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Author
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Topic: MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR!! BEATLES!! REVISITED!!
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted November 22, 2005 10:57 AM
Every once in awhile, there is a film in my collection that can be in god-awful shape, and yet, I keep it because of some personal romance with the material, and this film is defeinitely one of them, The Beatles in "The Magical Mystery Tour!"
This, of course, was a late 60's (well, 67 or 68) piece of wonderful History. This was all Paul Mc Cartneys idea. He felt that if they went on a bus trip with all these lovely people, "having a lovely time!" that they would have plenty of material to work with to make a Magical film.
Well, they didn't ...
So Paul concocted this little tour of Mystery and magic, with little viginettes. At the time, this was pooh pooh'd as just a waste of self indulgent time. Looking at it now, it is a wonderful trip down memory lane, to a simpler time which, though addled brained by drugs, (this was the beginning of the Beatles really getting off on drugs), has a simple simplicity and charm. After all, who else but the Beatles could pull off such a silly film!
Paul was certianly no Richard Lester (who was responsible for "A Hard Days Night" and "Help"), but he does manage some very good humour and such, though the marathon sequence goes on a little long, and the visit to a strip club is un-necessary, (and blimey, what's with the "censored" thingy over her breasts? Boo!
Yet, as with any Beatles related thing, the music is the thing. This hour long shows showcases 6 of the beatles great songs. These are :
1. The Magical Mystery Tour theme
2. The Fool on the Hill
3. Flying (instrum-mental)
4. I am the Walrus
5. BlueJay Way.
6. Your Mother should know.
There is also, tacked on at the very end of the end credits, a little of "Hello Goodbye". One wishes that this song was included in the show. Though the song was on the Magical Mystery Tour album, it is not shown in the show. It was filmed, however, at the same time. It leads to the conclusion, that, though the "solgiers uniforms used in the "video" were of Sgt. Peppers origin, this was originally meant to be part of the MMT.
One real curiosity and certianly of note to any Beatles fan, is when Buster BloodVessel and Ringo's "Aunt" fall in love, there is an orchestrated instrumental of "All My Loving", which is not on the album, but is in the show. This is noteworthy, as it is a piece of relatively unknown Beatles. This was no doubt orchestrated by George Martin, who was the Beatles long time producer and writer of thier orchestral pieces.
When I first saw this sequence, (the "auntie" and "Buster Bloodvessel" falling in love scene), I at first, ridiculed it and thought that Paul was doing some cheeky humor at the expense of the old, but I must come to the conclusion that this beautiful little viginette is incredibly beautiful and, believe it or not, Is just about the highest part of the film. Sure, the Beatles "I am the Walrus" and "Fool on the Hill" take the spotlight as best, but there is a real tenderness to this scene.As all the young people just walk by them on the beach, here are these two aging specimens who embrace in love, (the cuteness of Buster drawing a heart around her in the sand), along with the instrumental, that is really touching, and I now get what Paul was really saying in that short two minute scene of this film: Love, at any age, is a special thing.
It also makes it kind of sad in a way, as it turns out at the end of the song, that it was just a fantasy.
TRIVIA!!!
In "Aunties Nightmare" (where she's having shoveled onto her plate enormous amounts of pasta!), the waiter, shoveling, (with a real shovel) the pasta on the plate, is none other than John Lennon, without glasses and his hair slicked back!
I don't know how many different companies may have released this. I know of Niles and Hollywood films, just off the top of my head. My print was released by "Hollywood Film Exchange", the color has faded some, and it is fairly scratched up. One great plus to mine is that someone who really loved this re-recorded the whole thing is complete stereo, and did a phenominal job. It must have been off a DVD or laserdisc copy, as there is no tape hiss to be heard of in the background.
But, as I said, this is a special piece of film to me,. Personally, this film, with all it's scratches and color loss, (actually, the original negative wasn't all that hot to begin with), it makes it even more a curio piece in it's present form, which adds to it's charm! Everytime I watch it, I sit like a Fool on the Hill, singing along with the Walrus all over again ...
But, then again, Your Mother Should know!
Your Mother ...
Your Mother should know!
NOTE: I have just recieved a new copy without a scratch, another Hollywood Exchange print, (love the cover of those Hollywood Exchange boxes!), and I have found that the original negative for this MUST have already had fading at the time that this was manufactured, as all colors are represented, (though, in most of the film, the faces tend to still be reddish), but this was printed rather bright, so while my new print is better color and un-scratched, it is bright, which can't be helped. This is most apparent in the "Blue Jay Way" song, where the first 30 seconds or so of the song, the screen is almost comnpletely white.
LONG LIVE SUPER 8!!!
[ August 08, 2008, 02:33 PM: Message edited by: Osi Osgood ]
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted February 01, 2006 10:30 AM
Actually, I've heard it said that if you play The Beatles song, "No# 9" (From the white album) it says at the beginning over and over again, "Turn Me on Deadman"
As to my print, while the color has sadly faded, (still keeping it) the sharpness is quite lovely. The beatles films have not held up well on super 8. Most prints are very dupey, and tend to have poor focus and even poorer sound. My re-recorded stereo print is also absolutely fantastic to listen to!
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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