Last Days of Left Eye

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Lauren Lazin's (Tupac: Resurrection) VH1-aired profile of R&B star Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes is built around Lopes' film diary entries during her 2002 journey to Honduras with friends and relatives for a 30-day spiritual retreat. As Lopes explains, “Part of the purpose of this documentary is so that people can get to know me, up close and personal.” Lazin incorporates this footage as a framing device before rewinding to Lopes' birth, childhood, rise to fame, subsequent problems, and fateful Honduras trip (she was killed in an auto accident on the 27th day). After growing up in Pennsylvania and Florida, Lopes left home at 17 and moved to Atlanta, where she joined the platinum-record-selling trio TLC, which racked up a string of hits during the 1990s, such as “Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg” and “Waterfalls.” Lopes struggled with alcohol, bad press (stemming from a series of arrests and outspoken comments), and her record company (TLC filed for bankruptcy at the height of their success). After meeting NFL player Andre Rison, Lopes fell in love, but after a bad night, she ended up burning down his house. Of course, it's not all bad: Lazin also touches on the better aspects of Lopes' complex persona, including her artistic, altruistic, and introspective sides. DVD extras include deleted scenes and a previously unreleased DVD-ROM-accessible version of “Let's Just Do It.” Recommended. Aud: P. (K. Fennessy)