Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Telly addicts

Get Back - Peter Jacksons Beatles Documentary

58 replies

SafeMove · 09/01/2022 16:17

Anybody watched/watching it? So much I want to discuss. I have loved every second of it:

Ringo - hilarious but clearly struggling with alcoholism
Yoko - sat chilling in the middle of rehearsals. Controlling or just so in love? I am quite impressed with her inability to feel any awkwardness at her being a spare part
Paul - how the hell can he write songs that quickly?
John - what was his deal?
Mal - the road manager. What a trooper!
Glyn and George the producers - how annoyed were they getting with them but had to keep it zipped!

So much more but would like to hear what others found interesting?

OP posts:
FromDespairToHere · 11/01/2022 14:59

Watched part 1 when it came out but just watched parts 2 and 3 this weekend. I'm even more in love with George than I was before! I loved the bit where he was helping Ringo with Octopuses Garden, and the bit where John was helping him with Something.

I don't know how any of them worked with Paul. Every time he wanted another take of Let It Be we were shouting "nooooo ffs that's enough!" at the telly Grin

degsydoodoos · 11/01/2022 17:32

I loved it. What I enjoyed more than anything was watching them in HD / today's kind of cinematography, as the way it was remastered made it look like they were filming it now. (I hope that makes sense). It really brought them to life for me in a way that no other programme or film has.

RaelImperialAerosolKid · 15/01/2022 14:50

Just watching ep 1 now.
I'm surprised that they are tolerant of yoko being there - I always thought it was a massive issue. Linda is there as well.
Just had the bit where she and John are dancing and it's quite moving.
But they did smoke a lot.

SafeMove · 15/01/2022 19:06

They smoked loads. It is quite weird to watch now. Plenty of booze whilst working too. Very Number 10.

OP posts:
RaelImperialAerosolKid · 16/01/2022 16:36

Just finished - it's funny that 30 people who had the actual Beatles playing a free concert in their street phoned the police to complain.
Loved them playing around with Heather - and the ventriloquist part.

Dogmatix34 · 16/01/2022 18:19

I loved it too. Can’t believe how talented Paul was, his output of amazing songs was extraordinary . Also how respectful they were of each other, even when they didn’t know they were being recorded. I thought Ringo looked ill- was this due to an alcohol problem then, I had no idea.

SafeMove · 16/01/2022 18:36

I only know that @Dogmatix34 because DS1 (18) told me and it seemed to make perfect sense.

I thought that the rooftop gig was a great idea. Nobody would do that nowadays because their record contracts are so crap, they only earn decent amounts from tours.

I think I might watch it again. I miss it!

OP posts:
teaandtoastwithmarmite · 16/01/2022 18:41

Myself and DH are watching this. Didn't realise Ringo was an alcoholic. Watching Paul come up with those songs and then John work on them with him is amazing.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 16/01/2022 18:46

About yoko. I read that JL suffered with insecurity he demanded her being there all the time. I feel sorry for her.

OneFootintheRave · 16/01/2022 18:48

Where can I watch this please, what channel?

KeepingAnOpenMind · 16/01/2022 18:49

I couldn’t believe how indifferent the spectators were during the rooftop concert!

SafeMove · 16/01/2022 18:51

@teaandtoastwithmarmite I wondered who was driving it because he didn't seem at all awkward about her being there. It was fascinating watching him, I had the impression of him being a chill, far out hippy but I was so wrong. Yoko was much more far out. He seemed to have issues to attending and sustaining one thing and a jittery, hyperactivity about him. The monologue he went on about the new manager was fascinating. They all seemed lovely but some very distinct and stubborn personalities too.

OP posts:
SafeMove · 16/01/2022 18:53

@KeepingAnOpenMind - I know! Those who were in the insurance brokers next door just seemed to be taking it in their stride! The poor policemen. They had no power at all. Loved Mal fobbing them off Grin

OP posts:
BobbieMeserole · 16/01/2022 18:55

Loved it too! Paul was never my fav in the past, that was Ringo, but Paul impressed the socks off of me with his work ethic. He just never wanted to stop and wanted to do it right. I know some people thought he was bossy, but you could see he was just really anxious about getting everything down to get the best sound, and he worked himself the hardest. The connection between John and Paul was really something too, they seemed so in synch. A great group who obviously cared very much about each other and got along very well.

whenwillthemadnessend · 16/01/2022 18:57

I liked them all at times and found them equally frustrating at times. I though ringo came across as extremely tolerant of all the drama. Maybe why drink was his crutch.

Amazing how quickly that write stuff so iconic.

Yoko was so irritating with her warbling but otherwise she was pretty non involved

It surprised me how ordinary and natural all the girlfriends were. They were just as seen. Not heavy make up like today's footballers wife's and influencers etc. That was quite refreshing as the men could have probably got anyone they wanted.

Talisin · 16/01/2022 19:03

@OneFootintheRave It’s on Disney+

Echobelly · 16/01/2022 19:08

I think everyone owes Yoko a massive apology! She clearly from this just wanted to be with John, and John with her, and they were rather sweet together. She doesn't interfere with things at all and then there's that incredible line where Paul literally says 'Wouldn't it be crazy if in 50 years people were saying The Beatles broke up because Yoko was sitting on that amp'. Which is more or less what people have said - but I think this footage more or less clears up that the whole 'Yoko sabotaged everything' was sheer misogyny (and some racism).

I think it all suggests that what really broke them apart was the death of Brian Epstein - Paul basically says outright that Epstein helped motivate them and manage their relationships. And evidently it became difficult without him, sadly.

On a lighter note, I wish more guys dressed like the Beatles in this; I loved what the guys were wearing every day!

BrinksmansEntry · 16/01/2022 19:11

I'm sure i read some background info about what state they were all i at the time of filming and John and Yoko were beginning to use heroin then which goes some way to explain JL behaviour. Yoko had also just had a miscarriage and the two of them were incredibly co-dependent. The thing i read also suggested it was pretty normal for girlfriends to be at the studio and hang about and there wasn't animosity. The filming does show that there wasn't really a problem with Yoko.

What struck me was how young they were. I grew up listening to The Beatles as my parents loved them, but they were always old in my head. None of them were 30 yet!

The director really frustrated me with the pushing of doing the gig overseas when the band were telling him no. Rooftop gig much better!

I found it really emotional just watching them going about their music.

BrinksmansEntry · 16/01/2022 19:13

Oh yeah, @Echobelly, they seemed very deeply affected by "Mr Epstein"'s death.

I actually cried when George left. The music...

Peter Jackson has done an absolutely phenomenal job.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 16/01/2022 19:14

I agree that everyone made way more out of the yoko thing that they should've. I feel more sorry for yoko than she couldn't just go out shopping or read a book or whatever.

Twonkers · 16/01/2022 19:16

What I can’t get my head around is how little they swear.

BrinksmansEntry · 16/01/2022 19:24

Yes! Lack of swearing was something I didn't expect. Not sure why though, but they were a lot more polite than I thought they would be.

And very smartly dressed. Very clean.

cortex10 · 16/01/2022 19:28

We binge waited it this week
DH is a lifelong Beatles fan while I was always a bit 'meh'.
It was some of the best tv I've seen in ages.
So many things to take in on so many levels - they were so young, so creative, with complicated love lives and inter personal relationships in the mix having risen to global stardom and spent intense periods of time together at a formative period in their lives.
This was filmed when they were on the way to breaking up - yet I doubt that any modern stars who are protective of their image would allow such open access to a film crew (although it has taken 50 years to be released in this form)
And how society has changed - nowadays there's 24/7 news coverage of music stars instead of poring over the occasional newspaper to see what the press were saying.
Of course by 1969 the Beatles were already global stars - we both remarked on the lack of urgency and focus, the random people turning up during recordings and the constant changes of plan. Presumably at that stage making money wasn't the only motivation.
At the end we were both quite sad - sad to see what potential they still had and sad to think what happened to George and John and that Paul and Ringo are in their 80s now.

OneFootintheRave · 16/01/2022 19:35

Watching now. Bloody hell, the crowd control was just terrible back then. But so far it's really, really short clips spliced together?

BestIsWest · 16/01/2022 19:35

I’ve watched the first two parts so far. Watching Paul just strumming his guitar and playing around on it and then coming out with what he came out with in part 1 just blew my mind.