Looking for Lennon

I've seen a number of documentaries and movies on the Beatles and in particular John Lennon, but I would say this doc was the most detailed and concise exploration of Lennon's early years, from childhood to the beginning of the Beatles.

The film covers Lennon's early years, in Liverpool, during WWll, to his extremely unsettled family life in his formative years, to his personality in school, and eventually his venturing into writing, poetry, illustration, and, of course music. All of this would lead to the shaping of Lennon's uniqueness and unquestioned charisma.

I found it fascinating how we got a vivid account of the first time Lennon met Paul McCartney, through a mutual friend, and how McCartney, and later George Harrison were incorporated into Lennon's first band The Quarrymen.

For me, my enjoyment of the movie was marred somewhat by the lack of subtitles and with the thick British accents it was difficult for me to make everything out. Overall though, this doc, directed by Roger Appleton, is a most interesting look at the early years of John Lennon, whose genius and talent I've respected since I was a teenager.

Strictly for fans who know the deep history of The Beatles. Fascinating to finally hear from that whole cast of characters in Liverpool and Hamburg who played bit parts in the great story: Nigel Whalley, Sam Leach, Johnny Hutch, for example; Jurgen Vollmer even. Loved it!

I was a Beatlemaniac as a kid. I've seen many films about The Beatles, but I've never seen one that covers John Lennon's childhood in Liverpool and life up until Hamburg with the depth and honestly that Looking For Lennon does. Directed by Roger Appleton, this is one of the best music documentaries I've ever seen.

The narrative is led by historian David Bedford and Professor Paul Farle. John's childhood friends and band mates - including Nigel Walley, Pete Shotton, and Michael Hill - and his art school classmates, take us on a tour of his early life with great affection, humor, and surprising detail.

Born during WWII, John and his family lived through a blitz of Liverpool by Hitler that killed 4,000. We get a look - from the sites of John's old haunts and homes in Liverpool - of what shaped him as a person: his troubled, broken family life of being bounced around, mixed feelings about his vivacious, often vacant, mother, her tragic death, his charisma, antics as a young gang leader, early bloom of creative expression, and love for music that shaped his life and led to the forming of the skiffle/rock and roll band The Quarryman, (lads from Quarry Bank high school).

The film covers John's famous meeting with brother Beatle Paul McCartney from the very spot where it occurred and is filled with music that influenced John, which gives an overview of the culture that permeated the period. I can't for the life of me figure out why Looking For Lennon isn't more widely known. I highly recommend this wonderful film.

Incredibly informative and entertaining documentary about the young John Lennon, including interviews with those who knew him best. Worth watching if you have the slightest interest in who Lennon was as a man.

I'm a big Beatles fan and I've seen loads of documentaries about the Beatles which rehash the same material. This isn't one of them. There are several interviewees who dealt with Lennon at the time, who I've never seen on screen before and offer tantalizing little insights into what made him the way he was. Don't miss it.