Brian Eno once said: “The first Velvet Underground album only sold 10,000 copies, but everyone who bought it formed a band.” Well, it seems that everyone who ever heard a Beatles tune made a documentary, and here comes another one. But Beatles ’64 is produced by Martin Scorsese, so that’s intriguing.
How to watch Beatles ‘64 in New Zealand
Beatles ’64 is streaming in New Zealand exclusively on Disney+ from November 29, 2024.
Beatles '64
What is Beatles ‘64 about?
The Beatles, of course, specifically their first trip to the US in the year indicated by the title, where they played The Ed Sullivan Show, bringing Beatlemania to America and changing music forever. Expect plenty of archival footage, new interviews with still-extant members Paul McCartney and Ringo Star, and audio magic courtesy of Peter Jackson’s Wingnut films, ol’ Pete having employed new digital audio techniques on his own recent doco series, The Beatles: Get Back.
Behind the scenes we have David Tedeschi on directing duties, having previously edited Scorsese’s George Harrison: Living in the Material World, and producing alongside Marty are Harrison’s widow, Olivia Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon’s son Sean Ono Lennon, Margaret Bodde, Jonathan Clyde, and Mikaela Beardsley. So, a couple of former Beatles, plus folks with close connections to the band.
The cast of Beatles ‘64
The Beatles, plus a number of non-Beatles.
Beatles ‘64 trailer
Why we’re excited about Beatles ‘64
Look, on the one had, we have had a lot of documentaries like this recently, both directly about The Beatles but also about other revered figures of the period. It’s starting to whiff of boomers mythologizing their own youth. On the other hand, the talent on board is unquestionable. And on a third, secret hand…well, it’s The Beatles, right? If you’re going to deify a band, they’re probably the band to deify. And it goes without saying that if you’re a fan—and we understand many people are—this is unmissable.
