The best Donovan’s movies
We present our ranking of the best Donovan’s movies. Do you love cinema? Or are you looking for a movie of your favorite actor to watch tonight? Surely you have some to see or that you did not know yet about Donovan.
My Generation
7.1/10
The vivid and inspiring story of British film icon Michael Caine's personal journey through 1960s swinging London.
If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium
6.2/10
A group of travelers from the United States race through seven countries in 18 days.
The Pied Piper
6.4/10
Greed, corruption, ignorance, and disease. Midsummer, 1349: the Black Death reaches northern Germany. Minstrels go to Hamelin for the Mayor's daughter's wedding to the Baron's son. He wants her dowry to pay his army while his father taxes the people to build a cathedral he thinks will save his soul. A local apothecary who's a Jew seeks a treatment for the plague; the priests charge him with witchcraft. One of the minstrels, who has soothed the Mayor's daughter with his music, promises to rid the town of rats for the fee. The Mayor agrees, then renigs. In the morning, the plague, the Jew's trial, and the Piper's revenge come at once.
Dont Look Back
7.9/10
In this wildly entertaining vision of one of the twentieth century’s greatest artists, Bob Dylan is surrounded by teen fans, gets into heated philosophical jousts with journalists, and kicks back with fellow musicians Joan Baez, Donovan, and Alan Price.
Festival
7.5/10
Black and white footage of performances, interviews, and conversations at the Newport Folk Festival, from 1963 to 1966. The headliners are Peter, Paul and Mary, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, and Bob Dylan, who's acoustic and electric. Son House and Mike Bloomfield talk about the blues; John Hurt, Howlin' Wolf, and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee show its range. The Osborne Brothers perform bluegrass. Donovan, Johnny Cash, Judy Collins, Mimi and Dick Farina, and others less well known also perform. Several talk musical philosophy, and there's a running commentary about the nature and appeal of folk music. The crowd looks clean cut.
The Battle of the Mods
5/10
In Liverpool there's a gang war between the Mods (who dress in the latest fashions and styles) and the Rockers (who are more into the '50s "greaser" look). Ricky, the son of a wealthy businessman, is a Mod guitar player, and in a gang fight with some Rockers, his girlfriend is killed. He leaves Liverpool for the continent and winds up in Rome, where he becomes involved with his father's mistress.
Andy Warhol Screen Tests
The films were made between 1964 and 1966 at Warhol's Factory studio in New York City. Subjects were captured in stark relief by a strong key light, and filmed by Warhol with his stationary 16mm Bolex camera on silent, black and white, 100-foot rolls of film at 24 frames per second. The resulting two-and-a-half-minute film reels were then screened in 'slow motion' at 16 frames per second.
All My Loving
6.3/10
Originally a BBC documentary, this film by Tony Palmer about the 1960's music scene was later released as a standalone DVD by the BFI
The Big T.N.T. Show
7.6/10
Live performances by some of the top rock-and-roll acts of the mid 60s. Includes Ray Charles, The Byrds, Joan Baez, Ike and Tina Turner, Donovan, The Lovin' Spoonful, and several more.
Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival
7.6/10
In August 1970, 600,000 fans flocked to the Isle of Wight to witness the third and final festival to be held on the island. Besides the music, they also got a look at the greed, cynicism and corruption that would plague the music industry for years to come. They also witnessed the final, drugged out performance of Jimi Hendrix in England just two weeks before he would meet a tragic death. When it all was over, the fans view of rock and roll was never the same.
David Wants to Fly
6.9/10
A documentary. David Sieveking takes the advice of his idol, David Lynch and tries out Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's transcendental meditation technique.
Aliens from Spaceship Earth
5.8/10
Tries to prove that all great men of the past were actually aliens. While the aliens in this film may seem to be quite human, one must realize that this film is dealing with close encounters of the fourth kind. An inner space journey triggered by the drug culture and rebellion of the sixties, and the non-violent search for self that continues among people in today's culture. Could this be due to some influence from a higher spiritual consciousness? The world's alien leaders are well represented in this film: Baba Muktananda, Swami Satchidananda, A. C. Bhaktivedanta, Guru Maharaj Ji, Yoga Bhahan, Sri Sathya, Sai Baba, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Father Yod, Baba Ram Das, and well-known personalities who present their views on seeking their own terrestrial individuality. Whether inspired by a more highly evolved race than earthlings, or from a visit millions of years ago by space aliens, Aliens from Spaceship Earth are causing great changes on our planet today.
Acoustic At The BBC
A journey through some of the finest moments of acoustic guitar performances from the BBC archives, from Jimmy Page's television debut in 1958 to Noel Gallagher and Biffy Clyro.
Les Chemins perdus
Series of three short 'Pop Films' directed between 1966 - 67 for French television by Philippe Garrel. Includes footage of The Living Theater in rehearsal, interviews with Julian Beck and Judith Malina, Donovan in concert and The Who in the studio recording 'Pictures of Lily'. Re-broadcast on INA in 1984.
Gerard Malanga's Film Notebooks
This compilation of Gerard Malanga's short films consists of a collection of extremely rare footage and film portraits providing candid and interesting glimpses of Bob Dylan, Salvador Dalí, Jane Fonda and The Velvet Underground among other 1960s icons and featuring original music by Angus MacLise, who was the first drummer to perform with The Velvet Underground.
The Old Fashioned Picture Book
Co-directed by Warner Bros. and Hanna-Barbera veteran Tony Benedict and Donovan himself, this live-action/animated short film was released in 1971 to promote Donovan's self-produced children's album "HMS Donovan". Comprised of a live-action seaside picnic framing device and three of the album's songs animated in the style of Scottish artist John 'Patrick' Byrne.
Carnaby Street Undressed
Carnaby Street Undressed is a story of fashion, music and eye opening insights into London's Carnaby Street in its 1960s heyday, told by the owners of the fashion shops that defined the iconic Street, and the popular musicians who were part of the “the scene”. This includes The Who lead sing Roger Daltrey, Donovan, Frank Allen from the Searchers, Gary Leeds from The Walker Brothers, and Peter Noone from Herman’s Hermits. The film is the story of a generation that rebelled against the grey conformity of the 1950s with a cultural revolution emanating from Carnaby Street from where it spread across the globe changing fashion and music forever.
A Boy Called Donovan
Follows Donovan, the Scottish singer/songwriter; his lifestyle: his friends, his haunts and his music. Some 15 songs on a string.
New Musical Express Poll Winners Concert
8.8/10
The U.K.'s New Musical Express poll winners concert. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Searchers, the Moody Blues, Freddie and the Dreamers, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, the Seekers, Herman's Hermits, the Ivy League and Division Two, Sounds Incorporated, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, Cilla Black, Donovan, Them, the Animals, the Kinks.
Ken Russell 'In Search of the English Folk Song'
7.1/10
This documentary begins with Ken Russell posing the question: "What is a true English folk song, if there is such a thing?" After recieving an indifferent response from his dog, Ken journeys around the countryside of England searching for an answer. He bumps into and interviews such famous artists as; Donovan, Fairport Convention, Osibisa, Eliza Carthy, So What, Edward II and The Albion Band among others.
