5 star emotional and revealing documentary.
The Lost Weekend: A Love Story is a 2023 documentary about the amazing and sadly missed John Lennon, directed by Eve Brandstein (This is Spinal Tap), Richard Kaufman and Stuart Samuels (RasTa:A Soul’s Journey).
It examines in depth the period of his life known as “The Lost Weekend”, a time when he famously had an affair with his personal assistant May Pang. As we find out from May herself in this documentary, it was actually far more important than that for both of them.
“Really, I’m coming out to tell the truth and straighten out a bit of history, which has been written in the past, but it’s been inaccurate and I don’t want other people to write my story.”
The story starts in 1971, when a young May Pang walked into Apple Records in New York looking for a job. Shortly after, John and Yoko moved to New York and she was assigned as their personal assistant. When their relationship started to struggle, Yoko insisted that May start seeing John romantically.
What John and Yoko led people to believe was just one weekend developed into a relationship which lasted eighteen months and friendships which lasted a lifetime. We see a changed John Lennon, relaxed and happy and in collaboration with many big names in the industry. May was also instrumental in helping him to form a relationship with his son Julian.
“I grew up in New York City’s Spanish Harlem. I wasn’t black, I wasn’t Puerto Rican. I was a minority among minorities.”
The Lost Weekend: A love Story is a fascinating documentary with never before seen archive footage and exclusive interviews with the likes of Elton John, Alice Cooper, Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney, not forgetting of course May Pang herself and Julian Lennon.
John Lennon fans be aware, it gets increasingly emotional to watch as we approach 1980, because regardless of what happened in the middle, we all know how this story ends. I wouldn’t have believed before watching this documentary that it could be possible to dislike Yoko Ono any more than I already did, but here we are. She doesn’t exactly emerge from this story smelling of roses.
May Pang on the other hand is the epitome of dignity and grace and it is clear that her feelings were very real, as were Johns and that many things, not least the music industry, could have been very different if he hadn’t been manipulated into getting back together with Yoko.
A life cut tragically short, and a fascinating insight into a part of it never really seen before. A must watch for fans of The Beatles and John Lennon.
“What happened was John. He looked me in the eye. He whispered in my ear and then he kissed me and before I knew it, John Lennon charmed the pants off me.”
The Lost Weekend: A Love Story will Premiere on the Icon Film Channel from 20th November and available on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital from 18th December
| Director | Eve Brandstein, Richard Kaufman, Stuart Samuels |
| Genre | Documentary, music |
| Starring | May Pang, Julian Lennon |