Any one of the things going on at the American Cinematheque over the Sept. 30-Oct. 3 weekend would draw John Lennon and Beatles fans from points very far off.
But all of them together constitute a landmarkian Lennon-esque look-back -- and really, a love-back-- of major proportions. The looking- and loving-back is in honor of the 70th anniversary of singer-songwriter's birth. (John Lennon was born on Oct. 9, 1940; Dec. 8 of this year will be the 30th anniversary of his death).
The weekend starts in a major way, with the LA Premiere of the feature film "Nowhere Boy." Director Sam Taylor-Wood will be there to chat; so will Aaron Johnson (that green-suited dreamboat from "Kick-Ass"). There will be discussing with a John Lennon expert. Good stuff.
And The Quarrymen will make a musical appearance, which has to be very, very exciting for Lennon scholars. American Cinematheque describes The Quarrymen as "childhood friends" of the legend, but then you know that, being the Beatles buff that you are.
The weekend continues with works you know and can probably sing along to ("Help!") and documentaries like "Mighty Good: The Beatles" from 1976. There's a lot more, too.
And then on Oct. 9 we can all listen to the Lennon songs we love -- it is impossible to not keep starting "(Just Like) Starting Over" over again and again -- but then we probably all do that every day of the year that our music is within reach of our button-pushing finger.
