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5.44pm
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1 May 2011
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Into the Sky with Diamonds said
I watched it last night and may be the only one who’s been pleasantly surprised.Maybe because I read so many negative comments?
I was in no rush to see it.
And yes, I agree that not much was new. (Much was taken from Anthology.)
But: there were some film clips and pictures I’d never seen. (When you go to a McCartney concert, you hear many of the songs you’ve heard at prior Macca concerts, but that’s OK, they’re still enjoyable, and he always throws in a few songs you’ve never heard live before.) Secondly, the sound was terrific; it was clear; you could really hear the bass. Finally, I thought the editing was first rate. The movie zips along; the song choices are strong. I forget what song it was, but I loved seeing John and Paul singing at the same mic. (I only remember them doing that on Baby’s In Black ) (How lucky that they were roughly the same height in addition of course to being righty-lefty).
I’d read that you’d get to see the entire Hollywood Bowl concerts (a mixture of ’64 – ’65), but in fact there’s just one song I think. I probably got the movie and the CD mixed up.
I think Ron Howard did a good job of catering to both Beatle fans and Beatle nubies.
The Hollywood Bowl concerts weren’t professionally filmed but around 22 minutes of footage from the 1964 performance synced to the audio circulates in the underground circuit and it turns out that audio from the Hollywood Bowl was used elsewhere in the film in favour of the correct audio performances.
Yes, we do get wonderful colour film from Manchester, courtesy of the Pathé film “The Beatles Come To Town” and outtake footage from that film, but the soundtrack of the two songs there, “Twist And Shout ” and “She Loves You ” is from Hollywood Bowl 1964!
(Source: Wogblog)
The CD is the 13 track 1977 compilation featuring tracks from the 1964 and 1965 shows plus 4 newly-added bonus tracks tacked on to the end; Apple opted to not release any of the full complete concerts.
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Into the Sky with Diamonds"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
5.03am
6 July 2016
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I just watched this and whilst it’s not a bad documentary which I enjoyed watching, based on the build up we’ve been getting for all these years it could have been much more and it doesn’t fit the description of what we were told it would be. It’s certainly missed the original stated target of a film about the Live touring years. It has fallen between two stools. You have to wonder if they got all the footage together and then realised they would need to pad the film out with general Beatles biography stuff. I agree with the Anthology-lite label and as a Bio it was never going to match up to that so why didn’t they realise this and aim for something else? Also “The Band you know, the story you don’t” 
Did anyone learn anything new? To be fair I didn’t know about the Beatles putting their foot down on the segregation issue but I can’t think of anything else.
Here’s also a few things I noted. On the plus side I thought The Royal Command performance footage looked amazing quality. Was it colourised? Some of the colourisation in other segments looked all wrong.. i.e the first US press conference & Washington concert (hair colour looked strange and did they cut John’s cripple routine?). Some footage looked surprisingly bad quality i.e First Ed Sullivan concert, Plaza hotel footage, Liverpool reception (this was awful quality). I really thought there was better footage in existence of these.
Lastly why did they discuss the films AHDN & Help and the artistry of the albums Revolver & Sgt Pepper ? What’s the connection to the touring years?
There’s an excellent review of the film on Wogblog and I think this sums it up for me:
“I think Ron Howard went and ruined the film – it would have been better without him. Because what did he bring to the table? Well, for one thing – he removed most of the concert footage and brought in the talking heads. And then he emphasized the North American tours at the cost of all the other concerts the Beatles gave in the rest of the world. That’s no documentary, that’s revisionism!” http://wogew.blogspot.co.uk/20…..-shea.html
EDIT: oops I just realised this review was mentioned on the last page.
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ZigPivotal Moments in Beatles History No.118: Yoko helps herself to one of George's digestives.
4.08pm
10 August 2011
Offline “And then he emphasized the North American tours at the cost of all the other concerts the Beatles gave in the rest of the world.”
My reaction was the opposite: we had a great deal of Australia, Paris, Scandinavia”
@Mean Mr. Mustard I was of course thrilled to see “Dizzy Miss Lizzy ” in the movie (it’s one of my faves), but considering how much you dislike it, I wonder if it turned you off or whether the live version appealed to you more.
@Leppo “Lastly why did they discuss the films AHDN & Help and the artistry of the albums Revolver & Sgt Pepper? What’s the connection to the touring years?”
I do think it’s relevant because it shows that they were doing so much more than “just” touring.
On another note, I was fortunate to hear the movie on a very good sound system, and wonder if that contributed to my particular enjoyment.
"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)
4.30pm
Reviewers
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1 May 2011
Offline Leppo (aka fabbeatlebooks) said
I just watched this and whilst it’s not a bad documentary which I enjoyed watching, based on the build up we’ve been getting for all these years it could have been much more and it doesn’t fit the description of what we were told it would be. It’s certainly missed the original stated target of a film about the Live touring years. It has fallen between two stools. You have to wonder if they got all the footage together and then realised they would need to pad the film out with general Beatles biography stuff. I agree with the Anthology-lite label and as a Bio it was never going to match up to that so why didn’t they realise this and aim for something else? Also “The Band you know, the story you don’t”Did anyone learn anything new? To be fair I didn’t know about the Beatles putting their foot down on the segregation issue but I can’t think of anything else.
Here’s also a few things I noted. On the plus side I thought The Royal Command performance footage looked amazing quality. Was it colourised? Some of the colourisation in other segments looked all wrong.. i.e the first US press conference & Washington concert (hair colour looked strange and did they cut John’s cripple routine?). Some footage looked surprisingly bad quality i.e First Ed Sullivan concert, Plaza hotel footage, Liverpool reception (this was awful quality). I really thought there was better footage in existence of these.
Lastly why did they discuss the films AHDN & Help and the artistry of the albums Revolver & Sgt Pepper ? What’s the connection to the touring years?
There’s an excellent review of the film on Wogblog and I think this sums it up for me:
“I think Ron Howard went and ruined the film – it would have been better without him. Because what did he bring to the table? Well, for one thing – he removed most of the concert footage and brought in the talking heads. And then he emphasized the North American tours at the cost of all the other concerts the Beatles gave in the rest of the world. That’s no documentary, that’s revisionism!” http://wogew.blogspot.co.uk/20…..-shea.html
EDIT: oops I just realised this review was mentioned on the last page.
The ‘AHDN ‘ and ‘Help !’ films were to show how maniacal those days were during the touring years. ‘Revolver ‘ presumably to show the levels of creativity despite being on tour, ‘Pepper’ to highlight what happened when they stopped.
I don’t even remember the Royal Variety Performance featuring.
Into the Sky with Diamonds said
@Mean Mr. Mustard I was of course thrilled to see “Dizzy Miss Lizzy ” in the movie (it’s one of my faves), but considering how much you dislike it, I wonder if it turned you off or whether the live version appealed to you more.
I like ‘Dizzy Miss Lizzy ‘ a lot as a song. I don’t think it fits where it is on ‘Help ‘ where you are listening to a pretty calming album side and then you’re ears are blasted into outer space; take it away from there and its a fabulous rocker.
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Into the Sky with Diamonds, Beatlebug"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
4.59pm
6 July 2016
Offline I understand your point @Into the Sky with Diamonds about the films and Revolver but by Sgt Pepper they had already given up touring (so not so much The Touring Years).
Pivotal Moments in Beatles History No.118: Yoko helps herself to one of George's digestives.
5.01pm
1 November 2013
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5.40pm
6 July 2016
Offline meanmistermustard said
The ‘AHDN ‘ and ‘Help !’ films were to show how maniacal those days were during the touring years. ‘Revolver ‘ presumably to show the levels of creativity despite being on tour, ‘Pepper’ to highlight what happened when they stopped.
Starr Shine? said
Sgt Pepper was like an epilogue.
So it’s a mini biography then. My point is that instead of “the touring years” shouldn’t they have been honest and said it’s “A mini biography that skips over the early years and ends just around the Beatles creative peak”. Of course they wouldn’t have been that honest but it doesn’t make any sense to make a mini Anthology that’s not as good and not as comprehensive
Pivotal Moments in Beatles History No.118: Yoko helps herself to one of George's digestives.
6.01pm
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1 May 2011
Offline It was going to be the touring years (the focus solely being on the Beatles as a live band) but during the process of making the film the aim of the documentary changed and it became the story of the Beatles changing from a touring band to a studio band which is why we got the films and the albums thrown in.
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Leppo"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
6.01pm
1 November 2013
Offline I think this was more for everyone and not just die-hards so they made it more accessible at the price of less Beatles footage. I went to the movie with a casual fan and they loved it.
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Leppo, Zig, WeepingAtlasCedars, Beatlebug6.10pm
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1 May 2011
Offline Starr Shine? said
I think this was more for everyone and not just die-hards so they made it more accessible at the price of less Beatles footage. I went to the movie with a casual fan and they loved it.
It was. The issue a lot of the bigger fans have is that its not what Apple set out to make and instead became a very much slimmed down ‘Anthology’ type documentary looking at a specific period and angle of the Beatles story.
Apple appear to be far more interested in appealing to the casual fan and capturing new interest in the Beatles than catering to the more dedicated fan who’s been around for a long time.
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Leppo"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
6.54pm
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1 May 2011
Offline Not sure if this has been posted. Gives a good idea of what the film is meant to be however the recollections of Paul and Ringo are nothing new and have been said and written 50,000 times already (which no doubt goes without saying – i turned it off after a while).
And I have to put it out that Paul’s brown hair with the white sideburns makes him look stupid.
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Evangeline"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
4.16am
6 July 2016
Offline Ringo seems to be getting younger. I’m going to start getting fashion tips from him.
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Ahhh Girl, Matt Busby, Beatlebug, Midori78, leoc, Shamrock WomlbsPivotal Moments in Beatles History No.118: Yoko helps herself to one of George's digestives.
2.58pm
14 March 2016
Offline I saw the movie last night and I thought it was good. I enjoyed it and I will buy it on Blu-Ray later when it comes out. Seeing and hearing the Shea Stadium show in a theater setting was cool for me! I didn’t hear much surround sound mixing while I watched the movie so I wonder if the movie would have been the same at home for me. I was hoping the theater would give it a feel I could not get at home, but it didn’t stand out as a wow factor.
"No Beatles collection is too big or age restricted!"
12.21am
5 November 2011
Offline meanmistermustard said
And I have to put it out that Paul’s brown hair with the white sideburns makes him look stupid.
It does not make him look stupid. It gives him an air of youth while still portraying his age through his face and sideburns. I think he should go all out and grow his hair out gray, but I guess he’s got a complex about his gray hair.
All living things must abide by the laws of the shape they inhabit
10.10am
18 April 2013
Offline I’m looking forward to the release of this on Bluray next month.
"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney
12.06pm
28 March 2014
Offline Reklo87 said
I enjoyed it and I will buy it on Blu-Ray later when it comes out. Seeing and hearing the Shea Stadium show in a theater setting was cool for me! I was hoping the theater would give it a feel I could not get at home, but it didn’t stand out as a wow factor.
Hope you won’t be disappointed that the Shea Concert will not be included with the Blu Ray
BEATLES Music gives me Eargasms! 
12.35pm
19 October 2016
Offline Documentary: “a movie or a television or radio program that provides a factual record or report.”
Eight Days A Week is entertaining, and, to be honest, I will watch anything about the Beatles…
But the film (1) alters the original footage with colorization, (2) flies in overdubbed audio that doesn’t even sync up properly with the concert footage, and (3) even within the limited 1964-66 period, omits crucial events and context.
That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy watching it. I did, and there was plenty in it that was new to me, but on the whole it feels compromised.
5.37pm
14 December 2009
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Bongo said
meanmistermustard said
If we do get Washington 1964 I want it in b&w, I have no desire for it in colour when it wasn’t.Heck, I’d settle for a colored “A Hard Day’s Night “, if it was done correctly! It’s time we moved into the 21st Century!
Bongo, are you trying to make me burst a blood vessel?!!
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BeatlebugPaul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
5.55pm
1 November 2013
Offline I think everything should be in color.
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William Shears Campbell, Little Piggy Dragonguy12.24pm
14 March 2016
Offline Bongo said
Hope you won’t be disappointed that the Shea Concert will not be included with the Blu Ray
I know it won’t be included. But I got to see it once at least.
"No Beatles collection is too big or age restricted!"
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