Reviewed by Geno McGahee
The biggest conspiracy in music history has to be the contention that Paul McCartney of The Beatles died in a car accident and was replaced so the band could go on and the industry could continue to make a bundle of money. The Beatles have left clues on their artwork and within their music, implying that this is true, which has given this story most of its fuel, and it is a very interesting story, and there is plenty of circumstantial evidence supporting the case and there are many believers in the Paul is Dead Story. It’s very interesting.
I came across a movie called “PAUL MCCARTNEY IS DEAD: THE LAST TESTAMENT OF GEORGE HARRISON,” a film by Joel Gilbert, claiming to have audio recordings of the late George Harrison, confessing his role in the deception and telling the story of the death of Paul and the role of “Faul,” (false Paul) and Maxwell, a goon that forced them into the deal.
I love movies that have lost tapes and ask you to suspend your disbelief, and that’s what we have here. I remember how much I enjoyed THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, and I knew it was nonsense but I kept telling myself “it was real” to enjoy the experience that much more. I did that as well here, and the film is incredibly enjoyable, but I certain question the authenticity of it.
Harrison begins speaking of the rise of The Beatles and the great partnership between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. A battle over the direction of the band and music would cause Paul to leave the recording studio upset in 1966 and get into that fatal car accident. Dick Clark would hold a “Paul McCartney Look Alike Contest” without a winner, but it was really to find the new Paul, and with the help of Dr. Robert, some plastic surgery was done to turn Faul into Paul, and it worked. The Beatles would take time away from touring while the new member was being trained, and that absence adds some more credibility to the story.
With Ringo, John and George all vowing silence in fear of death and also the suicides of the mobs of crazed fans should the secret come out, the trio stayed the course, but Lennon wanted to inform the masses that they weren’t behind it. The subliminal messages in the music and the cover art of the albums are there and so when you have that truth, the George Harrison narration becomes more believable, and it is very easy to sit back and get into the film and become a believer. ..much easier than THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT.
The continued hints to the audience really upsets Maxwell and when a radio station in the United States announces that Paul is dead, all hell breaks loose and forces The Beatles to break up, but it is too little, too late. Lennon flees to the United States, divorces his wife, and makes the attempt to come across as a nut…a non threat to Maxwell and his group, but there is a score to be settled. George Harrison would hide away in his mansion, away from the public, in hopes that he would be forgotten by this group.
Lennon was murdered by a crazed fan, but the film implies that it was a set up…punishment for the clues about Paul’s death. Harrison encountered another crazed fan that would stab him and put him in the hospital, which led him to pick up the audio recorder and tape his confession and tell the story. He would box up the tapes and send them to the Hollywood offices of Highway 61 Entertainment, which sprouted this movie, or so it contends.
I was very impressed with this production. The story of “Paul is Dead” is a very interesting one and there are some interesting pieces of evidence that is pointed to that support the claim, and that evidence along with some creative editing and a great presentation by Joel Gilbert makes this incredibly enjoyable and fun experience.
PAUL IS REALLY DEAD: THE LAST TESTAMENT OF GEORGE HARRISON is a winner and it must be taken for what it is. It’s a mixture of truth and nonsense, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do. It brings attention to the story, a story that gets hardly any press, and it does it well. Even if you dismiss the authenticity of the film and the narration by “George Harrison,” some of the contentions are not as easy to dismiss. What The Beatles did to imply that Paul is dead is very interesting and the entire story, publicity stunt or not, still gets people talking and this movie will do the same.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10. Paul is dead!