John Lennon Movies
There are few details of the short life of musical genius John Lennon that haven't been virtually memorized by his disciples. A bare-bones precis of his existence would include his Liverpool childhood, his formation of the Quarrymen, aka the Silver Beatles aka the Beatles in 1961, the world-wide fame, the drug-and-religion experimentation, the controversial alignment with Yoko Ono, the 1970 Beatles breakup, the five-year retirement (1975-80) to raise son Sean, and his senseless murder outside New York's Hotel Dakota in December of 1980.Lennon's film career, though but one small aspect of his creative energies, is worth a brief recap. First there were the films with his fellow Beatles: A Hard Day's Night (64), Help (65) (in which for two delicious seconds Lennon shamelessly plugs his recently published book of doggerel In His Own Write), Yellow Submarine (67) (that's Lance Percival doing his speaking voice, but that's Lennon in the vocals), Magical Mystery Tour (69) and Let It Be (70). There was Lennon's one-and-only solo acting assignment as a bespectacled British Tommy in How I Won The War (68) -- in which, as he watches his guts spill out of his body, he turns to the camera and says ominously "I knew this would happen. Didn't you?" There were the oddball, home-movielike projects, made with his friends and with Yoko Ono, of which Bottoms (an engaging if pointless study of the human derriere) is the most entertaining. And, best of all, there was the posthumous, lovingly assembled Imagine: John Lennon (88), including the famous 1969 anti-war "Bed-In," the TV confrontation with ultraconservative cartoonist Al Capp, never before seen footage of Lennon at home and at work, and of course several plaintive renditions of the title song. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
- R
This Danish film is set in 1963, at the height of Beatlemania. Played out against the standard pop-culture backdrop is the story of the friendship between Adam Tonsberg and Lars Simonson. His ego in tatters thanks to a domineering father, Simonsen yearns for the affections of snooty Ulrikke Juul Bondo, though it is "common knowledge" that she's Tonsberg's girl. Tonsberg, however, prefers the company of the down-to-earth Camilla Soeberg. When Soeberg becomes pregnant, Tonsberg is forced to borrow the abortion money from former girlfriend Bondo, who wants him to spend a weekend with her in exchange. This is all going according to Bondo's plan, and soon she and Tonsberg are making wedding plans. Suddenly gaining a moral backbone, Tonsberg calls off the wedding, then helps his friend Simonsen, who is endeavoring to prove that his mother is not the lunatic described by his tyrannical father. The "coming of age" process in this film is even more complex than these notes would suggest, but young Danish filmgoers had no trouble relating to Twist and Shout (originally Tro, Hab Og Karlighed), which allegedly made more money than any previous Danish film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Tønsberg, Lars Simonsen, (more)
- 1983
A unique look at the history of 20th century France as illustrated in popular culture, Le Bal is set in a Parisian dance hall and features no narrative, no dialogue, and no continuous characters. The film moves from one dance number to the next, as the music reflects the political and cultural tenor of the times, from the Popular Front of 1936 to the German Occupation of World War II, on to the breezy openness of the post-war era and the open rebellion and turmoil of May 1968, and finally closing in the early 1980s. A troupe of dancers portrays all the film's characters, with make-up and costume changes (as well as appropriate period music) indicating the different time periods. Directed by Ettore Scola, Le Bal was based on a stage production that was a great success in Europe. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1982
In a careful, step-by-step manner, this documentary traces the lives and careers of the Beatles from childhood to breakup. The post-Beatle lives of John, Paul, George and Ringo are gingerly touched upon in the film's closing sequences, with emphasis given the senseless 1980 murder of John Lennon. Through rare family photos, early home movies and TV kinescopes we are shown the matriculation of the Beatles from a bedraggled punk group to a well-tailored, mop-topped foursome under the aegis of Brian Epstein. We are also briefly introduced to might-have-been Beatles Stu Sutcliffe and Pete Best. George Martin, the producer who oversaw such late-1960s Beatles projects as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, reveals several intriguing trade secrets and wonderful bits of backstage gossip. By incorporating shots of Beatles merchandising, imitation groups, and the ear-piercing reactions of the Fab Four's fans (as well as several shots of disillusioned young ladies during the team's waning years), the amazing impact of the foursome on the 1960s music industry is forcefully brought home. Malcolm McDowell narrates this priceless pop-culture montage. The Complete Beatles was originally produced for home video by MGM/United Artists, the company which in 1982 held the video rights for the Beatles flicks A Hard Day's Night and Help. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gerry Marsden
- 1982
A young provincial woman barely graduated from high school arrives in Paris and is assailed by the fact that she is alone. She encounters a Parisian woman slightly older than herself, and she clings to their friendship as though all the city were sinking around her. This closeness brings demands that most would find difficult, and the older woman is no exception. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marc de Jonge
- 1981
Actors pose as the Beatles, the classic rock superstars, in this musical based on the stage production. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mitch Weissman, David Leon, (more)
- 1979
British director Richard Marquand graduated from BBC documentaries to dramatized features with 1979's Birth of the Beatles. This chronicle of the Fab Four begins when the group consisted of five musicians: John Lennon (Stephen MacKenna), Paul McCartney (Rod Culbertson), George Harrison (John Altman), Stu Sutcliffe (David Wilkinson), and Pete Best (Ryan Michael). The group begins its career in the dregs of a Hamburg, Germany nightclub (most of the film was made on location). Under the tutelage of manager Brian Epstein (Brian Jameson), the group sheds its rough-hewn image in favor of choirboy haircuts and Eton collars; along the way, Sutcliffe dies and drummer Best is replaced by Richard Starkey, (aka Ringo Starr, played here by Ray Ashcroft). First aired in the U.S. on November 23, 1979, Birth of the Beatles is significant as the only Beatle biopic made while John Lennon was still alive. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen MacKenna, Rod Culbertson, (more)
- 1978
- PG
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Pop star Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees star in this musical, loosely based on the popular 1967 Beatles album Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. In the story, Billy Shears, who now heads the Lonely Hearts Club Band, is the grandson of the famous Sergeant Pepper. He is confronted by the need to save the magical musical instruments of the band from the bad guys, led by music tycoon B.D. Brockhurst (Donald Pleasance), who want to steal them. If they succeed, the magic which infuses "Heartland U.S.A." will disappear. Among the many Beatles' songs performed in the film by well-known popular artists are: "She's Leaving Home" (Bee Gees, Jay MacIntosh, John Wheeler), "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" (Steve Martin), "Got To Get You into My Life (Earth, Wind & Fire), "When I'm 64" (Sandy Farina), "Come Together" (Aerosmith), "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (sung by the Bee Gees, Paul Nicholas), "With a Little Help from My Friends" (Peter Frampton, the Bee Gees), "Fixing a Hole" (George Burns), and "Get Back" (Billy Preston). ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Frampton, Barry Gibb, (more)
The time is 1964, and the Beatles, already a hugely popular group, are about to go on the Ed Sullivan Show for the first time, an appearance that launched them into a worldwide phenomenon. Already, girls are fainting during their concerts from sheer excitement at being in the same theater with them. Pam Mitchell (Nancy Allen) is happy enough to be getting married but wants to bed one of the "Fab Four" before she does. Grace Corrigan (Theresa Saldana), a dedicated fan, is certain that if she can get some exclusive photos of the Beatles, her career as a photographer will be secured. And then there are two people who feel that the future of civilization as we know it depends on their efforts to ruin the Beatles' appearance on Ed Sullivan's show. In this madcap comedy, when these people (and others besides) descend on the New York hotel the Beatles are staying in, things begin hopping. This comedy was Robert Zemeckis' first feature. A protégé of Stephen Spielberg, he went on to direct Forrest Gump, Back to the Future, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? among other popular features. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nancy Allen, Bobby Di Cicco, (more)
- 1976
All This and World War II is a fascinating but singularly pointless "musical documentary". Virtually all the footage has been culled from the vaults of Fox Movietone News, and edited in a linear manner in order to visually trace the history of World War II. Complementing this priceless newsreel film is a relentless musical score, comprised of Beatles tunes (though not sung by the Fab Four). Evidently all this effort was expended to make some sort of antiwar statement. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- The Bee Gees
Based on the best-selling Vincent Bugliosi book of the same name, Helter Skelter is a made-for-TV account of the investigation and prosecution of Charles Manson (Steve Railsback), who was convicted of leading a group of followers (known as "The Family") to murder seven people in California, including actress Sharon Tate. The film takes a Law & Order-like approach, starting with the discovery of the murders, which leads to the police gathering snippets of evidence that they eventually connect to the bigger picture. The second half of the movie concentrates on how District Attorney Bugliosi (George DiCenzo) attains a conviction despite the enormous amount of press coverage the case received. Nancy Wolfe, Christina Hart, and Cathey Paine portray the three loyal Manson Family members who were the co-defendants at his trial. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George DiCenzo, Steve Railsback, (more)
- 1974
Dick Van Dyke put his image and his career on the line with this searing TV movie about a "social drinker" who becomes a full-fledged alcoholic. Van Dyke plays a loving husband and father with a solid job and an excellent reputation, who blows it all with his excessive drinking. His wife (Lynn Carlin) tries to be supportive, but even she throws in the towel as Van Dyke's illness worsens. The film refuses to cop out with a happy ending, leaving Van Dyke as low as he can get short of sleeping in the gutter. Morning After was something of a public "A.A." testimonial for Dick Van Dyke, who had recently come to grips with his own real-life alcoholism. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
In 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono saw a television report about the lamentable conditions at the Willowbrook School for Children, a facility for mentally and physically challenged children in New York state. They were so moved they volunteered their services to raise funds to help improve treatment and facilities at Willowbrook. Toward that goal, Lennon and Ono played a benefit show at Madison Square Garden in New York City, one of only a handful of live shows the former Beatle would perform after going solo. Filmed for television, John Lennon: Live in New York City features Lennon and Ono performing 14 songs, including "Imagine," "Power to the People," "Instant Karma," "It's So Hard," "Give Peace a Chance," and more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1972
In 1972, John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, made a strategic and historic week-long guest appearance on the hit talk/variety television program The Mike Douglas Show hoping to get their counterculture message across to middle America. Day five, February 18, 1972, was the final day of their foray into American daytime television. Douglas continues his discussion with Lennon regarding early musical and songwriting influences. Guests include comedian George Carlin, Harvard Medical School biofeedback expert Dr. Gary E. Schwartz, and Rena Uviller, a New York appeals attorney specializing in women and youth issues. Douglas sings "Day in, Day Out." Lennon sings "Luck of the Irish" with Ono. The week-long performance art pieces "Mend Piece" and "Unfinished Painting" are concluded. Highlights include the music video for the song "How" from the Imagine album, and an audience Q & A with John and Yoko. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- 1972
In 1972, John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, made a strategic and historic week-long guest appearance on the hit talk/variety television program The Mike Douglas Show hoping to get their counterculture message across to middle America. Day three, February 16, 1972, features Lennon meeting his hero, rock & roll pioneer Chuck Berry, for the first time. Other guests include Peace Corps/Action Corps Director Joseph Blatchford, macrobiotic restauranteur Hillary Redleaf, and musician/biofeedback engineer David Rosenbloom. Douglas sings "I Whistle a Happy Tune." Berry performs two songs with Lennon, Ono, and the Plastic Ono Elephant's Memory Band: "Memphis" and "Johnny B. Goode." Ono and Lennon also sing "Sisters, O Sisters," and Douglas croons "Losing My Mind." Highlights also include the music video for the song "Crippled Inside" from the Imagine LP. In the video, artist Andy Warhol makes a cameo appearance. Besides the ongoing performance art pieces from the previous days, there are also demonstrations of how to cook macrobiotic Hiziki Eggrolls, and how to create musical sounds via Alpha Wave biofeedback. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- 1972
John Lennon: Imagine was originally produced for television audiences in 1972, and includes the ten tracks from Lennon's famous Imagine album, as well as two tracks from Yoko Ono ("Mrs. Lennon" and "Don't Count the Waves"). The songs are supplemented by original films produced in locations as diverse as New York, London, and Tokyo, starring Lennon and Yoko Ono themselves
~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 1972
In 1972, John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, made a strategic and historic week-long guest appearance on the hit talk/variety television program The Mike Douglas Show, hoping to get their counterculture message across to middle America. Day four, February 17, 1972, features Black Panther Chairman Bobby Seale talking in the last segment about the Panthers' nonviolent agenda of "intercommunalism," or redistribution of wealth and resources -- an agenda scarcely, if ever, covered by mainstream media. Earlier in the program, Douglas gets Lennon to talk about his childhood, teens, and the death of his mother, Julia, by a drunk driver when Lennon was 16. Other guests include pop and gospel singer and Broadway actress Vivian Reed; comedy troupe the Ace Trucking Company; National Black Youth Conference organizer Marsha Martin, and Donald Williams of the Mid-Peninsula Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation. Vivian Reed sings "Everybody's Talkin'" and "His Arm Is on the Sparrow." Also featured is performance art by Yoko Ono and the music video for the song "Mrs. Lennon" from the Imagine album. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- 1972
In 1972, John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, made a strategic and historic week-long guest appearance on the hit talk/variety television program The Mike Douglas Show hoping to get their counterculture message across to middle America. Day one, February 14, 1972, features John, Yoko, Mike Douglas, and comedian/actor Louis Nye making phone calls to strangers they pick at random out of the phone book. Douglas sings "Michelle," John and Yoko sing "It's So Hard" with the Plastic Ono Elephant's Memory Band, and guests the Chambers Brothers perform "By the Hair of My Chinny Chin Chin" and "This Little Piece of Land." Consumer advocate and activist Ralph Nader makes a guest appearance as well. Ono performs several performance art pieces including "Mend Piece (broken teacup)" and "Reach Out & Touch Someone in the Audience," in which Douglas and his co-hosts encourage the audience members to touch the person next to them. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- 1972
In 1972, John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, made a strategic and historic week-long guest appearance on the hit talk/variety television program The Mike Douglas Show hoping to get their counterculture message across to middle America. Day two, February 15, 1972, features yippie political provocateur Jerry Rubin alienating Douglas with an antiwar, anti-Nixon diatribe. Douglas sings "With a Little Help From My Friends" and Yoko Ono, John Lennon, and the Plastic Ono Band With Elephant's Memory sing "Midsummer New York," with Rubin and filmmaker Barbara Loden accompanying on vocals and bongos. Other guests include Dr. Jesse Steinfeld, who was the U.S. Surgeon General, and Yellow Pearl, an Asian-American folk/protest musical duo. Highlights include a music video of "Oh My Love" from Lennon's Imagine LP, and several performance art pieces, including "Audience Shouts Spontaneously," "Unfinished Painting," and "Mend Piece," the latter two continuing from the previous day. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- 1971
If you ever wondered why the U.S. government wanted to deport John Lennon, you have only to look as far as this documentary, which was withheld from distribution for the 18 years it took to settle all the legal matters relating to the incident. In fact, given the views of the F.B.I. and other government agencies at the time, what is more surprising is that he was allowed back in. The cause for this documentary is that, in 1970 or 71, John Sinclair was sentenced to a ten year prison term for possession of two marijuana cigarettes; hence the documentary's title, Ten for Two. This was no ordinary drug bust, as Sinclair was the head of the Rainbow People's Party and the sentence he received was, in everyone's minds, political punishment not commensurate with his crime. In protest, a large number of performers and counter-culture protestors gathered for a concert in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The concert featured Stevie Wonder, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Alan Ginsberg and many others. Political figures included Black Panther leader Bobby Seale, Rennie Davis and Jerry Rubin, to name just a few. This documentary shows many of those performances, and also shows Sinclair when, three days after the concert, he was released from prison. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
A production of Oh! Calcutta!, the late-'60s off-Broadway play that received infamy as the first nude musical, is captured here. The film is a record of the play rather than a cinematic adaptation, leaving its staging, revue-like structure, and frankly sexual content intact. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- 1970
- R
This film contains a collection of commercials, interviews, and music featuring Joan Baez, Richard Pryor, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Lenny Bruce, Andy Warhol, and Allen Ginsberg. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1970
- G
The dissolution of the Fab Four is captured on camera in Michael Lindsay-Hogg's documentary, a filmed record of the sessions for what would become the Beatles' final release, Let It Be. (Abbey Road, cut shortly after these sessions, was in fact the group's final recording, but it was released a year before these often-delayed songs.) Included is footage shot at the famous rooftop concert that was the Fabs' final live appearance. The Beatles are shown rehearsing, performing, arguing, and recording and allow the cameras to record their every word and note in the recording studio. The film opens with Paul showing Ringo a piano composition, while the group is surrounded in silence, seemingly light years removed from the screaming hordes of fans that necessitated their withdrawal from performing live. Billy Preston later drops by to jam on keyboards. For this film, the Beatles collectively won an Oscar for "Best Original Film Score," their only Academy Award. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- The Beatles, Yoko Ono, (more)
