got nothing on the last waltz

THE LAST WALTZ is overall a superior movie, but FESTIVAL has things going for it as well.

FESTIVAL is much more "organic", in the sense that it is a real slice of life that captures the feeling of the times. THE LAST WALTZ is basically hagiography and myth making.

Richard Manuel is in much better shape in FESTIVAL. By THE LAST WALTZ, he was basically a shambling, broken down drunk who was incapable of singing more than a few verses at a time. Most of his performance in THE LAST WALTZ was taken out of the movie, partially for technical problems but mostly because of the shape he was in. "The Shape I'm In" was his best moment, and is hardly first class Manuel, although his obviously sad condition does add a certain poignancy to the performance.

By contrast, his performance of "I Shall Be Released" in FESTIVAL is probably his best moment on film...except for maybe his version of "Georgia on my Mind" on SNL.

There were tons and tons of drugs at THE LAST WALTZ...more cocaine than booze and LSD, but it was hardly cleaner than FESTIVAL. Most of The Band's performance had to be overdubbed, but again, that was mainly technical.

The thing that is so wonderful about FESTIVAL is that it captured these artists at the absolute peak of the "classic rock" genre. The mood is joyful and one that suggests infinite possibilities, that the train will just keep rolling forever. THE LAST WALTZ represents the end of the first and greatest era of rock music, a swan song and going away party. The mood is bittersweet at best and suggests that what is to come will not be a good as what has passed.

Watch 'em both, back to back, and you'll have a hell of a double feature.

Different-drummer, we cross paths again!!!

This is an amusing thread as these movies should not be compared at all. There is a comment in the Bonus Feature about "the making of Festival Express" that I took the inference to be that the decision to film all of this was a last minute "oh yeah, we should film it" type of thing. I think the guy who coordinated the filming says something about being hired the week before the tour started (I say that with some caution as I have only watched it once--but that's my recollection).

This tour was grossly underfunded. As is documented in the movie, the promoter took a bath and this film was lost for 30 years. It is definitely more of a "lost treasure" type of thing.

The Last Waltz on the other hand was much better planned and funded. It was intended to be the documentation of the swan song of the band, and so it's planning and execution were taken much more seriously. A better comparison may be with The Grateful Dead Movie, which also was at the time felt to possibly be the "Swan Song" of the Dead. There was a lot of uncertainty around whether their hiatus was temporary or permanent. Clearly, the professionalism of that film is much greater than Festival Express, as is the TLW.

There is another "lost treasure" out there I have seen as well called "Sunshine Daydream". It has never been commercially released--though rumors have it that it is in the vault and there are some possibilities it will be someday. I have seen it and read a review that was in a SF paper, so it seems to have been shown somewhere. Anyway, it is also "Organic" as someone above called FE. Similar to remembering to film at the last minute, at this concert (a benefit by the Dead and NRPS to help get the Kesey family dairy farm out of debt) no one remembered lighting for the stage. So toward the end of the film, the Dead are performing at sunset and the lighting gets worse and worse and worse. It's hilarious, but those types of concerts don't happen anymore!!!

One other thing. Festival Express is wonderful because Pigpen is seen performing (and sings lead on two bonus songs). As someone who came to the Dead shortly after he died, it was fascinating seeing him perform for the first time!!!!!!!


Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

Wow, it's been more then 2 years but the "Ain't No More Cane on the Barzos" scene is my favorite. Danko is toasted. Then Garcia make Janis blush. It's great, I loved it. This song showed up 5 years later on The Basement Tapes by Dylan and the Band.

Boston, you are the only only only.