Product Description

Imagine John Lennon comes from a treasure trove: the legendary musician's own collection of more than 240 hours of film and videotape, much of it never seen by the public. With cooperation from Yoko Ono in its creation, producers David L. Wolper and Andrew Solt (partners on This Is Elvis) transform the archival footage - and a monumental 36-tune soundtrack - into a spellbinding account of a complex, fascinating man. Lennon's own voice narrates "a classic film biography" (Roy Leonard, WGN-TV/Chicago).

DVD Features:
Additional Scenes:Never Before Seen Footage of the Island House (Lake House at home of John and Yoko, Tittenhurst Estate in Ascot, England)
Audio Commentary:John Lennon Trivia Track (subtitled, not audio)
DVD ROM Features:John Lennon Music Guide
Featurette:Tribute to John Lennon: The Man, The Music, The Memories (w/ the Filmmakers David L. Wolper, Andrew Solt, Sam Egan, Editors Bert Lovitt and Bud Friedgen)
Interviews:John & Yoko: Truth Be Told (BBC Radio Interview with John and Yoko) William Ernest Pobjoy Interview (Headmaster Quarry Bank High School - John Lennon's Grammar School)
Other:Acoustic IMAGINE - never before released performance at the Apollo Theatre in New York City, Dec. 17, 1971
Theatrical Trailer:James Dean Trailer

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8228 in DVD
• Brand: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Released on: 2005-12-06
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .13 pounds
• Running time: 100 minutes

Amazon.com
It can hardly be a coincidence that this "deluxe edition" of John Lennon – Imagine should be issued in late 2005, a couple of months after what would have been the former Beatle's 65th birthday and mere days before the 25th anniversary of his death. Whether that's cynical, poignant, or just good marketing is moot; what matters is that Lennon's impact, not just as a musician but as a public figure, remains largely undiminished. The film, released theatrically in 1988, will already be familiar to many fans. "Narrated" by Lennon himself and culled from hundreds of hours of footage, much of it home movies shot by John and Yoko Ono, Imagine is a substantial, reasonably illuminating portrait of the man, warts and all, from childhood through the Beatle years, his solo career, and his life with Yoko straight up to his fatal encounter with Mark David Chapman. It's the new bonus features that are the principal draw here; but whether or not they qualify as "deluxe" is arguable. The Lennons' radio interview with a BBC reporter is notable mostly for John's patience in the face of idiotic questions like "Is love very important to young people today?" The ten or so minutes spent with Lennon's school headmaster, William Ernest Pobjoy (love the name), yield little insight, especially considering that the two were at the school at the same time for just one year, half a century ago; likewise, a new "making of" documentary with Ono, writer-director Andrew Solt, producer David Wolper, and others isn't exactly ground-breaking. However, a previously unreleased performance of "Imagine," with Lennon and some unknown accompanists on acoustic guitar, is nice, as is some heretofore unseen footage of the Lennons at home on their Tittenhurst Estate. Add to that a fine transfer and Dolby digital sound, and you have another addition to the filmed legacy of the Beatles--a subject that, for many of us, will never be old news. --Sam Graham

Customer Reviews

A must-have for Lennon fans
I've loved John Lennon all my life and this movie is an excellent canvass of his life. Though the film takes you through all 40 years of John's life, the emphasis is on the period 1970-71, where the bulk of the film rests. There is at least thirty minutes of fascinating footage from 1970 and shows John in the studio, recording the album "Imagine" with the gnome-like Phil Spector sitting in the control booth. One of my favorite scenes is John rehearsing and singing the beautiful "Jealous Guy" in front of the microphone. What a time piece!

Another lovely scene takes place at John's Titenhurst mansion in 1970. A homeless hippy has been sleeping in John's garden and the camera shows John and Yoko confronting him. The hippy rhapsodizes about the Beatles song "Carry that Weight," and extols the lyrics. John sardonically says, "Yeah, well that was *Paul* singing that!" Then the Lennon's invite the homeless man in for some breakfast.

There is additional footage from the early 70's of John with George Harrison. The interviews with Elliot Mintz are OK, but I would have preferred more actual footage of Lennon. They show some footage from his 1971 concert and much backstage material and interviews. There is plenty of information and film of the aftermath of his tragic assassination and the rivers of tears that produced. The years of the Beatles are covered, but not in any great depth. Get the Anthology for more in-depth material on the Fab Four. In short, a lovely film about one of the cultural icons of the 20th century. If you love John Lennon, get this film.

Remember John Lennon 1940 - 1980
December 8, 1980 - New York City
"John Lennon, the guiding spirit of The Beatles, dead tonight at 40."

Those immortal words at the end of the movie bring tears to everyone who was a fan of John Lennon. I remember hearing and seeing that news report from a hospital bed at 6 years old. It was and always will be a tragic memory. The man who resurfaced after a 5 year absence with a powerhouse of music destined for new life had been cut short just a few hours after an interview where he said:

"My work won't be finished until I'm dead and buried. And I hope that's a long, long time."

The long time was 2-3 hours.

The movie is an intimate portrait of Lennon's life and legacy. It exposes the chaos behind the myth, as well as the genius behind the man. With all the tales from friends, associates, Paul, George, Ringo, and George Martin on "The Beatles Anthology," this one focuses on Lennon's life in his own words and home videos. Taken directly from the archives of the man himself, there has never been a better documentary on Lennon. From Liverpool beginnings to the end in New York City, watch the boy become a superstar, the superstar into a man, and the man become a legend.

Remember John Lennon 1940 - 1980

Robert Eldridge (...)

Was it just a dream?
It is with a heavy heart that I write this review, on the 25th anniversary of the death of working class hero John Lennon. This man, this very human man, was one of four people I have truly looked up to as a hero but not for the normal reasons that heroes are made of. For these past years it is still hard to accept that he was gunned down in the streets of New York and in an ironic way his killer is having his own words broadcast on television around the world. I am sure that Lennon would have seen the irony and would probably have made some sarcastic comment.

However, I purchased this DVD some two days ago but reserved it's playing until today. I had previously owned a PAL VHS copy so I was very happy to own the DVD. As others have stated this is a warts and all documentary with the narration by Lennon, in his own write as it were, culled from hundreds of hours of interviews. It is a poignant reminder of the meteoric and historic rise and fall of one of the most charismatic of four Liverpool lads forging their own path through the music business in the 1950's. While the film itself has been much documented it is the features of this edition which are new but to me they are merely a side issue here.

This DVD keeps the man and his music in the public purview and tribute must be paid to the work of Yoko Ono who has stood fast behind his legacy, personal, public and musically. It can be argued, as others have done, that the features on this disc do little to justify the "deluxe" tag which I feel is a little unfair. Certainly from the sound and picture point of view it is much cleared up and sounds a whole lot better than it does on my video copy.

For most people who buy this documentary, the features will be of relatively little import although there are some out there, and I include myself in this category, who will pore over every word and picture. I will admit however, that the previously unreleased live rendition of Imagine is an essential for fans who continue to anxiously await the next rare release.

For the conspiracy theorists out there, there is much more than a coincidence about the slew of releases of media material in the last thirteen weeks from the various ex-beatle camps, but this really does mark the handover of generations to younger people for whom the Beatles and Sixties have little or no meaning. Musicians today have much to thank the group for in the pathbreaking , one could say buccaneer, way they changed the music business.

Imagine is a fine testament to the career of a man who led the way in many areas and who will continue to be mourned by millions. Let us not forget his championship of peace and the underdog especially at this time of year.

To absent friends...