Taking Woodstock

Unlike zorilla, I'm a fan of Ang Lee and thought Brokeback was particularly fabulous. I was also in my late teens at the time of Woodstock. So I agree with passaro that there should have been proper music of the period. But the clothes, stalls, posters etc looked very authentic. I'm also a fan of Imelda Staunton, who is great in this. It's not a great film overall though - it's just pleasant: occasionally amusing, occasionally nostalgic, occasionally touching. Demetri Martin is sweet as the central character, and the man who plays his father (Dan Fogler?) is also good. I also enjoyed the cross-dressing security guard with the gun strapped to her thigh. Oh yes: it was my first ever BluRay disk, so I liked the picture quality.

A young designer puts his career on hold to help rescue his parent's failing, ramshackle hotel. Desperate to drum up some business, he invites the organisers of a music festival to relocate to local farmland. When a film by a genius like Ang Lee disappears without a trace, there must be something seriously wrong...mustn't there? Well not much. Convincing recreation of the ultimate hippiefest is sweet and funny, if a bit hit and miss. Worth watching alone for Imelda Staunton's hilariously angry Jewish mother.

Is there a more banal, hack director on the planet than Ang Lee? Having flitted from costume drama to kung fu fest to superhero flick to gay cowboy snoozeathon he now takes on hippies.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm no hippie apologist. I loathe and despise the phoney baloney, give me your money, hippie, dippie philosophy as much as the next man, but unlike Lee I know they were real people and not cartoon cutouts.

To list all the reasons this film fails and why it is as relevant as a turd in a mudslide would give the whole fiasco far more credit than it deserves.

Ang Lee is the kind of schlocky film maker that makes Ed Wood look like Orson Welles.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm off. If you need me I'll be hiding in a dark room while everybody else has their Life Of Pi orgasm. Maybe once that's over he'll flit off to make his own autobiographical movie in which he gets to stand naked before his audience. He can call it The Emperor's New Clothes.

This is best described as an easy watch, with good performances especially from Staunton. The period detail was great, but if you are looking for a challenging story then look elsewhere.

I just watched this film, it's fab, really a great film. Elliot returns home from New York to help his parents run their very dodgy motel which the bank is threatening to close as it's making no money. Poor Elliot feels obliged to help out, and gets into community events where he is arranging a small music festival. then lo and behold, a nearby town where a huge festival was planned refuses the permit, so Elliot contacts the organisers thinking he could get his parents some business. suddenly it's all go and their small town is run over with happy hippies and festy folk all wanting good times. and this causes a mix of upset and rejoicing amongst the locals. I really liked all the characters, all of them, from the extra's to the mains. Do watch it and enjoy.