All My Loving (Beatles Documentary/Music Video Distributors)
Picture: C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C Documentary Film: B
A new
wave of Beatles product is on the way, including a reissue of a restored
edition of their hit 1965 film Help!,
impressive new book Can’t Buy Me Love by Jonathan Gould and other side
releases catching the wave, including other DVDs of new and classic
material. One of the must have DVDs is
easily Tony Palmer’s documentary film All
My Loving, which examines the relationship of The Beatles to the rise of
Pop Music, Rock Music, Political Music and the counterculture.
Originally
made for the BBC, the network did not even want to broadcast it, likely for
political reasons, but they eventually did and it is one of the most significant
music documentaries you have not likely seen.
Music Video Distributors is the one finally issuing the key work on DVD
with some extras and a key work that is a must-see for anyone serious about
music, history or one of the most important periods in human history.
The film
begins with a look at the rise of the band, how their music compares with music
of the past and the controversy about (now a non-argument as newer and
especially post-modern music forms have surfaced) how much Rock Music was
really music. It features actual Beatles
music, interview with McCartney, interview with Lennon and the band recording
together. Then, the montage starts to
get political, show the extent of the counterculture and key music acts that
quickly followed the band are shown.
They
include The Moody Blues, Frank Zappa (who is interviewed in his glory),
Donovan, Pink Floyd, Cream, Jimi Hendrix (also interviewed), The Who, Eric
Burdon and many others who were key to this movement. George Martin, Kit Lambert, Lulu, Anthony
Burgess and many others. The program
only runs 52 minutes, but is loaded with so much that you’ll wish this was a
mini-series. As a DVD, it is a top
collectible you will not want to be without.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image has some haziness and digital video
noise reduction (automatic DVNR) causes problems with the detail that are
unnecessary, but the image has some consistent color, though this needs some
restoration and an HD upgrade. The cinematography
includes early work by Phil Meheux, who has become one of the top Directors of
Photography in feature films today, including his work on the 2006 Casino Royale. This footage deserves top notch treatment. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is good for its
age, though it would be nice if stereo versions of the few hits records used
could be dropped into the soundtrack. Extras
include a stills selection of Ralph Stedman cartoons and new interview with
director Palmer.
- Nicholas Sheffo
