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Monterey Pop

Play trailer Poster for Monterey Pop 1968,  1h 20m,  Documentary/ Music Play Trailer Watchlist
Stream Now Watchlist 96% 26 Reviews Tomatometer 90% 1,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
96% Tomatometer 26 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Featuring performances by popular artists of the 1960s, this concert film highlights the music of the 1967 California festival. Although not all musicians who performed at the Monterey Pop Festival are on film, some of the notable acts include the Mamas and the Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Jefferson Airplane, the Who, Otis Redding, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Hendrix's post-performance antics -- lighting a guitar on fire, breaking it and tossing a part into the audience -- are captured.
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Critics Reviews

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Tom Long Detroit News Jul 7, 2017
B
Like the time and artists it captures "Monterey Pop" is imperfect, yet vital. Go to Full Review
Peter Howell Toronto Star Jun 15, 2017
3/4
It really was a special moment. Go to Full Review
Melissa Anderson Village Voice Jun 14, 2017
The effect is one of estranging intimacy, bringing us impossibly near to these sublime beings onstage and yet somehow ensuring that they remain forever mysterious, magical, and untouchable. Go to Full Review
Paul Schrader Los Angeles Free Press Jan 23, 2020
All that is left of the original Pennebaker method is the shell of technique. But anyone can emulate cinema-verite's shakey, grainy style. Go to Full Review
David Harris Spectrum Culture Aug 14, 2019
So why does Monterey Pop still resonate 50 years later, especially with music documentaries so common? Mainly, it captures a time and place where legends of rock signaled the possibility for change, for peace. Go to Full Review
Sean Mulvihill FanboyNation.com Oct 31, 2018
4/5
Pennebaker condenses the there-day festival into a single 80-minute documentary that gives each major act a moment in the spotlight, as well as highlight just how eclectic the lineup of the festival was. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Hagrid R Mar 4, 2019 Jimi Hendrix Janis Joplin and many more iconic performances
Rey G Feb 4, 2019 Was pleased to be able to watch this great documentary of the Monterey Pop festival. Each set is captured beautifully and each artist is given the proper focus to showcase their personality and talents. See more
Luke W Sep 23, 2017 A good time capsule of music and the drugs must have been abundant.
Luke P Jun 20, 2017 What a wonderful film of an amazing event!
Luke L Jun 18, 2017 50th anniversary; it would all come crashing down the next year. Grace Slick has some pipes, but Janis blew everyone away. And Jimi appeared to be possessed by a sex demon. See more
Anakin R Jun 15, 2017 I was catapulted back in time watching the classic rockumentary Monterey Pop. In celebration of its 50th Anniversary, D. A. Pennebaker, the original director supervised, restored and re-mastered this amazing documentary with vibrant color and sound. Ushering in the 1967 Summer of Love, he captures the beginning of a new era of rock n' roll music as well as a counterculture life style. This was just the beginning of the big concert formats. Legendary performances introduce us to Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Otis Redding along with a diverse cast of more known artists at that time - Simon and Garfunkel, The Mamas & The Papas, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Hugh Masekela and Ravi Shankar. We observe behind the scenes' preparations, hear concerns about crowd size, expecting 50 to 55,000 (a small number compared to the legendary Woodstock Festival of 500,000). We must remember that this concert set a precedence for what was to come, including other charitable music events such as Live Aid and Farm Aid. I was a teenager in the 60s and remember seeing the original film when it came out in 1968. Legendary moments of Jimi Hendrix lighting his guitar on fire and Pete Townshend destroying his are captured along with the facial expressions of an audience in amazement, shock and awe! Janis Joplin's performance is mesmerizing in both her stage presence and her voice. Mama Cass's reaction to her performance is captured in posterity and lives on. This was just the beginning of my concert going years and I enjoyed reminiscing and singing long with classic songs like "Feeling Groovy" by Simon and Garfunkel and "Today" by Jefferson Airplane amongst others. Two performances really stuck out to me. Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness" captured in a silhouetted camera shot, engaged the audience to sing along with him and the amazing close of the film and concert featuring Ravi Shankar, who introduced us to the sitar, the tabla and Indian ragas. It was in this close that the director truly captured the audience's reaction in a meditative state to a different style of music. As I looked at the audience, I related to the counter-culture clothing, hats and painted flower-power faces. The standing ovation of appreciation at the conclusion is quite remarkable and inspiring. I give this film 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to baby boomers to reminisce as well as the generations that followed from age 8 to 18 and beyond. This film allows you to witness and enjoy a remarkable and classic time in music and the beginning of a new consciousness. Reviewed by Terry S., KIDS FIRST! Juror. For more reviews, visit kidsfirst dot org. See more
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Monterey Pop

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Movie Info

Synopsis Featuring performances by popular artists of the 1960s, this concert film highlights the music of the 1967 California festival. Although not all musicians who performed at the Monterey Pop Festival are on film, some of the notable acts include the Mamas and the Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Jefferson Airplane, the Who, Otis Redding, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Hendrix's post-performance antics -- lighting a guitar on fire, breaking it and tossing a part into the audience -- are captured.
Director
D.A. Pennebaker
Producer
Lou Adler, John Phillips
Distributor
Leacock-Pennebaker
Production Co
The Foundation
Genre
Documentary, Music
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 26, 1968, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Jun 14, 2017
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 9, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.5K
Runtime
1h 20m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo
Aspect Ratio
35mm
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