Written by Staff Writer at CNN
The last time the Beatles performed live was in London in August 1964. The band is returning to the stage with one show a week over four years. It has been 30 years since Beatlemania hit the US and they are now considered the most popular band in history, according to Guinness World Records . This week, the documentary “The Beatles: Get Back” bows in theaters in the UK and the US. It’s a fascinating look at the band’s international success, the heartaches and regrets behind their songs and the fallout that affected the world.
Published by Prospect Books, the film is in some ways a profile of the band’s devotion to the iconic Fab Four. As its name suggests, the film focuses on Liverpool itself and its music scene, the Beatles’ relationships with the musicians and their families and the interpersonal clashes that appeared during their meteoric rise.
” The Beatles: Get Back ” goes behind the scenes at a news conference and a photoshoot. It features rare concert footage and photos, as well as interviews with members of the band and those who worked with them.
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How did the most famous band of all time get lost in the archives?
John Oliver revealed that he kept the My Word button of his laptop open so he could listen to all of the music in case he accidentally deleted it. (I’ve since removed it.)
We spoke to Josh Jaffa, producer at Errol Morris’ RumorFix, the film’s production company, to talk about the challenges the team faced in putting together “Get Back”. Here’s what he had to say:
What were the biggest challenges in putting the film together?
Getting all the right people to agree to participate was the biggest challenge. When they accepted to participate they could see how interesting and interesting and interesting-sounding the story is in the press release or in the press conference. Then they thought, ‘Well, let’s really do it.’ But then they’d sit down and it would be like trying to hold a bucket of water under a microscope for 20 minutes to see how much water sticks to the microscope.
When the filmmakers went into the 80s, Paul and George were actively looking for other people to do their jobs for them and with them. They were like children. They’d call, ‘I’m going to see Colin, he’ll be there.’ There was no adult adult supervision, and they had some very interesting and dysfunctional relationships, which you get into here. So that was interesting to get into.
What about bringing away pieces of knowledge from the fans?
Because they were such an extraordinary group who are beloved by so many people across the world, and have something so iconic that will be around forever, it’s a very, very hard thing to do if you want to release it. So not just the fans, it’s the directors as well. They need to know what was happening to them as people. They know what happened in the studio and what happened in the hotel room and what happened at the press conference. It’s a bit like being at the wedding and having your wedding video on repeat 24 hours a day.
Many fans say they wanted to see the film, but were somehow denied. What does that mean to you?
I think it’s a pretty harsh way to be told that you can’t see the film and it’s not your decision. That’s it, it’s not about you. There was no interference of any kind. It’s just a system that doesn’t make for natural democratic distribution. That may change over time as more people realize that that happens.