Woodstock '99
Woodstock '99

Movie spotlight

Woodstock '99

2000
Movie
149 min
English

In 1999, for the 30th anniversary of the original Woodstock festival, organizers planned the three-day Woodstock '99 music festival in an abandoned air force base in Rome, New York. Thousands of people came to the festival. Performers such as Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit performed at the festival. However, all was not peace and love. Bad conditions and inflating prices for water led to riots and looting on the last night of the festival.

Insights

IMDb6.6/10
Director: Michael LangGenres: Documentary, Music

Plot Summary

This documentary captures the chaotic and ultimately disastrous Woodstock '99 festival. Intended as a modern revival of the iconic 1969 event, the festival was plagued by logistical failures, extreme heat, and escalating violence. The film showcases performances from major artists of the era while charting the downward spiral into anarchy.

Critical Reception

Woodstock '99 received a mixed to negative reception, primarily criticized for its focus on the negative aspects of the festival and its perceived sensationalism. While some acknowledged the difficulty of capturing such an event, others felt it lacked deeper analysis of the cultural and societal factors contributing to the chaos.

What Reviewers Say

  • The film effectively conveys the sense of pandemonium and the breakdown of order at the festival.

  • Critiques often pointed to the documentary's focus on sensational elements over deeper examination.

  • Some viewers found the archival footage compelling, while others felt the narrative was poorly constructed.

Google audience: Audience reception for Woodstock '99 is difficult to ascertain due to limited publicly available Google user reviews specifically for the documentary. General discussions often revolve around the shocking nature of the event itself.

Fun Fact

The festival's organizers reportedly lost millions of dollars on Woodstock '99, contributing to its status as a significant financial failure.

AI-generated overview · Verify ratings on official sources

My Review