Wednesday, June 15, 2022

The Lost Weekend: A Love Story -- a movie review

 


This past weekend I watched the new documentary "The Lost Weekend:  A Love Story."   This film told the story of May Pang and her 18-month relationship with John Lennon in 1973 & 1974.

This documentary was extremely well made.   It frequently used line-drawing animation to get the story told and I found it to be extremely effective.   There were some very good interviews with not just May Pang herself but also with Julian, Chris O'Dell, and several others that were there.    The story was told not just through these modern-day interviews but with archive footage from the 70s and archive talk show footage of May from the 1980s.     The variety of interviews really helped keep the story moving.


My absolute favorite part was all of the previously unseen photographs and home movie footage in the documentary.    Just when you think that the majority of "Lost Weekend" photos have been seen (especially thanks to May's Instamatic Karma book) - this film is released, and there are so many more!  There is some home movie footage that belonged to Julian that shows John, May, and Jules on a boat and swimming, which is just precious. 

If you have read May's book, Loving John, then you know everything that is told in this film.   There is nothing new or unknown that is told.    However, May's book was written in the 1980s and not very many modern John fans have read it, so the stories very well could be new for some.   I actually found it refreshing that May's story has not changed over the years.    Often, when someone re-tells their story, things get embellished or changed around, but this was not the case when it comes to May.   

Of course, the film is May's story.   It is not John's, and it is not Yoko's.  This is May's memories and her point of view.   Some might find it all to be a bit controversial because May's version of the story is not the same as Yoko's or even John's.     May and the Lost Weekend often gets glossed over or removed when learning about John's life, so it is good for May to continue to tell what happened from her point of view because the official Lennon estate will not tell it.  

My only complaint would be that the placement of some of the photos was not historically correct.  For example, in talking about John and Ringo in 1974, a photo of them at the Copa Cabana Club in 1976 was shown.   Little things that happened from time to time, but that is just me being my usual nit-picky self about dates of photographs and isn't a reason to not watch the film or anything. 

    Even if you have read the book, it is worth watching The Lost Weekend:  A Love Story because of the interviews and the rare photos.     


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https://amzn.to/49SH39P




19 comments:

  1. Sounds like an interesting documentary. Instamatic Karma was an excellent book. However, Loving John was a different story. May Pang gave a very enlightening interview about that book, which you can find a link to, in this posting: Https://observer1984.blogspot.com/2011/10/lennon-nyc--dvd.html

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  2. Oops made a mistake. That's https://observer1984.blogspot.com/2011/10/lennon-nyc-dvd.html

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  3. Oops made a mistake with the link. It is https://observer1984.blogspot.com/2011/10/lennon-nyc-dvd.html

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  4. appears the lovely Jane Asher will never do this

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    1. May Pang has done nothing wrong, and she's certainly not a bad person. And it doesn't mean that the lovely Jane is perfect either.

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    2. I think the comment meant that Jane has never written a book or made a film about her time with Paul. Beatles fans are a funny lot. Some accuse Pattie Harrison of capitalizing on George but never Cynthia Lennon or May Pang about John. Jane is the first person to admit to her faults which makes her relatable. Damned if you do, damned if you don't in Beatle World.

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    3. Are you saying that Jane Asher has admitted to any faults, or am I misunderstanding you here?

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    4. well said 5:26

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    5. Yes, she has @10.29am. She has given honest interviews that have nothing to do with PMc or the Beatles.

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    6. Okay thanks. I didn't know that, now you've got me curious!

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  5. Yoko was the love of John's life and then Sean - May claims their affair continued but she forgot that John also cheated on Cyn during their marriage as was his behaviour

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    1. And Yoko was with someone else while John was "lost" with May.

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    2. agree but also think that the person John loved the most was Sean

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    3. 7:25 - I think so too. John was a mess for a long time but found a new life with Sean.

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  6. John probably found something in May that Yoko could never give him, and since their connection continued, and meant something to both of them, I'm glad.

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  7. wish May would give it a rest now in 2023 and give John's family & maybe hers too peace

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    1. yeah the interviews and rehashing of her story even today. how much more money does she need.

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