Movie Description
The best rock stars of the 1960s are captured in some of their most brilliant moments during the communal experience called Woodstock, the most celebrated rock concert of all time. The film version, which runs over three hours, manages to capture the unique spirit of this once-in-a-lifetime event, which, in turn, conveyed the mood of an entire era. Includes explosive performances by Richie Havens, Joan Baez, The Who, Sha Na Na, Joe Cocker, Country Joe and the Fish, Arlo Guthrie, Ten Years After, Santana, Sly and the Family Stone, Jimi Hendrix, Canned Heat, John Sebastian, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, and Crosby, Stills and Nash.
| Credits | | Producer: | Bob Maurice | | Cast: | Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jerry Garcia, Joe Cocker, Stills & Nash Crosby |
Notes
WOODSTOCK was added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 1996.
Tracks:
"Handsome Johnny" & "Freedom" (Richie Havens)
"Joe Hill" & "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" (Joan Baez)
"Listening to You," "Summertime Blues," "We're Not Gonna Take It" (The Who)
"At the Hop" (Sha Na Na)
"With a Little Help from My Friends" (Joe Cocker)
"I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin-to-Die-Rag" ("What Are We Fighting For") (Country Joe and The Fish)
"Coming into Los Angeles" (Arlo Guthrie)
"Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," "Woodstock," "Long Time Gone,"
"Wooden Ships," & "Cost of Freedom" (Crosby, Stills and Nash)
"I'm Going Home" (Ten Years After)
"Soul Sacrifice" (Santana)
"I Want to Take You Higher" (Sly and the Family Stone)
"Star Spangled Banner," "Purple Haze," & "Voodoo Chile" (New) (Jimi Hendrix)
"Going Up the Country" (Canned Heat)
"Then I'll Know (Become a Man)" & "Younger Generation" (John Sebastian)
"Won't You Try" & "Uncle Sam's Blues" (New) (Jefferson Airplane)
"Work Me, Lord" (New) (Janis Joplin)
Shot in Woodstock, upstate New York August 1969, in Technicolor. The Woodstock Music and Art Fair was produced by Michael Lang (Executive Producer), John Roberts, Joel Rosenman and Arthur Kornfeld. Produced by Wadleigh-Maurice, Ltd.
It is estimated that the cost of the festival was about $3.3 million, with $1.7 million collected from ticket sales (the promoters declared the event free after it became apparent that they were not equipped to deal with the mass of people who showed up). Although the original partners lost about $250,000 of their own money and owed the rest to a bank, they managed to recoup their losses a decade later through the royalties from this film and the soundtrack.
Tickets to the original event were priced at $18. The 25th anniversary celebration of Woodstock, Woodstock '94, held August 12 - 14, 1994, was budgeted to cost $30 million, with tickets going for $135.
Additional credits: Larry Johnson (assistant to Michael Wadleigh), Eric Blackstead (music advisor coordinator), John Binder (location unit supervisor), Eddie Kramer and Lee Osborne (location music engineer), and Charles Cingliano (titles).
The 25th Anniversary, Director's Cut was remixed, remastered, and restored.
Editorial Reviews
"Still the one true rock concert spectacle....Thrilling to see..." -- Rating: A
Entertainment Weekly - p.35 - Owen Gleiberman (07/22/1994)
"...WOODSTOCK is not just a great slice-of-time documentary but still the ultimate rock concert movie..."
Los Angeles Times - Chris Willman (06/29/1994)
"...Wadleigh's mix of wide pan vistas and split-screen hyperediting nailed the overwhelming whole of the 1960s' last great party..."
Rolling Stone - Rolling Stone Staff (11/27/2003)
"[D]irector Michael Wadleigh's amazing documentary remains rock & roll bliss four decades after the fact." -- Grade: A
Entertainment Weekly - Chris Nashawaty (06/12/2009)
"Wadleigh crafted a film with a thoughtful flow..." -- Grade: A-
A.V. Club - Noel Murray (06/10/2009)
Awards
1970Academy AwardsBest Documentary Feature
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