Inside John Lennon (Unauthorized)

Starring:John Lennon
Studio: PASSPORT VIDEO
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

There's no shortage of redundant documentaries about the life and artistry of John Lennon, but the 80-minute, unauthorized Inside John Lennon manages to cover the same old ground in a refreshing, thoroughly captivating way. The secret: a streamlined production making crisp use of file footage, film clips, and stills that haven't been over-exploited, an unsentimental tone, and an army of interviewees who knew Lennon in ways we don't often hear about. Among the latter are Tony Sheridan, for whom the early Beatles acted as a backup band; various members of Lennon's pre-Beatles group, the Quarrymen; Apple general manager Alistair Taylor; and Julia Baird, Lennon's sister. Choice audio quotes from Paul McCartney and George Martin are pure gold. Though the film covers familiar, major events in Lennon's life, the anecdotes and insights will strike most fans as new, while unguarded opinions of old confidantes are sometimes startling. --Tom Keogh

Description

INSIDE JOHN LENNON is an intimate account of the life and career of the most controversial Beatle. From his difficult beginnings in wartime Liverpool to riding the wave of Beatlemania to becoming a peace activist with his outspoken soulmate,Yoko Ono, John packed a lot into his forty short years.Hear touching and revealing stories from his sister, Julia. Find out how it felt playing alongside John from the Quarry Men themselves. Hear anecdotes from the Beatles' first manager, Allan Williams. And, of course, there is frank, witty, and sometimes blunt commentary from Lennon himself.

Customer Reviews:

Wish there was more...........2006-05-04

The first two-thirds of the dvd is fantastic. Is has freinds and John's sister (who knew he had one?) talking about the early days and the Beatles era. John in the Seventies gets barely ten minutes, then it goes right to the assisination. Surely there must have been news footage and freinds available from John Lost Weekend period. That's probably worth a whole dvd itself.

And, yes, Yoko did break up the Beatles.

Good balanced perspective.......2004-03-16

Nice dvd. Good, though, brief overview of Lennon's career. I liked the comments by his old mates in his first band,
the Quarry Men and his sister Julia. Nice to see Tony Sheridan along, too; he certainly gives an interesting view of John and the Beatles.
Nice footage, pretty good quality. No music or performances by John or the Beatles, unfortunately. Still, good stuff. Candid and insightful views. Two personal stories are added as a bonus. Very decent product at a good price. Only negative: the American narrator. That's okay, though, he doesn't talk much in the video. Much better to have had a Brit narrating. Peace.

...............2004-01-18

I enjoyed this DVD.
INSIDE JOHN LENNON features stories from his sister Julia, the
Quarry Men and, the Beatles' first manager, Allan Williams.
The DVD runs approx. 80 mins with bonus feature with two stories
from Alf Bicknell who was the Beatles' chauffeur and Apple
General Manager, Alistair Taylor.
You will hear stories about the Beatles and there is abit about
Yoko and how she used John for her ideas...or something like
that.

Average customer rating:

just a few things about Brian Epstein
the empresario, almost like Diaghilev!
A Really Cool Look at Epstein

Brian Epstein - Inside The Fifth Beatle
Starring: Brian Epstein , The Beatles , and John Lennon
Manufacturer: PASSPORT VIDEO
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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In My Life: The Brian Epstein Story
Paul McCartney - The Space Within US

ASIN: B0001NIUW6
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Description

We all know about the Fab Four, but what about the very-private visionary who made John, Paul, George and Ringo into household names? Brian Epstein: Inside the Fifth Beatle takes a very personal, in-depth look at this complex personality. For the first time, the remarkable life of the man who discovered the Beatles, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Cilla Black, and numerous other pop-rock acts is told by the people who knew and worked with him, as well as newsreel footage, TV clips, and rare interviews with Epstein himself. Brian Epstein: Inside the Fifth Beatle also provides revealing insight into Brian's then-scandalous homosexuality and his ultimately tragic tendency to isolate rather than seeking the company of friends.

Customer Reviews:

just a few things about Brian Epstein.......2005-09-23

i was excited to see that a DVD is out with the story of the fifth Beatle.i had seen a BBC documentary based on Debbie Gellers book "the Brian Epstein story" and it was really fantastic. unfortunately this one on sale here is not as complete as the other -not in sale- documentary.the reasons are:
not any Bealte is interviewed, the production is a little "poorish", and it just doesnt tells the full story.
i gave 4 stars because this is the only DVD opportunity for those who like to have something about Brians life.
i really wish that the BBC documentary will soon go on sale.
this one is for only die hard Brian Epstein fans. dont miss it if you love the fifth Beatle.

the empresario, almost like Diaghilev!.......2005-04-21

It's silly to call Epstein "the First Beatle." He never played with them; he was just their manager. Would anybody call Culture Club's manager a first member? Would the Eurythmics' manager have been a third member? No.

Besides that, this documentary was generally good. When one hears that Epstein faced homophobia and anti-Semitism, struggled with alcoholism and gambling, and committed suicide, one might deem him tragic. However, in this documentary, he is revealed to be polished and innovative. Along with Jean Genet, Billy Strayhorn, Bayard Rustin, and many others, Epstein is a gay man who backed up some of the most important straight men in history. Musicians of that era openly admit their debt to him. For those how love mod fashions and black-and-white "American Bandstand"-like shows, you will love the images here.

This documentary is filled with British individuals with stereotypically "bad" teeth. Even Epstein did not have a nice set of chompers. There have been documentaries where Paul McCartney addressed whether he and John Lennon were ever lovers, but no Beatle is interviewed currently for this work. That is a grave disappointment, and a possible sign of a lack of gratitude. This film does dismiss rumors that Epstein loved Lennon. Thus, the film "The Hours and Times" may be incorrect, or purposely ambiguous. I have heard clips of Lennon saying homophobic things to interviewers but his possible bigotry is not mentioned in this documentary.

A Really Cool Look at Epstein.......2004-07-03

There isn't a lot of material on Brian Epstein out there and some of the newsreel footage is pretty cheesy, but this is a really interesting look at him, with some personal stories from people like his assistant Alistair Taylor and John's sister. It's worth checking out even if you don't get to hear Beatles music and the quality of the movie clips is all over the map.

The Beatles - Let It Be - Limited Collector's Edition & Brian Epstein - Inside The Fifth Beatle - 2 Seperate DVDs in Set

Average customer rating:

The Beatles - Let It Be - Limited Collector's Edition & Brian Epstein - Inside The Fifth Beatle - 2 Seperate DVDs in Set

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

The Beatles- Let It Be-Limited Collector's Edition & Brian Epstein - Inside The Fifth Beatle - 2 Seperate DVDs in Set
The Beatles- Let It Be-Limited Collector's Edition: 1 Disc 9 GB Dual-Layer DVD by Audio Tape Inc.(Public Domain) - Beatles Documentary DVD
The Beatles
Brian Epstein - Inside The Fifth Beatle - Beatles & Manager Documentary DVD
Brian Epstein

ASIN: B000SIGF2Q

Product Description

The Beatles - Let It Be - Limited Collector's Edition & Brian Epstein - Inside The Fifth Beatle - 2 Seperate DVDs in Set: DVD 1. The Beatles - Let It Be -Limited Collector's Edition: 1 Disc 9 GB Dual-Layer DVD by Audio Tape Inc.(Public Domain), A T.V. Special played in 1970. Originally it was entitled as 'Get Back' showing the Beatles rehearsing, jamming and performing for their new songs. This is the only documentary film released officially and was then changed to be called 'Let It Be'. It marks the ending of the career of the Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCarthy, George Harrison, & Ringo Starr). A message about the career of the Beatles told by the Beatles themselves. This video has won the 1966 Grammy Awards for "Best Music Video, long form". The Beatles had, as Paul said at the end of the video, "united for somehow, some way". It gives a look at the process of making the songs and working them so they would sound better musically. It is now in the Public Domain (out of copyright period). DVD 2. Brian Epstein - Inside The Fifth Beatle: BEATLES MANAGER BRIAN EPSTEIN DOCUMENTARY-We all know about the Fab Four (The Beatles), but what about the very-private visionary who made John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr into household names? Brian Epstein: Inside the Fifth Beatle takes a very personal, in-depth look at this complex personality. For the first time, the remarkable life of the man who discovered the Beatles, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Cilla Black, and numerous other pop-rock acts is told by the people who knew and worked with him, as well as newsreel footage, TV clips, and rare interviews with Epstein himself. Brian Epstein: Inside the Fifth Beatle also provides revealing insight into Brian's then-scandalous homosexuality and his ultimately tragic tendency to isolate rather than seeking the company of friends. A must for dedicated Beatles Fans!

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