ChanBot i must have seen a different film!!
Acensbart Excellent but underrated film
Bluebell Alcock Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies
Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
AudioFileZ I was in the 9th grade when "Pronounced" came out. It was a shot over the bough. A new harder southern rock that didn't forget earthy country influences at the same time. An hour away from Birmingham, Alabama me, and my friends, listened to progressive rock station WJLN for the manna that top 40 radio ignored. This new band with the funny name of Lynyrd Skynyrd was a kind of manna to my ears. The hooky, and slightly novelty tune, "Gimme Three Steps" caught my ear. But it was Free Bird that seared my brain with it's incendiary final guitar triple assault trio. How could a rock and roll lover not stand up and salute? The entire album was every bit as good I soon learned. Wow! Before this southern rock was titled toward the blues and R&B, now there was a full-tilt rock southern sound. I was in.Free Bird, The Movie is a worthy remembrance of how great Skynyrd was and that the world, besides me, noticed. While there is so much more that could be said this movie speaks volumes. Without overly analyzing the bands lineage we get a nice cursory history. Keying on live performances, the bulk of which is from the triumphant Knebworth British festival, one can get more than just a glance at how powerful a Skynyrd performance with Ronnie Van Zant & Skynyrd could be. I must admit I was fortunate enough to see Lynyrd Skynyrd at their first proper Birmingham, Alabama concert at Boutwell Auditorium opening for Capricorn Recording Artists Wet Willie. It was something special because their MCA album was breaking early in Birmingham and the band was aware of it. This was when for a short time Wet Willie was a rock and roll unknown juggernaut of a band and Skynyrd blew an otherwise typically great Wet Willie show away. I think this memorial film captures some of that rare alchemy making it a truly special rock and roll documentary.Many folks have wondered if the later day Skynyrd was anything other than a money grab. I'd be pre-disposed to say yes...But, there was something that literally wouldn't die First, it was the music itself. After that is was the high strangeness of that sis-degrees of separation Skynyrd had tentacles that stretched out even before the first album was released. They had previous and future musicians in their orbit as a result. The sheer strength of this made the latter day Skynyrd more than a tribute band. It was actually connected and not only by surviving members. To get the gist of how this legacy continues I highly recommend watching Free Bird. It's a rare truly triumphant, and satisfying, rock and roll band documentary. Sure it's bittersweet, but ultimately it's uplifting because the music lives on. Against all odds if there is a top ten list of post sixties rock bands Lynyrd Skynyrd is undoubtedly in that ten and this movie is one of our only documents of what it was all about. See it if you love real rock and roll.
mr. wolfie I remember the days of 1976 (although I was only 13 at the time) and the BBC used to have a people's choice on New Year's Eve, the footage of Lynyrd Skynyrd performing "Freebird" at Knebworth won every year it was one of the choices. Unfortunately, this movie does not include this triumphant, jubilant performance and it is instead replaced by, in comparison, a pedestrian version from an altogether different source. Colour me disappointed.While the music of Skynyrd is well represented, and for this alone I rate this at 7, the failure to include one of their greatest moments on stage ~ especially when the footage was available (clips of it are shown during the end credits while another song entirely provides the backing) ~ is an atrocious error in judgement.Enjoy what is there, but remember it could have been so much better.
MrBigglesworth999 The original Freebird was an excellent collection of live performances but did not explain much in the way of the band's history. The new double-movie DVD redresses this by adding the 1987 Tribute Tour movie to Freebird: this second movie describes the early history of the band and its members and also details the present (1987 at least) situation with the surviving and newly-added members. In all, the double movie DVD serves as a reminder of just how great this band was, and to a lesser extent, still is."You say you will be alright tomorrow, but tomorrow may not be here for you".
Steven Rubio The movie isn't much ... some nice home movie footage, and lots of fine performances by the band (esp. "Freebird," of course), but for whatever reason (original footage or eventual editing) the choice of camera shots is v.frustrating. Whichever guitarist is playing a solo, the camera inevitably shows someone else; even "Freebird" has as many shots of the crowd as it does of the band. I'd give it a six on a scale of ten; play a CD, you'll be just as happy.
