Film: LennonNYC
Cast includes: John Lennon, Yoko Ono
Director: Michael Epstein (None Without Sin)
Genre: Documentary/Biography (2010)
In brief: In 1980, John Lennon came back to the recording studio after a 5-year hiatus. Double Fantasy was to have been his comeback album. This film examines “how do you reinvent yourself if you were once a Beatle.” That process began in earnest in 1971 when Lennon and Yoko Ono moved to New York City. Their first apartment was a small two-room apartment on Bank Street… “the artsy-fartsy part of town,” according to John. The two decided to leave England after the press “ripped Yoko apart. They called her ugly.” And John decided that was grounds for leaving his homeland and becoming a “refugee in the US.”
Once they got here they started getting involved in some of the social movements of the era. For example, 100 to 300 soldiers a week were coming back in coffins, thanks to the war in Vietnam. John and Yoko naively thought that sending an acorn to every world leader would send a meaningful message… which not surprisingly, had no effect at all. But as John and Yoko began finding more effective venues for social protest, the FBI put them on a watch list, and eventually our government started deportation procedures. “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean you’re not being followed.” With little hope of winning, John and Yoko appeared in court again and again. For the better part of 4 years, they lived on 30-day stays. John couldn’t understand why the US government found him so undesirable. “I know I’m a bit of a loud mouth, but I don’t hurt anybody.”
The film covers Lennon’s social activism, his disillusionment, the break-up with Yoko, his time being lost in Los Angeles, his reconciliation with Yoko, the birth of their son, his years as a stay-at-home daddy and his comeback. It not only reminds us why we found John Lennon so charismatic and interesting, it helps us revisit the era… as it really was. There was no shortage of footage, still photos and audio recordings to work with in making this documentary. The project was funded by PBS as part of their American Masters series. For that reason, the film needed some careful editing of the language, but it still appears to be an honest and enjoyable look at John Lennon’s “New York years.” As expected, the music is excellent, and the film includes a great many unreleased outtakes.
3 popped kernels
We see more than just the legend. The film makes John Lennon real.
Popcorn Profile
Primary Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Appeal: Any audience
Distribution: Art house & TV
Mood: Upbeat
Tempo: Cruses comfortably
Visual Style: Unvarnished Realism
Character Development: Engaging
Language: Irreverent
Social Significance: Informative
