DVD Review: Help!

Since there are arguably more obsessive fans of The Beatles than any other band in history, strong opinions on every move they made from the first sign of Beatlemania until the official end of the band (which is usually considered when the public announcement from Paul McCartney was published/broadcast in April of 1970). And while most can agree to the originality and brilliance of the band (and George Martin) in the studio, opinions vary to the merit of the band as a live act and as actors.

It is hard to rate them as a live act as we in America witnessed them live while the constant screech of young teens marred any chance the band had of putting on a solid performance (they could not hear themselves a lot of the time live). But, before the band was discovered, they reportedly were something to see live (this is referring to their tenure in Germany in the early '60s). Another topic of controversy is the films of the Beatles. There are some who love them, and others who find them as 60's fluff, disposable, and dissuade one from the Fab Four's records, where most can agree, was where most of their magic lied.

Help!, The Beatles second movie (which had just been re-issued as a dual-DVD set and a more costly deluxe version), has been both trashed and praised over the years. Where as its predecessor A Hard Day's Night was a sort of parody of the bands actual daily routine at that time, Help! was more of an action-adventure fantasy. Director Richard Lester was very clear about not making Help! in any way a sequel to A Hard Day's Night. The outlandish storyline (which in is nutshell is about a religious cult trying to get a so-called “sacred ring” off the finger of Ringo Starr, who somehow came in possession of the ring) was much different than the prior film. Though the plot is considered secondary to some and does not really matter much to many viewers, as most feel that the only draw to the film (originally) was the quartet and their then new music songs. While that is a testament to the band's out of this world popularity, it is a slight to Lester and the rest of the cast.

Article Author: John Reed

John Reed is a long time music journalist. He has been a Globe Correspondent at the Boston Globe and written for such publications as: MTV/SonicNet, DISCoveries Magazine, Hear/Say Magazine, and others.

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