Thoughts on The Life of John Lennon

After recently having viewed John Lennon: Love is All You Need, I can't help but feel a tinge of dissatisfaction with the documentary. I am vaguely familiar with the music of John Lennon and The Beatles; having been born in the early eighties and the younger sibling of recovering hippies; the music was rather enjoyable, but the band members themselves remained an enigma.I was hoping this documentary would have shed to light some of my curiosities regarding this once living legend.Unfortunately the documentary veers into a very strange direction as soon as mention of Yoko Ono is made.

The film has a very strong start and is rather entertaining and enjoyable.The archival footage featuring Lennon and The Beatles was very interesting and it was nice gaining some insight into the lives of these former giants. Seeing them being themselves and carrying on as regular people was very refreshing considering my only conception of them was nothing more than a bunch of drugged out rock stars.I genuinely did gain a lot more insight than I thought I would have taken from the film, but it would have been nice to see more on the bands cultural impact not only in England, but across the pond as well.

It was also enjoyable seeing and hearing from Lennon's former wife. I honestly was unaware of the fact that Lennon had been married previously and for such a considerable amount of time.Cynthia Lennon struck me as a very real and humble person who was not at all impressed with her husband's fame, but simply wanted to be with the man she loved.Mrs. Lennon's and thoughts also seemed very pleasant and uneventful of the events that occurred following the breaking of their union. 

The documentary however does take a strange turn once Ms. Ono comes into the picture, and these events are also very reflective of the times Lennon and she were living in.The main focus from there on out seems to have become how Lennon changed drastically as a person, whether choosing different forms of artistic expression or becoming more reserved with his British sense of humor.I get the impression that the film became a smear campaign against Yoko Ono from there on out.The focus should not have been the changes she may or may not have brought upon John Lennon, but rather the positive influences she brought into the union and in his musical career. I don't feel Ms. Ono should constantly be seen as a scapegoat for The Beatles demise.She was merely a misunderstood person who happened along at an awkward moment within a talented man's life.

My main complaint against the documentary is that it does not seem to have been very well produced or thought out. The majority of the interviewees are not always named as they speak on screen, nor is their relation to Lennon disclosed.Cynthia Lennon for example is not referred to as Lennon's former wife, but rather must be deduced via context clues.This is very much the case with various other persons who appear throughout the film.

The Importance of Media in My Life

Movies have always been a big part of my life; even as a child, family time consisted of sitting around the TV and watching Friday the 13th: The Series, Married With Children, or which ever program happened to be going on at the time... As I grew older movies gradually became a way of recalling certain periods during my childhood. Music has the same effect on the majority of the people I know, it may bring them back to a certain memory or event they had experienced or remind them of a certain period during their lives.

Film has always had this effect on me. I could literally walk through isles at the local video shop, point at a title and state what was going on in my life while that movie was in theater. Films have also been a great coping mechanism for me. Movies like 'Closer' or 'Moulin Rogue' have helped me get through heartaches and potential breakups. Sometimes a person needs time away from others in order to heal, but the emotional support these stories provided, prevented me from being completely alone. Its this aspect of communication which interests me most about cinema. The fact that a filmmaker can tell a story and may potentially touch the life of someone they have never met. To me, a movie is more than something to sit and watch while trying to till time.

Film throughout my life has served as a means to connect with others, whether trying to strike up conversation or make new friends; being provided with something to think about or give emotional support whether dealing with sadness, grief, or joy. Film and media in general in a very large part of everyone's life whether or not they may realize it. The film score is just as import as the film as it really helps to set the mood and may further enhance the emotional experience of the production. The film score for 'Candyman' for example is one of the most excellent film scores that I have ever heard and really makes the movie and can really illicit an emotional response. Music, film, and memories truly are a perfect union. 

My time on this site has been brief and I have already quickly familiarized myself with the majority of the sites functions. I am no stranger to social and blog sites though. The majority of my early post was done via Live Journal, and later Blogger, Word Press, Twitter, and Facebook. I am looking forward to a long and successful term posting on this site as well.

How 'I Love Lucy' Influenced Modern Media

Before the popularity of I Love Lucy, television shows had been produced in New York rather than California.  Up until 1951, (the debut of I Love Lucy) there had been a clear separation between television media and Hollywood's motion picture productions.  This great divide existed in part due to the easy accessibility of programs available on television sets.  With audiences inclined to stay home for entertainment rather than going to movie houses and purchasing tickets; production companies were beginning to note a decline in their revenue.  Consequently television and film productions viewed one another as rivals rather than recognizing the potential for a partnership which would mutually benefit both parties.
             I Love Lucy proved that the co existence between television and film media was a successful partnership.  The deciding factor in submersing a television program into the traditional Hollywood film environment was solely based on Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz' insistence on remaining in California.  Up until 1951 television had modeled itself on radio broadcast formats and had headquartered their productions in New York.  Previously television productions were treated similarly to stage productions.  Actors performed in front of a live audience while the program was being transmitted.  As these transmissions and recording were done live, the television productions lacked the leisure of longer shoot schedules and editing which would have provided a more polished look.
             I Love Lucy not only changed the localization of television production, but also introduced a "Hollywood" approach in how television programs were shot and presented.  Three cameras had been employed in recording in order to allow for choices between multiple film sets and angles which maximized the quality of the exhibition.  Changes influenced by Hollywood presentation greatly benefitted the way programs were produced by integrating the filming techniques employed for features.  Modern television shows, although no longer filmed before a live audience, still receive the same post production attention provided to major films.  With the exception of distribution methods and budget, today's shows aren't much different from motion pictures.  Perhaps none of these changes would have been possible had it not been foe Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz' insistence in keeping I Love Lucy's production in California which had become a ground breaking move for the show.
             Today most film companies such as Disney and Columbia Tri-Star also own broadcast networks in which original shows are produced and distributed.  Ball and Arnaz opened the door for television more widely than they may have realized when they broke tradition and chose to keep their show California based.