The Source

Rating:
Summary: Solid
Review: This is a good solid documentary that sticks to its subject. The clips of Ginsberg & Burroughs are especially effective. The celeb performances in the second half are all of the work itself & not just empty theatrics. The Beats are still a source to return to for inspiration & insight. The world they emerged from is not all that different from the one in which we find ourselves now. Of course there's more, but this video gives you enough to get you started & gives you enough of the good stuff to go back to later

Rating:
Summary: The counterculture lives!
Review: This is a serious documentary on the beat / hippie movement. It has tons of old footage and interviews with many of the most prominent beat figures like Ginsberg, Kerouac, Burroughs, Corso, Ferlinghetti etc etc. It has historical footage of events like the Democratic National Convention in '68 and the be-in in San Francisco in '67. This is the perfect movie for someone who loves the beats or someone who has never heard of them. I didn't know much about them when i first watched this documentary on PBS, but after watching it i immediately became interested in their movement. I started reading a lot of the major works like On The Road, Naked Lunch, and Howl and turned into a major fan. This movie is exceptionally well-made and presented. It does have some Hollywood stars like Johnny Depp, but they are only reading the works of Beat authors, and do not have a major role. This is just a great documentary which contains valuable information and interviews with major beat characters who have since passed away. This is a must have for any fan of the beats, hippies, yippies, drugs, american literary movements, the counterculture, or just good documentaries in general. I absolutely love it and have watched it several times.

Rating:
Summary: Good compilation of clips and information about the beats.
Review: When Kerouac, Ginsberg, and Burroughs set out in their writing, they had no idea what it would create - a whole movement. This film, including interviews taken when Ginsberg and Burroughs were alive, assembles clips from media, film, and personal account to show the beginnings of the beats up to the passing-away of Ginsberg and Burroughs. With a large assembly of other beat writers and the poets they influenced (Carroll and Bukowski), it is an extensive study to a misunderstood movement. It is interesting to see the Beat propaganda of the sixties, how negative and mocking the media treated the sense of a "cool" movement; they painted a false portrait. This film is for lovers of Beat or people genuinely interested. However, if you do not like documentaries, you won't like this one. Also, I was disappointed to see Depp, Hopper, and Turturro reciting long pieces of work when the actual writers could have performed it. Honestly, I skipped these parts. I wanted to see Ginsburg doing "Howl." Another disappointment is the DVD version, which was slapped together on the fly. I envisioned additional clips and useful information (let's face it, you can put TONS on a DVD), but only had 2 or 3 screens of names credited for making the movie and the trailer (in this case, not exciting). However, with all disappointments aside, this film is good for a few viewings. It conveys a better picture of the Beats than other films have before and enjoyed alot of the material.

Rating:
Summary: Good compilation of clips and information about the beats.
Review: When Kerouac, Ginsberg, and Burroughs set out in their writing, they had no idea what it would create - a whole movement. This film, including interviews taken when Ginsberg and Burroughs were alive, assembles clips from media, film, and personal account to show the beginnings of the beats up to the passing-away of Ginsberg and Burroughs. With a large assembly of other beat writers and the poets they influenced (Carroll and Bukowski), it is an extensive study to a misunderstood movement. It is interesting to see the Beat propaganda of the sixties, how negative and mocking the media treated the sense of a "cool" movement; they painted a false portrait. This film is for lovers of Beat or people genuinely interested. However, if you do not like documentaries, you won't like this one. Also, I was disappointed to see Depp, Hopper, and Turturro reciting long pieces of work when the actual writers could have performed it. Honestly, I skipped these parts. I wanted to see Ginsburg doing "Howl." Another disappointment is the DVD version, which was slapped together on the fly. I envisioned additional clips and useful information (let's face it, you can put TONS on a DVD), but only had 2 or 3 screens of names credited for making the movie and the trailer (in this case, not exciting). However, with all disappointments aside, this film is good for a few viewings. It conveys a better picture of the Beats than other films have before and enjoyed alot of the material.