Imagine *** (1972, John Lennon, Yoko Ono) – Classic Movie Review 7597

Writer-producer-director-editor-stars John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s surreal 1972 music film and pseudo-documentary Imagine is poignant home movie footage of the life of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, composed to music from Lennon’s historic Imagine album and Yoko’s ‘Fly’.

It features cameo appearances by George Harrison, Fred Astaire, Jack Palance, Dick Cavett, Jonas Mekas, and the Imagine album’s co-producer Phil Spector. Blink and you’ll miss Andy Warhol, and Michael Parkinson, too.

It is a fascinating though bitter-sweet occasion. A lot of it is very silly, the lovesick star couple capering daftly around, just like Lennon did with the Beatles in Sixties, and endlessly declaiming their love for each other like two lovesick teenagers. They make an odd couple, weirdly vulnerable seeming, but there is no doubt about their love for each other, cuddling, kissing, walking hand in hand, and generally arsing about together amiably. No wonder Yoko wanted to restore the movie in 2018. It is a family photograph album from  long ago and far away.

Nevertheless, it is poignant to see a still fresh-faced, young-looking and carefree-seeming Lennon, apparently enjoying himself. He looks smug and confident, and slightly aggressive, as usual, while Ono comes over as earnest and sincere, but a bit bewildered and out her depth. If she looks awkward and embarrassed, she is game for anything, even a bit of singing.

The music is the thing, though, and it has survived darned well. There are some all-time great songs, including Imagine and Jealous Guy. The film reminds us that the 1971 Imagine is a great album.

The original film runs 70 minutes but a restored and reassembled version of the film is released in cinemas on 17 September 2018. The new version features 15 minutes of unreleased footage and kicks off with the famous proto-music-video clip of the title song. Indeed, it plays like a randomly strung-together series of pop videos. Lennon in the King’s Road, Chelsea – now that is fun.

The 2018 re-release has been restored frame by frame from the original reels with the audio remix by triple Grammy Award-winning engineer, Paul Hicks. The remixed soundtrack features every song on Lennon’s 1971 Imagine album and selections by Ono.

The precious bonus section of never-before-seen extras includes studio footage featuring Lennon performing ‘How Do You Sleep?’ and ‘Oh My Love’ in a specially created Dolby Atmos surround sound raw studio mix  with George Harrison, frequent Lennon bassist and longtime Beatles affiliate Klaus Voormann, Nicky Hopkins from the Rolling Stones, and Alan White from Yes.

The film is now in beautiful restored condition with perfect sound and vision.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7597

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com