tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post7733318604311809638..comments2024-03-15T04:08:16.172-04:00Comments on Only the Cinema: Don't Look BackEd Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-62676066905762931072009-12-30T14:44:47.083-05:002009-12-30T14:44:47.083-05:00Yeah, I knew that...I was just funnin' ya! And...Yeah, I knew that...I was just funnin' ya! And I heartily agree with your comments on the Christian era Dylan vs DLB era...in DLB he is AMAZING in performance. That transition period between full folk and full electric is my favorite Dylan music. By the way, check out the song I wrote (written from Dylan's point of view) about the scene with the two girls...it's on Youtube, just Jim H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02156690033989151450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-73253157595848611612009-12-30T14:07:35.491-05:002009-12-30T14:07:35.491-05:00Thanks for the comment, Jim. In retrospect, my rem...Thanks for the comment, Jim. In retrospect, my remark about Dylan only giving 100% was certainly overstatement and in any event was meant to be limited to the period covered by this film, and the sense I get that at that time, he was at the top of his game even in off-the-cuff jam sessions. That might not always be true, and certainly I'm not someone who thinks that everything Dylan does is Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-61201256880964705332009-12-30T13:25:21.026-05:002009-12-30T13:25:21.026-05:00Hi Ed, wonderful blog on DLB, and I heartily agree...Hi Ed, wonderful blog on DLB, and I heartily agree with your take on it. I do have to differ, though, with your later comment that "Dylan can never seem to give less than 100%" when performing. Now that statement does seem a little like "awed hero worship" to me! :-) I think all serious Dylan fans have seen many times when Bob just seems to be going through the motions, Jim H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02156690033989151450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-26600557585569933722009-09-10T18:10:04.893-04:002009-09-10T18:10:04.893-04:00I have to say I'm Not There didn't quite w...I have to say I'm Not There didn't quite work for me. It seemed to be all dressed up with no place to go. I can see how one would like it, but I found it just left a very blank impression of Dylan, though Cate Blanchett was quite good in her role (one can't say the same for Christian Bale and his ever-annoying accents - it seems like every movie he shows up with a new grating voice).Joel Bockohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238338958380683893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-44494533845738156452009-09-10T13:19:13.988-04:002009-09-10T13:19:13.988-04:00I didn't realize you had written this essay, (...I didn't realize you had written this essay, (I'm NOT THERE) as I apparently failed to negotiate the letters properly. Well, it's a brilliant piece of criticism, one I wholeheartedly concur with. I've said much about this film, so I'll leave it at that. It's fantastic that the famed critic David Ehrenstein is active in the comment section, even broviding his own interview Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-676284078867372122009-09-09T19:39:06.523-04:002009-09-09T19:39:06.523-04:00Dave, to me it's the kind of moment where you ...Dave, to me it's the kind of moment where you think "What an asshole" but you're kind of envious of him for pulling it off. It's the attraction of arrogance vs. the repulsion of smugness. I think movies, and not just fly-on-the-wall docs, thrive on such attraction to such sociopathic charisma.Joel Bockohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238338958380683893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-50513517380467625782009-09-09T17:03:42.547-04:002009-09-09T17:03:42.547-04:00Great stuff here guys on an ever better essay by E...Great stuff here guys on an ever better essay by Ed. <br /><br />I wonder if anyone has ever seen the short verite classic from 1961 'Lonely Boy' about singer Paul Anka. <br /><br />It can be found on netflix as an extra on Peter Watkin's 'Privilege' from (1967), which is a rather messy film (even though it does feature the beautiful Jean Shrimpton). It would make a GREAT Jamienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-31377808034753089872009-09-08T13:29:09.070-04:002009-09-08T13:29:09.070-04:00Movie-Man, even though I'm an unabashed Dylan ...Movie-Man, even though I'm an unabashed Dylan admirer myself, I agree with you that this film is refreshing for not engaging in awed hero worship. Pennebaker's perspective is much more distant, respectful of Dylan's artistry and the uniques pressures on him, but not ignoring the uglier aspects of the guy. What emerges is a very balanced portrayal of a man whose relationship to his Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-69450921484586467642009-09-08T12:06:32.966-04:002009-09-08T12:06:32.966-04:00It's easy enough, in these torrent-ial times, ...It's easy enough, in these torrent-ial times, to track down the unreleased sort-of-sequel, "Eat the Document" which was apparently edited by Dylan (and shot by Pennebaker). It captures Dylan a year later - the '66 footage from No Direction Home was culled from (mostly) outtakes. I prefer Eat the Document to Don't Look Back, but it will largely depend on your tolerance for Aaronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-25374272127042160172009-09-07T22:25:06.231-04:002009-09-07T22:25:06.231-04:00I highly recommend watching :The Other Side of the...I highly recommend watching :The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival" This is a look back at Dylan performances from 1963,1964 and 1965. It is a priceless vies of his metamorphosis from folk sing to his early days going electric. The change in Dylan and the audiences reaction is all there. There are no interviews or backstage banter, just performances by Dylan, Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01808503055317962289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-5572743226969498452009-09-07T14:09:41.947-04:002009-09-07T14:09:41.947-04:00MovieMan - You're right about the delivery fro...MovieMan - You're right about the delivery from Dylan on "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue." Man... with that smirk on his face, it's obvious that he knows how good it is. It's the kind of arrogance that would likely annoy the hell out of you if you didn't much care for the guy displaying it.<br /><br />Fortunately, I love Dylan, so it's quite a moment!Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-20392960905429108502009-09-07T13:25:22.530-04:002009-09-07T13:25:22.530-04:00I love this movie - interesting and sympathetic (b...I love this movie - interesting and sympathetic (both towards Pennebaker and Dylan) treatment you give it here. Personally, I love Dylan - he's one of the great artists of the 20th century - but he seems inescapably to be an arrogant jerk in this movie. Heck, it's hard not to see why: he's a genius among bumbling fools, he's only 24 and the world is his oyster - but it's stillJoel Bockohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238338958380683893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-2006554362634491662009-09-07T11:17:46.632-04:002009-09-07T11:17:46.632-04:00All very true, Kevin: some people get so invested ...All very true, Kevin: some people get so invested in the artists they like and then hate to see any change, as though it's a personal betrayal when a beloved artist does something new, something they maybe don't like as much. As much as people are always clamoring for something fresh, something new, most people are very conservative in their tastes, and respond to new things with distrustEd Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-78842573281288592402009-09-07T03:05:37.206-04:002009-09-07T03:05:37.206-04:00I just thought of a moment from the Scorsese produ...I just thought of a moment from the Scorsese produced doc where young British teens are being interviewed about why they left the infamous Albert Hall concert after the first half acoustic set, and their response was that "they payed to see a folk singer, not a pop group."<br /><br />It's sad that some people like to pigeon hole artists, and it's easy to see why Dylan would be Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-49590708741855898092009-09-07T01:28:15.289-04:002009-09-07T01:28:15.289-04:00Thanks for the substantive comments, everyone! I r...Thanks for the substantive comments, everyone! I really need to see the Scorsese-produced film; I've seen parts of it but never the whole thing.<br /><br />Kevin, I totally agree about the positioning of Dylan within the folk community. I think he sort of stumbled into folk because of the Guthrie influence and then started to feel like it was a trap holding him back a bit from what he'd Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-59156282414114622262009-09-06T23:16:03.401-04:002009-09-06T23:16:03.401-04:00I don't remember if this is actually in the or...I don't remember if this is actually in the original film or just in the outtakes released later... but I always get a kick out of the scene in the apartment where Donovan plays his song (which is actually very good) and gets polite applause. Then they hand the guitar to Dylan and he seems to just routinely whip off "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" and "Love Minus Zero/No Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-61682699990069789672009-09-06T22:55:32.970-04:002009-09-06T22:55:32.970-04:00An excellent in-depth article on one of the great ...An excellent in-depth article on one of the great rock-docs of all time. Sam and Kevin pretty mention all the great films in this genre. If I lean toward Scorsese's No Direction Home, it is only because I am a die-hard Scorsese admirer. It semantics really. As for the Dylan albums mentioned Highway 61 Revisted , Bringing it All Back Home and Blonde on Blonde are masterpieces that should be inJohnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01808503055317962289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-68384198790565134812009-09-06T19:42:28.243-04:002009-09-06T19:42:28.243-04:00And I hear you too Kevin. As always you make an e...And I hear you too Kevin. As always you make an excellent point there. As you said earlier these two really do make an unbeatable pair.<br /><br /> I trust you'll be signing my petition to have the talented proprietor of this site pen a comprehensive piece on I'M NOT THERE, right?<br /><br /> Ha! Maybe not this month, as it's a biggie for him, and he has the most major of eventsSam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-63498194277413178722009-09-06T19:32:14.106-04:002009-09-06T19:32:14.106-04:00I hear ya, Sam. Pennebaker's style is definit...I hear ya, Sam. Pennebaker's style is definitely the more interesting of the two Dylan documentaries, but I prefer the subject matter of Scorsese's...which is a bit verbose, but always fascinating. Scorsese even borrows footage from Pennebaker's doc, as you know, so I don't think there is any doubt in Scorsese's mind that Pennebaker's experimental doc is of great Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-33270265658511627392009-09-06T19:27:59.843-04:002009-09-06T19:27:59.843-04:00As I stated in my initial post, I most assuredly w...As I stated in my initial post, I most assuredly would include the Scorsese among the greatest docs on Dylan, indeed in this entire sub-genre. However, I do give the Pennebaker a slight edge in both it's stylistic spontaneity and in it's uncanny frankness in culling insights from a situation that is potentially painted in a most unfavorable light. Neither Pennebaker nor his subjects areSam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-51491653636960232302009-09-06T19:07:08.582-04:002009-09-06T19:07:08.582-04:00What's most interesting about this doc and Sco...What's most interesting about this doc and Scorsese's is how it shows that Dylan just rose above all of these already established folk heroes. And he really didn't even want to be in the scene. Sure, he channeled Woody Guthrie, and Pete Seeger and co. thought he was the next folk singer to lead the socially conscious music rebellion, but they didn't realize that he wasn't Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-47030449997548457252009-09-06T17:58:29.929-04:002009-09-06T17:58:29.929-04:00I agree with Kevin on "Highway 61 Revisited&q...I agree with Kevin on "Highway 61 Revisited" being Dylan's greatest album, but few serious Dylan fans (as opposed to rock fans) from this period seem to agree. It includes of course 'Like A Rolling Stone,' one of the greatets single tracks in the history of the rock era. I believe it edges out the Masles' GIMME SHELTER and Michael Wadleigh's WOODSTOCK. Of course aSam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-65709966337506653402009-09-06T14:05:23.005-04:002009-09-06T14:05:23.005-04:00Great thoughts here, Ed. I really love Dylan'...Great thoughts here, Ed. I really love Dylan's post-folk work (I still think "Highway 61 Revisited" is his best album and probably one of the five best albums ever released), and I love this doc. <br /><br />I still prefer Scorsese's <i>No Direction Home</i>, however, because it allows us to see Dylan not as the brat that he seems to be in Pennebaker's film, but as the Kevin J. Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17275402809912728035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-42576405629760646172009-09-06T13:54:50.648-04:002009-09-06T13:54:50.648-04:00It's definitely as essential as its reputation...It's definitely as essential as its reputation suggests, especially for those who like Dylan -- and if I remember correctly from our last conversation about him, you do. It's just such a pivotal moment for Dylan's career, it's fascinating to get such an intimate look at what was going on around him at that point, right before he shocked everybody with the big electric concerts.Ed Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18014222247676090467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296479421292377391.post-72402909627015221252009-09-06T13:40:49.075-04:002009-09-06T13:40:49.075-04:00I've always wanted to see this and never have....I've always wanted to see this and never have. I always forget but now that you have reminded me again, and really heightened my interest, I'm going to see it. Really. I am.Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05730146625671701859noreply@blogger.com