| Buy the DVD |   |
| Genre: | Musicals |
| Year: | 1978 |
| Rating: | PG |
| Length: | 1h 57mins |
| Cast: | Martin Scorsese, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Diamond |
Whether you subscribe to notion that The Last Waltz really was the last waltz -- a matches-flaming final encore for the American rock of the `60s -- or a farewell concert overfreighted by some fans with cultural import, there's no escaping its sheer brilliance as a film. Restored and sonically enhanced for its 25th anniversary and DVD debut, The Last Waltz is a searing musical party with soaring ambitions that rarely disappoints. At the time, director Martin Scorsese was in the middle of filming New York, New York, the much-anticipated follow-up to his one-two punch of Taxi Driver and Mean Streets. This groundbreaking concert film-cum-documentary afforded Scorsese -- who had served as an editor on Michael Wadleigh's Woodstock -- another chance to apply his craft to nonfiction; and together with Band frontman Robbie Robertson he crafted a film of mythic proportions. The premise was simple: The Band -- roots rockers long before roots rock became a Grammy-graced movement (see O Brother, Where Art Thou? and its concert spinoff, Down from the Mountain) -- paid homage to significant influences and invited like-minded friends to join in. One by one, the group is joined by Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell, Muddy Waters, Dr. John, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond, and Neil Young. A satisfying, earthy vibe simmers throughout the evening, and the re-recorded sound makes everything percolate -- it's like comparing Mr. Coffee to Starbucks. The Last Waltz Special Edition is a wonderland of special features, including previously unseen jam footage, audio commentary with Scorsese and Robertson, and a new featurette, "Revisiting The Last Waltz." It's one of the year's best DVDs, and we're especially glad MGM pulled this one out of the time capsule and dusted it off. Greg Fagan
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