Brian Epstein – Inside The Fifth Beatle
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C Program: B-
For all
the Beatles revivals, very little is said about their key early manager Brian
Epstein. Brian Epstein – Inside The Fifth Beatle (2004) is an “unauthorized”
look at the life and early death of the record store owner who had a knack for
recognizing a hit. The documentary is 80 minutes long, but does not seem to
totally give us the fullest, grittiest side of who he was or what he really
achieved.
Is known
homosexuality is marginalized quite a bit, and much of the music also is. Even without the rights to the actual songs,
the titles could have been discussed more often. Along with the album releases, they would
have set a timeline to place the tales on.
Many have tried to say his death was mysterious, but this version says
he simply died from taking too much of a new sleeping pill. That kind of pat-ness really restricts the
viewing all around, but the program is saved by the footage and interesting (and
sometimes contradictory stories) told by those who were there.
The full
frame image is made mostly of more recently shot analog PAL video footage, but
also has some decent-quality monochrome film clips that will make fans
happy. The Dolby Digital 2.0 is oddly
monophonic, but clear enough form being a recent production. Extras include the longer 11:02 version of Sid Bernstein’s
version of the story of how he got Epstein to bring The Beatles to America and specifically Carnegie Hall,
while Raymond Jones and Alistair Taylor explain how the band’s first single
slowly but surely became a phenomenal seller at Epstein’s record store in four
minutes. These are both worth hearing in
their longer versions and if the main program had not been so commercial, would
have likely remained. With all that
said, Brian Epstein – Inside The Fifth
Beatle is still worth a look.
- Nicholas Sheffo
