The Real Bob Dylan vs. Ronnie Hawkins as Bob Dylan in "Renaldo and Clara," Atlantic International, 1978

Dylan as Renaldo, "Renaldo and Clara" (1978) vs. Ronnie Hawkins as Bob Dylan, "Renaldo and Clara" (1978)

Sam Shepard co-wrote the balladeer's little-seen, schizophrenic tangle of concert footage (from his 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue tour), home-movie indulgence, doc footage about Rubin "Hurricane" Carter and half-stoned fictional bits played by famous backstagers -- including ex-wife Sara Dylan, ex-lover Joan Baez and Harry Dean Stanton as an escaped convict. Like a poor man's Robert Downey Sr. film, it's a countercultural curiosity at best, not least for having the last known footage of activist folkster Phil Ochs. Bearded, burly bluesman Hawkins "plays" Dylan after a clueless announcer accidentally mistakes him in a genuine caught moment, but his subsequent scenes have little to do with the fleeting joke. The Real Dylan, on the other hand, couldn't come off any more pretentious, but who cares? He doesn't just sing, he sermonizes "Isis," rejiggers "It Ain't Me Babe" to pulsate, and starts the show in a plastic Halloween mask over a face full of clown white.

Winner: Real Bob Dylan

[Additional photos: "Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid," MGM, 1973; "Factory Girl," Weinstein Co., 2006; "Masked and Anonymous," Sony Pictures Classics, 2003; "Tunnel Vision," International Harmony, 1976]

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woodstock

I loved your article on Dylan, there ain't nothin' like the real thing baby, I'm overjoyed that he's enjoying this wildly successful career so late in life, I'm 67, so I'm just right there, been right there all of his career and I catch his show whenever possible, he doesn't come to Tucson very often, I'd love to catch the ballpark tour coming my way in August. Oh, I adored the film, thought Kate was incrediblely good, even better than that, genius really. My comment on the film is that it was chaotic, just as his life has been. Thank you for a very nice article

1234

Jesus, we get it, you like Dylan. Was this list really neccessary? It's just you saying how much you like Dylan over and over again.

1234

Hey, OH WHI DO U LIKE DYLAN HE IS GAY!!!!!! WHY WULD NE1 CARE ABOUT HIM HES 2 OLDDD & IM A LIL'JAGOFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

djashish

Bob Dylan,he is too good man,he very well knows what allures his fan