Paul McCartney Really is Dead: The Last Testament of George Harrison (2010)
*** (out of 4)
Producer-director Joel Gilbert usually does documentaries on Bob Dylan but he reaches out to try and explain why the Paul McCartney who has been touring the past forty years is actually a double and that the real Paul died decades ago. According to Gilbert, he received two audio cassettes, which are supposed to contain the last testament of George Harrison. We then learn that three different labs couldn't tell if this really was Harrison or not. From here we learn that McCartney was killed on November 9, 1966 when he had a car crash after giving a woman a ride. From here the audio tape talks about why they decided to cover up his death and what clues they wanted fans to know so that the group wouldn't be hated for covering it up.
This documentary is getting a lot of hatred from fans of the Beatles but I must say it's quite hilarious in parts. I really don't see this as a documentary but it's more like an exploitation movie that's taking a myth and trying to pass it off as the truth. I will admit that I enjoy myths and hearing about them but there's so many unanswered questions here that you can't help but laugh. For starters, early in the film we're told that Lennon was about to tell the truth but was killed eight days later. Harrison then says that he was about to tell the truth but was attacked by the "fan" and almost died. Of course, the hint here is that the British government was trying to shut them up. Even more laughable stuff is the actual way the McCartney was killed and how they went about getting a double. The "audio tape" doesn't sound like an audio tape at all. It's clearly a narrator. Another problem is that you have to wonder why, if all of this was true, someone would send the evidence to Joel Gilbert. Why not ABC, CNN, NBC or someone who could really get the story out there?
Gilbert even uses this documentary to say Bob Dylan wasn't involved in a motorcycle crash in 1966 but instead used this as an excuse to go into drug rehab. It's funny because there are people out there who believe Dylan was killed in this crash and was replaced by a double. The same thing people are claiming about McCartney. PAUL MCCARTNEY REALLY IS DEAD: THE LAST TESTAMENT OF GEORGE HARRISON is something that conspiracy theorist might believe but I think most people are going to notice that countless holes in the plot. Not to mention what this so-called "double" has been able to do after The Beatles broke up. We're told Lennon "covered" most of the writing in The Beatles but who took on Wings and everything that followed? As silly as this is, I must admit that I found it incredibly entertaining from start to finish. Again, seeing all these "clues" was interesting because it shows how someone can take something and spin it in any direction.
*** (out of 4)
Producer-director Joel Gilbert usually does documentaries on Bob Dylan but he reaches out to try and explain why the Paul McCartney who has been touring the past forty years is actually a double and that the real Paul died decades ago. According to Gilbert, he received two audio cassettes, which are supposed to contain the last testament of George Harrison. We then learn that three different labs couldn't tell if this really was Harrison or not. From here we learn that McCartney was killed on November 9, 1966 when he had a car crash after giving a woman a ride. From here the audio tape talks about why they decided to cover up his death and what clues they wanted fans to know so that the group wouldn't be hated for covering it up.
This documentary is getting a lot of hatred from fans of the Beatles but I must say it's quite hilarious in parts. I really don't see this as a documentary but it's more like an exploitation movie that's taking a myth and trying to pass it off as the truth. I will admit that I enjoy myths and hearing about them but there's so many unanswered questions here that you can't help but laugh. For starters, early in the film we're told that Lennon was about to tell the truth but was killed eight days later. Harrison then says that he was about to tell the truth but was attacked by the "fan" and almost died. Of course, the hint here is that the British government was trying to shut them up. Even more laughable stuff is the actual way the McCartney was killed and how they went about getting a double. The "audio tape" doesn't sound like an audio tape at all. It's clearly a narrator. Another problem is that you have to wonder why, if all of this was true, someone would send the evidence to Joel Gilbert. Why not ABC, CNN, NBC or someone who could really get the story out there?
Gilbert even uses this documentary to say Bob Dylan wasn't involved in a motorcycle crash in 1966 but instead used this as an excuse to go into drug rehab. It's funny because there are people out there who believe Dylan was killed in this crash and was replaced by a double. The same thing people are claiming about McCartney. PAUL MCCARTNEY REALLY IS DEAD: THE LAST TESTAMENT OF GEORGE HARRISON is something that conspiracy theorist might believe but I think most people are going to notice that countless holes in the plot. Not to mention what this so-called "double" has been able to do after The Beatles broke up. We're told Lennon "covered" most of the writing in The Beatles but who took on Wings and everything that followed? As silly as this is, I must admit that I found it incredibly entertaining from start to finish. Again, seeing all these "clues" was interesting because it shows how someone can take something and spin it in any direction.