karmacoupe

This is a mind-blowingly great documentary blending the historic 1970 tour with its recreation in 2015 spearheaded by Tedeschi Trucks, including visual split-screens of the song being performed simultaneously in both eras. As of 2024 this is thankfully available on the Criterion Channel, but it's such a crime that it's not universally in the public consciousness. This is about timeless music dating back to the birth of R&B but played and captured with 21st century film and editing tools & techniques.

This is Scorsese-level filmmaking as far as I'm concerned - about an historic Woodstock-like musical collective - and it being successfully recreated in the present.

It so wonderfully conveys bandleader Leon - and how he loves chaos and the unknown - which is sure speakin my language, and boy he'd fit right in with the Merry Pranksters.

Unlike some movies where I'm clock-watching for it to be over - I didn't want this to ever end. And as soon as it did, I hit refresh and watched it again!

This shoulda been Oscar nominated. And boy, would this be a party to see in a theater!

"On The Road" is only the skeleton this film is fleshed out around. It is not simply the novel made into a movie. Director Walter Salles WAY expanded it. For starters, he used the scroll, not the '57 edition as the working blueprint. And a ton of the movie came from Neal, Jack & Allen's letters, Carolyn's book, the LuAnne interview, Jack's audio recordings … in other words, there's a lot of stuff that's not in the novel. But it's all based on accounts, not solely Jack's account as told in that one book, scroll or not.

It's not the novel On The Road as a linear film. It's an interpretation based strongly ON that novel, but it ain't a literal filming of the storyline. It's a work of art, its own work of art, a new work of art based on an old work of art.

There's lots of cool things about it. I don't want to "spoil" it for you, but many of the specific scenes in the novel that always stood out for me are in the film. And since it's so non-linear, you don't know what's coming next. And it's, "Oh wow! It's this scene! No way!" It's so funny-cool that way. Something that Jack might spend a few paragraphs on in a 300-page novel could be 3 minutes of the 137 minute movie. And things he might cover over 20 pages aren't included at all. It's kind of a series of choice scenes portrayed.

And the cameos by Terrence Howard and Steve Buscemi are to die for! That two of my favorite actors are in this in such weird and wonderful ways is just great.

And Viggo as Bill! Holy heck! Maybe the best part of the film.

And the music is GREAT. Yer gonna love it if ya love it.

There's loads of problems, big and small, but I'm not gonna mention 'em cuz maybe you won't even notice 'em. It's its own work of art, its own statement, its own piece. It's new and different and will stand (or fall) on its own. But the movie of "On The Road" now exists. And here it is — 2 hours and 17 minutes. It's more large than small. It's more new than old. It's more timeless than dated.

How this is gonna play for other people will be interesting to see.

There's gonna be the Beat world's reaction, and then the non-Beat world's. Beat people in general are gonna like it — cuz it's On The Road and so much more. People who have only read the one book and have it emblazoned in their brains may have trouble with how it's been expanded, or edited by the limitations of the medium. I have no idea how non-Beat-familiar people will respond. Not a clue. I think if you were predisposed this way, you'd already be there.

Oh, and there's a whole lotta sex in it. The things that are said and the things that are shown, for The Puritanical American Rating System, this is gonna be an "R" fer sure. I mean, there's hand-jobs, oral, gay, straight, three-ways, you name it — and f-bombs, which actually were not in the casual vernacular of the time the way they're used in this film, and certainly not in the novel. This is definitely an adult movie. Which, if you know your On The Road, was a very G-rated book, other than the subject — the sex is all off-page, and the language is clean. The movie — not so much.

I look forward to experiencing this many more times, under many different circumstances, in many different mindframes, with many different people, and how it'll continue to reveal new colors and angles with each new Road adventure. It's a memorable, expansive dramatization. It's a helluva party condensed into 2 hours. It's a road trip with old friends to familiar places. But you better leave the book at home and be ready for anything.

This is an outstanding documentary about the American political process, as told through the story of a 94 year old woman from New Hampshire who ends up running for their U.S. Senate seat. It has echoes of The War Room about Bill Clinton's '92 campaign -- in that both are excellently made with rarely seen views behind the facade of a longshot campaign.

You'll love this film if you like The Candidate or Mr. Smith Goes To Washington or Primary Colors or Man Of The Year -- all fictional accounts of this same kinda story -- but this doesn't have the "happy" Hollywood ending -- just real life. But a real life inspiring story -- and any kind of whining you might have about your own diminishing abilities will be quickly wiped away when you see what this 90-something can still do. And the lady is a scream! Listen for her son's ".38 revolver" line! :-)

Watch for the Senate debate scene with her Simpsons-like cartoon character opponent Judd Gregg -- and also cameos by Russ Feingold, John McCain, Joe Trippi, Howard Dean and others!

Also, if you can find the smart Canadian TV sit-com called The Newsroom, they did a 2-part episode called "The Campaign" that's funny as heck about a grassroots no-budget campaign like Granny D's. But what's so great about this, after all the fabulous made-up stories of underdogs running, this is SO the real deal -- wrinkles, warts & all.