New Dylan at Newport DVD is an instant classic

I wasn't old enough to be at Newport in the early sixties, but what happened there shaped my development and a music fan and person. Now we see for the first time a faithful filmed recording of Bob Dylan at Newport 1963, '64, and '65, courtesy of the new Murray Lerner film The Other Side of the Mirror, released this month on public television, in theaters and on DVD.

Of the many Newport retrospectives available, this is the film for your DVD collection, a rare sharp focus on a great artist's early years as he finds his unique voice. What I am most struck by is, first, the youth and innocence of the 1963 Dylan, and then how imperceptibly sophistication displaced it. By the time he plugs in for "Like a Rolling Stone" in 1965, he is a confident artist leading his fans down a new path.

For full reviews, see the New York Times and Pop Matters. We have it selected as the featured DVD in our comprehensive selection of festival films available in our DVD store, where you browse more than 60 DVDs by genre or select from our all-time best list of festival films.