Thursday, October 28, 1999
5:30pm   Egyptian Theatre

The Brian Epstein Story
Anthony Wall, director; 1999; England; 140 minutes; video

When Beatles' manager Brian Epstein died in 1967 of an accidental overdose, he was only 31 years old, but here he seems to have already lived many lives. This astonishingly layered, patient, and fearless reconstruction of Epstein's life and milieu is unprecedented in film work on the Beatles, and soars past all written work.

Director Anthony Wall, Chief Editor of Arena, reveals Epstein's profound sense of himself as both a societal outsider as a Jew, and an outcast as a homosexual, as well as uncovering Epstein's uncertain sense that he could nevertheless change the world.

In the film, pop culture ceases to exist as a separate dimension and instead unfolds as an aspect of real life. We get a glimpse of the pop stars and celebrities, both living and dead, who intersected with Epstein. The film frames Epstein's story, and those of everyone in it, as a struggle to retain what little dignity life grants.

$5 SHOW