Chaos d'anthologie: Woodstock 99

Let's just say it right now and get it over with - Trainwreck: Woodstock 99 is easily one of the best documentaries Netflix nas come up with in recent years; it's partly because most of those has been utter crap, but in a way, Trainwreck can really hold up its own. And if you're a fan of seeing things go south (and you are, aren't you, why else would you be here?), then you'll enjoy every bit of this one.

But of course, Oscar for best documentary short contender this one is not. And it isn't for the lack of trying - it's properly produced, nicely put together, with a clear vision almost till the end. Because -much like the event it's trying to portray- it's towards the end where things really start to fall apart. Are there repercussions? Ramifications? What do we really feel about the festival, 20+ years later? Have we learned anything or, was this documentary -again, much like the event- just an excuse to see s#it burn? Is saying, no plans for another Woodstock, really it?

A good documentary is a pure and simple art form - it's a music piece, an opera. It must come together effortlessly and it must make sense from the start till the end - here, you're left with an unfinished symphony. Unless this has always been the idea. Much unlike the even it's trying to portray.

They didn't touch on the lack of resources enough- clean toilets and showers! By day two we left and found a place to shower at a local park; just couldn't take it anymore! And even though we paid for the entire event, we could never find a way back in. They had it all sealed off. After driving in circles for hours, we gave up and angrily left.

Maybe that was a blessing in disguise after seeing the horrors of day 3.

And they were correct on the ridiculous prices. Most of us were under 30 and didn't have a fortune to spend on simple bites to eat and waters.

These promoters really should be ashamed of themselves, but they obviously won't take the blame.

So Michael Lang, the organizer of the original Woodstock, sells his soul, if he ever had one, to help put on what he hopes will be a money-making Woodstock II in Rome, NY. The lesson being that we are idealists when young, but realists when we grow up. Unfortunately he and his partners were out of touch with the young people who showed up in 1999, who felt robbed by expensive food and disrespected by "the man." Lang went from hippie to "the man." In the end, this documentary does not tell us if W2 made money, but to many of the attendees it was the event of a lifetime, despite the chaos. Based on this three episode docu, I'm glad I wasn't there.

Woodstock conjures up images of peace, love and unity, Woodstock 99 however conjures up very different images.

Here you'll see what people will do when they're pushed to extremes, those behind this event set this up, wound people up, ripped them off, and failed to control the subsequent fallout.

Incredibly well made with some amazing and shocking footage. Surprising interviews, some of what you'll hear would make Pinocchio look honest.

It's an interesting look at the generation of the time, it may just give you an insight into where we're at in 2022.

Enjoy it for the music, you'll be reminded of some of the amazing tunes from the 90's, an incredible era musically.

The biggest shock comes at the end of Part 3, a very sad moment, sad end to the series.

Well worth watching, 8/10.

Slightly longer than last year's "Woodstock: Peace Love and Rage" documentary, and the 3-episode chronological format (covering each day) works better and seems more focused. As another reviewer pointed out, this could've been several episodes longer, or at least longer than 45 mins an episode; for anyone who listened to music critic Steven Hyden's 10-episode podcast in 2019 ("Break Stuff: The Story of Woodstock 99") both of these documentaries seem lightweight by comparison. But in the end, I guess there's only so much available footage to use and people to interview.

And to the reviewers who said they never mention Woodstock 94 or blame the organizers instead of the bands, what documentary were you watching? 94 is mentioned in the first episode, and the organizers are painted throughout as being ignorant to the many problems happening, and then spinning the truth for damage control and refusing to accept any blame in the aftermath.