One Anglophile’s Take on “Let it Be” (and why we can’t expect it to come out on DVD anytime soon)

For those of you who haven’t watched the Beatles’ 1970 documentary Let it Be (likely through less than legal means, for reasons I will get into here), here’s what went down: After noticing how unusual The White Album turned out to be, especially with the songs increasingly becoming less rock n roll, and being less group-oriented, Paul decided the band should get back to basics, writing new songs and performing them at a special concert that nobody agreed exactly where it should take place. They decided to rehearse at Twickenham Studios in London and have a crew film them for a possible TV Special. It did not go well; instead of showcasing a reborn Beatles, it showed off the beginning of the end, with constant fighting between Paul and the other members of the band. In the end, the concert did take place, on the Apple Studios rooftop, and the footage for the TV special was released into a full-blown movie.

However, the last time it was released to home video, it was in 1981. In the decades since, the band has teased the possibility of a rerelease (including, in 1992, doing what appeared to be a full restoration of the film which only saw the light of day through snippets on the Anthology miniseries,) but it always fell through. I’ve heard rumours that it was briefly available on Netflix, but I can find no hard evidence. I’ve mentioned this before, and I feel like I should explain a few reasons why we can’t expect it to happen anytime soon.

By: Derek

Source: Anglotopia

Read More >>