The Beatles '64

[Tom Waits For No One]

Anyone seen this yet?





Thoughts?

[robertff]

Plan to watch it but haven't seen it yet, it looks a little like something that came out a few years ago about their first trip to America, unless this is the same thing revamped. This has come out as an addition to their U.S. albums that have just been re-released, or the other way round, but you know that already.

It was a very exciting time though, I had just started my teens and loved everything about the whole Beatles world, great to look back on and remember.


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[Rorschach]

That's me having a night in tonight then.

[Rorschach]

I've watched about half of it. I'll probably finish it but I'm not finding it very exciting.

I'm sure I haven't seen all the footage but there was probably a reason why it wasn't used before: it doesn't add a lot to what we have already seen. And do we really need to see a repeat of Macca trotting out the anecdote about his dad saying they should be singing, 'Yes, Yes, Yes'?

[Charlie O.]

It's a modestly enjoyable mess, is what it is. For a documentary with that title, it manages to be both too focused (it's pretty much all about their first U.S. visit, as if nothing else of note happened, Beatle-wise, in 1964) and not nearly focused enough.

Why do we have David Lynch stammering through a not-at-all-insightful or even interesting or articulate ramble for what feels like five minutes (even if it's probably closer to two)? Why do we have Smokey Robinson and The Miracles (whom I adore, mind) singing a 1965 LenMac tune on a 1968 Ed Sullivan Show? Why do we have Jack Douglas talking about working with Lennon as a solo artist (not that that isn't interesting)? Why do we see the great Leonard Bernstein in 1966 analyzing the time signature changes in that year's "She Said She Said"? Why does the program more or less open with some off-screen Hope Sandoval soundalike sleep-singing her way through "All My Loving"? Who decided these things belonged in the final cut?

And how were the present-day fan interviewees chosen, and why? (Not that I don't like most of them, but... again, I'm just wondering how these particular people got involved.)

And for all that... I'm sure to watch it again.

[copehead]

Why do we have Jack Douglas talking about working with Lennon as a solo artist (not that that isn't interesting)? .

Because the John Lennon - Alf Ippititimus collaborations were the high point of Fab Four post Beatles output?




Whaaaheyy!!!!

[robertff]

Just watched it and found it rather boring to be quite honest. Whilst the excerpts on the Beatles themselves and their performances were quite interesting I didn’t find all the extraneous commentary particularly illuminating or captivating.

It was a hugely exciting time for anyone who was a teenager, as was shown by the relevant fan clips but it wasn’t really necessary to have the story of the two Yankee boys in Liverpool and really couldn’t they get someone who formed a successful band because of the impact of their television performance on Ed Sullivan or someone like that?

I liked the bits with the older Beatles talking about their U.S. experience, not sure if I’ve seen them before and perhaps there could have been more of Paul ruminating about the exhibition.

Don’t think I’ll be watching it a second time.


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[northernsky]

Why do we have David Lynch stammering through a not-at-all-insightful or even interesting or articulate ramble for what feels like five minutes (even if it's probably closer to two)? .

David Lynch should not be interviewed by anyone, about anything. Mark Cousins’ Scene by Scene, a series of interviews with notable directors (you can find some episodes on YouTube) is uniformly great. Apart from the one with Lynch.

[Andrews Sisters Conundrum]

Not surprising. The man is a pillock.

[The Slider]

I had no interest in actually watching this.
You have saved me the bother of changing my mind

[meetthesonics]

It's like the Beach Boys doc Disney ran a year or so back. Watchable but only just, delivering nothing new or interesting to anyone who has a walking around or better knowledge of either band.