Woodstock, 3 Days Of Peace And Music

Whether it's the music that transcends time and has come to symbolize an era or the images that have defined a generation, the reasons to own this collection will be unique. By having the vision to see the bigger picture and the connections and skills to put together the right team, Michael Lang and his group became the architects of this landmark film. The film documents the naivety, hope, and innocence of movement that had by 1969 come to full maturity. It has been said that Woodstock was the end of the hippie movement—others have said that it was the culmination of a belief in optimism. Director Michael Wadleigh and Producer Bob Maurice, assisted by a young Martin Scorsese, filmed the three-day concert using 365,000 feet of 16mm film and hand-held Éclair NPR 16mm cameras. The ability to move close to, and amongst, the artists, audience, and organizers has made this a reference music and social documentary. Originally released in a "truncated" 184 minutes, the 40th Anniversary version runs 240 minutes and has an additional 18 tracks of rare or never-before-seen footage. (Simon Spears)