[QUOTE=Tommy Jarvis;1051282]Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99 2022 ★★★★
This review may contain spoilers.
Netflix documentaries sometimes get a bad rep. This one has its flaws too, but it's certainly worth watching.
Over the course of three episodes, you get a detailed image of what went wrong in the months leading up to Woodstock and the climax at the festival itself.
The seeds were planted in the aftermath of Woodstock 94 and the days leading up to Woodstock 99. 94 did not make enough money, so they wanted 99 to compensate for that by cutting costs and maximizing profits. To subcontractors who inevitably did not deliver. Who woulda thunk it?
This leads to the type of price gouging and bad service that only served to (further) infuriate the crowd.
A crowd that over the course of the festival became
- drugged up
- dehydrated
- under-shadowed - is that a word?/sunburnt
- taken for a ride (and not in a good way)
Agression released by Limp Bizkit, escalating in a night of debauchery, a lot of consensual sex, and a lot of non consensual sex. The security was a joke (because of course, cost cutting), so nobody had the authority to stop it.
And then the third day. Between an in hindsight infuriating press conference (everything is well Madame Marquis), the infected water, a surprise super headliner who was not there,... And the candles... Oh my goodness, the candles,... As well intentioned as it may have been... if the organisation had any idea of what was going on in the field, they would have realized the boneheaded nature of this idea. The saddest part is that, at first, it seems to go well. But then of course all hell breaks loose. And then a celebration of peace and love ends with the organisation barricading their own offices and having to call in the goddamn national guard.
The musicians only get a short bit of speaking time and only Fatboy Slim does a bit of introspection. Jonathan Davis is right about security, but how much has he reflected on his own part in all of this? And where was Fred Durst? Why did this tough guy nu metal rapper did not have the time or courage to answer a few tough questions?
Sadly, the people in the organisation rarely show any intropsection themselves or admit much guilt to what happened.
The only silver lining is that some of the women in the documentary credited the events for planting the seed of ideas and thoughts what would later become the metoo-movement. Other than that, it's just a very sad story.
TJ...once again, You review stuff right before I see it
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This was VERY good, although CLUSTERFUCK might have been a good subtitle as well. Such POOR planning by the organizers, such greed (taking away the attendees food/water and charging such high amounts-$4 for a bottle of water?!?), having the event on tarmac in the middle of summer with the heat index so high and no shade, way too much stimulation (all the Nu-Metal bands plus the various tents throughout), a lot of drunken Frat boy types with no worries about answering for their behavior and lastly, very destructive Mob mentality.
I realize and understand that the promotors wanted to make a profit, but there is also disgust how they didn't seem to admit to any problems or take blame. By the way, I don't think Fred Durst could walk and chew gum at the same time. A good performer knows how to keep the excitement level up, but if necessary, tone things down. He was beyond foolish to exhort the crowd to "Break stuff", and not realizing what would happen.
Watching things like this make Me feel more than ever that there should be a limit on alcohol at events, especially large ones like this. I can't even begin to imagine how wasted they were, especially during the Port-A-Potty snafu
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I would give this **** also