the u.s. vs. john lennon Tagged Articles at Cinematical
John Lennon's Childhood Focus of New Movie
Filed under: Music & Musicals », Cinematical Indie »
We've seen tons of movies about both John Lennon and The Beatles. One focused on the early days of the band; another focused on the killing of Lennon. Documentaries galore displayed the artist's life and/or career, comprehensively or specifically. And, of course, Lennon and his band mates have starred in their own movies. But how about a dramatic telling of little Lennon, the kid who would grow up to be one of the most famous men of the 20th century? Last week, a film titled Nowhere Boy, based on the book "Imagine This: Growing Up With My Brother John Lennon," penned by one of Lennon's half-sisters, Julia Baird, received funding from the UK Film Council, and is therefore on its way to your Beatlemania collection in only a matter of time. The most exciting thing about Nowhere Boy, the thing that makes it more than just another movie about Lennon, is that it's being scripted by Matt Greenhalgh, writer of the phenomenal Ian Curtis biopic Control, who was attracted to the book's psychological insight into Lennon's character. Baird's telling is not without controversy, mostly due to its portrayal of Mary "Mimi" Smith, the aunt who raised Lennon from the age of 4 (and who Baird did not live with). Because it's about the childhood of a person idolized by millions, there are sure to be other criticisms and controversy once the movie is released. Will it be permitted, though, or even necessary to feature any of Lennon's later music, either from The Beatles or solo?
Review: Chicago 10
Filed under: Comedy », Documentary », Theatrical Reviews », Cinematical Indie »
2008 is not this generation's 1968. Let's get that matter straight, right away. Even if we can draw some parallels or see some similarities between now and then, the truth is that it was a very tragic year, and despite our penchant to fetishize the period and wish that our time could be so important and powerful, we need to pray no politicians are assassinated this year (the fact that one particular candidate has been compared to both MLK and RFK is especially upsetting) and we need to be thankful that there is no draft. But mostly we need to just move on from the '60s already and stop attempting to appropriate its events in order to heighten the relevance of the 2000s. 2008 is indeed a significant year on its own, or it could be if we let it exist as such.
That said, Chicago 10, the latest documentary from Oscar-nominee Brett Morgen (On the Ropes) is literally about events of forty years ago, though the filmmaker claims it is a film about now. Okay, sure, there may be some relevant themes, but imprisoning your film with such definite statements of purpose makes it possibly less enjoyable to the people who are tired of these weak and easy-minded juxtapositions. Without acknowledging the obviously apparent intent, Chicago 10 is actually appreciable as one of the most creative and entertaining documentary films in years. And it could indeed be viewed as significant on its own, if we let it exist as such.
US vs. John Lennon, the Trailer
Filed under: Documentary », Independent », Music & Musicals », Lionsgate Films », Cinematical Indie »
Produced and about to be distributed by Lionsgate, The U.S. vs. John Lennon is a documentary about Lennon that explores "the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist." It was directed by the well-established music-doc team of David Leaf and John Scheinfeld, and the trailer, trawling for viewers prior to the film's mid-September release, just showed up online.Now, don't get me wrong: The U.S. vs. John Lennon could be a phenomenal film. I'm immediately suspicious, however, of a preview that features an appearance by Geraldo Rivera as a sage-like talking-head in its first few seconds. The next talking head? Oh, that's G. Gordon Liddy, the guy who did the most prison time for Watergate-related offenses, far-right radio host and a certified nut-job to boot. Call me crazy, but these things trouble me a bit (and I honestly get a kick out of Liddy, at least when he's talking about Nixon and being all macho), as does the impression the preview gives that the film is less an exploration of Lennon's politics than a blunt instrument, designed to bludgeon its audience into agreeing with those politics. Like I said, the film could be brilliant, but the impression the trailer gives is a strange one to say the least.
[via JoBlo]
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