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On August 29, 1966, the Beatles took the stage at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park for their last-ever concert performance, and no one—except for the Fab Four themselves—knew that it would be the end of the road.
The BBC’s Time Watch special, The Unseen Beatles, takes an inside look at the Beatles’ time on the road—as told by the people who were there to experience it. The short, 65-minute documentary features interviews with journalists, roadies, managers, band members, and others, who provide a look at the Beatles’ frantic touring life—from their meager accommodations and bad travel arrangements to the problems and stresses they faced along the way. Through archive footage and some never-before-seen home movies, the film shows the Four growing and changing (in a matter of just 18 months) from a group of ordinary, down-to-Earth guys from Liverpool to the world’s biggest pop sensation.
Although I’m not a big Beatles fan, I still found The Unseen Beatles intriguing. While the “never-before-seen footage” isn’t quite as fascinating as it sounds, the interviews definitely are. From friends to journalists to club owners, these were the people who knew the Beatles the best—who knew them before they were superstars, who traveled with them, who had them over for dinner. So it’s no surprise that they would have the most fascinating stories to tell.
But the most interesting part of the DVD isn’t necessarily the feature itself. Though the interviews included in the documentary are interesting, the extended interviews—found in the DVD’s special features—are even more fascinating. Some of the anecdotes that were left out of the feature are even more interesting than some of those that were included. So once you finish watching the documentary, be sure to check out the extra interviews, to fill in even more stories.
One surprising thing about this feature is its complete lack of Beatles’ music. Of course, that’s because it’s pretty much impossible to get rights to the Beatles’ songs—but it’s still strange to watch a documentary about a musical group without hearing any of the group’s music. Instead, concerts are shown over a soundtrack of screaming fans (which, after a few minutes, will make you understand just how daunting it must have been at times to be a Beatle).
Perhaps it’s just the lack of music—but The Unseen Beatles feels like it’s missing something. Though it does a decent job of discussing one small, specific piece of Beatles history in a very short amount of time, there’s just so much more to tell. So if you aren’t already a fount of Beatles knowledge, this documentary will leave you feeling like you’re missing major parts of the story. At the same time, though, it’s intriguing enough that it’ll just make you want to go out in search of more information.
For fans of the Fab Four, The Unseen Beatles is well worth a couple of hours of your time. It’s not the most comprehensive Beatles documentary, but it’s an interesting one nonetheless.
