Freebird: The Movie

Skynyrd at the rawest and best. This film is a must for any Skynyrd fan. The interviews and home movies show that these guys weren't just rock 'n' roll gods.

I bought this DVD three years back and the extra footage had an issue (maybe that was a PAL UK issue) but if you love Lynard Skynard tunes it's worth owning.

Don't look at this DVD as a movie but a chance to slightly peak into the world of a band taken before they reached their peak.

There are only 3-4 videos you could class as music videos but this is an era before that genre really existed so don't expected nicely edited music videos.

What I think you will see is the insight in a band that were a phenomenon, the interviews are brief but interesting, The band's music still captivates years later, technically they remain unsurpassed in many respects.

The movie isn't much ... some nice home movie footage, and lots of fine performances by the band (esp. "Freebird," of course), but for whatever reason (original footage or eventual editing) the choice of camera shots is v.frustrating. Whichever guitarist is playing a solo, the camera inevitably shows someone else; even "Freebird" has as many shots of the crowd as it does of the band. I'd give it a six on a scale of ten; play a CD, you'll be just as happy.

Very good rockumentary showing some interviews but mostly footage of various concerts, most in color but some in b&w. All the bands' big hits were performed and I liked the way the camera made use of the close-up lens which allowed the viewer to catch all the action as though sitting in a front row seat. See this if you get a chance, it is hot.

A very good look into the original lineup of Lynyrd Skynyrd, or now known as "The Encore From Hell" by Spin magazine. Anyways, this shows some scenes of the last performances done by the band before their plane crash in 1977. As well as some of their older performances. The band recalls events while they were touring, and recording albums. This has some pretty classic performances in it, but it's not really anything to get excited about. The ending is a little sad, showing moments caught on camera of the take off just an hour or 2 before their 1977 plane crash, that killed Steve and Cassie Gaines, and Ronnie Van Zant.