I saw this when it was originally on TV and it is still one of the best documentaries of the sixties that I've ever seen. I'm still hoping it will be rereleased one day..
I remember the early '60's as almost an extension of the '50's. Then Kennedy said let's enrich things a little and that was Hopeful. The lingering thing in the background was the Folk movement which introduced another way of thinking and reflecting, and then civil rights came into focus legitimizing it further. Vietnam vomited up from the Red scare and patience was worn. By' '68 onward the explosion was Enormous! The '60's was the era of "WHY" and planting the seeds for" 'now solve This'!"
Mr. Hoffman, many people inquire about the name of the title track, and although it is by composer Ara Dinkjian, I cannot seem to locate the exact song on any of his albums. It would be a great help to those of us who were moved by your documentary, and his music, if you could point us in the right direction. Thanks!
@ranafrg4224 I'm afraid that I cannot tell you more about the name of the song are used from Mr. Dinkjian's album. He is a wonderful composer to be sure. He does have a website but YouTube does not let me leave it in this post. This piece is on his first album I believe.
@acerb45666555 Manson and Altmont were California horrible incidents. A whole bunch of things ended the 60s and moved people on. Look at the clips that I present from my last show of the series which gives a sense of what happened to those active in the 60s generation as they moved on throughout the 1970s.
10:20 - When I saw this series in 1991, I remember thinking "who the hell is Phil Ochs--and where's Dylan?" But I liked "I Ain't Marching" and the "Talking Cuban Crisis" and eventually found out enough about Ochs to agree that he was more representative of the "protest folk singer." Sadly, he has been largely written out of history--more power to this series for giving him his due. Hopefully, with this year's documentary "Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune", more people will discover him.
@Seasass Thank you for your comments. You might be interested to note that the reason that there was almost no Phil Ochs or Bob Dylan in my television series on the 60s is that their agents charged tens of thousands of dollars for 15 or 20 seconds with them in it. I had to choose people who let me use their material for the purposes of telling the story of that time. David Hoffman–filmmaker
@allinaday .............youre "60's",(the revived interest in political change!), was an American thing. but now its ours in this century in the form of Brigette DePape! = the Rogue Parliamentary Page! for her to stand alone and face down an entire government was mind blowing!
when mmost people think about the 1960's, they think that on january first of 1960, everything went from safe, american 50's to woodstock culture. HOW WRONG ARE THEY!? 1960 through 1962 is basically an extension of the 1950's. 1963 through early 1966, isnt that much like the 50's, but no where near the hippie stuff. 160 through 1965, i think were the best time for sixties. cuz they were life the 50's, but with a little more flair.
@theotherguy245689 If that is really what most people think about the 1960's nowadays, then this series needs to be made required viewing in the public schools. It does a pretty good job of tracing the gradual development of all the currents that contributed to the sense of dynamism and unrest during that time.
In our last presidential election (2008), no matter who you were voting for:
If you were voting about abortion, if you were voting about taxes, if you were voting about healthcare, the environment, war and the military-industrial complex, or any of the salient issues, even just wanting to see a woman or person of color in the executive office; all found modern genesis from the years 1955-1975.
Goofball? Over-rated? The 60s generation lives on.
...food stamps, Office of Economic Opportunity, Peace Corps, Community Action Program, Voting Rights Act, unrestrained computer/internet access, Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968, Natl. Motor Vehicle Safety Act, and I could go on and on.
It makes no difference how you feel about it, for or against. The 60s ripple down the years, and you ARE effected by it.
This documentary gives a wonderful glimpse on how important it really was.
@bwelkk That's what they said in the 1970s, but in the 1990s when PBS asked me to, I had to make sense of the 60s, and I worked a year and a half with the crew of 35 to do it. Maybe we didn't fully achieve it, but thousands of high schools and colleges are using my series to make sense of the 60s for the generations coming up now.
3:19......what??!!! if a student is abused in such a foul way, its the facultys job to seek justice!! not persecute the victim!! what blundering bastards! theyre names are "Mudd" for eternity!
considering how drab, dull, boring, and grey "white christian" north america was, im more than happy that hippies brightened up the place! im also happy the natives are back in the saddle!, as they say. native cultures are colorful and lively again, because its all comin back to them!
Wonderful!!!
nickpeacebwu 2 weeks ago
Mr Hoffman,
Is there any way that you could PLEASE upload the entire "Making Sense of the Sixties"? I can't find it ANYWHERE
JJSA1985 3 weeks ago
IS THIS MAKING SENSE OF THE SIXTIES PART 2????????
fotroscopo 2 months ago
@fotroscopo yes it is.
David Hoffman - Filmmaker
allinaday 2 months ago
I saw this when it was originally on TV and it is still one of the best documentaries of the sixties that I've ever seen. I'm still hoping it will be rereleased one day..
stlyrface 5 months ago
Has this or is it going to be released on dvd any time soon? I've got my old vhs recording of it from years ago, but I'd like a better version.
MaryLenehan 6 months ago
what is the acoustic song at the beginning?
zakkyvicious1 6 months ago
That song at 04:30 is sung at the beginning of the show "Weeds".
MPedroful 6 months ago
I remember the early '60's as almost an extension of the '50's. Then Kennedy said let's enrich things a little and that was Hopeful. The lingering thing in the background was the Folk movement which introduced another way of thinking and reflecting, and then civil rights came into focus legitimizing it further. Vietnam vomited up from the Red scare and patience was worn. By' '68 onward the explosion was Enormous! The '60's was the era of "WHY" and planting the seeds for" 'now solve This'!"
pbrucpaul 7 months ago
Mr. Hoffman, many people inquire about the name of the title track, and although it is by composer Ara Dinkjian, I cannot seem to locate the exact song on any of his albums. It would be a great help to those of us who were moved by your documentary, and his music, if you could point us in the right direction. Thanks!
ranafrg4224 7 months ago
@ranafrg4224 I'm afraid that I cannot tell you more about the name of the song are used from Mr. Dinkjian's album. He is a wonderful composer to be sure. He does have a website but YouTube does not let me leave it in this post. This piece is on his first album I believe.
David Hoffman–filmmaker
allinaday 7 months ago
it must have been cool till Manson and Altamont ruined everything.
acerb45666555 8 months ago
@acerb45666555 Manson and Altmont were California horrible incidents. A whole bunch of things ended the 60s and moved people on. Look at the clips that I present from my last show of the series which gives a sense of what happened to those active in the 60s generation as they moved on throughout the 1970s.
David Hoffman–filmmaker
allinaday 8 months ago
10:20 - When I saw this series in 1991, I remember thinking "who the hell is Phil Ochs--and where's Dylan?" But I liked "I Ain't Marching" and the "Talking Cuban Crisis" and eventually found out enough about Ochs to agree that he was more representative of the "protest folk singer." Sadly, he has been largely written out of history--more power to this series for giving him his due. Hopefully, with this year's documentary "Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune", more people will discover him.
Seasass 9 months ago
@Seasass Thank you for your comments. You might be interested to note that the reason that there was almost no Phil Ochs or Bob Dylan in my television series on the 60s is that their agents charged tens of thousands of dollars for 15 or 20 seconds with them in it. I had to choose people who let me use their material for the purposes of telling the story of that time. David Hoffman–filmmaker
allinaday 9 months ago
@allinaday .............youre "60's",(the revived interest in political change!), was an American thing. but now its ours in this century in the form of Brigette DePape! = the Rogue Parliamentary Page! for her to stand alone and face down an entire government was mind blowing!
acerb45666555 8 months ago
@acerb45666555 the agree with your comment. Thank you for it.
David Hoffman–filmmaker
allinaday 8 months ago
when mmost people think about the 1960's, they think that on january first of 1960, everything went from safe, american 50's to woodstock culture. HOW WRONG ARE THEY!? 1960 through 1962 is basically an extension of the 1950's. 1963 through early 1966, isnt that much like the 50's, but no where near the hippie stuff. 160 through 1965, i think were the best time for sixties. cuz they were life the 50's, but with a little more flair.
theotherguy245689 10 months ago in playlist youthquake "protest of the 60's"
@theotherguy245689 If that is really what most people think about the 1960's nowadays, then this series needs to be made required viewing in the public schools. It does a pretty good job of tracing the gradual development of all the currents that contributed to the sense of dynamism and unrest during that time.
Seasass 9 months ago
@Seasass this is what most people think, ask anybody i know, they just dont get it
theotherguy245689 9 months ago
In our last presidential election (2008), no matter who you were voting for:
If you were voting about abortion, if you were voting about taxes, if you were voting about healthcare, the environment, war and the military-industrial complex, or any of the salient issues, even just wanting to see a woman or person of color in the executive office; all found modern genesis from the years 1955-1975.
Goofball? Over-rated? The 60s generation lives on.
OneWorldHistory 1 year ago
...food stamps, Office of Economic Opportunity, Peace Corps, Community Action Program, Voting Rights Act, unrestrained computer/internet access, Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968, Natl. Motor Vehicle Safety Act, and I could go on and on.
It makes no difference how you feel about it, for or against. The 60s ripple down the years, and you ARE effected by it.
This documentary gives a wonderful glimpse on how important it really was.
OneWorldHistory 1 year ago
Goofball... over-rated. Um....
Civil Rights, MLK, NOW, anti-war movements, PBS, Sesame Street, AIM, man-on-the-moon, freedom from religion foundations, the pill, Roe vs. Wade, Natl. Endowment for Arts/Humanities, Medicare/Medicaid, Urban Mass Trans. Act, Consumer Protection Organ., Historical Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, Wilderness Acts, Natl. Water/Trails, neocons!, Natl. Teachers Corp., Head Start,
cont.
OneWorldHistory 1 year ago
If you can make sense of the sixties, you were never really there.
bwelkk 1 year ago
@bwelkk That's what they said in the 1970s, but in the 1990s when PBS asked me to, I had to make sense of the 60s, and I worked a year and a half with the crew of 35 to do it. Maybe we didn't fully achieve it, but thousands of high schools and colleges are using my series to make sense of the 60s for the generations coming up now.
david hoffman - filmmaker
allinaday 1 year ago
The most overated decade in history
nowdid 1 year ago
3:19......what??!!! if a student is abused in such a foul way, its the facultys job to seek justice!! not persecute the victim!! what blundering bastards! theyre names are "Mudd" for eternity!
acerb45666555 2 years ago
considering how drab, dull, boring, and grey "white christian" north america was, im more than happy that hippies brightened up the place! im also happy the natives are back in the saddle!, as they say. native cultures are colorful and lively again, because its all comin back to them!
acerb45666555 2 years ago
what a goofball decade
SHMUJEW 2 years ago
Krypto282 - the composer is Ara Dinkjian and the album is called NIGHTARK. I love his music.
David Hoffman -- filmmaker
allinaday 2 years ago
what is the intro music called?
Krypto282 2 years ago