I would expect and hope that more interviewees will appear on the bonus features when the DVD is released. And I'd love to hear perspectives from those on the "other side" as well as Dylan, who apparently had his differences with Ochs. Of course, I doubt these two would be available for interviews, especially now.
Are the only interviews here Joan Baez, Arthur Gorson, Tom Hayden, Christopher Hitchens, Michael Ochs and Sean Penn? Really: Sean Penn? Why not Bono while they're at it? Anyway, far be it for me to pick apart a film I haven't seen yet. This looks great regardless, and this documentary is long overdue.
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ramblinboy
13 years ago
Sean Penn was indeed in the film, unless you meant why would they interview him in the first place. I'd love to hear Dylan's thoughts too, but I think he'll take that to the grave.
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WarpedRecord
13 years ago
Thanks. So why would they interview Sean Penn in the first place? Phil died when Sean was 15, so I'd be surprised if Sean was a part of Phil's life at that point (or vice-versa). But maybe I'll be proved wrong once I see this.
And yes: Dylan's views are the real untold story here. Oh to be a fly on that wall ...
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ramblinboy
13 years ago
Sean was in talks with Phil's daughter about doing a Phil Ochs movie back in the 80s but for one reason or another it fell through. That's how he joined in this 'circle of friends.' The push for a movie still goes on right now, but I think the bottom line reason Sean is in this film is for star-power. It just looks good on the movie poster. It's still a doc worth seeing though.
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WarpedRecord
13 years ago
Thanks very much for the response. It sounds like Sean Penn at least has some connection to Phil's family and a longtime interest in his music and story, so I guess it's not strictly a boldface name to put on the poster.
I remember when Brad Pitt was in a Jeff Buckley a few several years ago, and he had nothing to say (other than finding Jeff's music "awesome," as I recall). And Pitt became a fan long after Buckley had died. But hey, it's Brad Pitt!
So how would you rate this film on a scale of 1 to 10, and does it deal even-handedly with Phil's contributions to folk as well as his disillusionment with the music industry and life itself?
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ramblinboy
13 years ago
I'd give it a 7 or 8 out of 10. What brought up my respect for the film was they included his later rock / country music. I was afraid it would be too folk heavy, but its good they showed his range. The footage in the film was amazing and had good quality. Made me wonder why there's not a full video taped concert on the market. I don't know how well it would stand out to people my age (early 20s). Phil's a smart guy, with smart lyrics, and that's hard to sell these days. I think a narrative movie would have gone a lot further.
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WarpedRecord
13 years ago
That's good to hear. I have a few of his late '60s albums, and they're excellent but very much a product of their time. I hate the word "dated" and would never use that for him, but most of Phil's music was so centered around the protest era that it can be a challenging listen today. I haven't heard any of the rock-country stuff from later in his career, but I'm glad the film is addressing that. He seemed to be very lost once the '60s ended and the political climate changed. I see this film is still playing near me, so I hope to see it soon and will definitely get the DVD regardless.
I also would like to see a feature film based on his life, as long as they do it right. He was such a talented singer-songwriter who became very disillusioned and angry and never seemed to find his true place in the music industry (or society in general).
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