LENNONYC is the story of one of the most famous and influential artists of the Twentieth Century, and how he found redemption not in the public adoration he craved as a youth, but in the quiet and simple pleasures of fatherhood. John Lennon came to New York City in 1971, seeking what every other immigrant who has washed up on its shores has sought: freedom--the freedom to be himself and not Beatle John, the freedom to love without the overwhelming scorn he and Yoko Ono had suffered in London, and, simply, the freedom to live a normal life.
LENNONYC tells this remarkable story with never-before-released in-studio recordings, concert film only recently transferred to high definition, and a trove of rarely-heard Lennon/Ono compositions. It also contains interviews with those closest to Lennon during this period in his life--friend and photographer Bob Gruen; musical collaborator and drummer, Jim Keltner; rock superstar, Elton John; and Jack Douglas, the producer of Double Fantasy. LENNONYC also contains one of the most powerful and emotionally direct interviews Yoko Ono has ever given.
This deluxe Blu-ray edition features a striking 1080p high-definition transfer of the film as well as over 20 minutes of additional interviews with Lennon s close friends and collaborators, giving us deeper insight into the artist whose life and work is as powerful and relevant today as it has ever been.
BONUS FEATURES: Over 20 minutes of additional interviews.
Lennon NYC is a wonderful look back at John Lennon, friends and family during his time in New York City and the United States in general. There are some beautifully tender moments between John and his young son Sean. The documentary moves swiftly with great focus. Director Michael Epstein has done a tremendous job in understanding the audiences intelligence and doesn't waste time going back to Lennon and his time with the Beatles. New York in the 70's is portrayed as a character all itself. 30 years after the unfortunate and too soon death of John Lennon the loss is still felt and if you're even a casual fan you owe it to yourself to watch this. 9/10
Lennon NYC arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. New interviews segments are striking in clarity and color saturation. Detail is spot on. Archival footage is as expected a mixed bag with instances of heavy grain. I personally have always liked film clips from this vintage beacause they have a more authentic feel of being there in the moment. There were quite a few scenes with softness due to the quality of recordings years ago. Contrast was solid when watching black and white footage. Overall a solid transfer. 7.5/10
Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Don't go into this documentary expecting big, boisterous sound. For the most part the main feature is dialogue heavy which comes across crisp and clean. There are moments of some nice surround activity during scenes that focus on Lennon recording sessions. A nice presentation. 8/10
BONUS INTERVIEWS (20min, HD) - A few extra stories about John Lennon from the same people in the main feature. Worth a watch.