The Compleat Beatles | Malcolm McDowell, John Rousmaniere

The Compleat Beatles | Malcolm McDowell, John Rousmaniere | Best documentary at its time.

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The Compleat Beatles

	The Compleat Beatles Malcolm McDowell, John Rousmaniere MGM/UA, 1991 average customer review:based on 28 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Now THIS is a Beatles documentary!!

I LOVE this documentary! It was one of the first that I ever watched about The Beatles and it remains a treasure of my small VHS/DVD collection.

Credit was given where it was due and the influential were given a prominent role here (as it should be). There were interviews from Allan Williams (the boys' first manager), George Martin (who crafted and refined their sound for the masses), the late Derek Taylor (who would also show up in the autobiographical "Anthology" mega-documentary), Bill Harry (editor of Mersey Beat), etc. And there are plenty of sound and video clips to fascinate you (I got a bit ticked, though, when the clip for "Strawberry Fields Forever" was interrupted).

If "Anthology," at a running time of between 8-10 hours, is too much for you, check this tape out. It's a great primer and refresher for Beatles novices and experts alike.

Two thumbs up ... and then some!

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Best documentary at its time.

My mom introduced me to the Beatles at a ripe age of four, she was a big time Beatles fan, but I'm a bigger one, too bad I wasn't around in the 60's, I missed out on some good happenings. Anyways, we rented this video back in 1984 when it first came out, and I was hooked. Even before that, I loved the Beatles, and use to plug in the headphones and listen to their old records my mom had and this just added to my taste. You see my mom didn't have all their albums, but I ended up getting them all on vinyl before they discontinued them back in the mid 80's (the capitol albums). Anyways, what I'm getting at here, if you like the Beatles, and you don't know much about them, this will discribe it pretty good, considering it's narrarated, and it's before Anthology, and it's 1984, so they did a good recap on their lives without them really telling it themselves. It's got interesting things on their childhood, into getting interested in rock and roll, since it was born when they were teenagers, to the skiffle band John Lennon formed in 1956 called the Quarrymen, to their time in Hamburg with Stu and Pete, to kicking out Pete and getting Ringo. It's all here, from rags to riches, to fame and fortune, to calm to madness. People will remember the Beatles even hundreds years from now, and I'm not the only one who believes that. But anyways, young and old, prescious and delicate, if you like the Beatles, this should be in your collection, along with its big brother which came out about a decade later Anthology.

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A bit of a compact version of the Beatles' success story

Narrated by the great Malcolm McDowell, this is a must see documentary that manages to do a pretty great job of telling the band's story in just under two hours. As in any band bio, the beginnings are uplifting and exciting and then the break up is hard to watch but as in the Beatles' case, you feel that it's inevitable. The amazing thing that you get from this movie is that it all happened within such a short time. Required viewing for any young rock musician. Check out "The Rutles" immediately afterwards.

a true gem - even if the recording and source quality is uneven

The Compleat Beatles is one of the most enjoyable films for repeat viewings. Malcolm McDowell's narration is the key element - his voice is both melodious and passionate. The film stock is uneven in quality - but that hardly matters. The audio quality throughout is exceptional on the 1991 HiFi stereo NTSC VHS which I recently bought second hand via Amazon (August 2007) - the cover boasts "digitally duplicated Videophonic Sound". I can't compare it to the analogue audio of my LaserDisc version because "laser rot" rendered those discs unplayable several years ago. Unfortunately the VHS has unpleasantly bright, overly contrasted video with poor colour - whereas my recollection of the LaserDisc was that it looked great.

This film is almost as enjoyable as audio only, so the video problem isn't too critical.

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Excellent! Fun to revisit, and great intro to band

This was my intro to the band as a young teen in the 80's. It's a wonderful film and documentary, that really gives a full story of the band from beginning to end. Really get a glimpse into the personalities and the music's creative process. Good clips of interviews, and music performances/videos. Great choice of songs throughout, not just the hits (such as Tomorrow Never Knows, Why don't we do it in the road, Love you too, Day in the Life), even though they are usually shortened snippets. Small complaint, but I just wish it had some of the Paperback Writer video because I love that song, but so many great ones are here.... blackbird, I am the Walrus, fool on the hill, I'm a loser, etc etc. Again they are usually partial songs, but they fit in alot throughout, and it does not seem slighted or chopped up. They are seemless and fluid throughout the film segued in and out of the narrration and interviews.

The film follows the band from their childhood and formation of the band, through the early hystaria of Beatlemania, to the more serious songwriting and artistic creativity that followed, the psychedelia, the trip to India, the arrival of Yoko, the Let It Be sessions, and finally the breakup of the band.

What really makes this movie great, and one I love to watch again and again is the narration by Malcolm McDowell. I am a big fan of the movie A Clockwork Orange also because of him, and his narration throughout that film. He just has a great voice and reading style, and it really separates this documantaries from all others. He just seems to add an authenticity and intimacy that makes this very enjoyable. I also really like that unlike the Anthology, this does not include interviews with Paul, George or Ringo later in their 50's looking back. All the clips and interviews are from the period, and really allows you see them just as they were when they were young, and the film ends with the end of the band as it should. Their engaging personas, insightfulness, and youthful optimism and spirit really come through.

It's of course not as "Compleat" as the Anthology, but it really has all you need IMO. A film you can watch in one sitting, and can watch with the family. A movie that is enjoyable as a movie, not just a rockumentary. Well organized chronologically, the story really builds throughout. Fun for Beatle fans who already know it all, and an excellent intro to anyone new to the band, and an excellent way to present the band to any friends you may have that are not into them, this will convert them.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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