Moses the Lawgiver features Burt Lancaster as Moses with a score by Ennio Morricone. It’s one of those deep cuts from the 1970s that played on TV and kinda died in the limbo of the pre Cable TV era. Shot through remote locations on Israel and Morocco, the film is a mesmerizing look at the classic Biblical story. But, it is done in a way that will only hold water with people that love deep classic cuts.
Woody Guthrie All Star Tribute Concert 1970 is the feature length concert from the Hollywood Bowl. You’ll believe that you can see everybody that your hippie Art Teacher used to love jamming on one stae. Hell, they get Odetta to show up. That’s right, people. Odetta! 12 minutes of bonus footage is included, which features a lot of Arlo Guthrie screen time. It was a fascinating tribute to the senior Guthrie who died 3 years before the concert.
George Carlin: 40 Years of Comedy was Carlin’s 10th special for HBO. Hosted by Jon Stewart, the funny newsman works through Carlin’s past and what he was doing at start of his last decade. Laughs are had, but it’s more of an informative piece about one of America’s greatest comedic talents. While it plays for only an hour, the material is dense and offers us something better than a basic biography. It’s a loving appreciation.
Banjos Bluegrass & Squirrel Barkers is another look at the 1960s Folk Music scene. It’s weird how things pair up, but this is a fun look at how that Bluegrass and Folk revival made its way out to San Diego. I had never heard of these bands, but I enjoyed seeing this rich history on film. My only bone to pick is with the flimsy DVD case. I nearly put my thumb through the case trying to get the shrinkwrap off of it. That and it took longer to remove from packaging than the movie lasted.