Leon Gast Movies
Leon Gast is known for making such seminal documentaries as Hell's Angels Forever and the Oscar-winning chronicle of the 1974 landmark fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, When We Were Kings (1996). He is especially noted for presenting his subjects with rare compassion and insight. A native of Jersey City, NJ, Gast studied dramatic arts at Columbia University, but dropped out shortly before graduation to work on the television series High Adventure with Lowell Thomas. A documentary show centered on expeditions to seldom-seen places the world over, it provided Gast the opportunity to travel extensively. While attending these away shoots, he observed carefully and began learning how to make non-fiction films. During the 1960s and 1970s, Gast became famous for his still photography and his work appeared in such magazines as Vogue, Esquire, and Harper's Bazaar. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 2010
This musical release offers a collection of some of the best moments in live rock history, with selected performances by twelve different rock and roll greats, including BB King, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, James Brown, Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, Rolling Stones, The Doors, John Lennon, and others. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
Years before the word "paparazzi" had any meaning for most Americans, Ron Galella exemplified the new breed of celebrity photographers who specialized in shots of stars with their guards down, and he was wildly successful in the 1960s and '70s while also making more than a few enemies among the wealthy and famous. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, one of Galella's favorite subjects, took him to court in 1972 to prevent him from obsessively following her (Galella was given a restraining order preventing him from coming within 150 feet of her for the rest of her life), while in 1973 Marlon Brando took a more direct approach, punching the photographer in the face and breaking his jaw as Galella tried to snap his picture. While Galella seemingly has little sense of shame or propriety about his work, he also had a gift for capturing exciting images on the run, and unlike most of his peers his work has been shown in galleries around the world and he's widely regarded as the most gifted artist in his chosen field. Filmmaker Leon Gast offers a look at the public and private sides of Ron Galella in the documentary Smash His Camera, in which he talks about his career, his attitude abut celebrity culture, and his run-ins with some of his subjects. Smash His Camera was an official selection at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Presented in conjunction with the landmark "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match between famed pugilists Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, Zaire '74 was a three-day music festival in Kinshasa that was organized by South African musician Hugh Masekela and American record producer Stewart Levine, and featured performances by such famed musicians as James Brown, Bill Withers, and B.B. King, among others. Many of the American musicians performing at Zaire '74 had been emboldened by the American Civil Rights movement, and saw their journey to Africa as a unique opportunity not just to perform for a new set of enthusiastic fans, but to explore their roots as well. However, while the forward-thinking promoters of Zaire '74 hired a talented team of documentary filmmakers to capture everything from the setup to the performances to everyday life in Kinshasa, the project ran into trouble when the Liberian investment group that financed the festival and film ran into some rather serious legal disputes. For the next three decades, the remarkable footage would sit untouched and unedited -- a valuable sociohistorical artifact seemingly forgotten, and left to succumb to the ravages of time. Later, in 1996, the rights were settled in order to help facilitate the completion of When We Were Kings, an Academy Award-winning documentary focusing on the very same Ali/Foreman match that took place alongside the Zaire '74 music festival. Recognizing the need to assemble the neglected Zaire '74 footage while it was still possible, When We Were Kings editor Jeffrey Levy-Hinte made it his own personal mission to see the long gestating project through to completion. The result is not simply a concert film featuring some of the most popular African and American musicians of the era, but also a pure cinéma vérité glimpse into a time when the musical crossover between the two nations was just beginning to emerge. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Essentially a cinematic love letter to the game of basketball, this documentary was helmed by filmmaker Leon Gast, the Academy Award-winning director of When We Were Kings. Featuring such basketball luminaries as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kobe Bryant, the film explores the game's modern roots on the blacktop courts of urban America and charts its rise to one of the most popular sports in the world. 1 Love screened at Norway's 2003 Filmquart Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
In 1974, boxers Muhammad Ali and George Foreman came to the still-emerging and politically unstable African nation of Zaire for what Ali called the "Rumble in the Jungle," a highly publicized world heavyweight championship fight. Documentarian Leon Gast flew to Zaire to film both the fight and a music festival (featuring B.B. King, The Pointer Sisters, and Miriam Makeba) organized by promoter Don King. Gast's footage was shelved for 22 years due to legal and financial problems, but when it was finally released in 1996, When We Were Kings provided a vivid portrait of the controversial Ali. At 33, he was considered past his prime for the Zaire fight, and his refusal to serve in the U.S. military on moral grounds was still an issue in the minds of many. But here, Ali displays strength, skill, intelligence, and tremendous charm, making it clear how he became one of the most renowned figures in the world of sports. And, while George Foreman is best known today as a genial commercial pitchman, he's seen here as a strong, forbidding opponent, not especially articulate and seemingly unstoppable. The film also features interviews with several notable fight fans, including Norman Mailer, George Plimpton, and Spike Lee. A fascinating document of a great moment in sporting and cultural history, When We Were Kings received an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and won a Special Jury Recognition Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 1983
- R
This semi-documentary offers an interesting look at the infamous biker organization and makes the slightly slanted point, that despite their reputation as hell-raisers and violent thugs-on-wheels, they do in fact live by a strict code of honor and a genuine love of the road. The film chronicles their initial formation in the early '50s and features appearances by such performers as Willie Nelson, Jerry Garcia, and Johnny Paycheck. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Even if you're not a "Deadhead," you'll find much to enjoy in The Grateful Dead Movie. This grandiosely labelled "Movie" is a free-form documentary of the Frisco-based rock group, replete with animation sequences and precious concert clips. Jerry Garcia, the head Dead, is credited as co-director. Given Mr. Garcia's legendary preoccupation with controlled substances, it's more than likely that some of the trippier passages can be attributed to him. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- The Grateful Dead, Susan R. Crutcher, (more)
- 1974
- NR
When Muhammad Ali and George Foreman staged their heavyweight title fight in Zaire in 1974, a three-day music festival was held in tandem with the bout, and headliner B.B. King proved why he's regarded as the world's premier blues guitarist with this dynamic concert performed for an audience of 80,000 African fans (look carefully to spot Ali enjoying the show). Songs include "The Thrill Is Gone," "I Like to Live the Love I Sing About," "Why I Sing the Blues," and "Sweet Sixteen." ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 1974
The famous Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammed Ali and George Foreman consisted of more than just the fight. A music festival was held before the famous bout. Many of the performances were captured by documentary filmmaker Leon Gast, whose film about the event When We Were Kings won the Oscar for Best Documentary. This concert film features footage of the legendary Celia Cruz performing at that event along with such celebrated musicians as Ray Barretto, Larry Harlow, Nicky Marrero, and many others. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Johnny Pacheco, Santos Colon, (more)
- 1972
This film, shot all over Spanish Harlem in New York City, explores the musical celebrations of that city's Puerto Rican population. Among the many artists featured are Johnny Pacheco, El Conde, and Ismael Miranda. Izzy Sanabria serves as the emcee and is the artist who made the film's graffiti credits. The main setting for these musical offerings is a nightclub called "Cheetah." Featuring mostly musical performances, this Spanish-language film has English subtitles for the few occasions when a narration is provided. One of the delights of this film is the glimpse it gives into this lively community. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
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