Apple Corps Ltd./Cirque du Soleil have confirmed an October 20, 2008 release of the feature-length documentary 'All Together Now' on DVD, which will be marketed and distributed worldwide by EMI Music.
The DVD release follows acclaimed film festival screenings across North America, including a sold out opening night U.S. premiere at the Silverdocs Festival in Washington D.C. where the Washington Post observed that 'All Together Now' "cuts into the heart of [LOVE]."
Albert Maysles calls the film "A perfect combination of the best of two worlds - the Beatles and Cirque du Soleil".
Watch 'All Together Now' trailer
'All Together Now' has screened at a number of festivals in the U.S. and across Canada in 2008, and accolades have followed. The film's U.S. debut opened the American Film Institute's Silverdocs festival in Washington DC in June where Rolling Stone praised the film's sweeping visual style and "many insightful interviews."
Screenings were as enthusiastically received at the Cinevegas festival in Las Vegas, where it was called "remarkable" by Las Vegas Magazine, and the Hotdocs festival in Toronto, where Variety noted that 'All Together Now' "wowed audiences."
It will be screened in London at the 16th Raindance Film Festival on October 9th, 2008.
The documentary details the story behind the unique partnership between The Beatles and Cirque du Soleil that resulted in the creation and 2006 launch of LOVE, the stage production still playing to packed houses at The Mirage in Las Vegas, and the experimental Beatles soundscape album of the same name which garnered two Grammy Awards for producers Sir George and Giles Martin. The film is dedicated to the memory of Neil Aspinall, former CEO of Apple Corps and an Executive Producer of the DVD.
'All Together Now' faithfully recounts how the LOVE project came into being, borne from the personal friendship between George Harrison and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte. George saw how the twin talents of Cirque du Soleil and The Beatles could be fused into something new and totally original.
The director, Adrian Wills, traveled between London, Montreal, and Las Vegas recording early meetings between the Cirque du Soleil & Apple Corps Ltd. creative teams, as well as filming contributions from Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison discussing how The Beatles' music can be used in a different way. Noting the uniqueness of these interactions Wills explains, "What surprised me the most was how human the whole process was."
These early stages of the project were all filmed, as were the first rehearsals at the Mirage Hotel theatre in Las Vegas, which was completely rebuilt with a one-of-a-kind sound system and complex round staging to house the LOVE show. Sir George and Giles Martin, the show's Musical Directors, were involved every step of the way with the remarkable Cirque du Soleil creative team, performers and backstage staff.
It wasn't all "plain-sailing" and there has been no attempt to disguise some of the disagreements that took place along the way regarding how some of the songs would be portrayed visually. These creative differences, a necessary part of the overall process of bringing LOVE to its most vibrant life, illustrate the participants' love and respect for the music and vision of The Beatles.
In addition to their roles within the main film, Sir George and Giles, along with engineer Paul Hicks, also feature in a bonus feature titled "Changing The Music" which reveals in fascinating depth how the music was created and the challenges they faced. They explain how they sourced some of the individual instruments and effects and how they were encouraged to experiment.
DVD contents:
'All Together Now' documentary (84:00)
Bonus Features:
- "Changing The Music" (22:00): An in-depth look at the decision to rework and remix the Beatles music for the show
- "Music In The Theatre" (09:00): A look at the process of creating the LOVE show's unique audio design in the theater
- "Making 'LOVE'" (10:00): A backstage pass to explore the design of "LOVE," including the art direction, costumes, props, screen imagery and the use of The Beatles' voices in the stage production and soundtrack.
DVD technical details
1 x DVD-9
PAL and NTSC
All regions
"All Together Now Wowed Audiences" - VARIETY
The Beatles - All Together Now
The Beatles Official Website
Love Documentary on The Beatles website
Cirque du Soleil