John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky
- TV Movie
- 2018
- 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
1.9K
YOUR RATING
Film telling the untold story of John Lennon's 1971 album Imagine, exploring the creative collaboration between Lennon and Yoko Ono and featuring interviews and never-seen-before footage.Film telling the untold story of John Lennon's 1971 album Imagine, exploring the creative collaboration between Lennon and Yoko Ono and featuring interviews and never-seen-before footage.Film telling the untold story of John Lennon's 1971 album Imagine, exploring the creative collaboration between Lennon and Yoko Ono and featuring interviews and never-seen-before footage.
- Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination
John Lennon
- Self
- (archive footage)
Daniel Richter
- Self
- (as Dan Richter)
Phil Spector
- Self
- (archive footage)
Nicky Hopkins
- Self
- (archive footage)
George Harrison
- Self
- (archive footage)
Dick Cavett
- Self
- (archive footage)
David A. Ross
- Self
- (as David Io Ross)
Ringo Starr
- Self
- (archive footage)
- (as The Beatles)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe fan turning up on Lennon's doorstep at Tittenhurst Park to get answers about the songs that seem to speak directly to him in his dazed and bewildered state was Cesare Curtis Claudio.
"I'm just a guy who writes songs. I'm just a guy, man" Lennon patiently explains before Yoko to invite the young man in for something to eat.
- ConnectionsEdited from Imagine (1972)
Featured review
Imagine a genius at work
Well (well well), Lennon is my favourite rock star and "Imagine" is one of my all-time favourite albums so this documentary centring on his recording of that very record was always going to be right down my strasse. Actually taking in his career and activities from a couple of years before, when he first hooked up with Yoko Ono and they formed the Plastic Ono Band, it's a fascinating insight into the man that "Time" magazine voted as one of the men of the decade just past when this was shot.
This was therefore the period when Lennon, soon to up sticks permanently to New York after just a couple of years at the sprawling country grounds of Tittenhurst Park where most of this film was made, was living a gadfly existence as outside of his recording duties we see him out on the road promoting Yoko's book "Grapefruit", following through on his political activism by attending protest marches as well as making himself generally available for interviews with both the music and the popular press, the latter keen to lampoon his peacenik happenings.
The film employs the usual technique of talking head commentaries, some from over-adulatory outsiders and the more interesting ones from those who were either in Lennon's band at the time, like drummer Alan White and bassist Klaus Voormann or were part of his staff. Whilst the film gives almost equal attention to Yoko, there's no question in my mind as to who the real deal is here. Whether expounding his utopian vision for peace on earth, discussing revolutionary politics with Tariq Ali, leading his band through his new songs or most candidly, taking in an obviously damaged Beatles fan who just turns up at his door (and look where that openness to his public led him), he comes across, at least to me, as a sharp, witty, playful guy, one you'd enjoy spending time with. Yes I'm aware of his self-confessed human flaws but even grown up son Julian speaks well of his old man here and that's good enough for me.
The music is absolutely terrific too with snippets of every track from the album heard in one incarnation or another although personally I wish there was more of it shown.
This in summary then is a fine fly-on-the-wall documentary showing a musical giant at his very considerable best.
This was therefore the period when Lennon, soon to up sticks permanently to New York after just a couple of years at the sprawling country grounds of Tittenhurst Park where most of this film was made, was living a gadfly existence as outside of his recording duties we see him out on the road promoting Yoko's book "Grapefruit", following through on his political activism by attending protest marches as well as making himself generally available for interviews with both the music and the popular press, the latter keen to lampoon his peacenik happenings.
The film employs the usual technique of talking head commentaries, some from over-adulatory outsiders and the more interesting ones from those who were either in Lennon's band at the time, like drummer Alan White and bassist Klaus Voormann or were part of his staff. Whilst the film gives almost equal attention to Yoko, there's no question in my mind as to who the real deal is here. Whether expounding his utopian vision for peace on earth, discussing revolutionary politics with Tariq Ali, leading his band through his new songs or most candidly, taking in an obviously damaged Beatles fan who just turns up at his door (and look where that openness to his public led him), he comes across, at least to me, as a sharp, witty, playful guy, one you'd enjoy spending time with. Yes I'm aware of his self-confessed human flaws but even grown up son Julian speaks well of his old man here and that's good enough for me.
The music is absolutely terrific too with snippets of every track from the album heard in one incarnation or another although personally I wish there was more of it shown.
This in summary then is a fine fly-on-the-wall documentary showing a musical giant at his very considerable best.
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- Lejink
- Dec 20, 2018
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- John Lennon: Imagine
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 30 minutes
- Color
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What was the official certification given to John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky (2018) in Germany?
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