This is the last film by TLC group member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. She filmed most of it in Honduras in late March and throughout April 2002, and the idea behind it was to give her fans an inside look into her life.
The film starts off with Lisa leaving the U.S. and heading off to her spiritual retreat in Honduras. While Lisa narrates (with voiceovers and audio clips from previous interviews she did), you see rare photos and old film clips of Lisa Lopes when she was a baby and as a teen. She talks about her turbulent childhood and growing up under a very strict father. And she tells the story about how TLC began, talks about her ex-boyfriend Andre Rison and the infamous fire incident at his mansion. She also talks about her interest in numerology and being spiritual.
Unfortunately Lisa did not live to finish this documentary, but after seeing what she did film, in my opinion, I felt I got to know her much better. I definitely saw a different side to her as opposed to what i've seen previously (ex. the interviews, videos, etc). I see she had a sense of humor. She was gifted (could play the piano by ear at the age of four), and she was artistic. But she also had deep emotional pain/problems too (ex. carving the word "hate" on her arm).
The picture quality is good and the sound is in stereo. But for some reason, the song "Let's Just Do It" isn't on this DVD (at least not my copy). I received an email response from the Left Eye Legacy website and they stated that VH1 was provided with the song, but for some reason they didn't put it on the DVD. Hmmmm. And the DVD is also censored (any nudity is digitally concealed). Also it would have been great to have had more clips, and any other interviews she did when she was alive. The video extras are OK, but they are the same ones you can see on the VH1 website. I understand that the upcoming "Eye-Legacy" cd will have more deleted scenes from this documentary, but why couldn't they have just put those scenes on this DVD? That would have been more appropriate in my opinion. Also, there are two things regarding this film that I believe are not accurate:
1. At least as best as I can tell, after watching this DVD in slow motion a few times, Lisa Lopes was NOT wearing a seatbelt. I didn't see ANY type of restraint device in use - no shoulder belt or lap/waist seat belt. Nothing. It's also ironic that after the accident clip where she loses her life, you see the following sentence come up on screen: "Lopes, who was wearing her seat belt, was the only fatality." I didn't see her wearing any seat belt.
2. Another thing that isn't accurate is the timeline. In the film, after the graphic: "day 25 of filming" is shown, you then hear about the accident that happened while she was in Honduras - a child ran in front of the van Lisa was riding in. The van hits the child (Bayron Fuentes Lopez), who later dies at a hospital. The film gives the impression that the accident happened in late April and then Lisa Lopes lost her life two or three days later. From what i've read this is not true. The accident involving the boy took place on April 6, 2002. Which is in early April. Lisa Lopes lost her life on April 25, 2002. Late April. So this is a few weeks difference, NOT a few days as the documentary seems to state. Or at least gives the impression.
I first remember seeing Lisa Lopes back in 1992, at the beginning of the "Ain't to Proud to Beg" video taking off those huge sunglasses and showing those big, round, beautiful eyes she had. I was infatuated with her ever since.
If you are a fan of Left Eye and/or the group TLC, you should definitely get this DVD.
Michael White.
**Originally posted by me on Amazon.com 12/2008**
The film starts off with Lisa leaving the U.S. and heading off to her spiritual retreat in Honduras. While Lisa narrates (with voiceovers and audio clips from previous interviews she did), you see rare photos and old film clips of Lisa Lopes when she was a baby and as a teen. She talks about her turbulent childhood and growing up under a very strict father. And she tells the story about how TLC began, talks about her ex-boyfriend Andre Rison and the infamous fire incident at his mansion. She also talks about her interest in numerology and being spiritual.
Unfortunately Lisa did not live to finish this documentary, but after seeing what she did film, in my opinion, I felt I got to know her much better. I definitely saw a different side to her as opposed to what i've seen previously (ex. the interviews, videos, etc). I see she had a sense of humor. She was gifted (could play the piano by ear at the age of four), and she was artistic. But she also had deep emotional pain/problems too (ex. carving the word "hate" on her arm).
The picture quality is good and the sound is in stereo. But for some reason, the song "Let's Just Do It" isn't on this DVD (at least not my copy). I received an email response from the Left Eye Legacy website and they stated that VH1 was provided with the song, but for some reason they didn't put it on the DVD. Hmmmm. And the DVD is also censored (any nudity is digitally concealed). Also it would have been great to have had more clips, and any other interviews she did when she was alive. The video extras are OK, but they are the same ones you can see on the VH1 website. I understand that the upcoming "Eye-Legacy" cd will have more deleted scenes from this documentary, but why couldn't they have just put those scenes on this DVD? That would have been more appropriate in my opinion. Also, there are two things regarding this film that I believe are not accurate:
1. At least as best as I can tell, after watching this DVD in slow motion a few times, Lisa Lopes was NOT wearing a seatbelt. I didn't see ANY type of restraint device in use - no shoulder belt or lap/waist seat belt. Nothing. It's also ironic that after the accident clip where she loses her life, you see the following sentence come up on screen: "Lopes, who was wearing her seat belt, was the only fatality." I didn't see her wearing any seat belt.
2. Another thing that isn't accurate is the timeline. In the film, after the graphic: "day 25 of filming" is shown, you then hear about the accident that happened while she was in Honduras - a child ran in front of the van Lisa was riding in. The van hits the child (Bayron Fuentes Lopez), who later dies at a hospital. The film gives the impression that the accident happened in late April and then Lisa Lopes lost her life two or three days later. From what i've read this is not true. The accident involving the boy took place on April 6, 2002. Which is in early April. Lisa Lopes lost her life on April 25, 2002. Late April. So this is a few weeks difference, NOT a few days as the documentary seems to state. Or at least gives the impression.
I first remember seeing Lisa Lopes back in 1992, at the beginning of the "Ain't to Proud to Beg" video taking off those huge sunglasses and showing those big, round, beautiful eyes she had. I was infatuated with her ever since.
If you are a fan of Left Eye and/or the group TLC, you should definitely get this DVD.
Michael White.
**Originally posted by me on Amazon.com 12/2008**