Linkers reactions to Documentary

What do you guys think? The first half has been aired on HBO... was it all you were expecting? What were your favorite parts?

I loved the parts where Dhani was reading from George's letters. That was the best part so far for me. Lots of great new pictures, too, and clips.

To an extent, for my liking, there was not enough about George's boyhood. We got the cultural context of his boyhood, yes, but little personal anecdote. I could have watched a long, long interview with his brothers. Seeing George's brothers was a delight. I've never heard them interviewed... and the way Harry spoke, with his little smile, reminded me so much of George. That was just fantastic. Seeing the old footage of Harold and Louise, Sr was wonderful. I could've done with two hours of Harrison family, and a lot less (sorry) of the Beatles. Though, of course, that's part of George, too.

I don't really see George as "Beatle George." Maybe that is part of my difference. I mean, I love all the Beatles... but to me, the Beatles has always been "George and friends." :) When I see a Beatle picture, I register George. When I hear a Beatle song, I register George's singing first, even if it is barely audible. When I listened to the Beatles Anthology, I sort of mentally "lined through" all which was not George related, to a large extent. For me, what I saw tonight was like "The Beatles Anthology if Lorraine had been editor." That's cool... but too much Beatles even so... and too little George as an individual.

Others thoughts?

Unfortunately I cancelled all my movie channels earlier this year when I got Netflix. I couldn't imagine making one of my friends with HBO sit through 2 nights of this stuff, especially since I would probably demand complete silence so I could soak it all in. It's playing at a theater down in Hollywood, I'll have to head out there in the next few days.

Originally Posted by Jerry

It's playing at a theater down in Hollywood, I'll have to head out there in the next few days.

It is? Which one? I'd love to see it on a large screen.

[EDIT: I just checked online and see it's at the Laemmle 5... I should've known. I used to live 6 blocks from there. They always show great films!]

Originally Posted by Jerry

Unfortunately I cancelled all my movie channels earlier this year when I got Netflix. I couldn't imagine making one of my friends with HBO sit through 2 nights of this stuff, especially since I would probably demand complete silence so I could soak it all in. It's playing at a theater down in Hollywood, I'll have to head out there in the next few days.

Yeah, I wanted to soak in each word, too. My husband paces habitually, and I asked him to sit down! I was glued.

It would be super cool to see it on the big sceen. I didn't know it was playing.

http://laemmle.com/viewmovie.php?mid=7457

http://www.laemmle.com/viewtheatre.php?thid=2

208 minutes, is that about how long the 2 different nights on HBO add up to?

Yeah, 208 sounds right, HBO's is 210...

Well, Part 1 was just amazing!!! So many great bits, I don't know where to begin... the photos, the interviews, the Anthology outtakes, the letters, etc. It's not dumbed down at all, really great stuff.

Originally Posted by Maia 66

Well, Part 1 was just amazing!!! So many great bits, I don't know where to begin... the photos, the interviews, the Anthology outtakes, the letters, etc. It's not dumbed down at all, really great stuff.

Glad to read the good reports. Since I am not an HBO subscriber, I'll patiently (well maybe impatiently) wait for a DVD release.

It was good, but for some reason it felt as if we were watching an edited for time "television" version, much like the original broadcast of the Beatles Anthology....that is to say, we got the highlights but the only way to see the complete story is to buy the deluxe dvd package when it's released. Not surprising really...helluva way to sell some discs and a rather common ploy, whetting one's whistle so to speak! Wanna bet there's gonna be about three hours of additional footage when that baby hits the market..........

Bless you, Jerry as I do not have HBO. I WILL get the dvd once it is out. The book is excellent and what every George Harrison fan has been waiting for !

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I ehco Hari's Chick's sentiments in saying that although i have not seen the film ( no tv ) the impression i am getting from reviews from fans is what i feared - Too little focusing on George himself and too much devoted to The Beatles.

Let us hope the 2nd part dwells more on the man and less on that aspect of his past. George was so much more then just a 'Beatle'...and he would happily be the first to say that!

Tonight's half was ... very special...

I guess I'm a bit lost for words. It was great... much better with no Beatle-Beatle-Beatle stuff.

George...

I loved both halves! It was a beautiful film, lovingly made.

George was more than a Beatle, yes... but so are/were the others. And from now until eternity, John, Paul, George, and Ringo will always be, first and foremost, the four Beatles. I think it was completely appropriate to spend so much time on his Beatledom... just like any film about John has also had a healthy dose of the Fab Years. I think Scorsese did a great job of helping us to see how being a Beatle affected every aspect of George's life from 1970 onward... and to have people truly understand it, he had to put it in context.

I don't mind the part about the Beatles. It is impossible to know if we would have ever even heard of George, if he had not been a Beatle, and he may not have written many of his early songs, as he was spurred on to do so from the influence of John and Paul originally. Being a Beatle may not have been the favorite part of his life, but it was a crucial part in his becoming who he was. I think that the chaos and unpleasantness of "Beatlemania" is what made him seek out more in life and led to his spiritual quest, something else he might not have done if his earlier life had been more ordinary. So it all ties in for me.

I feel at the end exactly what I felt when George died. The second half was much more intense for me then the first. the shots of Friar Park were amazing including the timelapsed scene.
the part about the stabbing was horrifying. I couldn't believe that picture. I get the impression that Olivia has much more to say about George's spirituality and his dying moments then she did but is afraid to for fear people will look upon her the same way they do upon me. (not everyone is strong enough to handle that like I am).

I miss George. He died too soon. I feel a bit of emptiness in my world with hiim being gone and I wasn't even one of the people close to him.

I've only watched Part one so, far, just now...I really love it and look forward to the rest, will save it for tomorrow night...I saw lots of clips and photos I hadn't seen and I thought I had seen a ton. I loved George's letters home. Ringo is so funny...I enjoyed seeing them all from the early days and see and feel how they were together, once upon a time...

I just want to say that I won't be seeing any of it until November because a close friend and I have made it an occasion in honor of George. So I promise you I will share my thoughts on this documentary as soon as I watch it. I know it will be amazing and beautiful and I will get very emotional. *Sigh* I can't believe it's nearly been 10 years already...

By the way, I don't know about octaves and range all that, but I think George has the most beautiful-sounding voice of the group...maybe not as classical or as rock-n-roll, or whatever, but much nicer to listen to of the band, and his accent only enhances it.

I sooo want to see this but my DVD still hasn't been sent out by Amazon.

So Jealous of those folk in the US that have seen it.

Originally Posted by Hari's Chick

much better with no Beatle-Beatle-Beatle stuff.

I read something where Olivia said when she first watched it, she had the same reaction - too much Beatles, too overwhelmingly Beatles - for the first half, but then she realized that's what MS was trying to show, that George's life at that time was always overwhelmed, overshadowed even, by his Beatle-ness.

I can't wait to watch, I should have my disks on Saturday!