I just watched The History of Time Travel and I think it was nicely done. Very low budget, played absolutely straight as a Science Channel documentary. There’s no action, no dramatic tension, it’s a documentary after all, they’re just telling you the story of what happened. I did find myself interested in knowing how it all turned out, and I liked their choices in how the story was told.
I’m trying to remember- did Grandma’s Boy have one of HL’s frantic chases? What do you think of Girl Shy? Beautiful pastoral cinematography and the greatest scene stealing monkey ever 
Woodstock (Director’s Cut). Over four hours, but it kept my interest the whole way. I didn’t see the original theatrical release, but was shocked to hear in the TCM synopsis by Jacqueline Stewart at the end that Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix (and a couple of others) had been cut from that version. 
It was not just a concert film, which was why it kept my interest. You got these interstitial bits that gave a real feel for what all parties involved were dealing with – the organizers, the performers, the crowds, the locals. The split screen technique has been used a lot since then for concert films, but it was well done and effective.
I loved most of the music although there were a few clunkers – I remember liking Canned Heat way back in the day, but I didn’t like the song they chose. I found Ten Years After a slog to listen to, but resisted the urge to FF.
Crosby, Stills, and Nash (or do they not use the Oxford comma?) did an awesome version of Suite: Judy Blue Eyes and said after they finished that it was only their second time performing in public! Of course, they’d all performed with other groups, but to be that musically tight and harmonically on point in only their second gig was impressive.
I was at Woodstock 2 (in 1994). Too young for the OG, and thankfully avoided the disaster that was Woodstock 1999. So, it was interesting to watch and compare. Not awfully different, really. The food and sanitation issues seemed to be handled much better in '94, but the overall feel and some of the situations were very similar (not surprisingly).
Good film considering how little time and money they had to pull the film together. The director saved money by going to NYU Film School to get students/instructors to work with him. One of whom was Martin Scorese.
I saw the original release of Woodstock in the theaters in 1970, and bought the soundtrack album and wore out the grooves. I still have some tracks on digital playlists, and whenever I feel like a little musical nostalgia I go to You Tube and watch The Who or Sly & The Family Stone’s performances.
The TCM host was mistaken; Jimi Hendrix was in the original release; Janis Joplin and Canned Heat were not. There’s a Neil Young song on the soundtrack album that’s not included in the film, as Neil apparently did not give permission to be filmed.
One of my few quibbles with the film is that the interstitials should have put up the names of the (famous) people who were on screen.
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Neil Young flat-out refused to be filmed/sign a release. He thought the whole thing with cameras on stage in his face was crass and detracted from the performance for the concert-goers.
I rather liked that interminable Ten Years After piece, much as I greatly enjoyed Johnny Winter’s interminable performance of Mean Town Blues. But then I’ve always liked interminable guitar rock 
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Thanks! I couldn’t remember exactly when Young joined up. As early as 1969? Time flies.
Well, it was Alvin Lee’s face as much as the song (which had what? five words?) that was off-putting.
4 hours! Chuck Heston would never have made it back to his penthouse before the ghouls came out!
Listening to the album for literally decades, I could never make out what Alvin Lee says as he introduces the song (named “I’m Going Home”, although it’s a mash-up medley of several early rock/blues standards). It sounds like “We’re going to do 'I’m Going Home…by Henry Crofter”. Or something like that.
And then I saw it on a streaming service with subtitles turned on. He’s saying “I’m Going Home … by helicopter”. A reference to the fact that the roads in and out of Woodstock were so jammed up that they were flying the acts in and out by chopper.
Interesting. I understood him saying helicopter fine. Maybe better sound quality on the film than the record?
Possibly. My stereo equipment at the time was made by Fisher-Price. 
Speaking of youth, I forgot to mention I was shocked at how young Michael Lang (one of the organizers) looked. He was only 24.
Oops, I meant The Kid Brother, not Girl Shy (which I also love).
Barton Fink
I went into this movie blind and so should you. It was kind of incredible. I mean, this movie kind of blew me away because it was just so completely not what I thought it would be.
Yeah, I recommend it big time.
Is this John Goodman’s greatest performance? I can’t believe he did not win an Oscar for this movie. It was stunning.
Great movie.
Yes to all that. We saw it in the theater also blind to any plot, because we liked the Coen brothers. What a singularly entertaining work.
Dune (2021) streaming. On the one hand, I feel visually it would have been much better to see this in the theater. On the other hand, I felt I was glad to be able to pause it or let it play in the background at times because to a certain extent, nothing happens, until it does. A fine movie visually that intrigued me, but did not do much else than that.
//i\\
I don’t get why this whole movie was not filmed in one production. Everything I love about Dune is in the second half of the book…and that is forth coming still.
I felt Dune - Part One did not much work as a standalone.
Memories of Murder. There are a couple of posts upthread from folks who didn’t like it or couldn’t finish it, but despite a wobbly start I liked it very much.
Felt a little bit ‘style over substance’ for me, but what style…
I can definitely see that. I think that the whole thing just blew me away due to having zero expecations.
Has anyone ever seen Society from the 1980’s? That may be the perfect example of a movie you HAVE to go in as blind as possible to. Barton Fink was like this, but Society is mind blowing if you go in blind.
Chris Rock: Selective Outrage (Netflix, 2023) I Think Rock is funny, but held off because I couldn’t take much more Will Smith nonsense. I broke down and watched it last night and was relieved to find other than a well earned diatribe on ‘victimhood’ he talked about other things. Namely the state of society and how perhaps the African American community can help. The routine was almost a public service announcement to a people with some hardcore views, not all of which are pleasant to acknowledge.
That’s great. I just wish is was also funny.