IN 1962 FOUR YOUNG MEN JOHN LENNON, PAUL McCARTNEY, GEORGE
HARRISON AND RINGO STARR CAME TOGETHER TO FORM THE 20TH CENTURY
MUSICAL PHENOMENON KNOWN AS, “THE BEATLES.”
The band stormed Europe in 1963, and, in 1964, they conquered
America. Their groundbreaking world tours changed global youth
culture forever and, arguably, invented mass entertainment as we
know it today. All the while, the group were composing and
a series of extraordinarily successful singles and
albums. However the relentless pressure of such unprecedented
fame, that in 1966 became uncontrollable turmoil, led to the
decision to stop touring. In the ensuing years The Beatles were
then free to focus on a series of albums that changed the face of
recorded music.
Master storyteller and O winner, Ron Howard, explores this
incredible journey in his own unique way: How did The Beatles do
this? How did they cope with all the fame and pressure? How did
they not only survive, but go on to revolutionise popular music?
With original interviews, footage, staggering live performances,
and the study of character that Ron Howard is known for,
he puts us right inside this extraordinary adventure, answering
the question everyone always wants to know: What was it like to
be there?!!
Featuring a wealth of specially created supplementary material
totalling 100 minutes of extras, the deluxe home entertainment
editions contain exclusively created featurettes for fans to
delve even deeper into the band’s world. Accompanying these are
stunning, fully restored full length performances of some of the
band’s most iconic tracks including “Twist and Shout” and “She
Loves You” recorded at the ABC Theatre, Manchester in 1963 and
“Can’t Buy Me Love” at the NME Awards, 1964, in London, bringing
the experience of seeing The Beatles in concert fully to life for
all fans. A full breakdown is included below.
2-disc Deluxe Collector’s Edition (DVD/BD) includes:
1 x BD/DVD feature disc
+ 1 Bonus Disc (containing approx. 100 minutes of extras,
highlighted below)
64 page booklet with an introduction from director Ron Howard,
essay by music journalist and author
Jon Savage and rare photos from The Beatles’ private archive
Words & Music (24 mins)
John, Paul, George & Ringo reflect on songwriting and the
influence of music from their parents’ generation,
Lennon/McCartney writing for other artists, The Beatles as
individual musicians, and the band as innovators. Also featuring
Howard Goodall, Peter Asher, Simon Schama and Elvis Costello. The
interviews with Paul and Ringo are unseen.
Early Clues To A New Direction (18 mins)
A special feature touching on The Beatles as a collective, the
importance of humour, the impact of women on their early lives
and songwriting, and the band as a musical movement. Featuring
John, Paul, George & Ringo, along with Paul Greengrass, Stephen
Stark, Peter Asher, Malcolm Gladwell, Sigourney Weaver, Whoopi
Goldberg, Richard Curtis, Elvis Costello and Simon Schama. Again
the interviews with Paul and Ringo are unseen.
Liverpool (11 mins)
The early days in Liverpool of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s
are brought vividly to life by those who worked closely with them
at that time including fan club secretary Freda Kelly, Allan
Williams an early manager, and Leslie Woodhead multi-award
winning documentary film director.
The Beatles in Concert (12 mins)
Five great but rarely seen full length performances of The
Beatles live in concert - Twist and Shout, She Loves You, Can’t
Buy Me Love, You Can’t Do That and Help!
Additional features are:
* Three Beatles' Fans
* Ronnie Spector and The Beatles
* Shooting A Hard Day’s Night
* The Beatles in Australia
* Recollections of Shea Stadium
* The Beatles in Japan
* An alternative opening for the film