GRATEFUL DAWG A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2001 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
For fans only. Gillian Grisman's traditionally composed documentary, GRATEFUL DAWG, features Jerry Garcia and David Grisman in non-stop, mainly bluegrass music, overlaid with a group of fairly uninteresting talking heads. The late Jerry Garcia is, of course, best known for being the lead of the Grateful Dead, a name which isn't even mentioned until more than halfway through the documentary. Besides playing electric guitar with the Grateful Dead, Garcia also liked to play banjo music with his old buddy Grisman. Their music together is certainly pleasant enough, but, unless you're a fan of this genre, you may find it as sleep inducing as I did.
These two veteran musicians look so much alike that they could easily pass for brothers. Older hippie types with graying, frizzy hair and beard and chunky builds, they are wonderfully gregarious and instantly likeable. One of the interviewees explains that the difference between them is that Grisman is highly disciplined whereas Garcia is so laid-back that, if a note didn't come out quite the right way, it was no big deal. This isn't particularly apparent in the many jam sessions and concert footage that we're shown. They seem almost interchangeably identical.
If almost an hour and a half of folk tunes from blue grass to old whaling songs sounds like just your cup of tea, then GRATEFUL DAWG should prove very satisfying to your palate. On the other hand, if you prefer more limited doses of this kind of music, you'll probably find yourself nodding off. Personally I found only one part of the film completely satisfying, which is their "The Thrill Is Gone" music video, which appears to be included in its entirety.
GRATEFUL DAWG runs 1:20. It is rated PG-13 for "brief language" and would be acceptable for kids of all ages.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on October 5, 2001. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the Camera Cinemas.
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