For the rock & roll collector—-and the hard-toking Bonnaroo-goer—-concert and festival DVDs have become essential stocking stuffers, even though many are subpar. Films of music festivals, in particular, “have become warmed-over buffets, in which you get one number each from a handful of bands (often not the best number, either) along with obligatory crowd-pans and artlessly wiggling young women,” writes Ted Scheinman in our Music in Review issue. But, he says, there are still some gems out there:

The Last Waltz is a remarkable film, but it shouldn’t take a Scorsese to make a concert movie that repays repeat viewing. Even in a year that offered marketers many routes to consumers’ wallets—the 40th anniversary of Woodstock! the eighth anniversary of Bonnaroo!—there were few glimmers of hope—and enough turkeys to sate the enhanced appetites of audiences at Bonnaroo, Gathering of the Vibes, and Burning Man combined.

He looks at newly released—-and rereleased—-footage of John Lennon, Woodstock, Otis Redding, and more. Read the full article here.