An In-Depth Look At "Starting Over"

There have been a plethora of books written about the life of John Lennon, covering his years as a member of The Beatles, as well as his work as a solo artist. Many of these works focus on the big picture, and attempt to paint an overall history of Lennon's life and music, while also celebrating his influence on new generations of musicians. One of the best books about John is actually much more intimate in scope. Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon & Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy, is a compelling look at John's return to the studio after a five year hiatus. Ken Sharp, who has also written books about David Bowie, Cheap Trick, The Raspberries, KISS and Elvis Presley, put together this comprehensive oral history of the making of Double Fantasy, the last album to be released before John's death. The classic disc includes songs such as "Woman" and the title track.

Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon & Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy features insightful interviews with Yoko Ono, producer Jack Douglas, guitarists Earl Slick and Hugh McCracken, bassist Tony Levin and drummer Andy Newmark, who played on the album, and worked in the studio with John and Yoko. There are comments from John himself (culled from archival interviews), as well as observations from many of the other behind the scenes personnel who contributed to the record, as well as photographers, writers and radio and television personalities who interacted with John and Yoko during the production of Double Fantasy. The book offers an in-depth perspective on the creative process, and gives you a real insider's sense of what it's like to be in the studio while working on an album.

What also emerges from this fascinating oral history is an insightful look at John Lennon as a musician, husband, father and friend. John was thrilled about returning to the studio after being away from the spotlight while helping to raise his son Sean. Many of the comments focus on how much fun he was having making music again, and how excited he was to work with Yoko on the album. Double Fantasy alternates between John's songs and Yoko's, forming sort of a dialogue between them, and he clearly hoped this record would help people appreciate Yoko's songs as much as his own compositions for the album.

You get a real sense from the interviews and comments that John was much more at peace with himself than he'd been in a long time. It's clear that John's time as a family man helped him come to terms with some of the demons of his past. The studio musicians all talk about how he would clown around between takes, playing old rock and roll songs and talking about his days as a Beatle. He was already talking about the followup to Double Fantasy, and had even mentioned going out on the road and performing live again. It's truly sad that we never got to see John take the stage again, or release more music. This incisive book will truly make you appreciate him as a musician and as a man.

Ken Sharp is a prolific author and talented musician, who truly understands what made John and his music so unique and unforgettable. This thoughtful, poignant portrait of John as painted by Ken through his absorbing history of the Double Fantasy sessions will make you appreciate the music all over again, and feel John's tragic loss that much more deeply. Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon & Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy was originally published in 2010, and has recently been made available as an e-book. It's available at sites such as Amazon. For more information on Ken and his work, head over to http://ken-sharp.com.

Bly Manor: A Ghost Story & A Love Story

Mike Flanagan has established himself as one of the top writer-directors currently working in the horror genre, thanks to such well-received films as Before I Wake, Oculus, and a pair of Stephen King adaptations, Gerald's Game and Doctor Sleep. He's perhaps best known to fright fans for his 2018 Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House, a brilliant re-interpretation of Shirley Jackson's novel, which took that classic ghost story into some new and surprising directions, while remaining true to the spirit of the original. His newest project, The Haunting of Bly Manor, is an update of the Henry James novella The Turn of the Screw, which has been adapted for the big and small screen many times before, most notably as the 1961 thriller The Innocents, starring Deborah Kerr and Peter Wyngarde. It was also featured on the big screen earlier this year in a version called The Turning, directed by Floria Sigismondi, which starred Mackenzie Davis.  

Flanagan's version takes place primarily in 1987, when Dani Clayton, an American living in London, is hired as the new governess for two orphaned children, Miles and Flora Wingrave, who live at a house called Bly Manor. It turns out there are eerie things happening at the manor, and the children seem to know more about what's going on than the adults. Dani brings the ghosts of her own past with her to the house, and the rest of the staff, including Mrs. Gose, the housekeeper, and the Owen, the cook, have their own secrets to contend with as well. But the most intense and powerful supernatural entities at the manor seem focused on the children. What is the secret of Bly Manor? Why are the children so intensely involved with what's going on? One thing is certain; Dani will have to face her own demons before she can help the children with theirs.

The Haunting of Bly Manor is a terrific thriller, and expands on its source material much in the same unique ways as Flanagan's earlier series. The story takes some twists and turns you may not expect, and while there aren't quite as many out and out terrifying "jump out of your seat" moments as there were in The Haunting of Hill House, this series slowly builds up the tension to some truly unsettling moments of dread. The show takes the time to slowly unfold its story, and there are a couple of episodes (especially the excellent one focusing on Mrs. Gose) that on the surface may seem to be diverting attention from the main story, but actually fit seamlessly into the narrative. There are, as usual with Flanagan's work, small details and visual cues tucked into scenes through the series that give the viewer clues as to what may be really be going on at Bly Manor. Dani's last name, Clayton, is actually a nod to Jack Clayton, director of The Innocents.

The cast is superb, with several veterans of Flanagan's previous series and films appearing in the show, including Victoria Pedretti, Henry Thomas, Carla Gugino and Kate Siegel. T'Nia Miller as Mrs. Gose, and Rahul Koli as Owen are excellent in their roles, especially in the amazing fifth episode of the series; no spoilers here, but the Hannah Gose centered story may be the series' best entry, and that's saying a lot as the show is consistently well-acted, well-written and well-directed. The Haunting of Bly Manor is a deeply emotional, powerful tale that is as heart-rending as it is chilling. The hauntings in this story are as internal as they are external. One character remarks that this isn't a "ghost story, it's a love story." I disagree, this fantastic series is a ghost story and a love story, and it succeeds admirably on both counts. If you're a fan of supernatural tales with a healthy does of heart and emotion, head over to Netflix and seek out The Haunting of Bly Manor. Highly recommended for viewing during Halloween season, or any season of the year. Here's a link to the trailer for the series : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2y0qSYf578.                         

Retro Movie : The Parallax View

The 1970s were the decade in which the conspiracy thriller movie came into its own. In the wake of the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., the optimism of the 1960s gave way to feelings of distrust and paranoid thoughts. Theses negative thoughts escalated further when the United States was propelled into the aftermath of events such as the Manson murders and the Watergate scandal. Films like Executive Action, The Conversation, Night Moves, Three Days of the Condor, All The President's Men, Winter Kills and Capricorn One focused on conspiracies, real or imagined, that exposed the dark underside of the American dream. No movie illustrates these ideas and concepts in a more chilling and effective manner than The Parallax View, director Alan J. Pakula's 1974 classic starring Warren Beatty.

Beatty plays Joe Frady, a somewhat down on his luck (albeit talented and resourceful) reporter who, as the film opens, is nearby when a popular presidential candidate is assassinated. An investigative committee formed by the government finds that the murder was the act of a disturbed individual who acted alone. Lee Carter, a newswoman who witnessed the murder firsthand, visits Frady several years after the killing. She tells him that she believes something odd is going on, as a number of witnesses to the shooting have died, seemingly under normal or accidental circumstances. Carter, a former flame of Frady's, is herself found dead of a drug overdose shortly after her visit to his home, and Frady decides to look into her claims.

What he discovers is that a mysterious organization called The Parallax Corporation is recruiting people who are on the fringe of society, and don't fit the accepted behavioral norm. These antisocial outsiders are given training, and new jobs, but are ultimately used as assassins, taking out politicians that don't fit the shadowy group's world view. The oddball loners are then framed for the crimes, and take the fall for the killings as a "lone gunman." Frady convinces his editor that he should go undercover in the organization, allow them to recruit him, and expose their activities to the world. It's a choice that could ultimately prove to be Frady's undoing. The power of the Parallax organization, and their connections, run far deeper than he ever imagined.

In The Parallax View, nothing is quite what it seems. There are multiple layers of secrets, lies and misdirection at the center of this shadowy organization. As he digs deeper, Frady becomes caught in the middle of a deadly conspiracy. Just how far do the tendrils of Parallax reach? The sense of unease and impending doom is palpable in this dark and cynical thriller. The moody cinematography by Gordon Willis is superb, as is Pakula's tense direction. There's always something happening just outside the frame, and you're often unsure of exactly what's going on right before your eyes. The X-Files may have popularized the term "Trust No One" but in The Parallax View, there's a deep feeling of dread throughout the story. You really can't trust anyone.

The cast is superb. Beatty delivers a solid, low key performance as Frady. The fine supporting cast includes Paula Prentiss, Hume Cronyn, William Daniels, Kenneth Mars, Walter McGinn and Anthony Zerbe. The intelligent, layered script was written by David Giler and Lorenzo Semple, Jr. (with an uncredited asset by Robert Towne) and is based on the book by Loren Singer. Michael Small provides an excellent score, which helps add to the sense of unease throughout the film. Along with Klute and All The President's Men, which were also directed by Alan J. Pakula, this film is often referred to as part of his unofficial "paranoia" trilogy. The Parallax View seems even more relevant in our current environment, and is definitely worth a look. Here's a link to the trailer for the film, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzQRp0Fjpjg, which is now streaming on Amazon.