Widespread Panic: The Earth Will Swallow You

It's hard to explain why I rented this. I'd been hearing the name Widespread Panic a lot, but I didn't have a clue what they sounded like. I guess I figured that renting a documentary about them would be a good way to find out if they were any good. I did the same thing with that Wilco movie, I am Trying to Break Your Heart. Wilco didn't really impress me, but they didn't suck half as bad as Widespread Panic.

What we have here is one of those fawning documentaries made by an obvious fan of the band. The whole point of the movie is to show how unbelievably brilliant Widespread Panic is. Unfortunately, the band's music could best be described as hippie bullshit. So, the fumbling video camera follows them around to a couple of shows and a recording session. The guys in the band don't really do or say anything halfway interesting.

There is one good moment in the movie, though. During the first concert they show, the camera focuses on these two good-looking girls in the audience. One of them is just jumping around all over the place, and it's totally obvious that she's not wearing a bra. It's a very quick shot, but it's still the best part of the movie.

Anyway, if you're into this kind of hippie shit, you might like The Earth Will Swallow You for the music, but don't expect a great documentary.

*** out of ten for the visuals
* out of ten for the subject matter
* out of ten for entertainment value

Average Score- 1.6 points out of ten
Bottom Line- HIPPIE SYCOPHANT MOVIE