Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Brand: Warner Brothers EAN: 9780780649231 Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Compilation, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC ISBN: 0780649230 Label: New Line Home Video Manufacturer: New Line Home Video Number Of Items: 2 Publisher: New Line Home Video Region Code: 1 Release Date: November 02, 2004 Running Time: 90 minutes Sales Rank: 3020 Studio: New Line Home Video Theatrical Release Date: November 02, 2004
Description: Festival Express is a rousing record of a little-known, but monumental, moment in rock n' roll history, starring such music legends as Janis Joplin, The Band, and the Grateful Dead. Set in 1970, Festival Express was a multi-band, multi-day extravaganza that captured the spirit and imagination of a generation and a nation. What made it unique was that it was portable; for five days, the bands and performers lived, slept, rehearsed and did countless unmentionable things aboard a customized train that traveled from Toronto, to Calgary, to Winnipeg, with each stop culminating in a mega-concert. The entire experience, both off-stage and on, was filmed but the extensive footage remained locked away -- until now. A momentous achievement in rock film archeology, Festival Express combines this long-lost material with contemporary interviews nearly 35 years after it was first filmed.
DVD Features: DVD ROM Features Theatrical Trailer
Amazon.com: The vintage concert footage alone makes Festival Express a memorable and worthwhile endeavor, offering scintillating performances by Janis Joplin, the Band (their rollicking version of 'Slippin' and Slidin'' is particularly mind-blowing), the Grateful Dead, Buddy Guy, and others (remember Mashmakhan?). In 1970, during the heyday of the rock festival, promoter Ken Walker decided to organize a traveling musical revue, bringing the mountain to Mohammed, as it were. In five days' time, the festival played in three Canadian cities with the entire conglomeration traveling, playing, and getting smashed together the whole way. Nearly as rewarding as the live performances are the candid scenes of the train ride itself, an endless jam session and party during which musicians of all shapes and sizes let their hair down--musically and otherwise. The contemporary interviews with Walker and some of the surviving musicians aren't particularly noteworthy, except as a way to prove that it all actually happened. Walker comes off as a hero in the film: he treated the musicians like royalty and insisted that the train roll on even though he was losing his shirt. (His financial failure is a large reason why this material stayed in the vaults for so long.) Perhaps the most remarkable scene is an off-the-cuff, LSD-fueled train jam featuring Joplin, the Band's Rick Danko, and the Dead's Jerry Garcia playing the old chestnut 'Ain't No More Cane.' Danko is so obliterated that even Janis has to ask him if he's OK--when Janis is worried about your state of mind, you must be pretty messed up. --Marc Greilsamer
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Average Rating:
Rating: - THIS IS AMAZING & YOU MUST OWN IT.
This dvd is incredible. Any fan of psychedelic/classic rock owes it to themselves to watch this over and over again. Janis Joplin performs the greatest rendition of "Cry Baby" EVER and it was filmed only 3 short months before her untimely and tragic death. There is a great sampling of music represented here, amazing footage of jam sessions (drunk ones!) and amazing crowd shots showing fabulous 70s fashion. I want to live in this freaking movie. Get stoned and watch it. xoxo.
Rating: - Cool documentary!
This was a really fun ride and brought back a lot of nostalgia! Think of it as a booze-fueled Woodstock on a train!
Rating: - Festival Express
I greatly enjoyed the ability to board that long departed train...and to view the artists having the time of their lives. The jams, both on the train and onstage were outstanding. Priceless!
Rating: - A Singularly Unique Rock n'Roll Experience
I live in Winnipeg and unfortunately missed FESTIVAL EXPRESS when it rolled through back in 1970. I opted instead to go to Winnipeg's other huge ticket that summer - Manpop - which featured Led Zeppelin, Iron Butterfly and the Youngbloods as headliners. I've always remembered Festival Express as a golden opportunity missed - but being only sixteen years old with limited funds - I was forced to live with the consequences of a tough choice.
Seeing the film "Festival Express" isn't quite like being there in person, but it's the next best thing! For young folks who weren't even born in 1970, it's a chance to see Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, the Band, the Fly Burrito Bros, Buddy Guy, Ian & Sylvia, et al... in their prime and find out what the buzz was all about. Janis and Jerry Garcia are in particularly great voice. Janis gives a gut wrenchingly poignant performance, particularly during "Cry Baby". ... Read More
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- THIS IS AMAZING & YOU MUST OWN IT.
- A Singularly Unique Rock n'Roll Experience
