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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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Bittersweet Motel
Stranger Than Fiction Films
FILM:
MPAA RATING: Not rated
Starring
Trey Anastasio,
Jon Fishman,
Mike Gordon,
and
Page McConnell
Todd Phillips direct this documentary look at Phish, following the Vermont-based band on several concert tours.
| GENRE(S): |
Documentary
|
| DIRECTED BY: |
Todd Phillips
|
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: March 6, 2001
Video: March 6, 2001
Theatrical: August 25, 2000
|
| RUNNING TIME: |
82 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: |
USA |

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
83
Entertainment Weekly
Owen Gleiberman
It's like Woodstock without the mud, and it leaves you feeling clean.

75
San Francisco Examiner
Wesley Morris
A crafty, sometimes craven, but hardly worshipful snapshot of an unlikely candidate for biggest rock act on earth.
75
Portland Oregonian
Michael Evans
Makes a fine primer on one of today's most intriguingly creative and surreptitiously popular acts.
67
Austin Chronicle
Marc Savlov
Manages to capture the essence of one of the world's most surprising success stories.

63
New York Post
Dan Aquilante
Fans will love this quick flick by director Todd Phillips, but it better serves as an introduction for the uninitiated.
60
Washington Post
Richard Harrington
You don't have to be a Phishead to enjoy Bittersweet Motel.

50
Chicago Tribune
Greg Kot
A documentary that will likely leave Phish diehards hankering for more, and everybody else still wondering what all the fuss is about.
50
Village Voice
Michael Atkinson
As homey as old sweats.

50
Variety
Dennis Harvey
Well-made if not particularly insightful docu should be catnip to Phishheads, while the previously unconverted are likely to stay that way.

50
San Francisco Chronicle
James Sullivan
There are just enough revelatory moments to recommend the movie.

50
Philadelphia Inquirer
Dan DeLuca
It falls short of its tie-dye target.
50
TV Guide
Maitland McDonagh
Clearly Phish's appeal is fundamentally experiential, and the experience doesn't lend itself to being captured on film.

40
Los Angeles Times
Steve Hochman
A film without a framework, without a skeleton--a Phish philet, if you will.

40
Chicago Reader
J.R. Jones
None of these guys has much interesting to say.

40
LA Weekly
Hazel-Dawn Dumpert
Never really gets across the essence of who the band members are and why they inspire such fidelity.

38
Baltimore Sun
Ann Hornaday
Little more than an electronic press kit for the band, produced for the benefit of its fans.
30
The New York Times
Stephen Holden
Bland, unrevealing.


The average user rating for this movie is 10.0 (out of 10) based on 1 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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