Year of the Horse

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Year of the Horse ★★ 1997 (R)

Jarmusch's documentary on the nearly 30-year rock phenomenon of Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Looking as gritty as some of Horse's riffs sound, pic intercuts footage of the band's performances in ‘76, ‘86, and the latest ‘96 European and U.S. tours shot on Super-8, High Fi-8 video, and 16 mm. Jarmusch wisely lets songs run full-length with complete performances intact, though lesser fans of the band may not be as thrilled about that. Falls short in capturing the spirit and essence of the band and their drive to stay together after all these years, but does show some cool behind-the-scenes moments that make it worthwhile to rock fans. 107m/C VHS, DVD. D: Jim Jarmusch.