Backbeat

Starring: Sheryl Lee & Stephen Dorff Director: Iain Softley  Rated:

DVD Features:

Audio:

• Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
• DTS 5.1 - English
• Dolby Digital 5.1 - Spanish
• Dolby Digital 5.1 - French

Additional Release Material:

• Audio Commentary - 1.Lain Softly - Director
• Deleted Scenes
• Interviews - 1.Lain Softly - Director
                   2.Lain Softly - Director, Ian Hart - Star
                   3.Astrid Kerchherr
• Text/Photo Galleries:
• Picture Gallery

Product Description:

This hard-driving, energetic drama chronicling the Beatles' ascendance to fame in Hamburg's club circuit centers on "fifth Beatle" Stu Sutcliffe and his close relationship to John Lennon. Driven by art rather than music, Sutcliffe ultimately must choose between his true passion and certain superstardom.

Plot Synopsis:

A reconstruction of the legendary British rock group's early days, before the advent of Beatlemania and world-wide fame. The story focuses on the turbulent and exciting period that the Beatles' spent in Hamburg, Germany in 1960-62, when they played in a series of rough-and-tumble dives and came into contact with cutting-edge artists. Among them was photographer Astrid Kirchherr, who helped shape the group's image, and with whom both John Lennon and former Beatle Stu Sutcliffe fell in love. Ultimately, Sutcliffe left the group, making way for the success of one of the greatest phenomena in rock music history.

Plot Keywords:

1960s | Beatles | Biography | Drama | Friends | Musical | Racy | Recommended | Rock And Roll | Romance | Theatrical Release | True Story

Production Notes:

• Shot in Panavision. Co-produced by Scala Productions. The "Backbeat Band," which recreates the Beatles' music, consists of Greg Dulli and Dave Pirner on vocals, Don Fleming on guitar and vocals, Thurson Moore on guitar, Dave Grohl on drums and Mike Mills on bass. Addition musicians are Eric Reed, Terence Blanchard, Buster Marbury, David McMurray, Don Was, Luis Conte, Mark Goldenberg, Jamie Muhoberac, Billy Preston, Jimmy Wood and Paulinho da Costa. David Campbell did the string orchestrations. Ian Hart previously portrayed John Lennon in the 1991 Christopher Münch film, "The Hours and Times." "Backbeat" was shown at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival. Bassist Stu Sutcliffe, who quit the Beatles before the group became famous, died of a brain hemorrhage shortly after he left the group. Rated BBFC 15 by the British Board of Film Classification. Available to rent in the UK.

Cast and Crew: