Imagine: John Lennon (1988)

Directed by

Andrew Solt

Genre

documentary film, musical film, biographical film

Country

United Kingdom, United States

Runtime

1h 40m

Rated

R

Rating

7.0 of 10 from 89 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This documentary covers the life and music of John Lennon, from his time in the Beatles to his solo career. It uses rare recordings and footage, including demos and rehearsals, to tell his story without input from his former bandmates.

reflectivenostalgiccandidintimatebittersweetinspirationalreverent

What happens

Imagine: John Lennon is a 1988 documentary film directed by Andrew Solt about English musician John Lennon. It was released on 7 October 1988, two days before Lennon's 48th birthday (and nearly eight years after his death). The film chronicles Lennon's life and musical career as a member of the Beatles and as a solo artist. It features recordings that had not been released prior to the film: an acoustic demo of "Real Love" taped in 1979 (an alternate recording of which would be finished by the Beatles for 1996's Anthology 2) and a rehearsal take of "Imagine" in mid-1971 before the final take was captured. The film was commissioned by Yoko Ono in 1986. None of the three former Beatles, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, or Ringo Starr, agreed to participate in the film, though they reportedly mostly approved of it. Imagine: John Lennon, with its wealth of archival footage and narration, received generally positive reviews. The film's soundtrack was also successful in the United States, reaching No. 31 on the charts and going gold. Solt and Sam Egan authored a photo book of the same title as a companion to the film. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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• In His Life: The John Lennon Story (2000)
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