Before watching the movie:
And here is a Jerry Lewis Shenanigan. I didn’t realize he was a mental hospital orderly when I picked this up, and I’m sure there are going to be elements that haven’t aged well, but hey, slapstick, right?
Before watching the movie:
The easy things to pick up about this movie are that it stars the Beatles, it’s their first film, and they sing some songs in it, probably including “A Hard Day’s Night”. What I have a somewhat harder time figuring out is what sort of plot is involved. I would have thought that, almost forty years later, people would have more to say about what the movie is about than “it’s the Beatles’ first feature film!” I have the vague impression that this is just about what their lives are like, perhaps in early mockumentary style.
The last time I watched a Beatles movie, Yellow Submarine, I was rather disappointed. I expected it to be light on plot and heavy on songs, but I didn’t expect the latter to the degree it was. It sounds terrible to say, but I hope that since this movie isn’t animated, they spend less time being imaginative and more time telling a story.
Before watching the movie:
Funny story: when I was planning September’s musicals theme, I counted the number of Fridays in the month three times and got five twice. So I queued five movies. Unfortunately, while I was looking forward to this one, circumstances prevented it from being included then. But I still have it, and I’m doing it now.
Nothing is original. This is a film adaptation of a stage musical that was based on a play that was inspired by a Latin poet’s story. To take it a step further, it’s been directly parodied relentlessly. I’m familiar with many parodies, the basic story, and I’ve read the original Latin. I know many of the songs, I know the upset in casting that made Julie Andrews available to play the legendary Mary Poppins, but how it all comes together is something I’m excited to watch. Continue reading
Yesterday's Movies 