A biography of the rock music star.A biography of the rock music star.A biography of the rock music star.
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Featured reviews
It's full of home movies, news footage, videos all narrated by John Lennon himself (he recorded over 200 hours talking about his life and work). It's not a whitewash of him--it does point out he was a mean drunk and he is shown swearing and telling off Phil Spector in a recording studio when a song was not working out. It also chronicles his remark about the Beatles being "bigger than Jesus Christ" and totally ignores how horribly he treated his first wife Cynthia. But, aside from that footage, there is also interviews with Johns wives, his children and, basically, everyone who knew him (curiously, none of the Beatles were interviewed). He comes across as a very talented, peace-loving man--he has his dark moments but everybody does. His confrontations with Al Capp and Gloria Emerson are just fascinating.
I remember seeing this in a theatre in 1988 and most of the audience walked out crying. 15 years later the ending still packs a punch. It shows people crying at the peace rallies held after Lennon's death and ends with the "Imagine" video him and Yoko did. Also "In My Life" plays over the closing credits. A fascinating, very moving documentary of a great man. Recommended.
The most fascinating part of this documentary are rare home movies of John at home and of some news segments probably not seen since they were aired. A striking scene shows where an obsessed fan found his way to John's England estate. The young man is confused and may be on drugs but believes John's songs are speaking directly to him, asking him the meaning behind his "I Dig A Pony" song, John tells him it was just playing around with words, literally a nonsense song. John gently tells him the songs should not be mixed up with his own life and offers the guy something to eat.
John is gentle when dealing with his fans, but he can have a temper when dealing with technicians in a recording session, or reporters who say they miss "the old Beatles". It sure is intriguing stuff for any Beatles fan and definitely worth your time.
The film begins with the wistful tuneful "real love" which the three other Beatles reworked on the second volume of the anthologies . It's a pretty good documentary although it does not really do the great artist justice.The most interesting moment is the argument with cartoonist Al Capp -who had already made a satirical comic strip about Joan Baez (Joanie Phonie) and was not probably exactly what people called "liberal" - But there are also interesting scenes during the "imagine" album sessions.
Released at the same time as the obnoxious Goldman's trashy book -which I also read and found disgusting-,"Imagine' is a must for any Lennon fan.But once again,THE film about the working class hero remains to be made.
For those (like my sister) who dislike Yoko Ono and blame her for breaking up the Beatles, Yoko is present, but there is plenty else here.
John Lennon isn't an easy man to figure out, and I don't think this documentary tried to. Rather, it attempted to show all sides of him - the Beatle, the drug side, the sketch artist, his attempt to distance himself from the Beatles, stating that he had grown up, his musical journey, his hard-headedness, demands as a musician - the whole thing. One of the nicest scenes is one in which he speaks with a vagrant about his music and then has him come in for a meal. So with all his preaching about peace and being one in the world, he walked the talk.
Lennon provides a lot of the narration, which is taken from hundreds of interviews. There are also interviews with Yoko, Sean, Julian, his ex-wife Cynthia, and others.
If you grew up with the Beatles as I did and mourn the death of John Lennon as I do, or even if you just like his contribution to music, this is a very good look at the Beatles' most off-beat and possibly most brilliant member - a man who continually searched for an identity that kept changing.
Did you know
- TriviaThe first cut of this movie ran 24 hours long.
- GoofsThe comment that Lennon makes about the future of the Beatles after deciding to stop touring is actually two comments edited together.
- Quotes
[a homeless-looking young man is found wandering the grounds of Lennon's Tittenhurst Park estate]
John Lennon: Don't confuse the songs with your own life. I mean, they might have relevance to your own life, you know, but a lot of things do. And so we've met, you know? I'm just a guy, man, who writes songs.
Young Man: Yeah, I figured that if we met, I'd know, you know, just by meeting you.
John Lennon: But know what, man?
Young Man: That it all fits, you know?
John Lennon: Anything fits, you know? If you're tripping off on some trip, anything fits, you know?
Young Man: Like when you said "Boy, you're gonna carry that weight for a long time."
John Lennon: That's Paul saying that. But that belongs to all of us. He's singing about all of us.
Young Man: Remember that one, um, "You can radiate everything, or you can penetrate anywhere you go"?
John Lennon: Yeah, I was just having fun with words. It was literally a nonsense song, you know? I mean, Dylan does that. Anybody does that, you know? They just take words and you stick them together and see if they have any meaning. Some of them do. Some of them don't. See, that last album of mine was me coming out of my dream. You can last your whole life on that dream, you know? And then it's all over.
Young Man: You weren't thinking of anyone in particular when you were singing all that?
John Lennon: How could I be thinking of you?
Young Man: Well, I don't know, I don't care, me. But just all--it's all somebody.
John Lennon: I'm thinking about me, or at best, Yoko, if it's a love song. I'm saying, you know, "I had a good shit today" and "this is what I thought this morning" and, uh, you know?" And--or, "I love you, Yoko," or whatever. I'm singing about me and my life, you know? And if it's relevant for other people's lives, that's all right.
[pause]
John Lennon: Are you hungry? Hmm?
Young Man: [nods] Yeah.
John Lennon: Let's give him something to eat.
[John leads the young man inside]
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Geraldo Rivera Show: Digging the Dirt on the Dead (1988)
- SoundtracksA Day in the Life
Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Published by SBK Blackwood Music Inc.
under license from ATV Music (Maclen)
- How long is Imagine: John Lennon?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $3,753,977
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $1,412,213
- Oct 10, 1988
- Gross worldwide
- $3,754,273