Movies Similar to Going Underground: Paul McCartney, the Beatles and the UK Counterculture

Electro-Pythagorus: A Portrait of Martin Bartlett(2017)

Electro-Pythagorus is an intimate and subjective portrait of the late Martin Bartlett, the Canadian electronic music pioneer who studied with Pauline Oliveros, David Tudor, John Cage, and Pandit Pran Nath. His contribution as an interdisciplinary composer, educator, and founding member of Western Front, though undoubtedly extensive, is in danger of being erased from cultural memory since his death from AIDS in 1993. Navigating an array of archival materials including letters, correspondences, notebooks, personal photos, and a huge body of unreleased music and field recordings held at the archives of Simon Fraser University, Electro-Pythagoras is a journey through the evolution of Bartlett’s musical time and space, softly guided by Luke Fowler’s insightful camera and montage—creating an experimental portrait that defies one-dimensionality.

8.0

Berlin: Symphony of a Great City(1927)

A day in the city of Berlin, which experienced an industrial boom in the 1920s, and still provides an insight into the living and working conditions at that time. Germany had just recovered a little from the worst consequences of the First World War, the great economic crisis was still a few years away and Hitler was not yet an issue at the time.

7.5

Brian Epstein: Inside the Fifth Beatle(2004)

Get to know the mastermind behind The Beatles’ worldwide domination, from an unknown Liverpool band to uncontested modern musical icons.

0.0

The Paul McCartney Special(1986)

A program originally produced for the BBC, and aired on television several times in 1986. Originally conceived as a long-form promotional piece for «Press to Play», the BBC staffer (Richard Skinner) persuades Macca to talk about much more, including one of the more in-depth interviews about Wings. All of the interview bits were done at Abbey Road studio 2, leading to some reminiscing on Paul's part. Scattered among the interview are some nice McCartney film rarities (including rarely seen promo clips/videos, concert footage from both the 1973 and 1976 tours, and even a bit of the never released "One Hand Clapping" film).

0.0

Ringo Starr: Off the Record(2008)

A conversation between Ringo Starr and The Eurythmics's Dave Stewart. Ringo talks about the early days and how he came into the band without an audition. Then the discussion turns to Beatlemania, and then Ringo plays Beatles songs on the drum kit. Another segment is when Stewart pulls out a box of LP albums and plays a flash card game with Ringo, asking him for improvisational comments on the records.

0.0

George Harrison: The Dark Horse Years 1976-1992(2004)

Former Beatle George Harrison has had many artistic incarnations. This video includes performance footage from Harrison's 1991 tour in Japan with Eric Clapton, seven music videos and interview footage, plus a special bonus of three songs (performed by Harrison himself) from the movie he produced, Shanghai Surprise, starring Madonna and Sean Penn. Tracks include "This Song," "Crackerbox Palace," "Got My Mind Set on You," "Taxman" and more.

0.0

Paul McCartney: From Rio to Liverpool(1990)

This MPL documentary is about Paul McCartney's World Tour '90. It focuses on all the organization which was set up for this tour and also features some live performances by Paul and his band. Some interviews are given by Paul, Hamish, Wix and other members of the crew. The documentary begins with the recalling of the concert at the Maracana Stadium in Brazil on April 21st, 1990. Two days before, a torrential rain has begun to fall, and nobody can yet ensure that the show of tonight will really happen. The rain is so strong that the crew has tremendous difficulties to put up the stage. A previous date (April 19) has already been cancelled because of the rain. But that night, at the very moment when Paul and his band come on stage, the rain stops by a miracle. The show is finally attended by 184.000 people, thus establishing a new world record for the largest concert given in the history of rock'n'roll.

0.0

Hunting Confessions(2025)

"This project consists a visual fluidity of construction, harmony and thoughts taking colors and length from this body of autonomy. Different images between figuration and abstraction are created by meaning and phenomenon letting the decoupage revealing a piece of a strange underworld. I built it like a window opened to the fresh air of improvisation by familiar landscapes, those exact moments articulating a connection between light and movement."

0.0

Wealth of a Nation(1964)

"This film explores how freedom of speech — including dissent — is afforded to all Americans, and shows freedom of expression in art, music, dance, architecture, and science. The film also emphasizes the importance of the individual’s contribution to the whole of society and demonstrates how a productive and creative society is formed by the open and respectful exchange of ideas. The film was written, produced, and directed by William Greaves" (National Archives).

0.0

Discovering Buñuel(2012)

Luis Bunuel, the father of cinematic Surrealism, made his film debut with 'Un Chien Andalou' in 1929 working closely with Salvador Dali. Considered one of the finest and controversial filmmakers with, 'L’Age d’Or' (1930), attacking the church and the middle classes. He won many awards including Best Director at Cannes for 'Los Olvidados' (1950), and the coveted Palme d’Or for 'Viridiana' (1961), which had been banned in his native Spain. His career moved to France with 'The Diary of a Chambermaid' with major stars such as Jeanne Moreau and Catherine Deneuve.

0.0

Animal Eye(2025)

Scientists and philosophers work to understand animal vision in this multi textured rumination exploring our relationship to the nonhuman world.

0.0

The Beginner's Guide to Spinning in Loops(2022)

From June 2021 to June 2022, Justin "Jastun" Bland records whatever that is in front of him. He presents an abstract montage of collected videos varying from onscreen recordings to filming special, intimate & mundane in-real-life moments. This short captures our daily routines in life and how we choose to spontaneously record them.

0.0

It Was Fifty Years Ago Today! The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper & Beyond(2017)

Featuring interviews with former employees, fellow musicians, family members and journalists, and supported by original and exclusive never-seen-before footage, this star-studded rockumentary offers a fascinating insight into the creation and recording of one of the most ground-breaking and influential albums in pop history.

5.7

Max Ernst: Journey into the Subconscious(1964)

The inner world of the great painter Max Ernst is the subject of this film. One of the principal founders of Surrealism, Max Ernst explores the nature of materials and the emotional significance of shapes to combine with his collages and netherworld canvases. The director and Ernst together use the film creatively as a medium to explain the artist's own development.

5.0

George: The Story of George Maciunas and Fluxus(2018)

In 1961 Lithuanian American artist and impresario George Maciunas established the avant-garde art movement Fluxus. George details the rise of Fluxus following a sensationalized tour of “concerts” in Europe in 1962, and continuing in New York for most of the 1960s and ’70s. During this time Maciunas was converting the dying industrial buildings of Soho into a network of artists’ lofts, creating one of the first official real estate co-ops of artist-owned buildings. Maciunas’s life and legacy—as recounted by artists of his generation, including Yoko Ono and Jonas Mekas—ignited debates that remain pivotal to artists working today.

7.0

The Beatles: The Making of Sgt. Pepper(1992)

This was an official documentary shown on television featuring George Martin taking us through the album tracks and Paul, George and Ringo giving us their memories of the sessions. The Making Of Sgt. Pepper was transmitted in the UK on ITV on 14th June 1992 and featured separate interviews with Paul (filmed on 9th April 1992), George (12th April) and Ringo (19th April). The show also features George Martin playing some unreleased Sgt. Pepper's recordings directly off the original studio 4-track master tapes.

7.2

Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?)(2010)

The life and work of the enigmatic singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson.

7.1

Frank Zappa - Freak Jazz, Movie Madness & Another Mothers(2014)

After disbanding the original Mothers of Invention in '69, Frank Zappa unleashed a second incarnation of the band by '70. This film focuses on the sophomore Mothers and this often-overlooked period in Zappa's career. Featuring rare footage, exclusive interviews, and contributions from many who worked with him, which all at once provide for the first film to tackle this phase in the Zappa legend

8.0

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Frank Zappa: New York and Elsewhere(1980)

Frank Zappa: New York & Elsewhere is an Austrian released TV documentary directed in 1980 by Rudi Dolezal and Hannes Rossacher, aka DoRo productions, who are most popular for their work with Queen.

0.0

The Autumn Alley(1997)

A docudrama about art and creativity; based on modern art gallery in Tehran and its founder Jazeh Tabatabai.

9.0