The Beatles Anthology
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Movie Reviews of The Beatles Anthology
Movie Review: New insights into the breakup
Summary: 5 Stars
Some of the most revealing footage in this fantastic collection appears in Volume 8. Never before had I realized the extent to which Paul's surge of creativity in 68 and 69 put John ill at ease. Two monster hits ("Hey Jude" and "Let it Be"), are performed -- and just watch John as he plays on these tracks. Except for the last 3rd of "Hey Jude" it's obvious that John feels like he has nothing to do on these songs -- he's like a backup musician and he's just buzzing with hidden jealousy because Paul has the spotlight. And boy does Paul have the spotlight -- half of these songs are just Paul in close-up singing directly to the camera, while John strums his guitar offscreen ("The Long and Winding Road" is an even more extreme example). And then -- bam! -- John is in bed with Yoko campaigning for world peace or posing naked on the "Two Virgins" cover and so on and so forth. It's like he's trying to grab the attention back which Paul has stolen. Now, I personally think John was doing better work than Paul right up to the end (i.e. "Across the Universe," and "Don't Let Me Down"). But as anyone who has followed the Beatles knows, John was as obsessed as anybody with who had the Number One hit, who had the "A" side of the single, and so on. Watching Volume 8 I could really see John just smoldering with resentment. It's a glimpse into a very human and not very noble side of someone who remains one of my great heroes. It was fascinating.Movie Review: Essential
Summary: 5 Stars
Even if they bought the $110 VHS version of this a few years ago, any Beatle fan must own this as well. Just the all-too-brief snippets of the (then) 3 survivors together again are enough to make this set worthwhile. How sad to see them together, old men, with a gaping hole right in the middle of them. John's absence in those scenes is overwhelming. You could feel how difficult it must have been, especially for Ringo, who seems to be them most openly emotional of the four. Imagine how much more the Anthology series could have been if John had been alive to participate...imagine what "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love" might have been. I've tried to watch this from the perspective of someone today, or even years from now, who knows nothing of The Beatles other than as a historical reference. From that vantage, it is possible to get a feel for why they've been so significant to pop culture, but this is really designed for fans. My only complaint (if you can call it that) is that my constant hunger for "Take 1's" and backing tracks is only partially sated with this set. I long for the day when every single minute of recorded Beatles tape is available, perhaps digitally, unedited and untouched. I'm hoping in my lifetime we all get the chance to purchase every single track of every minute they ever recorded. For the truly afflicted fan like myself, the ability to effectively roll a tape they made on a given day, from the start to finish, is an ultimate dream.Movie Review: So pleased they finally released it on DVD
Summary: 5 Stars
When this series first aired on television in 1995, I was very happy to see it. Very very interesting, I love watching shows dealing with music history. Other than some archival soundbytes, there is no narration in this mini-series. The story is told by the Beatles themselves (as well as appearances by George Martin and others). Some time after being televised, it was released on VHS but at the time I found it quite expensive, and also I must have known that DVD was on the horizon. So I decided not to buy it on tapes. And I promptly forgot about it. Then in March 2003, I was searching on the internet for something totally unrelated when I stumbled upon the news that The Beatles Anthology was to be released on DVD about two weeks from the time I discovered the news. Fantastic I thought. I bought it only a couple of days after it came out and am very happy with it. The first time it was shown on television it was heavily edited into 3 x 2 hour episodes (approx). So it was terrific to see all the stuff we missed out on the first time around. The bonus disc has interesting tidbits, showing the boys recalling those incredible times in their past, having a bit of a jam session, and putting together "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love", the Beatles tracks of the '90s. This is the sort of mini-series that all Beatles fans and those interested in music history in general must have in their collection. It is the story of the most successful musical group of the twentieth century, perhaps of all time.Movie Review: Beatlemania Lives On
Summary: 5 Stars
The Beatles Anthology originally aired on ABC in November, 1995. The documentary was shown over the course of three days with the big hook being seeing the videos for the two "new" Beatles songs "Free As A Bird" & "Real Love". The series also set the stage for the release of three double-disk Anthology albums that would follow in subsequent months. The documentary itself is a true gift for any Beatlemaniac. It is loaded to the gills with performance footage, behind the scenes looks at their recording process, home movies and old interviews. The best part though is all the living Beatles, at the time, participated in the production and gave current interviews and John Lennon was also liberally featured through archival interviews. Seeing Paul McCartney, George Harrison & Ringo Starr discuss their experiences in the band is a real treat and it's what separates this documentary from the countless others about the group out there. Also, their producer and guide, George Martin provides candid insights that only someone who was so closely linked to the band could provide. The new DVD collection does a tremendous job in providing a sharp picture and the 5.1 surround sound is amazing. The additional footage on the final disk is superb, especially the three Beatles sitting together and reminiscing about old times and their return to Abbey Road Studios where, along with Mr. Martin, they provide some incite on the recording processes used on some their biggest hits.Movie Review: A Beatles' Fan GottaHave
Summary: 5 Stars
I maintain that The Beatles are the greatest musical influence since Bach. You thought I was gonna say Mozart didn't ya? I am a bass player, so Bach is more to my liking. The reason I am a bass player is because of Paul McCartney. I grew up in West Texas and before the Beatles, I was all Merle Haggard, the Everleys, and a little Miles Davis. Hearing "Love Me Do" when I was 13 years-old changed my life. I ended up playing bass guitar for a living, for not much money, for 12 years. But, I digress. For me, what makes this Anthology wonderful is watching The Beatles go through the changes they experienced. It is so cool to see them progress as musicians. One of the things that stood out for me was that through all of the changes they underwent personally, their music was their lives. I think this documentary of the phenomenon is a must have for all Beatles fans. These guys were the soundtrack of my life. I still hurt when I remember watching Monday Night Football on December 8, 1980 and hearing Howard Cosell announce that John Lennon had been murdered. When I was married, my wife and I danced to McCartney's "My Love." I can't hear a Beatles song without it taking me back to some point in my life; some good, some bad, but all still alive in my heart and memory. I know it sounds sappy, but it's like the feeling you get watching home movies. It's a sublime pain that I enjoy inflicting on myself. Buy this and watch it after smoking a big joint.