Rating: 
Summary: Not what was expected.
Review: I was expecting a musical DVD, not a history of Woodstock.
This was advertised as featuring Creedence Clearwater Revival,
They were not on this film.
Rating: 
Summary: Best Seat in the House
Review: Having been born in 1980, I missed the original Woodstock concert by 11 years (plus about another 18 as that's probably how old I would have been to go to a concert like that). However, through my constant viewing of VH1's special, I have become a huge fan of the music of that era. While I love listening to the music of Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix and such, what I have always longed for is a chance to actually watch them perform. While seeing them perform live is highly unlikely (seeing as how Jimi and Janis have been dead for 30 years and JA did their big reunion a decade ago), watching this documentary is about the best chance I'm going to get. While I would have loved to have been there in person, one thing that I love about this movie is the view that you get. From seeing Ritchie Havens' foot tapping during "Freedom" to watching the expressions on the faces of JA's Grace Slick and Marty Balin as they traded leads on "Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon"), you definitely have the best seat in the house when you watch this movie. I watched the entire video in one sitting, glued to the t.v. the whole time (except when I got up to dance to Santana's "Soul Sacrifice"). From the interviews with the townspeople to the interviews with the hippies (my fav was the one with the stoned guy as he walked out of the Port-a-Sans) to the incredible music, I think this documentary captures the event very well. The only complaint that I have is not having more footage of the live performances. I would have loved to have seen Sweetwater at their best or Grace Slick belting out "Somebody to Love" or "White Rabbit". Maybe someday they'll release separate video versions of the individual sets played by the artists...that'd be awesome! In the meantime, buy and watch this video...you'll have a great time!!
Rating:
Summary: Great Festival
Review: I love the Woodstock Festival (W.F.) and have traced its history for a long time. This version is really good but if you're interested on an in deep documentary about W.F. you must look for the japanesse release (3 DVD's) to see differents takes of the classic acts and never before seen performances by: The Incredible String Band, Bert Sommers (!!), Ravi Shankar, Quill, Mountain (in full splendor), Johnny Winter, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Joe Cocker (Let's All Get Stoned), Tim Hardin Joan Baez (The Drugstore Truck Driving Man..). Enough? rush over'em.
Rating: 
Summary: 3 Days of Mud and Multitudes
Review: What an experience watch "Woodstock: The Director's Cut!" For the entire 3 hours, 45 minutes of this movie, I was completely transfixed by this spectacular Academy Award winning (Best Documentary, 1970) film, with its (then) ground-breaking multiple image, amorphous widescreen formats. I found myself swept back to 1969, the summer of my 18th year, wistfully longing to be there with the rest of those 500,000-plus "hippies", listening to the music, partying, being part of that special three-day weekend... As this fully restored DVD version of Wadleigh's masterpiece shows, it was indeed a special event! This film documents the efforts of a group of musicians, entrepreneurs, and financial backers, who worked for over nine months to bring to fruition the history-making rock 'n roll music festival that took upstate New York by storm on August 15-17, 1969. With a sure eye for the finest detail, Wadleigh captures hundreds, perhaps thousands, of everyday little incidents, both positive and negative, that made up this special musical event. Using the multi-image format I mentioned earlier, and widescreen formats of varying aspect ratios (the only way this film can be seen without sacrificing substantial portions of it to television's confining 1.33:1 aspect ratio), Wadleigh presents his viewers with powerfully eloquent vignettes: The twenty-mile long traffic jams and the interminably long lines of pedestrians hiking to the site of the concert... The reaction of Bethel's local residents, a few outwardly irate, some mildly irritated, but the vast majority very receptive to the half-million strong horde of "hippies" descending upon them... The "scenes from a disaster area:" just how do you provide the basic necessities of sanitation, medical care, and food for a large city camped in a hay field? And what happens when those services are suddenly and arbitrarily stopped?... The countless numbers of people openly passing around joints and pipes and bongs, all getting mightily "wasted," while the bands played on... The sudden downpour and almost instantaneous submersion of the multitudes in thick, gooey mud, while the bands tried to play on... and many, many more... And through it all, the heart of the film: the music, always the music. Pure rock and roll as it was meant to be... hard edged, lyrical, harmonious, boisterous, folksy, raucous, raunchy, promoting peace and goodwill, almost religious in its fervor... ...Richie Havens passionately strumming his battle-scarred acoustic guitar, all the while soulfully belting out his song "Freedom..." Joan Baez' gentle "organizing" ballad "Joe Hill..." The Who kicking up their heels: "See me, feel me, touch me, heal me," the opening lyrics of "We're Not Gonna Take It Any More," from the rock opera "Tommy..." A perspiration soaked, gravelly voiced, youthful Joe Cocker putting every ounce of his body and soul into his incredible "With a Little Help from My Friends..." Jimi Hendrix' incredible, spectacular, pyrotechnical rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" and "Purple Haze..." and many, many more... I have two complaints about "Woodstock: The Director's Cut." First: the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired. Throughout the film, there seemed to be a lot of background hiss and crackling. This was probably caused by the equipment Wadleigh used while making the film; however, modern technology still should have been able to eliminate most background noise. My second complaint: The varying aspect ratios (anywhere from 2.35:1 to 1.78:1) make viewing the movie on a standard television a bit difficult. Some images seem very small even on a 32-inch TV! Still, widescreen is the best format to use when viewing this film. It matters not whether you're sixteen or sixty; whether you've never been to a rock concert in your life, or you're a grizzled old concertgoer like me; "Woodstock: The Director's Cut" is a film not to be missed!
Rating:
Summary: A Classic Movie!
Review: Without question this was a landmark movie. Some of the greatest acts in rock and roll were able to perform in this movie. The movie going fan was able to see the Who,Joe Cocker,Janis Joplin,Jimi Hendrix,Sly and the Family Stone, Richie Havens, John Sebastian and the Loving Spoonful as well as many other up and coming stars in the world of music. The music in the movie was very good. The on the scene footage was also well shot. You were able to see Woodstock from every perspective
in this movie. That this video is till available 32 years later
is a testament to this event. Buy this and watch it. It is a collector's item.
Rating: 
Summary: Footage could have been better
Review: For an historic event as Woodstock, the concert footage is lousy; why didn't they show the entire songs on this film instead of cutting them off or just showing shots of artists on the stage? Just take a look at the performances of The Who, Janis Joplin, and Jefferson Airplane for example. Instead, entire footage is shown of John Sebastian and Sha Na Na (ugh!). You see a lot of how the stage was built and people trickling in before the event started, which is fine, but equal time should have been devoted to the important and big artists. What's more, there is no footage of The Greatful Dead, The Band, The Allman Brothers Band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and others. Furthermore, the interview of the young blonde couple was overdone; too much time wasted on them. It is obvious those two just jumped on the bandwagon of the hippie movement. Also, wasted time was spent on the young dark-haried girl in the plaid shirt working in some booth - who cares? However, I like that they showed interviews of the people who lived in the area - what they thought of the event (positive and negative responses shown equally)and the kids, as well as Yasgur himself. This really captured the mood and mentality of the time (even if it was only a small part of New York out of the whole country). The entire film captured the essence of 60's. But the concert itself, well . . . the footage was just terrible and disappointing. There just should have been MORE footage of MORE artists performing ENTIRE songs, not cut up or cut off. (I know, I know . . . if entire footage was shown of ALL the artists that appeared at Woodstock, it probably would have been a six hour film, but still. . ) The Hendrix performance is classic, as well as Santana, Joan Baez, and Joe Cocker, but I only wish I could have seen Janis Joplin sing and many others who were there but not shown in this film.
Rating:
Summary: Wish it were the whole festival... wanted more!!!
Review: This was a really terrific film. I wish they could've made a series of films like this to capture the entire festival, but this comes as close as we've got I guess. As it was, I felt transported and when it was over, I was sad to leave it. Really glad I got the director's cut! This is a great historical document that captures not only the music (though I wish there were more), but the climate (political and natural) surrounding the festival as well. Whether you were there or wish you could have been, this is a great trip!
Rating:
Summary: THE ULTIMATE FREE FESTIVAL
Review: I like the expanded version better than the original because we finally get to see Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane performing in the movie. Where the director and I disagree is Melanie's brilliant solo "Birthday of the Sun" belongs in the picture, not in "Lost Performances". As far as the rest of the flick for those unfamiliar or need a refresher. Richie Havens opens the festival with maybe the fastest rhythm guitar work on record - "Freedom". Joan Baez high octave reaches the evening skies - "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot". Crosby, Stills and Nash being scared bleep-bleep - "Suite Judy Blue Eyes". John Sebastian, the ultimate hippie in all tye-dye - "Younger Generation". Country Joe's anti-war sing-a-long fires up the crowd - "I-Feel-Like- I'm-Fixin'-To-Die-Rag". Joe Cocker singing while pretending to play an instrument - "With A little Help From My Friends". Santana bringing the "Street Sound" on "Soul Sacrifice" as a bunch of unknowns. The Who delivering their circus-like show - "Summertime Blues". The dancing "Big Bear"of Canned Heat blues rocking um' on "A Change Is Gonna' Come. Comical Sha-Na-Na who don't fit in - "At The Hop". Arlo Guthrie talking about alot of freaks and singing about a custom man - "Coming Into Los Angeles". Ten Years After updating 50's, early 60's rock in triple split screen fine form - "I'm Going Home". Sly And The Family Stone outrageous funk rock bringng the night audience to its feet- "I Want To Take You Higher". Jimi Hendrix shocking just about everybody doing the "Star Spangled Banner" with a heavy dose of feedback. The film performances were so good, it became the MTV of its time, creating arena rock for the majority of the players about a year later. The other key non-music moments were remarks by the concert organizers before and during the festival. Wavy Gravy, hog farm leader serving breakast for over 300,000. Periodic funny stage announcements in hippie language. The pro and con opinions from the nearby residents of Bethel, N.Y. Land owner Max Yasgur addressing and thanking the crowd. The down to earth port-o-san cleaning man talking about his own kid in the Vietnam War. Drenching thunderstorms, heavy use of pot, audience comments and skinny-dipping, happy crowd swimming at the nearby lake. Quite simply a three day phenomenon that will never happen again. Well packaged for movie viewing. Woodstock was the ultimate free festival in a sea of mud.
Rating:
Summary: Well.....
Review: Woodstock has some very good performances (actually Santana, fairly unknown outside of San Francisco at the time, is arguably the best) interspersed with a lot of very dreary hippie propaganda. One must immediately view Gimme Shelter as an antidote after this film.
Rating:
Summary: A classic restored...
Review: I first saw this film on cable around 1985 or so, and as soon as I knew it was being broadcast, I settled in to tape it. Thanks to dirty tape heads in my folks' old VCR, the sound quality was poor--most of the old man's intro outside the local pub was lost in static. This I endured for years. When I found this version available on DVD, already aware that the director's cut had been released some years back, I knew this would be a keeper. And indeed it is: The re-edited film, which formerly was choppy and confusing in its running order (or at least as I remember it), now flows much better, and the added performances are very welcome. My only complaint is that this one was issued among the first flood of DVD releases in 1997, and so is spread out over 2 sides of a disc rather than having been remastered in dual-layer format. (So I'm lazy, you say? Fair enough, but the thing I've always liked about the CD is that you don't have to get up to turn them over.) Otherwise, definitely worth having.
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