Customer Reviews

The Beatles: Rare & Unseen

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I almost think the other reviewers must have some sort of interest in selling this DVD. It's almost completely worthless. The "approximate" running time is 90 minutes but when you play it you'll see that it's just five separate 9-minute segments and some additional interview material from some of the people involved in making the DVD. There's not a lot of "new" footage; maybe a very short video clip here and there and a few rare photographs. And of course each of the 9-minute segments repeats a significant amount of material used to introduce the segment, which is obviously just a cheap way to add running time to the DVD. The only good thing to be said about it is that many of the people interviewed did have some association with the Beatles at some point in their history, but unfortunately they don't really have anything insightful to say. Just stuff like, "Yeah, John was a bad kid in school," or "When George joined the band he was much younger than the others."

Now and again, almost-famous people will think up brilliant ideas to get rich very fast by connecting themselves to succesful celebrities.
The most unashamed example for me is clearly 'The Beatles: Rare and Unseen'. Alarm bells should start ringing the minute you hear almost-but-not-quite Beatles songs. Furthermore, the not-so-famous celebs being interviewed use hollow superlatives about the Beatles having 'shook up the world' or having created a 'brilliant sound'. Mm, not really mindblowing, now is it? Phil Collins (who'd been interviewed for this so-called 'production') is probably closely related to the producer, because as a professional he surely would never have had anything to with this rubbish. I got my copy as a gift, which is the only reason I cannot return it. Unfortunately.
The five-star reviews for this product must have been created by the producer himself. If you read it, you see it isn't a review at all. It's just a bit of commercial copy, being re-used.

This DVD program is only 46 minutes long, and appears to be a Cable TV documentary that ran on VH1.

One question: Why is a program made up entirely of vintage 1:33-1 footage produced in 1:85-1 widescreen? It only cuts off the top & bottom of the classic footage we are watching this for. Stupid producers involved in this!

The entire show is made up of rare B&W and Color silent home movies, some shot by the Beatles themselves. Early mute concert footage (of which no other recording is known) and on-the-set of Magical Mystery Tour footage are the highlights. The bulk of this would have been better as bonus material on a Magical Mystery Tour DVD than as the main focus of the DVD.

The home movies are professionally transferred to video and look fairly good, although the films should have been cleaned first.

At times the interview is super-imposed over the rare home movies, often blocking out the Beatle in the shot. This may be frustrating, but don't worry, the footage will be repeated (and repeated, and repeated) without the interview intrusion. Yes, the show is padded by repeating the home movie footage.

Phil Collins is one of the interviewed, but I found nothing new in the interviews and fast-forwarded until new home movie footage appeared.

Oh, yes, John Lennon is interviewed through old film clips, and unfortunately they are very BRIEF clips!

The DVD has bonus interviews that did not make it into the final cut of the short TV special, but most glaringly missing is the complete John Lennon Intervew!

Should you buy this? Only if you must have every known film footage of The Beatles. There are NO SONGS HERE!

Unless you are the hardest of hard core Beatle fans, don't bother with this ! In places, is 'elevator', generic Beatles music, and much of the rare footage is played while 'someone' who knew them speaks, with the speaker in the foreground. I only found interesting the interview with the drummer for Trini Lopez, and his association with Ringo. For good Beatles 'stuff', you're better off getting their movies, or the DVD set of them on The Ed Sullivan Show.

"The Beatles: Rare and Unseen" is a collection of home movies, personal photographs, recently rediscovered film, and true stories told by the people who were actually involved in the events. Content includes the earliest known footage of the Beatles on stage in Liverpool in 1962; film of the band at Caird Hall, Dundee, in October, 1964, during their tour of Scotland; behind-the-scenes footage of the filming of "Help" (February, 1965); the making of "Magical Mystery Tour" (September, 1967); and highlights of an interview conducted in New York City for French television. The DVD contains interviews with Phil Collins, musicians, and tour personnel, who provide anecdotes on traveling and working with the Fab Four during their heyday.

I am an avid Beatles' collector including authenticated autographs of all them save for Lennon. This is to say that I take my Beatles' collecting very seriously, and I being a 1st generation fan I can state that this is one fine collection of unseen footage... Granted it is as good as 16mm film could be at the time, but it is archival, rare and more of what made The Beatles'so much fun and great. This DVD has nothing to be ashamed of and can stand proud in any true fan's collection... The interviews are great and the silent film pieces are almost like having rare 16mm Beatles' reels in one's collection! Get it, yeah, yeah, yeah!

This DVD has many rare film clips,photos of the FAB 4 with unseen interviews of people who had worked and knew the "BEATLES".VERY INTERESTING & WORTHWHILE.

This title is a wee bit pricey for the content, but if you're interested in all available Beatles footage it is worth it. I was skeptical that there would be very much here I had not seen. Well there wasn't really but what there is I enjoyed very much. The new footage to my eyes anyway totaled only about five minutes but chopped up and repeated so many times with different commentary that it may seem more.Some of the interview subjects are interesting both in the main feature and in the extra bonus interview segments. Some even had a little new info or angles even to a long time Beatles student as myself.
If I were producing this title I would have added a separate chapter presenting all of the new footage without repeats or commentary overlaid. Still there are pleasures here for almost any level of Beatle fan to enjoy.

The Beatles: Rare and Unseen is a DVD packed with long-hidden treasures concerning one of the most popular and beloved bands in the world: previously unseen home movies, personal photographs, recently rediscovered film, and true stories related firsthand from the witnesses who were there. From the earliest known footage of the Beatles on stage (Liverpool, Feb. 1962), to the one existing film of their Scotland tour (Caird Hall Dundee, Oct. 1964) to highlights of an interview with John Lennon (recorded in New York for French TV), The Beatles: Rare and Unseen is an absolute "must-have" for Beatles fans everywhere. Highly recommended. 90 minutes.

Readers are treated to a hour and a half of Beatles' history. It is like coming across a treasure chest packed with gems.

No Beatle fan should be without this one. Home movies, previously unpublished photographs, film and anecdotes by accurate sources, people who actually knew the Beatles personally and could verify their accounts grace this film.

The Beatles in their final lineup were first filmed in 1962. This DVD treats viewers to the Beatles' October 1964 tour of Scotland; excerpts of a John Lennon interview for a French television program and numerous clips and tidbits sure to delight any fan.

This gets a hearty yeah, yeah, yeah!