"Get Back" Beatles Documentary

[MeanDean]

I'm a huge Beatles geek and I loved it. Loved how Peter Jackson edited and put it together. Hard to believe most of it was just two cameras. Sure feels like many more.

And he, also being a Beatles fan made sure every possible Easter Egg (things we've read about that happened or were said) were included whenever possible. Just seemed to put the frosting on the cake.

One other part I liked that wasn't mentioned was either near the end of part 1 or beginning of part 2. The crew is moving stuff out of Twickenham to take to Apple. Meanwhile Paul is there on the piano putting together Oh! Darling. I'm just thinking, "Damn it people, you're there when genius is unfolding right in front of you, but you're just obliviously doing your job! Take a minute and drink it IN!!!!"

And of course, the payoff is the roof top. Five or Six cameras on the roof. One on the roof across the street shooting back. Three on the street to capture reaction. One hidden in the lobby. Not to mention the live video feed from the roof to the recording studio in the basement. I gotta give Michael Lindsay-Hogg credit for capturing it ALL!

 

[cyclones500]

And of course, the payoff is the roof top. Five or Six cameras on the roof. One on the roof across the street shooting back. Three on the street to capture reaction. One hidden in the lobby. Not to mention the live video feed from the roof to the recording studio in the basement. I gotta give Michael Lindsay-Hogg credit for capturing it ALL!

Rooftop segment was home run, with all the camera angles and split-screening. Love the comments from people on the street. Seems like "Let it Be" mainly just showed street-level visual reaction, but didn't include a lot of comments (as I stated above, it has been years since I saw that movie).

Side note: The police officers who try to get the gig shut down look like they're about 19, to these old eyes.

 

[Nader_uggghhh]

I haven't seen this one but the Beatles anthology is one of my favorite documentaries of all time. It's 8 parts and 12 hours long so it's all encompassing. I'm curious to see how this one will stack up

 

[beentherebefore]

The clothes seem to be a parody of London in 1969; but, of course, it is 1969 London.

 

[cyclones500]

Also:

I'm not sure how much film restoration was necessary for the project (I haven't scoured for those details) ... it's crystal clear and colors are so vivid. Gives it a "This could have been filmed within the past year" look (adds to an "immediacy" or something like that).

I like the visual concept of the calendar and crossing off each day of the schedule.

 

[MeanDean]

Also:

I'm not sure how much film restoration was necessary for the project (I haven't scoured for those details) ... it's crystal clear and colors are so vivid. Gives it a "This could have been filmed within the past year" look (adds to an "immediacy" or something like that).

I like the visual concept of the calendar and crossing off each day of the schedule.

I kind of laughed at the Disney "Warning tobacco use shown." at the beginning. But holy smoke (yes, that was on purpose) they are like chimneys. Even Billy Preston is sucking the butts down like a good addict. I can only imagine how it must have smelled in those rooms.

 

[beentherebefore]

I kind of laughed at the Disney "Warning tobacco used shown." at the beginning.

Gotta love how Disney now feels the need to warn everyone about what was once considered normal.

 

[Rural]

 

[Go2Guy]

Also:

I'm not sure how much film restoration was necessary for the project (I haven't scoured for those details) ... it's crystal clear and colors are so vivid. Gives it a "This could have been filmed within the past year" look (adds to an "immediacy" or something like that).

I like the visual concept of the calendar and crossing off each day of the schedule.

There outta be some kind of award, or even Oscar for the video restoration - it's awesome. I have a bootleg DVD from 20-yrs ago (they never released an official DVD) and the improvements are unreal - and with the audio too.

 

[CYTUTT]

There outta be some kind of award, or even Oscar for the video restoration - it's awesome. I have a bootleg DVD from 20-yrs ago (they never released an official DVD) and the improvements are unreal - and with the audio too.

I could be wrong, but they shot it with film ( 8mm or better) which the quality is nearly unmatched. They would have stored it and cared for it because the Beatles were so successful.

It strikes me too, how much azz-kissing everyone did. I also liked all the side deals, off mic. Everyone wanted a piece of them!

 

[Saul_T]

As someone who doesn't really follow or listen to the Beatles much, I really loved this series. Contrary to what many of you have been saying, I saw John and Paul as two rock stars who thought they were better than the rest of the band. IMO George was the most talented on the guitar and it seemed McCartney and Lennon were just dismissive of him. Comes in one day with "I, Me, Mine" and John and Paul just want to play "Don't Let Me Down" 30 times through.

The rooftop recordings were fascinating.

 

[matclone]

As someone who doesn't really follow or listen to the Beatles much, I really loved this series. Contrary to what many of you have been saying, I saw John and Paul as two rock stars who thought they were better than the rest of the band. IMO George was the most talented on the guitar and it seemed McCartney and Lennon were just dismissive of him. Comes in one day with "I, Me, Mine" and John and Paul just want to play "Don't Let Me Down" 30 times through.

The rooftop recordings were fascinating.

George certainly made that complaint--that the band didn't spend as much time on his songs.

May be worth noting that they were all still in their 20's (25-29 or so, with George the youngest) at the time this was shot.

 

[cyclones500]

May be worth noting that they were all still in their 20's (25-29 or so, with George the youngest) at the time this was shot.

It's astonishing now to realize how young they truly were at that point ... when I started to explore The Beatles and became a "next-generation" fan, late-20s seemed "almost kinda old."

 

[Saul_T]

George certainly made that complaint--that the band didn't spend as much time on his songs.

May be worth noting that they were all still in their 20's (25-29 or so, with George the youngest) at the time this was shot.

Which is nuts to me. The other thing that stood out is how civil their arguments were. They never raised their voices (in the doc) but certainly voiced their displeasure with one another.

 

[KnappShack]

As someone who doesn't really follow or listen to the Beatles much, I really loved this series. Contrary to what many of you have been saying, I saw John and Paul as two rock stars who thought they were better than the rest of the band. IMO George was the most talented on the guitar and it seemed McCartney and Lennon were just dismissive of him. Comes in one day with "I, Me, Mine" and John and Paul just want to play "Don't Let Me Down" 30 times through.

The rooftop recordings were fascinating.

I can never tell if Paul is a heel or the good guy. My gut tells me he's a heel deep down or at least has a very strong ego behind that peace and love exterior.

Listening to him in interviews I really want to like him, but there's just something.....

In John and Paul's defense Don't Let Me Down is a far superior song.

 

[Saul_T]

I can never tell if Paul is a heel or the good guy. My gut tells me he's a heel deep down or at least has a very strong ego behind that peace and love exterior.

Listening to him in interviews I really want to like him, but there's just something.....

In John and Paul's defense Don't Let Me Down is a far superior song.

Same. The last episode he even talks about how he feels the self appointed Beatles producer. I really liked how they closed out the doc with the 4 of them jamming out, having fun, and smiling. I took it as them all realizing they were done as a band, but it was still cool seeing them acting like "the Beatles" instead of the 4 individuals you saw throughout.

Also, Ringo has to be the coolest, most laid back human on the planet.

 

[Saul_T]

And he, also being a Beatles fan made sure every possible Easter Egg (things we've read about that happened or were said) were included whenever possible. Just seemed to put the frosting on the cake.

Can you give some examples of the easter eggs in the film for some of us lesser fans?

 

[Saul_T]

Cool little snippet from Ringo

 

[MeanDean]

Can you give some examples of the easter eggs in the film for some of us lesser fans?

Off the top of my head - the references to "Around the Beatles" specifically the staging. Around the Beatles was a television special (UK) from early in their career, 1964.

When somebody asks who that man is (the Hari Krishna in the corner) and somebody says, "He's Paul's Grandfather" which is a line from the Hard Days Night Movie. To which Paul responds, "He's very clean." Which is also a line from the movie about his grandfather in the film.

There are others, but I can't recall any more right now.

 

[cyclones500]

I can never tell if Paul is a heel or the good guy. My gut tells me he's a heel deep down or at least has a very strong ego behind that peace and love exterior.

Some speculation (coupled with what I've read through the years) - specifically to the late-period Beatles situation, I think Paul became overbearing somewhat inadvertently ... when Brian Epstein died, the group was sort of rudderless -- Epstein's role itself had changed when the band decided to quit touring (about a year before his death) -- but in that year or so Epstein was still "there," so the band was kind of wondering about sense of direction.

Paul took the reins and that probably didn't sit well in bigger picture. He felt they needed someone "in charge" and he assumed the role as kind of default.

There's a scene in "Get Back" when they're sitting in the studio ... Paul says something like, "We need a Daddy." I think he craved at least some direct leadership — John was more content to "do whatever comes."