Get back to a time when the Beatles were unknown, untamed rude boys of barely legal age. "Backbeat" revels in the period when the Brit band was chasing fame in the grimy basement clubs of Hamburg, Germany. Their talents were raw; ditto their tempers. Listen to John Lennon (Ian Hart) tangling backstage with Paul McCartney (Gary Bakewell): "Are you sayin' I'm a queer? Are you sayin' I'm a fuckin' fairy?" McCartney can't figure another reason why Lennon wants no-talent Stu Sutcliffe (Stephen Dorff)…

The dives of Hamburg were the proving ground for the Beatles and the main setting for this 1994 feature on the leather-clad pre-Fab Five. Focusing on the love triangle between handsome "fifth Beatle" Stuart Sutcliffe (Stephen Dorff), his German girlfriend, Astrid Kirchherr (Sheryl Lee), and best mate John Lennon (a blazing Ian Hart), Backbeat nails the era's speed-fueled rocker spirit while mining the consequences of an artist following his bliss. Bonuses include an interview with Kirchherr…