“Backbeat is a thrilling spectacle that rocks the house…defiant, raucous, erotic.” – Rolling Stone
The pre-fame Beatles head to Hamburg in search of success, as they gain popularity the “fifth Beatle” bass guitarist Stuart Sutcliffe (Stephen Dorff), falls in love and ultimately must choose between his best friend John Lennon, his new love Astrid Kircherr (Sheryl Lee) and the greatest rock and roll band in the world.
Backbeat is an energetic, musical drama chronicling the pre-fame Beatles as they head to Hamburg and the relationship between teenage bandmates John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe (the fifth Beatle) and 22-year-old German photographer Astrid Kirchherr.
The screenplay, co-written by director Iain Softley, is based on multiple interviews he did with Kirchherr and whose iconic portraits of the band Softley took inspiration from. ”I wanted the film-like the photographs to look timeless, not nostalgic” said Softley.
The films soundtrack includes rock and roll classics performed by an indie-rock supergroup which includes Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum), Greg Dullis (The Afghan Whigs) and Henry Rollins (Black Flag) on vocals, Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) and Don Fleming (Gumball) on guitar, Mike Mills (R.E.M.) on bass guitar and Dave Grohl (then of Nirvana now of Foo Fighters) on Drums. (In 2018 Dave Grohl fed nearly a thousand firefighters for free during one of southern California’s most deadly and destructive wildfires ever, from his catering company named Backbeat BBQ.)
Backbeat opened the 1994 Sundance Film Festival and went on to receive a BAFTA Award nomination for Best British Film (but was beaten by Danny Boyle’s Shallow Grave). Don Was (Was, Not Was) won a BAFTA for Best Original Score and Softley received the Best Newcomer Award from The London Film Critics Circle and Empire Magazine.
Ian Hart who plays Lennon had already played him in the 1991 film The Hours and Times. Gary Bakewell who plays McCartney played him again in the 2000 television film The Linda McCartney Story. Scot Williams reprised his role as Pete Best in the 2000 television film In His Life: The John Lennon Story.
Extras: Audio Commentary with Iain Softley, Ian Hart and Stephen Dorff. A conversation with Astrid Kirchherr. Deleted Scenes. Interview with Director Iain Softley and Actor Ian Hart. Iain Softley Interview for the Sundance Channel. TV Featurette. Casting Sessions. Stills Gallery. Director’s Essay (DVD only). Trailer.
You can pre-order via our paid link HERE.
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Brett Summers
Brett founded CultFaction.com in 2014 a website and podcast that deals with cult film and tv. He also has a strong interest in grappling martial arts both as a practitioner and as a historian.
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