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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: MGM
Salesrank: 892
Released: May 7, 2002 |
| Our Price: $5.80 |
| Used Price: $3.01 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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| Features:
Dolby NTSC Color | |
Editorial Review:
It started as a concert. It became a celebration. Join an unparalleled lineup of rock superstars asthey celebrate The Band's historic 1976 farewell performance. Directed by Martin Scorsese (Raging Bull, Goodfellas), The Last Waltz is not only "the most beautiful rock film evermade" (New York Times) it's "one of the most important cultural events of the last two decades" (Rolling Stone)!
Description of The Last Waltz (Special Edition):
Martin Scorsese's 1978 capsule history of the Band is mixed with footage of the group's allegedly last performance (certainly their last performance as a quintet) in this particularly stylish concert film. Scorsese shoots the players and their sundry guests with the same flair and enthusiasm one can see in the later The Color of Money or Goodfellas. He also proves a good interviewer with Band members, particularly Robbie Robertson, whose sleepy-sexy good looks make a star-caliber impression in close-up. But the film's real hook is the stage show, which features a rotation of rock legends (Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Paul Butterfield, Bob Dylan, and so on) playing with the Band before a wildly appreciative audience. --Tom Keogh
The Last Waltz (Special Edition) Reviews:
Image so good you can see the rock! 
2009-12-21 - The best rock and roll concert movie ever made now on a format so crisp and clean you can see the rock in Neil's nose!
the band--always 5 stars
2009-12-16 - this is short as others have reviewed the film well. i am somewhat prejudiced as the band is my favorite band of all time and i never tire of hearing them play.
the last waltz was a magical night and i'm glad scorcese took on the project. that being said, why in the world could this new blu ray transfer not include the unedited "it makes no difference"? having listened to it from my various last waltz CDs at least 1000 times, it's jarring when the film comes to the first edit and i have to mentally re-engage and remind myself that, "oh, yeah; this is where scorcese really screws it up." i simply cannot imagine why anyone thought 90 seconds would make a difference in the overall length of the film--but i cannot think of any other reason for the cut. it could not be that one of roberston's finest songs ever was thought to be too boring to go on for 6:30 or so. thankfully, it lives on forever, uncut, complete, and beautiful in the CD.
now, another thing: bill graham's "wolfgang's vault" on the internet has just released the raw audio of the entire concert to their website but when i say "raw", i mean "RAW". i was amazed at how much overdubbing and sweetening had to be done in the studio to clean it up and produce what we know today as "the last waltz".
one last thing: the blu ray version has an incredibly annoying "click" sound when you select any item in any sub-menu. like "swing-from-the-shower-curtain-after-hanging-yourself-with-your-necktie" annoying.
just so you know.
Having been there, this is as close as it gets. 
2009-12-09 - I had the good fortune, having just moved to San Francisco, to be the guest of Capitol Records to attend this concert. It was advertised at the time, to be The Band's last performance and Bob Dylan might show up. The tag line was "share The Last Waltz with The Band and 5,000 of their friends." How could i not attend?
Bill Graham had Thanksgiving Dinner served for all 5,000 guests while the Berkeley Promenade Orchestra played waltz music replete with 30 or so couples dressed to the nines. The lights went down and what followed was an endless stream of the biggest names in music in the late 70's. I have to admit that by the time Dylan came out, i was exhausted! The night was beyond magic as everyone from Neil Young to Neil Diamond, Dr. John to Kinky Friedman, Ringo Star to Van Morrison and of course Bob Dylan...then...lets not forget that this was the first time that Neil Young and Steven Stills were on the same stage together following a long running feud. It was a touching moment...sadly the on-stage hug moment was lost in editing. (I had heard that when Neil Young saw the film...he decided to sober up a bit and back off the drug use.) The only other bit about this film that i didn't like is that the tune "The Weight" was performed by the Staple Singers.
I recall waiting and waiting for The Band to play it, but they were saving it for the last song of the night. The problem was that when the time came to play it...The Band had had a little too much fun back stage and sadly were unable to do it justice. The Staples Singers weren't there but were added later.
Having been there was the treat of a lifetime, and having this on Blue-Ray is as close as it gets to the magic of that night. The interviews are great and the music is superb. When the film ends..you will feel like you were there.
No Music Library is Complete Without This!
2009-12-05 - What an amazing documentary of one of the best jam sessions ever.
I saw this movie in a theater when it came out in the 70's, and I really knew nothing of The Band at the time. All I remembered was that the movie had left a great impression. So, on a lark some 30-years later, I picked up "The Last Waltz" on Blu-Ray. It is simply incredible.
The rendition of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" is so emotionally rich. The twangy and soulful vocals and unreal snare drum touch of Levon Helm so effectively paints a sense of place and time in American history. It truly accomplishes the transcendant purpose of any great song: To transport the listener.
Bass player Rick Danko's coked-up vocals add a jagged edge to what would otherwise be an overly polished ensemble. If he were going solo it might not work, but within The Band it fits perfectly.
Other reviewers have complained about excessive Robbie Robertson screen time. Robertson was the principle song-writer, a lead vocalist, the guitarist, a frontman, and the "cute" one. Of course he gets screen time. Nothing seems foced or unnatural about Scorsese's editing.
The only portion of this DVD I tend to skip forward on is when Neil Diamond takes to the stage. For someone that has such a clear understanding of what good music is, as Neil Diamond obviously does, I have no idea why he chose such a crappy song...maybe it just went with the used car salesman suit he's wearing.
My lbrary of DVD music is filled with Led Zep, Rush, UFO, Pink Floyd, Yes, Peter Gabriel...and so on. But "The Last Waltz" is the one I play most. It makes me smile every time. :)
AWESOME!
2009-12-02 - This is a GREAT movie of a GREAT band (THE BAND) by a GREAT director. If you love music you'll love this movie.
