HBO A still from 'Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage'
The latest documentary coming to TV is “Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage,” premiering Friday, July 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.
If you don’t have cable, you’ll be able to watch “Woodstock 99” via HBO Max after it airs on HBO, but HBO Max no longer offers a free trial, so here are some other ways you can watch “Woodstock 99” online:
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Amazon Prime’s HBO Channel
Amazon Prime subscribers (Prime comes with a 30-day free trial) can watch all live and on-demand HBO content on the Prime HBO channel. You can try both Amazon Prime and the HBO Channel at no cost with a free trial right here:
Once you’re signed up for the Prime HBO Channel, you can watch “Woodstock 99” live or on-demand on the Amazon Video app on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Nvidia Shield, Xiaomi, Echo Show or Echo Spot, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, various Smart TV’s, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch on your computer via the Amazon website.
AT&T TV
AT&T TV has four different channel packages: “Entertainment”, “Choice”, “Ultimate” and “Premier.” HBO is only included in the “Premier” package, but right now the “Choice” and up bundles all come with HBO Max at no extra cost. Plus, you can include any package and any add-on you want with your free 14-day trial.
Note that the free trial isn’t advertised as such, but your “due today” amount will be $0 when signing up. If you watch on your computer, phone or tablet, you won’t be charged for 14 days. If you watch on a streaming device on your TV (Roku, Firestick, Apple TV, etc.), you will be charged for the first month, but you can get still get a full refund if you cancel before 14 days:
Once signed up for AT&T TV, you can watch “Woodstock 99” live or on-demand on the AT&T TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet.
Or you can watch on your computer via the AT&T TV website.
Hulu
Whether you already have Hulu or you want to sign up for a new subscription, HBO is available as an add-on to either Hulu or Hulu with Live TV. If you’re a new subscriber, you can start a free 30-day trial of regular Hulu plus the HBO add-on:
Once signed up, you can watch “Woodstock 99” live or on-demand on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet.
Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
‘Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage’ Preview
“Woodstock 99” is the first film in HBO’s Music Box series, which is a “collection of documentary films exploring pivotal moments in the music world,” according to the HBO press release.
This first film is being released on the 22nd anniversary of the music festival and it aims to examine “how an iconic celebration of harmony descended into mayhem.”
The press release continues:
“Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage” tells the story of Woodstock 99, a three-day music festival promoted to echo unity and counterculture idealism of the original 1969 concert but instead devolved into riots, looting, and sexual assaults. The grim outcome earned the event the infamous distinction of “the day the nineties died.”
“Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage” focuses a spotlight on American youth at the end of the millennium, in the shadow of Columbine and the looming hysteria of Y2K, pinpointing a moment in time when the angst of a generation galvanized into a seismic, cultural shift. Set to a soundtrack of the era’s most aggressive rock bands, the film also reappraises the 1960s mythos, revealing hard truths about the dangers of rose-tinted nostalgia in the age of commercialism and bottom-line profits.
[The documentary] unfolds over three blazing hot days and nights of nonstop performances and heaving mosh pits in July 1999, and examines how the festival eventually collapsed under the weight of its own misguided ambition. The musical lineup reflected acts that dominated MTV and radio airwaves at the time and leaned heavily towards artists catering to a young, male demographic. Intense heat, lack of adequate sanitation and access to free drinking water agitated a crowd already at a breaking point. Shortcuts and cost-cutting measures had diminished security, allowing the anger and frustration of the mob to explode into unchecked rioting and destruction. As much as Woodstock 69 became known as a celebration of peace and inclusion, Woodstock 99 became a flashpoint for burgeoning white toxic masculinity.
Brimming with the high-energy vibrancy of a rock documentary, the film takes us onstage with the bands, behind-the-scenes with the organizers and to the cramped campsites, overflowing bathrooms and marauding groups of young men with alarming immediacy and access. The film includes expert insight from multiple points of view, including from organizers Michael Lang and John Scher, as well as from culture critics Wesley Morris, Maureen Callahan and Steven Hyden. First-hand accounts from musicians, including The Roots’ Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, Korn’s Jonathan Davis, Moby, Jewel, The Offspring, Creed’s Scott Stapp and festival attendees give an unfiltered perspective of the events, shedding light on how a weekend rooted in music and unity descended into chaos.
Subsequent films in the Music Box series include:
“Jagged”: An intimate exploration of Alanis Morissette and her groundbreaking 1995 album Jagged Little Pill; directed by Alison Klayman
“Untitled DMX”: A film with rare access to the late rapper after his release from prison – a portrait of a man struggling with addiction, fame, and his inner demons in the final years of his life; directed by Christopher Frierson
“Listening to Kenny G”: An examination of the most popular instrumentalist of all time and why he is polarizing to so many; directed by Penny Lane
“Mr. Saturday Night”: The untold story of Robert Stigwood and how he amped the disco era; directed by John Maggio
“Untitled Juice WRLD”: A film exploring how the late hip-hop star impacted a genre during his short life; directed by Tommy Oliver
“Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage” premieres Friday, July 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.