DVD News

Dylan’s Don’t Look Back gets 2-disc collector’s edition

By Patrick Luce Nov 23, 2006, 13:20 GMT

Four decades ago, innovative filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker chronicled the ’65 tour of a 23-year-old American rock poet named Bob Dylan. This influential and intimate film Dont Look Back (originally released in 1967) became the gold standard for music documentaries and helped to define the genre.

Now, Docurama commemorates this landmark achievement with the ultimate version on DVD - Bob Dylan: Dont Look Back – 65 Tour Deluxe Edition available on Feb. 27th for the suggested retail price of $49.95. The 2-disc collector’s set, highlighted by a digital transfer of the original film, also features Pennebaker’s brand new, hour long work, Bob Dylan 65 Revisited, the original 1968 companion book to the film, collectible packaging, and more. More than just a concert film, this ground-breaking documentary is a window into the spirit of the ‘60s, and one of the poet-musicians whose words and songs defined a generation.A must have for every Dylan fan, classic rock music collector and film buff, Bob Dylan: Dont Look Back – 65 Tour Deluxe Edition features the meticulously digitally remastered original feature film, as well as Bob Dylan 65 Revisited, Pennebaker’s newly edited feature culled from countless hours of never-before-seen archival footage shot during the tour through England, providing a fresh “fly on the wall” perspective of the young musician on the road and on the rise. The definitive set also contains two photo-laden books – a rare, collectible reproduction of the 168-page companion Dont Look Back book and a “Subterranean Homesick Blues” flip book, providing a frame-by-frame look at what many consider to be the very first music video. Also featured are a full-length audio commentary by Pennebaker and Dylan’s tour manager (and artist in his own right) Bob Neuwirth, as well as a new Bob Dylan 65 Revisited commentary by the pair. Additional bonus material includes an alternate version of the now-famous “Subterranean Homesick Blues” cue-card sequence, and the original theatrical trailer, a D.A. Pennebaker filmography, a Bob Dylan discography, and cast and crew biographies, all housed in collectible packaging, assuring fans an immersive Dylan experience in three mediums: film, music and print. When rock music’s elusive Bob Dylan combined forces with acclaimed political documentary-maker D.A. Pennebaker and his cinema verité style of filmmaking, the result became the most intimate glimpse of the rock legend ever put on film. Pennebaker’s hand-held camera and raw, unobtrusive style caught Dylan during his best performances and his most intimate moments, and Dylan’s manager Alan Grossman, folk goddess Joan Baez, The Animals’ Alan Price, Marianne Faithful and Donovan add to the circus that is a rock music tour. Dont Look Back was not only Pennebaker’s first music film (Monterey Pop, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Elaine Stritch at Liberty, etc. followed), it is considered the foremost rock documentary, and raised the bar for documentaries of any subject. “Don't Look Back is an uncompromising look at an artist dealing with the burdens of fame while trying to grow, and is required viewing for all music fans,” (AllMovie.com). In 1998, Dont Look Back joined a very select group of culturally significant films when it was nominated to the prestigious National Film Registry. As Don’t Look Back chronicles the beginning of Bob Dylan’s successful career, his latest works continue to enthrall both new and original fans alike. Dylan’s most recent release, “Modern Times,” debuted at the top of the Billboard album charts, Martin Scorsese’s Dylan documentary No Direction Home recently aired on PBS, and I’m Not There, a new feature film starring a virtual who’s who of Hollywood - Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Adrien Brody, Heath Ledger, Julianne Moore and Richard Gere - is slated for release in mid-2007.