Touches You

Thanks for the memories!

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

best movie i've ever seen.

Got the privilege to see this on the big screen. It's a pretty amazing movie.It's interesting, the documentary makes the event seem like the first rock concert ever done. I've been to a lot of concerts and the whole thing seem unorganized in comparison to present day concerts, but that's the magic of the whole thing, The Rolling Stones were doing something fresh and unique at the time (Or at least somewhat, Just before this, I saw Ron Howard's documentary on the Beatles playing Shea Stadium, which was more organized and predates this event, but once again, that adds to the magic, as The Fab Four are too squeaky clean to have Hell's Angels as body guards).My favorite part was these inter cuts with the Stones watching the documentary being edited, including the infamous scene when the Hell's Angel stabs a man to death, which became one of those moments in Rock and Roll History that became legendary. Plus a cameo appearance by the Grateful Dead and a clip of Tina Turner performing really add to the vibe.Great Doc, seeing the Stones in their prime interacting with each other was great, one of those things that a true fan can enjoy, but also good music that all can enjoy.

If anything, Altamont proved that you can't reproduce or manufacture a phenomenon. Superficially billed as 'Woodstock West', the concert turned destructive and violent with the presence of the Hells Angels purportedly providing security for the event. The flower power of the Sixties turned into a convoluted mix of dope, rock and roll and stoned out hippies tripping to the music of the Rolling Stones while all hell was breaking loose in front of the stage where a man was murdered and no one seemed capable of stopping it. The legacy of Altamont closed out a decade that had started out promising enough with the British Invasion, Motown, the surf sound and assorted other musical styles. The Rolling Stones were a big part of that era, and knowing of their antics back in the day, one wonders how they managed to stay in shape to be playing right up to the present. As a chronicle of the Altamont concert, "Gimme Shelter" is capable but largely unexceptional. There's not a Stones song you won't recognize if you're a fan, some done better than others, and a handful presented merely as background music for a contemplative Jagger and Charlie Watts as they review the events captured on film prior to this picture's release. Credit goes to Jagger and Grace Slick for trying to gain some control when things started to heat up with the crowd and the Hells Angels, but ultimately Jagger doesn't appear too shaken by what happened. He seems to show more surprise at the remarks of Sonny Barger dumping on the band and admonishing the concert goers - "When they jumped on an Angel, they got hurt".

I had seen the first 15 minutes of Gimme Shelter in my film class around two weeks ago. Today I decided to watch all of it, because what I had seen had intrigued me. This is a pretty fascinating documentary that mostly focuses on the events of that night in Altamont. I haven't heard much of the Rolling Stones' music, and had never seen Mick Jagger in motion. The film especially shows how incredibly powerful his stage presence and performance was, and that itself makes it easy to watch from the start. The final act is hectic, and at the same time it feels like what you would feel in that situation. The sketchy editing and the on- the-wall observation of the events remains fascinating to watch, even when it's also disturbing. Worth a watch.

I haven't seen this in a few years, I'd like to see it again, so excuse my vagueness.But all I remember of this film is that it was mesmerizing to watch.Maybe some of the other comments here are right, that the film making was lacking, but as for the images; well they speak for themselves. The first 10-15 minutes, on the road (I think) document the groupie/hippie scene way better than any movie since.The way the camera lingers, it felt like a Wiessman film. I just can't get enough of not being to told what to think; you watch a group of people in the frame for minutes on end, and you can make up your own mind. Or not.