backstage.

Now, I don't get into that scene, never did. We can have a good time without trendy chemical amusement aid. But it was a part of the peak years of stadium tours of the 1970s. The music was the catalyst and the fan support unwavering. That was the strength and weakness of the rock'n'roll scene of that time, which, while not void of trouble, certainly led to the tragedies of the late '70s that changed seating arrangements at large venues. Frankly, I have stopped going to large concerts where the cattle mentality is capable of violence. In contrast, I found my sole Grateful Dead show to be among the most peaceable shows I've ever attended, a testament to the music-loving crowd that has faithfully followed the band for generations.

That love of music comes through loud and clear on "The Grateful Dead Movie". Some of the fierce loyalties make for superior humor and the sole connection for many of the attendees at these shows.

At times there are sad undertones: some fans are getting their acts together and just spending some quality time with friends while others seem completely lost to the scene. For some show goers, drugs were the catalyst. But that's the way it was back then; and perhaps always will be. Some people are drawn into whatever their hearts desire and choose to make that obsession their lives, which is fine when that endeavor is a creation of their own, when it's not, that's a real loss. A groupie for life is not the life worth living, folks. Still, the love is mutual: the film clearly shows the love the band has for it's listeners. At one point, a shirtless fan is escorted onstage and presents drummer Bill Kreutzmann with a custom "California Dead" license plate. The two shake hands, and the plate is proudly displayed on the bass drum.

The first disc is the original movie with the usual DVD options. I chose to have subtitles activated to enjoy the lyrics as I watched the film. There are also several audio options for the listener to enjoy, which will really impress the true fans. The second disc features eleven songs left on the cutting floor the first time around and for me, it was overkill, truly for the fan. Still, I listened to two of them. Several documentaries round out the package, and I found them all truly fascinating, particularly the "Making of the Animation" sequence. The Photo Gallery was for the discriminating fan, I found endless shots of production papers overkill, though some of Garcia's notes fascinating. Which leads me to the only downer of the package: the documentaries don't interview the entire band. It's great to see Donna Jean again reminiscing with buddy Bill Kreutzmann, and Bob Weir's spacey recollections have a melancholic tone, but where's the rest? Phil Lesh has GREAT insight of the band and life philosophies in general, and he's missed. So is Mickey Hart. But the real cavity is Garcia's absence.

His recollections would have truly been the ace in the hole, particularly since "The Grateful Dead Movie" was his baby. The interviewees do the best they can to speak Garcia's piece but it's no substitute. Further, I'm sure if not for his death this project would have been hastened, as unrest hit The Grateful Dead camp upon Garcia's premature parting.

Part rock show, part documentary, 100% fun, "The Grateful Dead" movie will satisfy lifelong fans and surely convert new ones, as this is as close to the real thing as one can get, since the real thing is now a part of history. One thing is for sure, if you're not a fan, you may find yourself at least liking it by the end of the film.

After all, if you weren't interested, you wouldn't have picked it up, would you?

Cheers: The definitive time capsule of The Grateful Dead in it's prime; fantastic animated opener; great song selection; photo gallery has great shots of the band in the early days; great natural spontaneity; good flow from band to fan and back; records the dynamics of a rock show; good for any rock'n'roll listener, fan or not; multiple audio choices; very humorous; witty; engaging; lovingly produced; superb DVD interactivity.

Caveats: May be overindulgent for some; bass is muddy on some songs; some fans will disturb viewers; drug use aplenty; not all of the band is interviewed; photo gallery indulgent in places; NOT FOR KIDS!!! Let it roll!!!

I saw the Grateful Dead twice in my life, so I'm not a true Deadhead by Deadhead standards (ie: I didn't follow them around the USA) although I fell in love with "Morning Dew" at 15 years of age (I'm now 53) and listened to "Live In Europe" endlessly in my college years. The first time I saw them was in 1969 in a free concert and then several years later in a paid concert. This DVD represents in my mind, the free concert years. The free concert was totally free in mind and body. It lasted over four hours. Little children and mama's were on stage along with the musicians. The atmosphere was extremely laid back. I have attempted to describe the experience to friends and youth who never experienced a free concert of that magnitude. Thankfully, "The Movie" came along. Now I can only direct those who are inquisitive enough and wise enough to understand the ramifications of such a period in time to this DVD. One more comment: Garcia was an artist in more than musical terms as illustrated by his graphical and fine art and film sense of the movie. He produced this masterpiece. Enough said. You decide for yourself after viewing. One thing that I will state is this: You will never see anything similar in your entire lifetime. This is a totally unique experience of awesome creative magnitude. -Big Wave Dave

Hey now,

I think I have watched this movie about 200 times. Really. But it's not just because I'm a Deadhead. It's not just because the time filmed is during one of my favorite GD years, 1974. And it's not just because they have full versions of Morning Dew and GDTRFB on it.

The reason I have watched this movie so many times is because it is food for your mind and soul. ( You can add body if you like to boogie during the film.) It weaves the many layers that make up a Dead show into a cohesive whole. Rather than just show concert footage, the movie dives into the hearts and lives of both the audience and the band members. We get to see pre, during, and post-show activities, as well as interesting insights from the band members.

The film also does the best attempt of all released Dead videos of capturing "it" -- that unexplainable, natural force at work which can make the experience transcedent for those in attendance. The mixture of five different cameras and how close they get to the band help aid in their attempt to "explain the unexplainable."

The highlight of the film is definitely the "Morning Dew", from 10-18-74, right out of a beautiful Dark Star. Jerry made a wonderful decision to have Morning Dew be shown in its entirety. To this day, I still get chills when listening to the climax of that piece.

For Deadheads, this film is essential...but what makes it so respected is that the "uninformed" consumer can just as easily access this movie and see what life was like for a bunch of beatniks from San Francisco.

Mike Hanley