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[Loco Mo]

Normandie and Moogmodule:  I was happy to be of assistance.  As I've said in other posts, I've always been interested in the fate of Pete Best.

I think a very interesting movie could be made about him but it would probably attract a small niche audience.  A movie like that will never be made.

[Hello Goodbye]

Hi Loco!  Nice hearing from you again.

I think a very interesting movie could be made about him but it would probably attract a small niche audience.  A movie like that will never be made.

This is as close as we're going to get...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQgf7MzywgI" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQgf7MzywgI</a>

1979

Pete Best served as a technical advisor.

[Moogmodule]

Pete Best served as a technical advisor.

And did t it show …

[Loco Mo]

Thanks, Hello.  I'll have to re-watch that when I'm in the mood.

[Moogmodule]

Normandie and Moogmodule:  I was happy to be of assistance.  As I've said in other posts, I've always been interested in the fate of Pete Best.

I think a very interesting movie could be made about him but it would probably attract a small niche audience.  A movie like that will never be made.

They made a film focusing on Stu Sutcliffe so it’s not impossible. 

[Loco Mo]

Moogmodule:  Yes, you're right.  I should know by now not to make absolute statements.  A movie could be made about George Martin or Brian Epstein.  Almost any player in the Beatles game could plausibly merit a movie-bio.  How about the life of a fan for that matter?  I'm thinking of that famous early Beatle fan club.  I think it was just a few girls (teens).  That could be interesting because I think the Beatles were aware of them and actually visited them in person (in London, I think, or was it in Liverpool?).

[Moogmodule]

Moogmodule:  Yes, you're right.  I should know by now not to make absolute statements.  A movie could be made about George Martin or Brian Epstein.  Almost any player in the Beatles game could plausibly merit a movie-bio.  How about the life of a fan for that matter?  I'm thinking of that famous early Beatle fan club.  I think it was just a few girls (teens).  That could be interesting because I think the Beatles were aware of them and actually visited them in person (in London, I think, or was it in Liverpool?).

There’s been talk of an Epstein film  or tv series for quite a while. But it seems to have gone quiet. I think if there’s enough of a hook in the story related to the Beatles it can work as a movie. With the demand for content from all the streaming services it probably increases the chances a bit that something will eventually get made.

[Normandie]

They made a film focusing on Stu Sutcliffe so it’s not impossible.

Back Beat! I was just thinking of that the other day; I was drawing a total blank on the title. I saw it ages ago. I'll have to look for that on the streaming services.

There’s been talk of an Epstein film  or tv series for quite a while. But it seems to have gone quiet. I think if there’s enough of a hook in the story related to the Beatles it can work as a movie. With the demand for content from all the streaming services it probably increases the chances a bit that something will eventually get made.

I would love to see a movie/series that focused on Brian Epstein. I keep meaning to order his book. The psychology of the Beatles and those in their universe (for lack of a better word) fascinates me.

[Hello Goodbye]

I would love to see a movie/series that focused on Brian Epstein. I keep meaning to order his book. The psychology of the Beatles and those in their universe (for lack of a better word) fascinates me.

I've always felt that Brian Epstein's perceptiveness, instinct and perseverance were responsible for The Beatles' meteoric success in the early stage of their career.  Yes, a movie focusing on Brian Epstein would certainly be welcome.

[Moogmodule]

There was a film announced last year, Midas Man, about Brian. It had a director announced and filming was supposed to begin.  It seems it’s still in pre production. Which suggests it’s been shelved.   

[Moogmodule]

Back Beat! I was just thinking of that the other day; I was drawing a total blank on the title. I saw it ages ago. I'll have to look for that on the streaming services.

Backbeat was pretty good. Although they made the Hamburg Beatles sound like a 90s grunge band.

[Loco Mo]

Normandie:  I didn't care for Brian Epstein's autobio, "A Cellarful of Noise."  I don't remember why.  It was a short book.  I would have to re-read it in order to remember why I didn't like it.  I will rephrase this a little:  "I didn't enjoy it and it didn't engage me."

[Loco Mo]

Moogmodule.  I think you made a good point.  With the demand for streaming services, niche movies can be made.  Without them, they would need investors to bankroll their budgets.  Also, I don't think there's any star powered actor you could call upon to play Brian or George.  Also, the investors from the pre-streaming era would ask:  "How many people will pay to see this movie?"  Answer:  "Only diehard fans.  Oh, Okay, Forget it then.  Let's move on to something else, maybe something full of adventure, sex and violence.  Yep, that's the ticket!"

[Hello Goodbye]

Normandie:  I didn't care for Brian Epstein's autobio, "A Cellarful of Noise."  I don't remember why.  It was a short book.  I would have to re-read it in order to remember why I didn't like it.  I will rephrase this a little:  "I didn't enjoy it and it didn't engage me."

I read A Cellarful of Noise years years ago.  It wasn't a short book by any means but described Brian Epstein's relationship with The Beatles until 1964 when the book was published.  Derek Taylor was the ghostwriter.  I think events were covered very well from Brian Epstein's standpoint and there is certainly value in that.

Perhaps a better book to read would be In My Life: The Brian Epstein Story by Debbie Geller published in 2000.  This, from Publishers Weekly:


Brian Epstein's death by drug overdose in 1967 cut short a career marked by scandalous secrets and phenomenal success. As manager, Epstein cleaned up the Beatles, gave them cute haircuts and promoted them tirelessly, telling anyone who would listen that they would be "bigger than Elvis" until, surprisingly, they were. Born to an upper-middle-class Jewish household and pushed into joining the family business, Epstein transformed his father's furniture store first into the best music store in Liverpool, then into a music empire. All the while, he struggled with loneliness and unhealthy relationships, forced to hide his homosexuality from the public and always insecure about the motivations of others. This new look at his life (the first since Ray Coleman's 1989 bio, The Man Who Made the Beatles) was culled largely from interviews presented in the award-winning BBC documentary The Brian Epstein Story, directed by Anthony Wall and produced by Geller. The interviewees include people who worked with Epstein, family members and musicians, including Gerry Marsden (of Gerry and the Pacemakers) and Paul McCartney, as well as Beatles producer George Martin and '60s Britpop scenester Marianne Faithfull. Also excerpted here is Epstein's 1964 autobiography, Cellarful of Noise, along with extracts from his unpublished diaries and writings. The anecdotes, presented without commentary in documentary-style quotations, present a complicated, intimate view of his life and the lives he affected. Persistent rumors, such as those suggesting a sexual relationship with John Lennon, are alternately denied and confirmed, leaving some mysteries while shedding light on Epstein's life as a whole. B&w photos. (Dec.) Forecast: This title should get a small boost from the current wave of interest in all things Beatles, particularly from the bestselling Beatles Anthology. The BBC documentary on which this book is based has been featured at several gay and lesbian film festivals this year, which could also increase interest in the book.

Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Unlike A Cellarful of Noise, Debbie Geller's book is inexpensive in either hard or soft cover used editions.

[Moogmodule]

Moogmodule.  I think you made a good point.  With the demand for streaming services, niche movies can be made.  Without them, they would need investors to bankroll their budgets.  Also, I don't think there's any star powered actor you could call upon to play Brian or George.  Also, the investors from the pre-streaming era would ask:  "How many people will pay to see this movie?"  Answer:  "Only diehard fans.  Oh, Okay, Forget it then.  Let's move on to something else, maybe something full of adventure, sex and violence.  Yep, that's the ticket!"

To be fair Loco a bio of Brian could have its share of sex and violence…

[Loco Mo]

Hello Goodbye:  You said "it wasn't a short book by any means."  I wonder if we're talking about the same book.  My Kindle version is 148 pages long.  It seemed like a very short read to me.

I will definitely re-read it soon to see if my assessment of it changes in any way.

[Loco Mo]

Moogmodule.  Quite true - that.  But I wouldn't want to see the sordid parts of his life.  Also, people who were directly/intimately involved with him would be the ones qualified to write that type of biopic.  Would any of them really want to?  And how many of his contemporaries are still alive today?  He'd be 86 going on 87 in September.

[Normandie]

Loco Mo, Moodmodule, and Barry, thanks for your input on this. I was not aware of Debbie Gellar's book; that's yet another title to add to my Amazon list.

[Hello Goodbye]

Hello Goodbye:  You said "it wasn't a short book by any means."  I wonder if we're talking about the same book.  My Kindle version is 148 pages long.  It seemed like a very short read to me.

I will definitely re-read it soon to see if my assessment of it changes in any way.

I read it a long time ago, Loco.  It was ~250 pages in paperback.  I wish I still had my copy.  It's worth a fortune today.

[Hello Goodbye]

Loco Mo, Moodmodule, and Barry, thanks for your input on this. I was not aware of Debbie Gellar's book; that's yet another title to add to my Amazon list.

Kathy, here's The Brian Epstein Story (1998) directed by Anthony Wall and produced by Debbie Geller referred to in the Publishers Weekly excerpt I posted...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apKqMVej1cw" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apKqMVej1cw</a>