StunnaKrypto Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

SpecialsTarget Disturbing yet enthralling

Jacomedi A Surprisingly Unforgettable Movie!

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

LeonLouisRicci The Strength of this Documentary is that it was Made Only a Few Years After Jimi Passed On. But of course, the Filmed Performances, Mostly Shown in Near Entirety, are a Goldmine for Newbies and a Welcome Flashback for Die-Hard Fans.Many Headliners and Friends are Interviewed and Offer then Recent Recollections of Their Initial Introduction to Hendrix's Guitar Playing and Style and the Word is "Blew my mind." Nothing Like it Before, and as Pete Townsend of "The Who" says..."Jimi made the guitar an instrument". Seems Simplistic and Obvious but Before Hendrix the Guitar was Mostly an Ensemble Part with an Occasional "Lead" Spotlight.But, Jimi Hendrix Made it THE Spotlight, THE Instrument, THE Focus, Taking it to Unexplored Heights and Boldly Went Where No Guitarist had Gone Before. This is a Near Perfect Introduction and Reflection to a Humble, Insecure, Musical Genius, that was and is a Sign Post to that "Twilight Zone" Counter Culture Explosion of the Late Sixties.A Must Have Visual and Audio Timecapsule for Anyone Interested in Rock, Heavy Metal, Pop, Blues, Soul, and Psychedelic Music (Acid Rock). An Incredibly Insightful and Delightful Look at a Time and Place, and a Musician and Man, that will Never be Forgotten.

Michael_Elliott Jimi Hendrix (1973)*** (out of 4)This documentary was made and released three years after the death of Jimi Hendrix and it really shows what a masterful talent he was. When viewing this today people might not get its full impact because it features clips from various concerts that have since been released complete and on their own. With that said, it's important to remember that for a time this here was the only way to see much of this footage. Eric Clapton, Paul Caruso, Billy Cox, Pete Townsend, Mick Jagger, Little Richard and Lou Reed are just some of the people who talk about who Hendrix was and what he was able to do with his guitar. Through the interviews you really get a great sense of what other artists thought of his talent and it's interesting hearing them talk so shortly after his death. Many of the stories are very entertaining and especially the reactions from them in regards to the first time they saw Hendrix and his talent. We also get an interview with Hendrix's own father who discusses his sons early days and how he got to playing guitar to begin with. Overall this is a very entertaining documentary that tells you some good stories about the legend but the majority of the running time come from various concert and television performances. No matter how many times you watch him perform you really can't believe that he was actually human and pulling off all of this music. Fans of Hendrix will probably own many of these shows in a complete form but this documentary is still very good for those unfamiliar with the work of Hendrix or those who just want to kick back and enjoy the music.

dougmcnair A wonderful rockumentary about the king of all the guitar gods. It has a good selection of interviews with Jimi's friends and musical contemporaries, but the filmmakers knew what they were doing: they spend most of the time just letting the man play. And that's all you need for a great film.We get to see all the iconic psychedelic performances, including the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock (which is about ten times better than I remembered it), and we also get a very nice chronology of how his music evolved over time with his original Experience band and then the Band of Gypsies. But the true gem is something I never saw coming: Jimi playing traditional blues on an acoustic guitar. He starts off slowly and deliberately, and you get the sense that he's exploring something new or returning to something very old. Then he asks the cameraman to stop, and when he starts again he just relaxes into it. What he plays is 100% traditional blues, but he makes it totally his in a way that is utterly mind-blowing. After that, the remaining performances are him taking the blues electric but to places that Led Zeppelin could only dream about. But I think the director knew that "Hear my Train A'coming" was the zenith of the film, because we get to hear it again over the closing credits. Ten stars.

MisterWhiplash Jimi Hendrix chronicles the story of the man, the myth, the legend, the left-handed dude with a love of the blues and Bob Dylan, and who took rock and roll almost to another planet (just listen to some of the tracks off Electric Ladyland and see how he goes into music like the equivalent of a crazy science fiction writer). He was also, as described by Eric Clapton, "guillible", and susceptible to the leeches that lay around him that, by way of the drugs, led to his very sudden downfall. Had he lived there's no doubt he could have had an output that for his genre would be the equivalent of one of those great 18th century European composers or even 20th century Jazzmen. There's been so much written about him that he's been elevated to the status he's at today, so it's a welcome thing to see this documentary so soon after his death.Welcome, though also one can see the pain in some of the interviewees under the surface. Many on screen, his fellow ex-band-mates like Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell, and some of his own family and close friends, still have the memory of Jimi fresh in their minds, and so their recollections, both loving and even critical, comes at a time when there's still a lot to ponder. Through this and various concert clips (some well known like Woodstock and Monterey Pop clips, some more obscure like Band of Gypsies and Isle of Wight), and a superb interview conducted by Dick Cavett, portray Hendrix as a smart guy who could play a guitar like, as Townsend describes, "an instrument." In truth- and even for those who may just admire him as opposed to outright love and cherish his music- he was reaching into territory that was far surpassing anything done in the late 60s.He had the basics down for the best in blues (maybe my favorite scene in the film, maybe exclusive just to this documentary, has him in a white room playing a 'Train' type of blues song that is so invigorating to see what he comes up with, begging the cameras to keep rolling). He also was a kind of wild man about his imagination, and so didn't hold back with an audience. He appealed to white and black, rock and blues, soul and (as might be the case years later) heavy metal, and without ever making himself into a commodity - that was done after he was dead and buried. What A Film About Jimi Hendrix portrays is a confident man, at peace with himself, but as is described by those around him someone who had such extraordinary things about him that his few flaws made his undoing. And it is a near perfect treat for die-hard fans.