Two of Us (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)Michael Linsey-Hogg, the director of Let It Be, weaves fact and fiction into a compelling movie about two of the greatest personalities of our generation.
McCartney comes off a bit too warm in this but its hard to see that as a flaw. Reputed to be a 'cool' person at the best of times perhaps we see through to the real Paul. Lennon on the other hand is accurately portrayed from the clowning to the acid wit he was so well known for.
While the actors don't physically resemble John and Paul that well they certainly come across as them if you just squint your eyes and pretend a little.
Best moments in the movie:
McCartney in a heartfelt moment telling John how during the break up of the Beatles he felt as though he was losing his best friend. Lennons acid response. "We were never that close mate".
A scene in Central Park with the two of them in disguise. Reminiscent of A Hard Days Night is the exchange between them and two mounted police. We laughed out loud at this one and the scene just felt right.
A scene in a restaurant when an elderly couple finally get there nerve up to approach John. They make the gaffe of requesting that he sing a few bars of Yesterday (Pauls song). Lennons response again had us laughing out loud and again it felt as though it really was John saying it.
The best moment of all is one with John and Paul on the roof of the Dakota. I won't attempt to describe this one but it brought tears to my eyes and confirmed to me that the chemistry between John and Paul was truly magic.
This movie brings back a little of the joy the Beatles brought to the world way back when. A celebration of John and Paul and the real world magic of Beatle music.

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Sam Cooke - Legend (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)No serious rock or pop fan should be without this excellent biography. Written by Peter Guralnick and featuring spectacular interviews with many Cooke intimates like Bobby Womack, Aretha Franklin, brother LC, and Lou Rawls this documentary, that originally appeared on VH1 in a truncated form, gets to the heart of who Cooke was.
Many fans are familiar with Cooke's spectacular singing but few know of the important role he played in the Civil Rights Movement. We find out here that he was one of the first, if not THE first, artists to refuse to play to segregated audiences. We find out how he was one of the first prominent African-Americans to let his hair grow natural instead of slicking it down to appear white. We find out about the record company he started to help young African-Americans, who might be passed over by the majors, get a chance. We find out that Cooke was one of the first performers in all of pop music to acquire ownership of his own recordings (still unheard of today).
But the real meat here focuses on Cooke's mastery as a musician. The amazingly perceptive interviews manage to explain not only Cooke's importance in both gospel and pop but actually contain insight into how he did it.
Plus there's a slew of great performance footage of Cooke singing classics like "Twistin' the Night Away", "The Riddle Song", "You Send Me" and a funny, lip synched duet with Jackie Wilson on "Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha". Plus, there's some great film of Cooke hanging out with Muhammed Ali including the two harmonizing on "The Gang's All Here". Cooke was a crucial influence on Ali's life and thinking.
The DVD also contains some worthy extras. There are more than two hours of worth of expanded interviews. Plus there's a discography and a bio. Sadly, however there is no extra performance footage not even of his classic performance of "A Change is Gonna Come" from the Tonight Show (which is not in the documentary either).
The lack of music is the DVD's chief flaw. However, the documentary has some flaws as well. The most glaring is the way it glosses over Cooke's relationship with the controversial manager Allen Klein. This isn't surprising when you consider that Klein's company ABKCO is the producer of the DVD.
More damaging is the fact that it's too short. Though this version, at an hour and ten minutes, is longer than the VH1 documentary by almost a half hour, it's still too short to cover all of the events in a monumental life like Cooke's in the detail they deserve. For instance, Cooke's initial record contract and his later signing with RCA go by in a blur with little explanation. His appointment to the leadership of the Soul Stirrers gets similar short shrift.
Fortunately, you can find this information in Daniel Wolff's wonderful Cooke bio "You Send Me". Oustide of a book store though this is the best bio you'll find. Given the limitations the producers were under this is is a wonderful introduction and explanation of the man and his music.

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SAM COOKE - LEGEND - DVD Movie

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Shine a Light (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Set List:
1) Jumpin' Jack Flash
2) Shattered
3) She Was Hot
4) All Down the Line
5) Loving Cup (w/ Jack White)
6) As Tears Go By
7) Some Girls
8) Just My Imagination
9) Faraway Eyes
10) Champagne and Reefer (w/ Buddy Guy)
11) Tumbling Dice
12) You Got the Silver
13) Connection
14) Sympathy for the Devil
15) Live With Me (w/ Christina Aguilera)
16) Start Me Up
17) Brown Sugar
18) Satisfaction
Though the actual track 'Shine a Light' from Exile on Main Street is not played during the (film version of this) set, it is an excellent title for this rock documentary as Martin Scorcese is shining a light so to speak on the Stones themselves, and this light shines mighty bright and mighty close. But Scorcese is not as invasive as you might expect. And this documentary/concert film does not feel like an expose as much as a celebration of a band that still has some kick left in it. Instead of being overly reverent and even elegaic (as perhaps he was in The Last Waltz) Scorcese, takes a lighthearted & lighthanded approach. The first thing that Scorcese documents is the planning of the show itself and the miscommunications that took place between what the Stones wanted (a big venue) and what Martin wanted (an intimate one); miscommunications that could have been avoided had the band been available to actually meet face to face with Scorcese, but these and other miscommunications are treated more as running jokes than as genuine problems. Another running joke is that meticulous detail man Martin Scorcese (perhaps the only living director with a fame that rivals the Stones own) wants to know ahead of time what the set list will be or at least what the first song will be so that he can plan his first shot, but the Stones keep it a secret until seconds before the show begins. Its funny even though no one really thinks for a second that with his arsenal of cameras on and off stage there is any chance that Martin Scorcese will not get the exact shots he wants. But even while having some laughs with the band (at the bands and at his own expense), Scorcese is excellent at capturing what an immense task it is working with a band that is not used to surrendering control nor opening up on camera (and Scorcese inserts several old interviews into the concert footage to document Mick's ability to dodge questions with charm and Keith's utter refusal to play the q & a game at all). The irony is that the Stones have been public figures for over four decades now but we really still don't know them very well. Scorcese does a very good job at remedying this situation by peeling back the Stones mystique and allowing us to see the real personalities behind the public performances. As with his Dylan documentary, he does this by going though the immense Stones Interviews archive and coming up with some very rare interview footage (much of it from Asian and European tv programs). We get to hear the notoriously reticent Charlie discussing an alternative career as a painter, and Ron Wood discussing Keith and how he is nothing like his public image, "Keith's a very decent and very moral guy". The interviews are culled from all phases of their career and are very brief and very selectively inserted between the live songs. Most of them are humorous and/or ironic. Notably absent: any mention of Brian Jones or Mick Taylor or Bill Wyman.
No doubt there will be Stones fans who wish that Scorcese had teamed up with the '72 or '76 or '78 Stones, when the band was a bit more like Scorcese's screen outlaws, but better late than never.
For Stones fans the thrill (and it is immediate and lasts the entire show) is having the feeling of being onstage with the Stones. Jack White, Buddy Guy, and Christina Aguilera all do guest stints onstage but we as audience members feel like we are onstage as well and this is the truly brilliant thing about this film. The cameras are so close that we actually get to see the band play (and see who plays which guitar lines) and hear the between song banter between band members. Scorcese allows us to affirm or reaffirm that Mick is without a doubt the leader of this band and his relentless energy and seductive charms seem to wow his bandmates as much as they wow the crowd. Micks age shows in the close-ups but his real instruments, his voice & his body, seem completely immune from the ravages of time. Keith, at times, seems a bit lost (as when Christinsa Aguilera steps onstage) and he misses chords in a few places, but Scorcese's intimate style really serves Richards well. He is an intensely likable guy who loves what he does and still seems to feel adorably awkward when he takes center stage to sing "You Got the Silver" & "Connection." He is in many ways Mick's opposite. The chemistry of the band and especially the chemistry that exists between the Glimmer Twins is the thing that continues to fascinate and continues to evade documentation.
The show is intense and intimate and revealing. The guest appearances are well chosen. And the ending (which I will not reveal) is perfect.
Note on the soundtrack: The 2 cd edition of the Shine a Light soundtrack will contain four bonus tracks ("Paint it Black", "Little T & A", "I'm Free", & "Shine a Light").

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Widescreen Rated PG 13. Academy Award-winning filmmaker Martin Scorsese and the world's greatest Rock'N' Roll band, The Rolling Stones, unite to bring audiences the year's most extraordinary film event, Shine A Light. With special appearances by Christina Aguilera, Jack White and Buddy Guy, and four Rolling Stones performances not seen in theaters, Shine A Light is a must-own forRock'N'Roll fans across generations. 5.1 Dolby Digital (English, Spanish, French), Behind the scenes featurette, plus four music videos (Undercover Of The Night, Paint It Black, Little T And A, I'm Free)

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Where The Light Is: John Mayer Live In Los Angeles (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)As soon as I ripped open my "Where the Light Is" Live DVD I watched it all the way through. John manages to capture the audience with new tweakings of his top songs. The man continues to amaze me because he is his own worst critic and he is never satisfied, which ends up being a treat for anyone willing to be a fan for years. This DVD contains numerous songs in which he expands and elaborates his vocals..top notch John, top notch. Buy this- you won't be disappointed.

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Where The Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles captures the multi-Grammy® Award-winning, Platinum-selling singer/songwriter in the element where fans love him the most: live on stage.This special concert includes three sets: an acoustic performance, a rare set with John Mayer Trio (John Mayer, Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino), as well as a set featuring Mayer's full band.John Mayer's Where The Light Is includes 22 songs and features a one-of-a-kind song list made up of the three distinct performances - all recorded the night of December 8th, 2007 at the NOKIA Theatre in Los Angeles. Disc Tracklisting Acoustic Set: 1.Neon 2.Stop This Train 3.In Your Atmosphere 4.Daughters 5.Free Fallin' Trio Set: 6.Everyday I Have The Blues 7.Wait Until Tomorrow 8.Who Did You Think I Was 9.Come When I Call 10.Good Love Is On The Way 11.Out Of My Mind 12.Vultures 13.Bold As Love Band Set: 14.Waiting On The World To Change 15.Slow Dancing In A Burning Room 16.Why Georgia 17.The Heart Of Life 18.I Don't Need No Doctor 19.Gravity 20.I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You) 21.Belief 22.I'm Gonna Find Another You Special Fetures: Slow Dancing on Mullholland Drive Who Did You Think I Was- Steve Jordan & Pino Palladino Multi-angle Cam

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In His Life - The John Lennon Story (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a capably directed, better than average television movie about the beginnings of The Beatles, as seen through the eyes of John Lennon. The focus of the film is always on John and some of the people, places, and events that shaped his early life and made him the man he was to become. As its focus is on John Lennon, the other members of The Beatles take a back seat to John in the film.
The film, shot in the gritty, port city of Liverpool where John and the other Beatles grew up, shows how John (Phillip McQuillan) was reared by his devoted Aunt Mimi (Blair Brown), his mother Julia's older sister. His mother, Julia (Christine Cavanaugh), also lived in Liverpool and he would visit with her, but his father was an absentee one and would remain nothing but a distant memory. John grew up in his Aunt Mimi's household, and it was she who governed much of his early life. It was his mother, however, who was instrumental in John getting his first guitar.
The film shows the viewer some of the childhood places and people that would someday be memorialized in the music of The Beatles: Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane, Eleanor Rigby, and Julia. John's courtship of Cynthia (Gillian Kearney), the girl who would become his first wife, is also grist for the mill, as are his reasons for marrying her. The early popularity of The Beatles in Germany is touched upon, as is the tragic end of one of its original members and John's best friend, Stuart Sutcliffe (Lee Williams). Stuart was an artist who, while performing with the band in Germany, fell in love with a German girl named Astrid (Palina Jonsdottir) and left the band in order to marry her and remain in Germany.
The film shows how John and Paul McCartney (Daniel McGowan) met, as well as how George Harrison (Mark Rice-Oxley) came to join the group. The film deals with the issue of the replacement of their original drummer, Pete Best (Scott Williams), with Ringo Starr (Christian Ealey), when on the brink of success. It also shows how their local popularity brought them to the attention of record store owner, Brian Epstein (James Glover), and what he did to help make them them the most popular rock band of all time. One sees their arrival in America and their auspicious and memorable debut on the Ed Sullivan show.
Phillip McQuillan, whose physical resemblance to John Lennon is slight, at best, gamely tackles the lead role of John Lennon with much bravado, playing him as a bit of a bad boy with a good heart and a dream of rock and roll fame. He also manages to get John's intonations and inflection down pretty pat. Blair Brown does a wonderful job with the role of Aunt Mimi, the woman who managed to put some structure and order to John's early life. Christine Kavanaugh whimsically plays the role of John's mother, the woman from whom John appeared to have inherited his creative juices. Gillian Kearney gives an excellent portrayal of John's first wife, Cynthia.
Daniel McGowan, who actually resembles Paul McCartney in a peculiar sort of way, infuses the role of Paul with an intelligence that is palpable. Mark Rice-Oxley, however, is wooden and does nothing to bring the role of George Harrison to life. As he does not even resemble him, his portrayal of George is jarringly out of place. Christian Ealey, who somewhat resembles Ringo, fares better and does a more than passable job in the role of Ringo Starr, the Johnny come lately who was in the right place at the right time. Last but not least, James Glover give an excellent portrayal of Brian Epstein, the man who shrewdly and firmly set them on the road to rock and roll stardom.
All in all, this is a better than average made for television film. If you are not a fan of The Beatles, especially John Lennon, however, you would do well to deduct one star from my review.

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