Hard Vision |
John Lennon"The Messenger" DVD It goes without saying that John Lennon is one of the greatest musicians, and greatest people, of the twentieth century. He touched many people's lives both as a musician and a person, and his death was one of the world's greatest tragedies, from which some people have never fully recovered. His ghost still haunts the world today, and will forevermore, as this DVD shows. For an hour on this disc, many people who knew John Lennon and were involved with him and his music, discuss the man and his legacy, their experiences with him, and the impact his life and death had on their lives, and on the world in general. The DVD begins with a news report about John's death, featuring excerpts of shocked fans' reactions and commentary from neighbors, police officers, and later, lawyers about the trial and conviction of Mark Chapman, the man who shot Lennon. There is even an interview with the murderer, as he describes, in detail, his killing of Lennon. This is quite harrowing! There are many old film clips of John (and Yoko) which show him discussing his music and his career, his anti war/anti violence efforts in the 60's, and his troubles with the FBI over his deportation. The music on the DVD is played by a band called the Overtures, and there is one scene where they perform their version of a "lost" John Lennon song, "In Spite Of All The Danger", in the studio. The DVD concludes with commentary on the Beatles' final concert performance at the Hollywood Bowl. No actual concert footage is shown, unfortunately, but there is much pre-concert commentary from fans attending, many of whom are celebrities, like Rock Hudson and Groucho Marx. The DVD also includes a John Lennon biography, discography, and a picture gallery. The photos in the gallery are mostly early Beatles shots, all in black and white, and there are not many. One would think there would be more, given Lennon's legacy. This is, however, an interesting and well constructed DVD, which is very enjoyable. Fans of Lennon and the Beatles will no doubt want to add this to their collections. |