Coming quickly to an IMAX theater close to you is The Grateful Useless Film! In a little bit of a shock addition to the 2025 film schedule, the much-loved live performance movie from 1977 (recorded at a collection of exhibits in 1974), The Grateful Useless Film, has gotten a full refresh for IMAX and is operating for a restricted time over the subsequent couple of weeks in lots of markets. I’m as enthusiastic about this as I used to be concerning the Led Zeppelin documentary launched earlier this 12 months.
After I was in faculty, we had a few rituals. Each night time earlier than we went out, we’d combine White Russians and watch The Large Lebowski, and extra occasions than not, we’d come house and slide our well-worn VHS tape of The Grateful Useless Film into our machine and sit back to the magic coming from our 27-inch tube TV. I can’t wait to see the film not solely in theaters, however in IMAX. There are three issues I’m significantly wanting ahead to.
The Theatrical Debut Of Two Songs Not Included In The Unique Film
When you’re not aware of the film, it was filmed over 4 nights in October of 1974, which was billed as the ultimate Grateful Useless exhibits (the band’s “breakup” didn’t final lengthy). The unique film was launched on June 1, 1977, and included 11 songs (12 in the event you embrace the jam from “He’s Gone”) filmed through the run on the Winterland Ballroom within the band’s hometown of San Francisco.
Two songs not included within the authentic movie are “China Cat Sunflower,” which segues into “I Know You Rider” (as was nearly at all times the case on the band’s live shows). The footage of “China->Rider” has been remastered together with the remainder of the movie and shall be included as a bonus on the finish of the 2 and half hour movie. This isn’t the primary time the footage has been included in a launch of the film, however it’s the first time it’ll be proven in theaters.
The Opening Animation
It’s lengthy been Grateful Useless lore that the opening animation, by Gary Gutierrez, value as a lot as half of the movie’s finances and actually nearly put the band out of enterprise, as they have been self-financing the film. Whether or not it was price it or not is debatable, however embrace me within the camp that firmly believes it was. It’s a bit of dated and type of tacky, however the photographs are really iconic, and if you see that skeleton on the bike, it oozes that nice Grateful Useless artwork type.
That Morning Dew!
“Morning Dew” is a kind of songs the place the band, particularly Jerry Garcia’s singing and guitar taking part in, really transcended time and area. Typically used as a climactic conclusion to the band’s second set, when it was at its finest, it might be fully magical. The model right here, taken from the October 18th, 1974 present, is unimaginable, and I do know seeing it on the IMAX display screen with a theater filled with Deadheads ought to be wonderful.
There are different moments I’m enthusiastic about too, just like the well-known fan on the rail bopping up and down throughout “U.S. Blues,” and the energetic “Goin’ Down the Highway Feeling Unhealthy.” It’s going to be a enjoyable night time on the films with among the finest live performance movies ever made.