The third (!) appearance of this 1977 documentary this year (after its Blu-ray debut and its inclusion in the Dead’s 14 DVD box set) ensures that any fan of the veteran San Francisco band can own a re-mastered, expanded copy of what is generally considered the best video presentation of the Dead in their heyday. Blessed by no less an authority than Jerry Garcia (who gets co-direction credits), the two hour original film mixes footage of devotees generally waxing ecstatic about the Dead with what was at the time cutting edge animations and plenty of pristinely recorded live performances to provide a well-rounded look at the Grateful Dead phenomenon, still going strong 35 years after its original release. An extra disc adds 11 additional tunes, adding up to 95 more minutes of performance video and other extras to make this the ultimate package for Deadheads or those wondering what all the fuss has been about for the past 40 plus years.   

– Hal Horowitz