Festival Express (2003)

Waste of Money.

Crappy film

Absolutely Fantastic

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

As one of the original investors in the FE project, I can tell you that there is more footage and recordings. While FE was a critical success, it was also a financial failure. There is some hope that as the distribution rights revert to the original group that more film and recordings will be released. Some of the best footage, Joplin and the Grateful Dead doing Honkey Tonk Woman, cannot be releases as the Stones refused permission. Maybe sending an email to Mick & Co. will change their mind, this was over 45 years ago!.

This rock documentary chronicles the journey via train, of several famous rock bands performing throughout Canada, in the summer of 1970. Most of the acts aboard the Festival Express train, were legendary; The Grateful Dead, The Band, Janis Joplin, Buddy Guy, etc. The film emphasized the genuine camaraderie, between the bands as they travel on the train between performances. They were more like drinking buddies having the time of their lives together, than egocentric rock stars. Much jovial fun was had by them all, throughout their train trip together through Canada. The performances by the musicians, were exciting and energetic. Janis Joplin's performance, was especially powerful and electrifying. The Grateful Dead, led by a young Jerry Garcia, gave a sensational performance as well. The viewer can see why the Dead, were the reigning kings of psychedelic rock. Buddy Guy and his blues band, played with an absolute, ecstatic joyfulness.The overall tone of this film was uplifting, despite the troubles of the overextended promoters, and the scuffles between the Canadian police and the audiences, that took place at the concerts. There is a palpable sense of hippie idealism left over from the 60s, throughout this film. It was as if The Festival Express concerts, were truly the swan song of the 60s counterculture utopia, rather than Woodstock. This film is a must-see, for those who want to see some trailblazing rock musicians in action, and how they helped influence the 60s counterculture.

Documentary of a tour in 1970 across Canada by a bunch of performers-The Band, Joplin, The Dead, Buddy Guy to name a few. This wonderful document of the trip of a life time is amazing to watch. I can only imagine what we didn't see as we get to see not only the performers on stage (Joplin is godlike) and on the train jamming. The jamming was- wow.I wish we could have seen more of that. At times the performances are ragged and raw but they are so much more alive then the carefully balanced and perfectly structured shows of today. If you like any of the people who perform this is a must see. (Seeing it again recently on on one of the VOOM stations in HD and it was like seeing it for the first time.)

Before Jerry Garcia had an ice cream named after him, he played on the Festival Express. This event was captured on film and then the film sat in various garages over the years where it could age properly. Apparently the T Rex film "Born To Boogie" sat in Ringo's garage for many years before recently being restored, so one can only wonder what other visual rock and roll delights are resting in someone's car port waiting to be unfolded or re-unfolded to the public. I like rock docs from this era because rock music was at its creative peak and they actually shot the things on film (as God intended all things to be shot on). Festival Express has its musical moments -- my favorite is Buddy Guy's version of "Money" and his scorching guitar solo, but I wish there would have been some interviews with the fans at the concerts ala the "Woodstock" and "Isle Of Wight" films. Not that it isn't fun to watch Janis Joplin and company rock and roll all night and party every day while riding the rails across Canada, but when the express finally stops rolling the movie feels like a song that is a chord or two short of being a classic.