The Beatles Anthology
|
List Price: Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
(Click here)
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of The Beatles Anthology
Movie Review: Man, this is hard to review!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Man, this is a hard thing to review,e ven for a Betales fan like myself! And why?
Well, in the first place, the live footage, the sound quality, the interviews, the performances in a lot fo TV shows and stadiums, etc are simply BREATHTAKING. The quality of the images and sound are marvellous, they obviousl spent a lof of time in the stuidos remastering theses things. It's a HUGE work, and the result was stupendous. A lot on previoulsy unseen footage, I assure you. Also, the documentary flows smootly, it's really enjoyable to watch, and I doubt if you will not drop a few tears at the end of disc four (Chapter Eight)... This alone deserves five stars, it's above anything else in the "band documentary" business...
Now, let's talk about the content a little bit. That's where the problem is. The whole thing was produced by the BEatles themselves, adn they CLEARLY avoided tricky subjects. In a way, this was good, otherwise the documentary would seem like a bunch of gossip put together, or tocuhing wounds that were inflicted decades ago... Totally unecessary. However, things were a little too much superficial at times. It's clear that band members are avoiding to heart each other or say something wrong. There is no interview with the band's wives or girlfriends; no interview with famous "almost famous" drummer Pete Best; no real sense of the amazing deterioration in the band inter relationship before the break. The message the documentary passes is: "everything was alright, but things must change, we were all married, we had to split;" All Beatles fans know that this was not the truth. Paul, Ringo and George talk briefly about the "Yono Factor", and it's interesting to see how she really was present in EVERY rehearsal and recording that is shown in the documentary (after she met John, of course!)
All of these "complains" are minimum flaws, in my opinion, or are not flaws at all! The BEatles recognize that they were playing worse, because nobdy could hear them; there is footage of George and Paul having a falling out (and that's how we can sse these guys really loevd each other - even when arguing, they mantain their class); they admit they used drugs (altough they Beatles never used drugs to the extend that some artists take, to the point of compromising their performances, their capacity to play, or wahtever).
In the end, I must go for five stars. To have such an extended footage in your hand by such a low price it's a real gift.
Movie Review: The Best Thing You Could Have on The Beatles
Summary: 5 Stars
If you never buy anything else pertaining to the Beatles,you must have this one DVD boxed set and the book that goes with it.Amazon's price is unbeatable,by the way.This is about 10 hours of complete Beatles history.The best pictures,concert footage,sound,etc.than any other Beatles DVD.This set is so superbly put together that it takes your breath away.I can't describe it.Just buy it and you will know what I mean.My favorite parts?Well everything,but the rare TV footage is priceless.The Shea Stadium concert is in gorgeous color and quite a lot of it is included.The EMI studio chat both for the early years and the White album is fantastic!Yeah,two sections where you hear nothing but snippits of conversation from the studio.Loved it.There's the boys' promo films for Paperback Writer and Rain.This is rare stuff and it's all here.Nothing is left out.It spans the years 1940-1970 just to give you an idea of the gargantuan tome you will be enjoying.Plus a bonus DVD which is facinating.Oh how could I forget?!There is a lot of concert footage also;ie,France in 1965 not '64,Blackpool Night Out from June 1965,and other marvelous concert footage.I'm a little annoyed about one reviewer who entitled his review "McCartney Grudge"and went on to say that Paul somehow fixed it so that John was edited out of the press conferences.Oh yeah,big bad Paul took the time out to do this. He also had time to wash everyone's cars in the parking lot and shampoo their dogs too.But he wouldn't wash Yoko's car.Whatever.Also one person noted George's discomfort being around Paul during the commentary.That's funny,because I saw Paul biting his nails and choosing his words very carefully whenever he was with the other two.It's no wonder since everything is always big bad Paul's fault.Enough already.If Paul McCartney ruffled George's feathers it's only because Paul was in his own little world in the studio.His only concern was making perfect music.The music he heard in his head.And John wasn't exactly sleeping either.If Paul stepped on some toes,oh well.The guy was a pop genious, a modern day Mozart.So was John for that matter.Geniouses always have volitile personalities,and they are usually perfectionists too.And thank God for that!Now we can sit back and enjoy the results of that genious every time we play a Beatles record.Anyway this DVD is the only one you need in your collection,but if you love the Beatles as much as I do you will want more.Movie Review: Magical mystery tour
Summary: 5 Stars
At over eight hours, this documentary is likely be tiresome to all but the most hardcore fans but, if you count yourself among the latter group, a splendid time is guaranteed by all. After part one, which covers the lads from Liverpool from birth up to 1962, each successive episode covers approximately a year in the lives and careers of the Fab Four. There's plenty of time for extensive performance footage, including all their Ed Sullivan show appearances, the Royal Variety Performance, much of the Shea Stadium appearance, and even the rather crappy Budokan shows. It's all here, interspersed with extensive interview footage with all the principals. What I learned is: after manager Brian Epstein died in 1967, the Beatles sort of lost their way, lost their reliable arbiter of good judgment and taste, and fell into such misbegotten projects as their Apple boutique and the Get Back/Let It Be film project. I also realised that I don't have a favourite Beatle. George comes off as sort of an old crank, Paul and John as massive egos, and, well, Ringo is just Ringo, a pleasant sort with a nice touch on the drums and an unshakable backbeat. In their characters, there simply wasn't anything all that special about these guys, but they each had a sort of imperfect musical talent. When they combined those talents, however, some kind of magical mystery took place, and they created art for the ages. So, my favourite Beatle is The Beatles, all four of them working together. Which makes me realise that the one thing missing from this extensive documentary is any mention of their solo careers. There's no Plastic Ono Band, no All Things Must Pass, no McCartney (the album) even mentioned here, which seems odd in a way, considering how exhaustive this documentary project purports to be. Yoko Ono's notorious role in driving a wedge between the members of the band is also sloughed over rather quickly at the end of episode seven. Her participation was perhaps necessary to getting access to all the interviews that John gave after the Beatles broke up, and to the successful production of this film. So, the filmmakers are nice to her. But, just her presence, sitting there like a fifth wheel in the studio during the recordings of The White Album and Let It Be speaks for itself. She's darned annoying. If Epstein had lived, he'd probably have said to John that you can't take your wife to the office.Movie Review: Roll up for The Magical History Tour!!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Beatles Anthology is a true and noteworthy piece of history. I can't believe that I've gone so long without seeing or owning it, but after receiving my DVD box set, I literally spent an entire weekend watching the entire thing. Probably I thought beforehand, as many would, that over the years we have seen and heard all there is to see and hear about The Beatles. Not even close! I was amazed at the footage and audio that was presented in this collection, which includes more than a few gems.
Paul, George, and Ringo were all closely involved in the production of the anthology, as was George Martin (long time Beatles record producer). The anthology is presented as a historical journey, in chronological order. It begins pre-Beatles and shows each member as a child, discusses their family origins and early interests, etc. We get to 'see' Paul and John meet... watch as George (boyhood friend of Paul's) is introduced to John and joins them... and learn how they later met Ringo and how he took over the drums. There is some amazing audio and video presented for this time period, in addition to many still photos. Recordings of John and Paul pre-Beatles, early Beatles footage performing at The Cavern, etc.
Throughout, we are led through the anthology by Paul, George, Ringo, and Mr. Martin, among others. George Martin plays a key role helping to guide us through this "Magical History Tour" and provides a wonderful perspective to recollections of the past. Others have mentioned details about the elements of the archive and the re-uniting of the (then) remaining three. What I found interesting was that various egos would ebb and flow as it went along, each Beatle often remembering events slightly different (but not contradictory) from the others. John is brought to us throughout via the many interviews, quotes, and films. As much as is possible for a project like this, personal agendas were set aside in order to tell a story that no one else is qualified to tell. I think that many years from now historians will be very pleased that this "in their own words" history of The Beatles was created.
For even a casual Beatles fan, this is a tremendous anthology, and I recommend it very highly. Of course, now that I have purchased the DVD set, it will surely be released on Blu-ray! I only hope that when that happens even more material is included!
Movie Review: Mellow and reticent--but honest
Summary: 5 Stars
Compiled after John Lennon's death (but before Harrison's), it is amazing how this 12-hour documentary seems to capture his personality, presence, and participation. The thoughtful (and at times playful) editing of mucho miles of archival film and recent interview footage makes it possible to feel like each Beatle received equal attention. Perhaps because John was often the group's spokesperson during their heyday, he is amply represented by talkshow clips (including an interview with a very young David Frost).Because the film covers only the decade in which the Beatles were the Beatles (post-Beatles careers are not discussed or analyzed), but does so from a 30+ year vantage point, the film serves as a very interesting study on memory. The surviving Beatles remember events (recording sessions, concerts, conversations, etc.) quite differently, and there is no impartial third-party commentator to enlighten the audience. It is very much like being at a family reunion--it's the quality and depth of the relationships that count, not the accuracy of the events recalled. In some cases, however, original footage contradicts a Beatle's memory. It is these lapses of memory, the humble and honest self-assessments, the willingness to forgive, the cherishing of what exisited and was special, and a mature perspective on fame and success that make this film a joy to watch. It's gratifying that Paul, George, and Ringo did not become like the "late Elvis" (a fear they admit to in the film). Yes, they became a little mellow with age. But they didn't cease to be interesting, thoughtful, or creative.
This film is accurately called an "anthology." The archival footage is generous. In most cases two or more full songs from a single concert are captured. And there are generous clips from all of their movies. Also of interest are the mini-films the Beatles made when they later tired of touring. They sent these films to television shows in their stead, allowing them to stay home with their growing families and avoid the screaming fans. In essence, they invented the music-video, a mainstay of the pop music industry today.
Towards the end of Part 8, the final segment, Paul observes that "looking back, almost every song was about love. That's a very positive thing. You can't argue with that, right?" The Beatles were revolutionary in so many ways, but they were never nihilists.