Almost Famous: The Bootleg Cut (Director's Edition) [DVD]

Patrick Fugit plays a child protégé who became a Rock journalist as a teenager and went on tour with a band. The movie explores the sprawling world of 1970s Rock. There’s the dreams like when the singer of a band says Rock is a way of life and thinking that could save the world. There’s the girl that says Rock is the friends that will always be there with you because you can find them anytime you play a record. The downside is also there but more hidden. That involves all the groupies led by Kate Hudson. She talks about them being the inspiration for the bands but really they’re just bed buddies for the tour and then when it’s over all the musicians go back to their wives and girlfriends. At one point they even get traded to another band like they’re property. Fugit is a revelation. He plays a convincing teen caught up in an adult world of sex, drugs and Rock N Roll. Despite that he’s able to find his way and also to write a story about his experiences. Besides Fugit the other stand outs in the cast are Frances McDormand as his overbearing mother who is freaked out that she is losing her son to Rock N Roll. The other person is Philip Seymour Hoffman as the editor of Cream Magazine who loves the music but thinks it’s all going down the tubes because the corporations were taking over the business. He gives inspiring words of wisdom to Fugit and plays Iggy Pop on the radio. The ending was also especially good because it was about righting a wrong.

I have heard the expression “write what you know” many times. And in many respects, this movie proves the point, as it is based largely on writer-director Cameron Crowe’s teenage experience writing for Rolling Stone magazine in the 70’s and captures the era and rock band culture beautifully. The movie has a great cast, including the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman in one of his many scene stealing supporting roles and a pitch-perfect Frances McDormand, a catchy soundtrack, and lovingly captures the feel of the early to mid-70’s. Its fun, and funny and poignant. I highly recommend it.

This is one of my favorite coming of age movies and I never got a chance to see the bootleg cut and it’s just as good as the original cut.

In this film, an aspiring rock band offers a high school student the chance to tour with them while writing an article about them for Rolling Stone Magazine. In essence, this is a rock 'n' roll, sex, and drug movie that even your mother could watch with you.This pays homage to bands that have faded away. It pioneers new ground for the rock movie and radiates a remarkable warmth and confidence in people's capacity for moral behavior.I have to say that I enjoyed this movie a lot more than I had anticipated. It was executed flawlessly.

Cameron Crowe wrote and directed "Almost Famous", which is fitting since it is largely about his own beginnings. Cameron was the youngest writer for Rolling Stone magazine and, as a teenage journalist, he followed numerous bands as they went on tour. In this film, these bands are rolled up into a four-man group called Stillwater. These guys get my vote for the best band that never was. Since I was just out of kindergarten when the story was set, you should forgive me for thinking, after my first viewing, that Stillwater was an authentic recreation of some famous group from the early 70's. The realism is that perfect!But this movie is not about a band, at least not predominantly. It is a coming of age story. A young man raised in an unusual household, with an unusual mother, is taking his first steps to adulthood. The interesting thing is that his first steps are so large as to stretch past most people's entire careers. Through a combination of talent, luck and timing, young William Miller, played perfectly by Patrick Fugit, is recruited by Rolling Stone magazine to write an article on Stillwater. This strange occurrence actually makes sense when you watch the film despite sounding ridiculous as I write it.If William goes through dramatic changes in a short time, his mother is a rock of stability. Elaine Miller is able to "freak out" most people, with a few choice words but to her son, she is home, safety, love and in a way... imprisonment. She is very intense but caring and it is this combination which drives her eighteen year old daughter to a life of airline stewardship. We can see Elaine's true courage however, when she agrees to let the fifteen year old William go "on the road" with a drug taking, womanizing rock band. This, after we have seen her characterize Simon and Garfuncle as "stoned" and forbidden their music from her house.One of the most important people William comes into contact with, on his journey, is Penny Lane. She is a beautiful, glowing, perfectly permed young dryad who follows the bands and has a following of her own. Adamant that she is not a groupie, Penny has created a concept called "Band Aids." Her subscribers refrain from sex with the performers in an effort to more truly embrace the pure experience. She talks a good game but in the end, she's just a young woman in love. The object of her affection is Russell Hammond, the lead guitarist and Zen-master for Stillwater. Her situation is complicated after William falls in love with her, at first sight.Thus Alice enters Wonderland and many an adventure is had. Despite William's best intentions and the good advice of his mentor, Lester Bangs, the band manages to seduce him. His plan, to get in and out before missing a test, is soon discarded in the face of a larger than life rock and roll experience. There is one truly touching scene where the band, (and company), is riding their bus to the next gig and singing along to "Tiny Dancer." William leans over to Penny and says, "I have to go home!" To which she replies, with a magical pass of her hand, "You are home." That says it all.There are several contrasting character changes happening during the film. One stands out more than most. William starts his professional career as a fan, loving the band, the music and the whole lifestyle. As the tour progresses and his eyes are opened, he becomes, not jaded but more worldly, professional and wise. Conversely, Penny Lane is introduced to us as the epitome of sophistication. She is young but knowing, and handles William as an older sister might. As the film progresses we discover that Penny is not so all knowing as she seemed. She is just as fragile and naively hopeful as any other girl her age. In the end, it is William that has to send her a reality check.Everything about this film is fascinating. The music is just wonderful, with Billy Crudup and Jason Lee bringing authenticity to every performance. The band's interpersonal dynamic is almost a character of its own. This climaxes during the famous plane crash scare, when each confesses their deepest secrets to the unrestrained laughter of the audience. William, his Mother and Penny are all unforgettable creations. Crowe is a wonderful writer, so good in fact, that I am disappointed he didn't turn this story into a book. Watching the movie will just have to be enough, for now.

Chalk this up as another movie made in the late 90s early 00s that would never be made today though it is never totally offensive. Some parts are just absolute cringe, but the stellar performances from McDermott, Deschanel, and the late and great Hoffmann still keep the tour bus rolling.Less impressive is the collective know as Stillwater. While the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road story of these misfits resonates of both the time period and the perpetual lore of touring, the general behavior and disposition of the band and its individuals seems less rock and roll and more petulant child (I mean an actual child displays boundless maturity in comparison).Still, it is hard not to appreciate the emotion of the iconic Tiny Dancer scene, and I fell in love for the first time with Penny's plot to send Russell to visit "The Enemy" at the end of the film instead of her. Something I see being 20 years older as a touching reflection of her realized love for the older than he seems teen than an act of revenge towards the wayward rocker.Don't watch the extended cut. It makes an already long movie unnecessarily longer. Oh yeah, and "Don't do drugs".

I've loved this film since the first time I watched it and decided to replace my DVD copy with the Blu Ray version. Sadly the Blu Ray disk only contains the Extended Cut which adds around 40 minutes to the films running time. This is truly a case of "more is less" because the extra footage while not bad in and of itself destroys the pace and focus of the film. It is a shame that there is not an option to chose which version one wants to watch on the disk or even an option to buy a separate release version of the film on BD.Initially when I saw a few extra bits in the film I was pleased because sometimes films are excessively trimmed to fit a two hour running time and as I like the film and the characters this initially seemed like it could be an improvement. But I was finding that what had been a really enjoyable film over multiple viewings was simply dragging. Yes we get to know a few of the supporting characters better in this version and yes there are undoubtedly "moments" that have a charm of their own, but none of these changed the story or added depth, only breadth. It is clear that the original release version had been edited well and that the quality of what was left in was better than the bits that ended up on the cutting room floor, and to an extent leaving the viewer to fill in the gaps can make us more sympathetic. It is often the same with "bonus" tracks on remastered CDs where the previously unheard tracks are clearly inferior to those on the original album.Obviously some reviewer do appreciate the longer version and this is no doubt because their focus is on wallowing in the atmosphere of 1970s rock. My interest is generally in story, and personally find films that convey atmosphere and mood succinctly are more enjoyable.

wow what a great movie, amazing soundtrack with 5 led zeppelin songs, that amazing as jimmy page & robert plant never give permission for their songs to be used in movies, even though they didnt give them permission for stairway to heaven, but still 5 great led zepp tracks plus jimi hendrix tracks & deep purples burn, also has a great story plus the super hot kate hudson & over 2 hours 20 minutes long makes this DVD well worth the money to me.

Having grown up in the 70s, where going to concerts was a big part of my life, I have always found this depiction of those days to be very accurate. In addition, it's a moving story, one of Cameron Crowe's coming of age as a journalist writing about, and traveling with, rock bands.The long version of this movie is so much better than the theatrical release; with an additional 40 minutes of material, it fills out the characters much better. This set includes both versions, and a CD of music by Stillwater, unavailable otherwise. The director's commentary - by Cameron Crowe and his mother - is also interesting to learn about how this film relates to Crowe's life.Whenever I hear Elton John's Tiny Dancer, I immediately think of this movie...

Considering the director also bought is the truly-immense and thought-provoking Vanilla Sky, it's a wonder how this travesty ever happened. It's obviously an autobiographical vanity project by a music journo whose early success has clearly gone to his head. Self-indulgent, overly bloated and grandiose. This actually puts me OFF other films he's made.

Love this film that captures the 70s vibe so well and the revolutionary power of music in that era -especially on the US side, but there is a lot that British people can relate to as well. Great soundtrack too. Superb performances and the sex drugs rock n roll aspect of it is tastefully done without being sleazy.