LENNONYC: Not just another John Lennon film

Source: TopNews

In my previous post, I was right to say that biopics of musical legends will never become ‘out of fashion’. There’s something fascinating about watching the lives of those you admire unfold before your eyes. You get the chance to live their “moment” and personally discover the kind of person they were.

This time the music legend is John Lennon! But wait, hasn’t the life of the former Beatle already been told before…say countless times?

Being a huge Beatles fan, this article certainly caught my attention but I was very wary about reading what this upcoming movie has to offer. However, Ellen Wulfhorst assures us that the latest John Lennon film to be released, titled LENNONYC, stands out from the other ‘nth’ movies that were made about his life. 

She successfully captures our attention from the start by acknowledging that, indeed, “so much has been told about the Beatles that director Michael Epstein knew he needed to say something different…”

Wulfhorst connects with us by voicing, and not dismissing, what we would all think upon hearing a new Lennon movie is to be released: ‘What? Another movie about him?’. She would have bored us had she started like this: ‘A new John Lennon movie will be released…’  

She clearly mentions in order of importance the information that is relevant to her news: Epstein’s focus on Lennon’s immigration to America, the use of previously unreleased audio tapes and his infamous ‘lost weekend’. And what I’m most curious about that ‘long weekend’ is how that’s been portrayed in the film. Many films, such as John Lennon and Yoko Ono: A Love Story, have incorrectly represented May Pang, Lennon’s girlfriend when he and Yoko Ono separated. That could be controversial.

This news comes at a timely juncture with events commemorating what would be Lennon’s 70th birthday on October 9, and the US release of the film Nowhere Boy (a film about Lennon’s adolescence and the Beatles’ formation) on October 8.

Actor Aaron Johnson as John Lennon in Nowhere Boy. Source: Rama's Screen

It will certainly have great impact as people – young and old – are still moved and influenced by Lennon’s artistry today. It would also be emotional as the film builds up to his death.

What’s uncertain though is whether this movie will be released worldwide. It will be a shame if this will only be shown in America. However, thanks to the internet and “legal” downloading, people all over the world would be able to access it.

The story might have been interesting but one of its drawbacks was the lack of images. Furthermore, while links were provided throughout the story, it would have been more beneficial to provide direct links to related stories as a means of credibility and for further reading.