Documentaries 1970-1979

Tries to prove that all great men of the past were actually aliens.

A look at the spirit of New Orleans. First a funeral: Allen Toussaint explains that you arrive slow and cut up afterwards. Then it's food, with a lesson in eating crayfish at Frankie and Johnny's. Next, a St. Patrick's Day party: New Orleans celebrates holidays on the streets. Then it's preparation for Mardi gras, with roots in slave days, when slaves gathered on Sundays to prepare for the one holiday they could celebrate. The Wild Tchoupitoulas society makes Indian costumes to honor the help Indians gave slaves. At Mardi gras, we're with this society parading, singing, and partying. We end with the annual parade for St. Joseph, the saint of the people. More music, dance and ritual.

A portrait of the great Texas bluesman, 'Lightnin' Hopkins. The film includes interviews and a performance by Hopkins.

An (officially) unreleased documentary film directed by Robert Frank chronicling The Rolling Stones' North American tour in 1972 in support of their album Exile on Main Street.

Based upon the theme of Faust. Filmed in Paris and London.

A documentary about a pet cemetery in California, and the people who have pets buried there.

The life and music of Janis Joplin.

From the early black and white days to their colourful hedonistic era, you will Rock! See them at their most creative, and destructive, and experience The Who: Here!

The filmed account of the Beatles's attempt to recapture their old group spirit by making a back to basics album, which instead drove them further apart.

A documentary about actress Edith Massey in which she talks about her life and her career in film.

Documentary on the life and death of Lenny Bruce.

"Touring makes you crazy," Frank Zappa says, explaining that the idea for this film came to him while the Mothers of Invention were touring. The story, interspersed with performances by the Mothers and the Royal Symphony Orchestra, is a tale of life on the road. The band members' main concerns are the search for groupies and the desire to get paid.

Documentary on Charles Manson and his family. Has a number of insightful interviews with many family members most notably Squeaky and Sandy (Blue and Red). There is also a history of Manson from his birth to the family formation to the Tate/La Bianca murders. Plenty of footage of the family playing at Spahn Ranch.

Documentary of a 154-person bus and truck tour that set out to spread the gospel of flower power to the hinterlands of the U.S.

A non-narrative voyage round Sedlec Ossuary, which has been constructed from over 50,000 human skeletons (victims of the Black Death).

A short film/documentary by Sandra Dailey. The film shows Patti Smith having her knee cap tattooed by Vali Myers, and also features an off screen commentary by Smith.

An Emerson, Lake & Palmer Concert Performance

Les Blank made A Poem Is A Naked Person during 1972-74, while living at the Russell/Shelter records recording studio compound on Grand Lake Of The Cherokees in NE Oklahoma. While the film has had few public showings as, apparently, Mr. Leon Russell is not keen on sharing it with his public. According to Les's contract, He is legally able to show his own copy if personally presenting it and a non-profit organization is sponsoring the showing. There are presently no such screenings in the works.
It is feature-length, with appearances by Willy Nelson, George Jones and some amazing characters in Oklahoma, where much of it was shot. At least two major critics have declared it the best film ever made on Rock and Roll.

Robert Mapplethorpe gets his nipple pierced while his boyfriend lends his support in person. Patti Smith lends her support via voice over as she rambles on about her childhood, her transvestite brother, her breasts and Bob Dylan.

A documentary about various singers, musicians, artists, astrologers, etc., who attended a "New Age" gathering in Maui, Hawaii.

Documentary of a 1970 rock concert held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

The director interviews a 4 year old kid living with parents in Haight-Ashbury in the 60's.