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The Beatles - Help!Rating:
Release Date: 14 November, 1997 Retail Price: $24.98 Sorry, this product is not currently available. Cast: Complete Cast (11 total) |
The Beatles - Help! Reviews
Please restore "Help!" for DVD
Though not the landmark that "A Hard Day's Night" was, this film is still a lot of fun, and for current and future generations shows how the Beatles looked and behaved in 1965, in full color (in fact, the color cinematography is striking throughout--should have been nominated for an Oscar).
But rather than write a regular review, this is a plea to restore the film and present it in a special edition. The laserdisc from Criterion had many more features than the now out of print DVD release, including photographs that thoroughly detail a lost, deleted scene early in the film with comedian Frankie Howerd--and this scene set up a later scene, which doesn't make as much sense until you understand the context from the deleted scene...
The later scene is the one at Scotland Yard where Klang calls Superintendent Gluck's office. As soon as the Beatles hear the music coming over the phone they plug their ears ("It's them!"), and the inspector goes into a trance. The question is, how did the Beatles know the music came from Klang, and to plug their ears? The answer was revealed in the deleted scene. Briefly, the Beatles visit a guru played by Howerd, where Klang and his henchmen appear and use the music to put the Beatles into a trance (with Ringo incapacitated, Klang was going to cut off the drummer's finger, but is foiled by George, who for the sake of the plot was conveniently wearing earplugs and impervious to the music's hypnitotic effects). Having once been exposed to the music, they knew to plug their ears in the scene at Scotland Yard. (BTW, two pictures of the deleted scene are at the film's photo section at imdb.com, and unless it has since been corrected Howerd is incorrectly identified as Brian Epstein in the photos' caption.)
Perhaps the scene has been found since the Criterion laserdisc was released, and if so it would be a very special feature. But footage aside, for me the ideal special edition DVD would have two soundtracks, with the original mono soundtrack and mixes of the songs, as well as the later stereo mixes. The original soundtrack may have also contained Foley effects over the songs(i.e. sounds outside of the dialog, like footsteps and the such--perhaps even the sound of the darts hitting the screen in the opening number?) that was eradicated when the distributors replaced the mono songs with those in stereo.
Finally the restored version would have the most glaring omission from all the DVD releases--the original aspect ratio. I recall reading quotes from the distributors of the previous releases defending the release of "Help!" in a full screen, stating that it wasn't a widescreen movie to begin with. OK, it wasn't "El Cid", but then again it wasn't as squarish as the TV screen, and viewing the previous releases you can obviously see that there is more than what is viewed full screen. There was no reason not to release it widescreen and this version MUST have that restored. (It's still amazes me that the Criterion LD was also fullscreen considering presenting discs widescreen was one of their big selling points at the time.)
I hope this doesn't get too buried under all the other reviews--in fact I hope that someone inflential sees this and takes action. Otherwise I hope someone somewhere in the Beatles' org is thinking about this and it actually happens--provided the original elements, like the mono soundtrack, aren't altogether lost.
YAY!! :D
This was the best movie that the beatles did it was funny and had a bit more of a plot this time. 'in the weeks that followed five more attemts were made to steal the ring.' Quite frankly my favorite attemt was number four he,he. But in 'another girl' we can only wish that Paul would wear that tshirt more often. and my stepsister finally realized that there are more rasons to like the beatles than their music. That is before John turned into mountain man\amish terrorist anyway.
Okay! Now I'll actullay reveiw the movie.
Help! was a clever movie, and had a plot! Imagine that!
Anyway, the movie was about Ringo comming into possesion of a sacred ring. that wont come off. Sooo, Ringo must be sacrificed. So high preist Clang, and Aimee end up trying to sacrifice him. Or Clang is anyway. Aimee's trying to protect him. Prof. Foot and his assistant Algenon are after the ring too. so the beatles end up getting chased everywhere. The bahamas, the alps you know.
Well i'm not gonna give away the ending so you'll just have to buy the movie and find out. So do it! it's worth it!
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