It's School Days for 3 Days in the Life Documentary Film

John Lennon Videotape Could Have Been A Reality Show 

The dates were February 8, 9, and 10 and the year, 1970 (only weeks before the break up of the Beatles) and a "crowning date" when a solo John Lennon (and The Plastic Ono Band) scored his first #1 song with "Instant Karma." John Lennon was about to make history (again) – 37 years ago.

John Lennon and newfound buddy Tony Cox (Yoko's former husband) were in the midst of an untitled, intimate, no-holds barred film based on "three days in the life of John Lennon and company." Hours upon hours of documentary, black & white videotape were shot and today the film is owned by World Wide Video LLC. They had, in the past, attempted to market the unseen raw footage. WWW ultimately decided against it and now, there is a new, distinct purpose being planned for the film. The Boston are based partners of World Wide Video LLC are initially planning to offer and distribute the film for "educational purposes."

This formerly untitled film is called 3 Days in the Life. Now, film and music students across the country will have an opportunity to see this one-of-a-kind, historic, black and white documentary beginning in the Spring of 2007. Exclusive screenings are scheduled at private schools and universities nationwide.

3 Days in the Life is in pre-production stages of an early edit. Originally the film was shot in a cinema verite' style (let the camera roll – edit later) and plans call to develop and cull the footage into a full 90 – 120 minute documentary format. There are almost 10 hours of 37 year-old raw videotape and when you consider that "production" stemmed from a 1970 Sony, reel-to-reel, pre-Beta professional video deck, the film is in need of a full restoration and cleansing. While that process is underway, a 15-minute promotional viewing of portions of 3 Days in the Life debuted at GEMS – The Global Entertainment and Media Summit in New York – www.globalentertainmentnetwork.com in early December '06.

The film's partners, John Fallon and Ray F. Thomas, have culled the documentary into a promotional 2-hour video. The documentary is now going through the last stages of its time-consuming production. It's interesting to note upon viewing 3 Days in the Life that it could be said that the film is "the granddaddy of all reality shows as we know them today". In the next few months 3 Days in the Life will finally be shown in a 2-hour format at selected colleges and private schools in the greater Northeast – New Jersey , New York , Massachusetts , and Connecticut initially - with plans for a California showing in the works.

3 Days in the Life is taking on another life of its own. Also on the agenda is to show never before seen, black & white pictures will include: Lennon at home, strumming his guitar, composing, joking, reading the morning paper, talking candidly, awaiting word on "Instant Karma," touring the estate, in the "creative process of songwriting," going to the office, on a London street, filming footage himself, discussing politics., testing his solo status, etc. Maybe, they knew it (or maybe not) but as the film unfolds, it would be promoted today as a reality show in a documentary format starring John Lennon.

Oddly enough, 3 Days in the Life is still a "best kept secret" but this year, the film will finally debut at pre-selected educational institutions nationwide. The students of today can "travel back in time." Lennon speaks of the coal miners' strike in the UK (and his support) during one segment. Early 1970 was a turning point in John Lennon's life and career, as well as for those around him. This unseen film footage culminates with John Lennon's rehearsal for the BBC show Top of the Pops where he performed "Instant Karma" for the first time publicly. The song had just gone to #1 in the US and its solo success certainly drove a stake into the collective heart of The Beatles (the official break up was formally announced two months later).

Presently, 3 Days in the Life will be limited to college and university audiences. The reason? World Wide Video LLC felt that after all these years, they would maintain the integrity of the film by doing the right thing and holding true to its overall purpose – seeing the "real" John Lennon. Although Tony Cox sold the film, he did copyright the video under the name of Tony Cox ' Video of John Lennon dated May 2, 1997 – it was his property until the sale was consummated in Jan. 2000 to World Wide Video LLC. 3 Days in the Life is a rare, powerful and in many ways a voyeuristic journey into "three days in the life of John Lennon (circa 1970) – a black & white view of an iconic composer (plus family and friends) in residence, and a reborn solo artist in the process of creating and evolving.

There is a quote (or two) that might give one additional insight into 3 Days in the Life:

"No artist is ahead of his time. He is his time. It is just that others are behind the time." – Martha Graham

Or better still:

"An artist is a creature driven by demons. He doesn't know why they choose him and he's usually too busy to wonder why." – William Faulkner

3 Days in the Life is a film in progress. This documentary will offer music students, film classes and industry conventions a unique documentary glimpse into what some Beatle fans call "the missing year – 1970".

3 Days in the Life allows the viewer to capture and chronicle the time, place, and the man behind the music.

CONTACT: George Dassinger (dassingercreative@hotmail.com)