Rating: 
Summary: Criterion Does It Again
Review: Whatever your personal preference, whatever you think of the Stones then/now, this DVD is a must-own in so many ways. As a documentary (perhaps the antithesis of Woodstock: The Movie), or as a concert film, Criterion have done a great job in restoring this movie.There are some problems inherent in the source tape, but if the picture (while quite sharp for its age) isn't as good as a million other DVDs out there, it's still much better than its earlier incarnations both on the big screen and later on video. They've included still photographs (no big deal), and a pretty good commentary track, along with a (mostly) complete radio broadcast from KSAN the day after Altamont that's quite interesting. Some grainy backstage footage of Mick, Ike & Tina Turner, and a restorative featurette showing the difference between the old film and the digital transfer. But the real star of this movie is the sound. If you've got surround, crank up the volume and enjoy the Stones from the best sounding period in their entire career before decay set in.
Rating: 
Summary: Frustrating!!
Review: I dislike this film/documentary so much because of what it could have been..really..the Hell with Altamont! Stones fans want to see the Stones play, play, man!! Especially with the Mick Taylor line up. When he joined the band--the Stones suddenly became a
Serious band. What did they do before and after Sticky Fingers and Exile? a few gems here and there? He even put his stamp on Let it Bleed (although Kef' did do most the the lead work on that--amazing!). I hope there is footage out there of this tour--and the Stones take a hint from the Mighty Zepplin and release all that we only get glimpses of in this boring snoozer that you have to keep your finger on the FF button for.
Rating:
Summary: Gimme Altamont
Review: Most Unfortunately I was there at the Altamont 'speedway', actually dirt field with a wee bit of grass.
The Mick Taylor lineup tried their best, but their efforts fell flat, due to extensive On-stage appearances by the 'hell's Angels and many other uninvited on stage 'whatevers.' This last Altamont 'free-concert' followed a really great L.A. Forum performance, several hours delayed, but ended near 0700 the next morning. The Video 'sucks', it is 98% junk, but there is a studio (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, that is quite nice.
Rating: 
Summary: How about releasing the entire CONCERT??
Review: Arguably the BEST period for the Stones and we get 3 or 4 songs and a HUGE amount of documentary. It's fine to watch it once, but wouldn't it be nice if they put out a DTS version of all the MUSIC??
Rating:
Summary: Gimme Shelter
Review: Lots of crazy people on lots of drugs but over all it gave me a good perspective on this concert and the time period.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: You will never forget he look on Mick's face as he rises from the monitor after viewing the Altamont footage. We never loved him more.
Rating:
Summary: Gimme Shelter
Review: These days, since the Rolling Stones have become the rock equivalent of an old-timers baseball team, their live act resembling a tribute band attempting to imitate the Stones and
doing a bad job of it, and with the release of their unspeakable
"Don't Stop" single (more on that in a second), it's hard to remember what a rock-and-roll colossus the Stones were in 1969.
(It's most difficult for me to remember, since I was only 3 at the time). Nonetheless, if you're wondering where the Stones
got their "Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World" moniker, watch this DVD.
Watch the Stones perform "Satisfaction". If I never hear the radio version of that song again, I won't care. Yet, I
can listen to this Madison Square version over and over again.
Just a raw, tough number: Mick's theatrics, Charlie Watts's superb leadership on the drums (if you don't have Charlie, you don't have the Stones,I will not argue about this). Watch them
tear through "Street Fighting Man", the climax to the 60's pre-Altamont. What a ride!
(Back to "Don't Stop": when I first heard it, I thought it was one of Mick's solo songs, so I thought "Oh well, another lame Jagger tune." Then afterward, the DJ indentified it as a Stones
song! A STONES song? You mean Keith Richards and Charlie Watts are also responsible for this? Memo to Mick and Co: either do it
right, or don't do it. Your fans aren't that stupid.)
Back to Gimme Shelter.
(OK, here's the part about Altamont) All the postmortems about Altamont have been written and discussed over and over, so I won't go into them here. All I can say is that if you ever decide to plan a rock festival, and it's only 24 hours before you are scheduled to go onstage and you don't have a concert site lined up, cancel. That's all I can say.
Gimme Shelter includes the pre-concert negotiations between Mel Belli an others. One scene says it all for me. As Altamont speedway owner Dick Carter explains how he will provide adequate parking facilities for 300,000 people, the camera shows attorney Belli with a what-the-heck-are-we-getting-ourselves-into look on
his face. The concert was an disaster waiting to happen, and everyone involved knew it, but nobody could stop a runaway train.
Gimme Shelter is part concert film, and part slice of history. Eveything is laid bare, without the benefit of journalistic spin
evident in current films about the 60's. The viewer also gets to
see and hear the Rolling Stones at the absolute top of their game, building a reputation that they still are living on today.
Rating:
Summary: Does to rock 'n' roll what Physco did for showers
Review: Gimme Shelter is rock's equivalent to a horror film. This movie's a horrifying look at Altamont, the infamous 1969 free concert in San Fransisco held by The Rolling Stones. And Gimme Shelter was the film that captured it all. The film features concert footage from both Madison Square Garden and Altamont, as well as backstage footage and early recordings of Sticky Fingers, including alternate takes of Wild Horses and Brown Sugar. Songs such as Street Fighting Man and Love In Vain become omens of the terror at Altamont. The real tension begins near the end while the band does a ripping performance of Under My Thumb. You can see the tension that's building up in the crowd. The live performance of Gimme Shelter features chilling images from Altamont ending with a the fatal frozen shot of the knife that killed Meredith Hunter. Gimme Shelter is a chilling portrait of one of the most tragic moments in rock history.
Rating:
Summary: STONE-ROCK
Review: Rock videos mean very little to me, but Gimme Shelter has a real story to tell. I always had a thing for intelligent horror movies, and this has to be one of the best. It actually resembles Lord of the Flies in the way it shows a crowd of civilised people gradually reverting to savagery; but it's even better because it's live footage of a real incident. Recommended for people who enjoy A Clockwork Orange or Aguirre, The Wrath OF God.
Rating:
Summary: good music fan in SF 2002
Review: I saw this documentary a few years ago and just bought the DVD recently.
I'm not sure about what else I can add about this documentary..but I'll write this as perspective for someone that was a 1 year old in 1969. I've always like the Rolling Stones, and one of the first albums I bought was Tattoo You in 1982. Over the years I haven't really gotten into the Stones...until now. Wow, how cool were they 30 years ago??? It's so great that they are rocking to this day.
This DVD is fascinating, it is the definitive moment in history for the end of the 1960's scene that has been so hyped over the years. The Stones were never really part of the American 1960's hipppie scene and this concert is their fateful testament to that in history - not that the Stones or anyone at Altamont wanted what is documented here to happen.
This documetary slowly builds and carefully climaxes in images and sounds that are impossible for fiction.
A confligration of poor planning, Hell's Angels, Hippies, Money, Rock Stars in reality, and human emotions. AMAZING!!!
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