The Grateful Dead Movie
| The Grateful Dead Movie | |
|---|---|
The Grateful Dead Movie DVD cover
|
|
| Directed by |
Jerry Garcia Leon Gast |
| Produced by | Edward Washington Ron Rakow |
| Starring | Jerry Garcia Bob Weir Phil Lesh Bill Kreutzmann Donna Godchaux Keith Godchaux Mickey Hart |
| Cinematography | Stephen Lighthill David Myers Robert Primes |
| Edited by | Susan R. Crutcher Lisa Fruchtman Jerry Garcia John Nutt |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
132 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $600,000 |
The Grateful Dead Movie, released in 1977 and directed by Jerry Garcia, is a film that captures live performances from rock band the Grateful Dead during an October 1974 five-night run at Winterland in San Francisco. These concerts marked the beginning of a hiatus, with the October 20, 1974 show billed as "The Last One". The band would return to touring in 1976. The film features the "Wall of Sound" concert sound system that the Dead used for all of 1974. The movie also portrays the burgeoning Deadhead scene. Two albums have been released in conjunction with the film and the concert run: Steal Your Face and The Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack.
"There is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert" was a fan epithet, coined by Dead family member and building manager Willy Legate. In performance, the Dead emphasized musical improvisation and jamming, varying their set lists nightly. To Deadheads, their music was best appreciated in person, at live concerts. Furthermore, Dead shows were known for their positive, exuberant and celebratory atmosphere as the band and the audience interacted, fostering a special environment of musical celebration. Capturing this phenomenon on film was the paradoxical goal of The Grateful Dead Movie.
To document the Grateful Dead experience, the film showcases the fans more than was usual in a concert movie at the time. They are shown enjoying the show, discussing the music and the band, and what it was like to be a Deadhead in the mid-1970s. The film also includes interviews with members of the Dead and vintage footage from their colorful history and early days in the band. The film opens with a uniquely Grateful Dead animated sequence, featuring the "Uncle Sam skeleton". The psychedelic animation was created by Gary Gutierrez, using techniques that he developed specifically for the project.
By 1974, lead guitarist Jerry Garcia wanted to stop touring and take a break from performing with the Grateful Dead. Before beginning a hiatus of uncertain length, a five-show farewell run was set for October 16-20, 1974 at Winterland in San Francisco. An idea developed to film the shows and then send the movie out on tour as a substitute. (The Band would film their farewell concert at the same venue two years later). Manager Ron Rakow also sold the idea for a soundtrack album to United Artists Records.
...
Wikipedia