VH1 premiered their much-anticipated documentary about the last days of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes this weekend. The TLC singer died in a car crash in 2002 while filming her own documentary about her life in Honduras. Despite TLC's demise after Lopes' death, the Atlanta threesome still remains one of the most successful female groups in music history known for their chart-topping hits with a socially conscientious message.
VH1 put together one of their crafty-titled "rockumentaries" that chronicles Lopes' successful musical career and turbulent personal life leading up to her tragic death. The program's producers let Lopes tell her own story by switching between classic TLC moments, raw footage from Lopes' own unfinished Honduras documentary and The Real World type confessionals that were also part of Lopes' original film.
I always thought of Lisa Lopes as an uptight brat (sorry fans), but in this new documentary she turns out to be a kind, pensive and very spiritual person who is wise beyond her years. I understand now how she still inspires many who adored her throughout her career.
The documentary reveals the anxiety that plagued Lopes throughout her life and often led to her much-publicized erratic behavior such as setting her boyfriend's home on fire in 1994 and not showing up for important TLC press engagements in 2001.
Her inner turmoil seemed to intensify in the weeks and days leading up to her death. Lopes is convinced that bad spirits are haunting her and want to take her life. In the candid confessional footage, she talks about the nightmares she has about dying at a young age.
There are other eerie moments wrapped in mystery. Days before her death, the artist's premonition about her death is strengthened when her car accidentally hits a young boy who dies soon after the accident. Lopes is convinced that "the spirits" had it wrong and were actually out to take her life. The fact that the boy's last name was Lopes only adds fuel to her belief.
Throughout the Honduras footage, Lopez continues to talk about the topic of death. She doesn't like to call it death and rather talks about "transformation." As she describes on her 2002 song "A Star Is Born," Lopes subscribes to the belief that with every passing on earth a new star is born.
The most disturbing moment comes when the documentary shows footage of the actual last seconds of Lopes' life. One member of her entourage is sitting in the front passenger seat while filming Lopes seconds before the car crash. The film shows Lopes losing control of the steering wheel that makes the SUV slid off the road. Screaming follows. Then the film goes to black.
I'm surprised this footage has not come out earlier, but now that it has, VH1 has done an excellent job of putting it into the right context without sensationalizing it.
You can watch some clips of the documentary on VH1 V-Spot. Also, listen to Lisa Lopes' "A Star Is Born" that is oddly connected to her passing. It is taken from her 2002 solo album "Supernova" that was never released in the United States. "The Last Days of Lisa Lopes' repeats on VH1 on Monday, May 28 at 10pm ET.
Watch clips of the VH1 documentary on V-Spot Watch Lisa Lopez "A Star Is Born"
