Tuesday, December 27, 2005
LESTER
It is still a bit of a shock to have Richard Lester's (and, of course, the Beatles'
suddenly drop in on you. It is fast and furious and surrealistic.
Since this was the template for all music movies and videos, even up to now, it is amazing how fresh and even unsettling this film is to absorb.
We are now used to all the tricks but somehow the imitations never quite pull off the same magic as the original.
It is also a shock to see the boys at this age; to think that two are now gone; to know the history; the breakup and all.
The disc is fully restored. I broke my rule about not watching the add-ons to see the old men who made it talk it over; the technicians and the small bit actors.
I did not know what a role it played in the Beatles explosion. The film was made before the American tour and the Ed Sullivan Show and came out just after. Seven songs were written specifically for the film. It amped up the noise for the group almost immediately. The zeitgeist was changing. What a time.
I was not and am not a wild Beatles' fan. I respect their lives and their work. I did not follow any of them after the breakup except for George who was always my man.
This gets a 5 out of Netflix5. Even though it still is a bit unsettling in its lack of polish and I am not quite sold that sloppy camera work is quite that arty enough to be forgiven.
