Riddle me this pop pickers: why make a documentary when everything reported is a matter of public record and everything that has been rumoured is ignored.
Why make a movie about Lennon’s final decade spent in New York, in the first place.
Alright, I love some of that old film myself… THAT’S WHY I’VE SEEN IT A MILLION TIMES. And other than that this documentary is bereft of anything remotely close to new info.
No, wait: that bit where whenever Lennon got paralytic in Los Angeles screaming Yoko’s name. I think that is new. Everything else? Forgetting the name of “With A Little Help From My Friends”? Old news.
Let’s dumb it down.
1. The Lennon’s moved to NYC in 1971.
2. They joined the peace movement.
3. Got themselves on Nixon’s enemies list.
4. Almost got themselves deported.
5. Lennon recorded Sometime In New York City, Mind Games, Rock And Roll, Walls And Bridges, and Double Fantasy .
6. Had a son.
7. Was murdered in 1980.
This is all common knowledge and every single revelation has already been revealed many, many times.
Here is what is not mentioned:
1. Lennon beating Ono.
2. Lennon and Ono’s heroin addiction.
3. Ono’s infidelity when Lennon was in L.A. (what dya think “Bless You” was about??)
4. Lennon terrifying Sean.
5. Lennon’s homosexual liaisons.
6. Ono’s reliance on an astrologist and sending the family half way round the world at this astrologers whim. until the astrologer failed to predict Lennon was in danger.
7. Ono battling the other three Beatles.
I would guess all except for #’s 4 and 5 are true.
Instead we get the story of Lennon changing his immigration status for a good quarter of the running time. Michael Epstein’s Lennon is the same old same old. Either tell the truth or shut the fuck up. This product is just about useless. If you miss Lennon any way, watch it here: http://video.pbs.org/video/1657689250/