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The 3/24/200 Celebrity Trio
claims to own 'exclusive' Lennon video By Dean Johnson
A trio of local Beatles collectors say
they have invested more than $1 million to obtain more than nine hours
of controversial videotape of John Lennon and Yoko Ono
filmed in The tapes by Ono's former husband, Tony
Cox, are extremely provocative and explosive," according to Ray Thomas, a "John and Yoko are sitting with a
convicted murderer, talking about embezzling funds out of Apple, and
smoking hash onscreen in front of their kids. "It's language and behavior you've
never seen from them before," he added. "But they're both
brilliant." The tapes – which include several
visits with Michael Abdul Malik,
who was charged with murder and executed in Included are interviews, casual
conversation, editing sessions and rehearsals. Lennon performs several
works in progress, including an embryonic rehearsing of "Mind
Games" and is captured rehearsing "Instant Karma" for the
BBC's "Top of the Pops." "We've had a half a dozen offers
from people of tens of millions of dollars for these tapes," Thomas
said of his ownership group that includes John
Fallon, an unnamed third party, and onetime But the group prefers to use the tapes
to make a documentary. According to Thomas, Cox sold the tapes
to Thomas' group because "Tony won custody of their daughter Kyoko
and went underground for years and years. Do you think Yoko is going to
let him make a dime on them? They hope she will agree to be executive
producer of their project, though Thomas admitted she may try to buy the
tapes. He claimed his group's ownership of the
tapes can be proven in court. "It's a no-holds-barred look at them, he said. "They're not acting. |
