John Lennon

The U.S. vs. John Lennon

The compelling and provocative story of John Lennon's evolution from beloved Beatle to outspoken artist and activist to iconic inspiration for peace and how in the midst of one of the most tumultuous times in American history Lennon stood his ground refused to be silenced and courageously won his battle with the U.S. Government.System Requirements:Run Time: 96 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating: PG - 13 UPC: 031398209119 Manufacturer No: 20911

In retrospect, it seems absurd that the United States government felt so threatened by the presence of John Lennon that they tried to have him deported. But that's what happened, as chronicled in directors David Leaf and John Scheinfeld's The U.S. vs. John Lennon. The film starts slowly, with a familiar look at the former Beatle's troubled childhood, his outspokenness as one of the Fabs ("We're more popular now than Jesus Christ," etc.), and his eventual hookup with Yoko Ono, paralleled by the growth of political protest in '60s America, particularly against the Vietnam War. John and Yoko went on to stage their own peaceful demonstrations, like the Canadian "bed-ins," but these were largely harmless media stunts. It was when the Lennons moved to New York in the early '70s and took a more active role in the anti-war movement, making friends with radicals like Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and Black Panther Party founder Bobby Seale, that the government got interested--and paranoid--and men like President Richard Nixon, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, and right-wing Sen. Strom Thurmond began actively looking for ways to silence him (it was Thurmond who came up with the deportation idea). That's also when the film picks up. An array of talking heads weighs in, ranging from Ono and others sympathetic to Lennon's plight (Walter Cronkite, Sen. George McGovern, even Geraldo Rivera) to those on the other side, including Watergate conspirator G. Gordon Liddy. Though The U.S. vs. John Lennon is hardly impartial, it's safe to say that although Lennon was more an idealist than an activist, he was an influential celebrity whom Nixon viewed as a potential nuisance in an election year. And even once Nixon had won the '72 presidential race, the Immigration and Naturalization Service refused to drop its case. Why? "Anybody who sings about love, and harmony, and life, is dangerous to somebody who sings about death," says author Gore Vidal. "Lennon... was a born enemy of the U.S. He was everything they hated." For music fans, Lennon's solo recordings provide the soundtrack. The DVD also contains considerable additional documentary footage. --Sam Graham

The Dick Cavett Show - John Lennon & Yoko Ono

John Lennon devotees (and, to a lesser extent, Beatles fans in general) should be delighted with The Dick Cavett Show - John Lennon & Yoko Ono, which collects (on two discs) his three appearances on the TV talk show in 1971 and '72. It won't be because of the music; there's very little of that, and what there is, frankly, is not great. Of much more interest is the opportunity to see and hear Lennon, then in his early thirties, talk about matters both slight (his new haircut, the state of television in England) and significant (the Nixon administration's efforts to deport him, Lennon and Ono's battle for shared custody of her daughter from an earlier marriage). Always the most verbally agile of the Beatles, Lennon appears here with his rapier wit (on Yoko's chain smoking: "Every time I kiss her, I burn my chin") and penchant for punning (when Cavett appears without neckwear, Lennon calls him "tie-less in Gaza") intact. He also tirelessly plugs his and Ono's various activities, which gets a little old, but his passion for and commitment to their causes are undeniable. Don't expect much Beatles talk; while he evidences no bitterness about the band's demise, neither does he indulge in any sentimentality (although it's poignant, given his murder in 1980, to hear him say that he'd never want to be onstage singing "She Loves You" at age 50). As for the two live performances (there's also an "Imagine" film clip), both coming at the end of the third Cavett show, let's just say that the Lennons' collaboration with the New York band Elephant's Memory, which yielded the album Sometime in New York City and the two songs they play here (his strident "Woman is the Nigger of the World" and her "We're All Water"), wasn't exactly their creative zenith. --Sam Graham

John Lennon and Yoko Ono's two visits to The Dick Cavett Show stand out from their numerous television appearances as their most relaxed, in-depth interviews. Clearly they enjoyed being with Cavett. They even cast him in one of their films. The September 11, 1971, show is notable as the first American television interview John gave after the breakup of The Beatles. So comfortable were the Lennons that after the show was over they continued talking with Cavett. The additional portions of that first interview were shown as part of The Dick Cavett Show on September 24, 1971. During that visit they'd discussed coming back and giving a live performance. True to their word, for their appearance on Cavett's show on May 11, 1972, they returned with Elephants Memory and each sang one song.

3 complete episodes of the legendary late-night talk show featuring John Lennon and Yoko Ono's most candid interviews as well as rare live performances With New Episode Introductions and the Bonus Featurette Cavett And The Lennons

Three complete episodes: *September 11, 1971 - John & Yoko are Cavett's only guests. They show clips from their experimental films Fly and Erection as well as promotional films for the songs "Imagine" and "Mrs. Lennon."

*September 24, 1971 - Cavett introduces the three additional segments from John & Yoko's appearance on September 11, 1971 and also welcomes Stan Freberg and Robert Citron.

*May 12, 1972 - John & Yoko perform live with the band Elephant's Memory in their second visit with Cavett. John sings "Woman Is The Nigger Of The World" and Yoko sings "We're All Water." Actress Shirley MacLaine is also on hand.

The Killing of John Lennon

Mark David Chapman, a 25 year old security guard in Hawaii, bought a plane ticket to New York with the intention of killing the world's greatest musician and dreamer: The Beatles' John Lennon. Camping outside Lennon's apartment in New York waiting for an autograph, Chapman's childlike obsession with this "celebrity phony" descends into madness. Both gritty and dreamy, The Killing Of John Lennon is a stunning examination of a stalker's mind just before the kill.

Lennon Legend - The Very Best of John Lennon

The late John Lennon's life and work are plainly visible in this stirring collection of short films and music videos, some very familiar while others, produced posthumously, will be new to many viewers. The set includes the classic "Imagine" clip, which begins with a haunting scene of John and Yoko walking through an early morning fog and concludes with Lennon's performance in an all-white room. More rare is a Top of the Pops live performance of "Instant Karma" and a wonderful film accompanying "Mind Games," in which a solo Lennon clowns around Central Park, thrilling passersby, playing with kids, and dancing. "Woman" is a montage of the last days and hours of Lennon's life, while "Watching the Wheels" is a compilation of home movie footage from the star's semi-reclusive Dakota years. Extras include a live "Slippin' and Slidin'," and a startling bit of "Julia" absentmindedly picked on guitar. --Tom Keogh

Gimme Some Truth - The Making of John Lennon's "Imagine"

An instant classic when released in September 1971, John Lennon's Imagine was the ex-Beatle's solo masterpiece, and its musical legacy is matched here by priceless footage of Lennon's creative process, independently edited from original 16-millimeter footage by producer-director Andrew Solt with the hands-off approval of Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono. Incorporating footage from John and Yoko's original film Imagine (clips of which were previously included in the 1988 documentary Imagine: John Lennon), Gimme Some Truth presents Lennon, Ono, coproducer Phil Spector, and a host of gifted musicians in a fluid context of conflict, community, and craftsmanship. Bearing witness to every stage of the recording process, this 63-minute documentary succeeds as a visual diary, a study of familiar music in its infancy, and a revealing portrait of the then-30-year-old Lennon--from witty clown to confrontational perfectionist--at the peak of his post-Fab Four inspiration.

The film's horizons expand with a casual montage of Lennon's celebrity lifestyle, including New York party footage (by film theorist Jonas Mekas) featuring such guests as Miles Davis, Andy Warhol, and Jack Nicholson. Excerpts of a 1971 BBC interview reveal John and Yoko at their most thoughtful, discussing socio-sexual issues that remain compellingly relevant (and the entire 35-minute interview is included on the DVD edition). But the true value of Gimme Some Truth remains in the creation of music at the Lennons' estate at Tittenhurst Park, Ascot, England. The ballad "Imagine" is followed from rawness to completion, and the track-by-track progress is highlighted by "Jealous Guy" (after which Lennon playfully compliments Spector's studio wizardry), and especially "Gimme Some Truth," which alternates between full mix and isolated vocal track. With George Harrison on guitar, Lennon freely admits that "How Do You Sleep?" is a deliberately "nasty" criticism of Paul McCartney, but this remarkable film never dwells on negatives. A precious record of John Lennon's time on earth, Gimme Some Truth is as honest as it is entertaining. And while purists may object to the DVD's remastered sound--which was carefully remixed for Dolby Digital 5.1-channel stereo at Abbey Road studios--few would deny that this film is an important and illuminating document that any John Lennon fan will cherish. --Jeff Shannon

Come Together - A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music

A disparate group of performers gathers to celebrate the life and music of John Lennon in this 90-minute concert, recorded in 2001 at New York's Radio City Music Hall and originally broadcast on the WB Television Network. Considering both the setting and the fact that it came just three weeks after the events of September 11, it's not surprising that the show has a somewhat somber tone, but that makes Lennon's message of universal peace somehow all the more relevant. As for the songs, the majority come from Lennon's Beatle days, including "In My Life" (Dave Matthews), "Strawberry Fields Forever" (Cyndi Lauper), and "Dear Prudence" (Alanis Morissette); but it's the material from his solo years that yields the most passionate performances, especially by Shelby Lynne ("Mother") and Lou Reed ("Jealous Guy"). Host Kevin Spacey does a surprisingly effective turn on "Mind Games," and the inclusion of Lennon's son Sean is both appropriate and touching. Nice. --Sam Graham

Inside John Lennon (Unauthorized)

There's no shortage of redundant documentaries about the life and artistry of John Lennon, but the 80-minute, unauthorized Inside John Lennon manages to cover the same old ground in a refreshing, thoroughly captivating way. The secret: a streamlined production making crisp use of file footage, film clips, and stills that haven't been over-exploited, an unsentimental tone, and an army of interviewees who knew Lennon in ways we don't often hear about. Among the latter are Tony Sheridan, for whom the early Beatles acted as a backup band; various members of Lennon's pre-Beatles group, the Quarrymen; Apple general manager Alistair Taylor; and Julia Baird, Lennon's sister. Choice audio quotes from Paul McCartney and George Martin are pure gold. Though the film covers familiar, major events in Lennon's life, the anecdotes and insights will strike most fans as new, while unguarded opinions of old confidantes are sometimes startling. --Tom Keogh

INSIDE JOHN LENNON is an intimate account of the life and career of the most controversial Beatle. From his difficult beginnings in wartime Liverpool to riding the wave of Beatlemania to becoming a peace activist with his outspoken soulmate,Yoko Ono, John packed a lot into his forty short years.Hear touching and revealing stories from his sister, Julia. Find out how it felt playing alongside John from the Quarry Men themselves. Hear anecdotes from the Beatles' first manager, Allan Williams. And, of course, there is frank, witty, and sometimes blunt commentary from Lennon himself.

In His Life - The John Lennon Story

Helped along by an unprecedented access to John Lennon's boyhood homes, schools, and sundry haunts, In His Life: The John Lennon Story has a ghostly appeal that makes one feel a bit like a voyeur on pop history. Focusing on eight years of Lennon's youth, from ages 16 to 24, In His Life stars Irish actor Philip McQuillan in the lead and dramatizes much of the familiar lore: John's abandonment by his father; the double loss of his mother, Julia (Blair Brown), first to another family and then to a random accident; his historic introduction to Paul McCartney (Daniel McGowan) at St. Peter's Church Hall; and his too-early marriage to his first wife, Cynthia (Gillian Kearney). As often happens in Lennon hagiographies, the arc of the Beatles' story and career feels weirdly imbalanced here, as if the other three were merely supporting players in the greatest rock & roll band of all time. That only means one needs to take this film with a pinch of salt. But it would have been nice if screenwriter and producer Michael O'Hara could have reflected better upon Lennon's intellectual complexity and not presumed that one would generally find him whining and narcissistic. Still, this is an enjoyable and insightful film (originally broadcast on NBC in 2000), well directed by David Carson (Star Trek: Generations). --Tom Keogh

Spirit of John Lennon

A musical giant was taken from us much too soon... Millions of fans worldwide remember exactly where they were on the day John Lennon died. Now, an historic attempt to contact his spirit is captured in this amazing documentary. Famed psychics from around the world travel to significant locations in the life of the former Beatle to try to find out more about the fabled musician. The Spirit of John Lennon is one of the most riveting and controversial DVDs you will ever see and a remarkable tribute to one of the greatest contemporary artists of the 20th century. FEATURING A BRAND NEW SONG INSPIRED BY THE MUSIC OF JOHN LENNON. As seen on The Colbert Report and in The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Entertainment Weekly and others. Not authorized by or connected to the estate of John Lennon.

Imagine; John Lennon Deluxe Edition DVD