Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Monterey Pop Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 1, 2017

D.A. Pennebaker's documentary "Monterey Pop" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new video interviews with director D.A. Pennebaker and Lou Adler, producer of the Monterey International Pop Festival; vintage interviews; audio commentary; original promotional materials; and more. The release also arrives with a 72-page illustrated booklet featuring essays by critics Michael Chaiken, Armond White, David Frickle, Barney Hoskyns, and Michael Lyndon. In English, not subtitled. Region-A "locked".

Note: D.A. Pennebaker's legendary documentary "Monterey Pop" (1968) was first released on Blu-ray in 2009, as part of The Complete Monterey Pop Festival box set. Click on the link to read an in-depth analysis of it.

Monterey Pop Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, D.A. Pennebaker's Monterey Pop arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this release:

"This new digital transfer of Monterey Pop was created in 16-bit 4K resolution on a Lasergraphics Director film scanner from the 16mm original A/B camera reversal at Metropolis Post in New York. The 4K digital restoration was undertaken at L'immagine Ritrovata in Bologna, Italy, with additional restoration performed at Criterion Post in New York. The original stereo soundtrack for Monterey Pop was remastered from the 35mm magnetic track. The stereo and 5.1 surround materials for Monterey Pop, Jimi Plays Monterey, and Shake! Otis at Monterey were created by Eddie Kramer from the original analog 8-track tapes made at the concerts by Wally Heider, and conformed to picture by by Ted Hall at POP Sound in Santa Monica, California. The audio for the outtakes was mixed by Howard Frank and Dennis Dragon from the original concert recordings. Clicks, thumps, hiss, and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD.

Transfer supervisors: Frazer Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus, Lee Kline.
Colorist: Jason Crump/Metropolist Post. "

I was already quite happy with the first release of Monterey Pop that emerged in 2009. Obviously, given the nature of the project there were certain source limitations that were retained, but I thought that the overall presentation had strong organic qualities. This new release, however, offers a wide range of improvements that further strengthen these qualities. The most substantial ones are in terms of density and color reproduction. Indeed, now that a new 4K master has been created the entire film boasts better density levels that help the depth and fluidity, and it is worth mentioning that you do not have to have a very large screen to appreciate the difference (compare screencapture #5 with the corresponding screencapture from the review of the first release). The entire film also has a more convincing color scheme that helps the overall dynamic range. Grain is a lot better defined, though as it is typically the case with 16mm material that is scanned in 4K now it also appears slightly overexposed. But this is a proper and very convincing organic look. It appears that some additional work was also done to minimize or entirely remove some remaining age-related imperfections. My one minor concern is about the management of the color values as during some of the stage performances it almost looks like there is color bleeding. In fact, I went back to Jimi's performance twice to take a closer look as the strong projector makes his red pants look a bit harsh, but on the other hand his face and shirt are far better defined now (see screencapture #14). In other words, some of the ways in which the light hits the stage could be quite misleading. All in all, this is a very fine upgrade that should please fans of Monterey Pop. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Monterey Pop Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English LPCM 2.0 (Original), and English: LPCM 2.0 (Remixed). Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided.

The three tracks that are listed above were also used for the first release of the film, so my opinions of them, as well as comments, remain unchanged. I prefer the original Stereo track, but the remixed track is indeed vastly superior, providing better stability, clarity, and overall balance. The 5.1 track further expands the dynamic range, but I also think that it brings a different type of ambience to the film.

Monterey Pop Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

DISC ONE - MONTEREY POP

• Interviews - in addition to the vintage interviews from the previous release, there are two exclusive new interviews with Lou Adler and D.A. Pennebaker that were conducted in 2017.
  
  1. NEW Interview - Lou Adler, producer of the Monterey International Pop Festival, discusses the 50th anniversary of the Monterey Festival and the special celebration event that was held on June 16, 17, and 18 2017. In English, not subtitled. (12 min, 1080p).
  
  2. NEW Interviews - director D.A. Pennebaker discusses the conception and his personal experience of makingMonterey Pop fifty years earlier. The interviews were recorded in Bologna (Italy), Monterey, and New York City in 2017. In English, not subtitled. (15 min, 1080p).
  
  3. Adler and Pennebaker - this video interview with festival producer Lou Adler and filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker was conducted in the summer of 2001 in Los Angeles. (30 min, 1080i).
  
  a) Lou Adler's beginnings
  b) On to Monterey
  c) D.A. Pennebaker
  d) California and John Phillips
  e) Festival headquarters
  f) Sound and sight
  g) The film takes shape
  
  4. Audio Interviews -
  
  a) John Phillips
  b) Cass Elliot
  c) David Crosby
  d) Derek Taylor

• Promotional Materials -
  
  1. Theatrical Trailer (3 min, 1080p).
  2. Rerelease Trailer (3 min, 1080p).
  3. Radio Spots

• Festival Ephemera -
  
  1. Elaine Mayes Photographs
  2. Festival Program

• MIPFF - information about the mission of the Monterey International Pop Festival Foundation. In text-format.

• Chiefs - when Monterey Pop was introduced in theaters in 1968, it was accompanied by Chiefs, a short film directed by Richard Leacock, D.A. Pennebaker's partner in Leacock-Pennebaker Productions. Chiefs is presented here in its entirety. In English, not subtitled. (20 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - this audio commentary features Monterey Pop Festival producer Lou Adler and filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker. It was recorded for the Criterion in 2002, and also appeared on the first Blu-ray release of Monterey Pop.
  
  1. Creating the titles
  2. Scott McKenzie/Chip Monck
  3. Taking care of artists
  4. Two factions
  5. Structuring a concert film
  6. "A complete show every night"
  7. Paul Simon's other role
  8. Getting the shot
  9. Jefferson Airplane's involvement
  10. Through a filmmaker's eyes
  11. Joplin's encore
  12. The blues as theater
  13. "No one knew what to expect"
  14. "Get into yourself"
  15. Deciding to use two songs
  16. Otis' aura
  17. "Not prepared for Hendrix"
  18. Pop music ends
  19. Filming Ravi

DISC TWO - THE OUTTAKE PERFORMANCES

• Outtakes - more than two hours of performances not included in Monterey Pop, from the Association, Big Brother and the Holding Company, the Blues Project, the Byrds, Country Joe and the Fish, the Electric Flag, Jefferson Airplane, Al Kooper, the Mamas and the Papas, Laura Nyro, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Simon and Garfunkel, Tiny Tim, and the Who. In English, not subtitled. (130 min, 1080p).
  
  a) Friday, June 16 - performances by The Association ("Along Comes Mary") and Simon & Garfunkel ("Homeward Bound" and The Sounds of Silence").
  
  b) Saturday, June 17 - performances by Country Joe & The Fish ("Not-so-sweet Martha Lorraine"), Al Kooper ("I Heard Her Say Wake Me, Shake Me"), The Paul Butterfield Blues Band ("Driftin' Blues" - video cut and full performance), Quicksilver Messenger Service ("All I ever Wanted To Do Was Love You"), The Electric Flag ("Drinkin' Wine"), The Byrds ("Chimes of Freedom", He Was a Friend of Mine", "Hey Joe"), Laura Nyro ("Wedding Bell Blues", Poverty Train"), and Jefferson Airplane ("Somebody to Love").
  
  c) Sunday, June 18 - performances by The Blues Project ("The Flute Thing"), Big Brother and the Holding Company ("Combination of the Two", original and 5.1 mix), Buffalo Springfield ("For what it's worth"), The Who ("Substitute", "Summertime Blues", "A Quick One While He's Away", original and 5.1 mix) and The Mamas and the Papas.
  
  d) The Hunt Club - Using only the illumination of a cigarette lighter, D. A. Pennebaker captured Tiny Tim performing a number of traditional songs at Monterey's Hunt Club, the official greenroom for the festival ("King for a Day", "Laugh, Clown, Laugh", "May God Be With Our Boys Tonight" and "My What a Funny Little World This Is").
  
  e) Artist Index -

• Booklet - 72-page illustrated booklet featuring:


• "Pop: Ancient and Modern" by Michael Chaiken
• "Monterey Pop: People in Motion" by Armond White
• "Jimi Plays Monterey and Shake! Otis at Monterey: Bold, Beautiful, and Black" by David Frickle
• "The Meeting of the Twain": Monterey and the Great California Divide" by Barney Hoskyns
• "Monterey Pop: The First Rock Festival" by Michael Lyndon
• Artists information
• Technical credits

Monterey Pop Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is no doubt in my mind that Criterion's decision to reissue Monterey Pop after the film was restored in 4K was the right one. While I was quite happy with the previous release, the new presentation offers numerous upgrades in quality that strengthen the film's organic appearance across the board and the end result is truly quite impressive. Naturally, I think that the new release is definitely worth picking up. Monterey Pop is included in this three-disc box set, together with Jimi Plays Monterey and Shake! Otis at Monterey. (The remaining two films will be reviewed separately). VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.