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06/24/06
Only the Strong Survive (2003)
64 %
Reviews Counted: 44 Fresh: 28 Rotten:16 Average Rating: 6/10
Consensus:
Though this documentary could be more informative, the performances themselves are wonderful.
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Theatrical Release: May 9, 2003 Limited
Synopsis: Influential documentarian D.A. Pennebaker, perhaps best known for his 1967 Bob Dylan documentary DON'T LOOK BACK, co-directs ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE, a fascinating look at some of the most influential soul musicians from the 1960s and 1970s. Pennebaker's film centers around the... [More]
Genre: Musical & Performing Arts
Starring: William Bell, Isaac Hayes, Sam Moore, Wilson Pickett, Rufus Thomas
Reviews
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08/07/04
you get the feeling that Hegedus and Pennebaker couldn't care less about soul music.
02/07/04
I would have prefered deeper insights... [but] as a concert film, this one’s a blast.
01/31/04
There's no problem with a little bias, but Friedman's fan-boy perspective puts the subjects of Only the Strong Survive on too high a pedestal.
06/26/03
Content to merely serve as a cluttered, heart-shaped scrapbook, missing many more stories than it bothers to include.
05/28/03
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05/17/03
Invaluable as a record of its subjects (including the late, great Rufus Thomas), but it doesn't cohere as a feature...
05/15/03
Top Critic
A loving look at soul's golden era that leaves you wanting more; a disappointment in some respects because it doesn't craft a more comprehensive, cohesive background.
05/12/03
The scrappy country cousin to the high-gloss Standing in the Shadows of Motown.
05/11/03
These survivors share a timelessness and a universality that remain untouched by the fickle shifts of popular culture.
05/10/03
Fortunately, the performances themselves are beautifully filmed and recorded.
05/09/03
Top Critic
A film that even with its flaws should be cheered for preserving the later years of these towering musical talents.
05/09/03
Top Critic
Worth the time and money some of the summer's effects-driven spectacles probably won't be.
05/09/03
Top CriticRelated Forums
ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE proves that R&B won't die as long as the mike is on!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 6/11/05
by: REEL_REVIEWER 6/11/05
ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE proves that R&B won't die as long as the mike is on!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 6/11/05
by: REEL_REVIEWER 6/11/05
ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE proves that R&B won't die as long as the mike is on!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 6/11/05
by: REEL_REVIEWER 6/11/05
ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE proves that R&B won't die as long as the mike is on!!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 6/11/05
by: REEL_REVIEWER 6/11/05
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