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Amazon.co.uk Review
After the world-wide success of A Hard Day's Night, the Beatles and director Richard Lester reunited for a follow-up film, Eight Arms to Hold You. Well, that wasn't the final title; a pleading Lennon-McCartney tune provided the catchier handle: Help! A loose semi-spoof of the globe-trotting James Bond pictures, Help! has always been considered a somewhat disorganised comedown from its predecessor; but it presents "the famous Beatles" even more clearly as the English cousins of the Marx Brothers. The plot has an Eastern religious cult declaring that the new ring on Ringo's finger is the key element in a human sacrifice; they will stop at nothing to obtain it. Meanwhile, a mad scientist (crazed Victor Spinetti, who also appeared in A Hard Day's Night and Magical Mystery Tour) believes that if he has the ring, he could--dare we say it?--rule the world. The songs, including "Ticket to Ride" and "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away", are filmed with gleeful ingenuity, in locations such as the Bahamas, an Austrian ski resort and Salisbury Plain. The relentless nonsense becomes nearly the equivalent of a swinging-60s Alice in Wonderland: for instance, Paul shrinks to the size of a gum wrapper, John fishes a season ticket out of his soup, George wears a top hat on the ski slopes, the lads sing the "Ode to Joy" to a lion. Oh, and the film is dedicated to Elias Howe, "who in 1846 invented the sewing machine". Brilliant. --Robert Horton
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just Plain Fun!!!,
By
This review is from: Help [DVD] [1965] (DVD)
Despite the frivolous, not to say silly, plot, "Help!" is just plain fun; and, if one gets past the frantic antics, it is full of delightful puns and allusions (Some are very Goon Show.). The adorable four are supported by an A-1 cast, including Leo McKern, who puts as much zest into his role as the evil Clang as he does into that of Rumpole. Victor Spinetti (who was also in "A Hard Day's Night"), chews the scenery as the mad scientist, Foot, and he is ably assisted by Roy Kinnear as the dippy Algernon. Eleanor Bron is outstanding as the mysterious Ahme, who, decked out in an outrageous peacock blue turban and plumes, informs the lads that there is more to her than meets the eye. Each one of us probably has his favorite scene; mine is one in which Ringo is told not to worry about the Bengal tiger which is sharing the cellar with him; all he has to do to calm the beast is sing the "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony; and then all the Beatles and everyone else in the pub above the cellar belt it out in German! Goofy, but so what? It's fun! And besides, the Beatles sing a rollicking rendition of "Hey! You've got to Hide Your Love Away."
The second disk with the commentary is particularly enlightening. Not only are there the very interesting comments of the director, Richard Lester, but there is also a fascinating explanation by the technicians on the intricacies of restoring the film. Wendy Richard, who plays my favorite character, Miss Brahms, in "Are You Being Served?", talks about the thrill of playing her very first role in "Help!," only to discover at the last minute that the scene had been cut (They show bits and pieces of it, but unfortunately, the scene itself seems to be lost). "Help!" is a film to watch on a summer night when you just want to sit back, relax, and have a good laugh.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Alternate George vocal?,
By tony1001 "tony1001" (Sheffield, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Help [DVD] [1965] (DVD)
Just been revisiting the DTS soundtrack of this excellent release and noticed that George Harrison's double-tracked vocals on 'I Need You' appear to be a different take to that included on the various mono and stereo vinyl / CD issues. His phrasing isn't quite the same.
Anybody else noticed?
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
FUN!,
By Johnny Appleseed "." (Sunny Wakefield) - See all my reviews
This review is from: HELP! [VHS] (VHS Tape)
That's what's in this package. No serious message, no brutal revelations; just fun, historic fun. From a time when the Beatles (and a whole generation) took themselves less seriously, HELP! provided the soundtrack to many of our lives and times.Ringo's life is imperiled by an ancient sacrificial ring stuck on his finger. The ring makes him the target of a group of hilariously demented oriental mystics, who chase the boys from London to the Swiss Alps to the Bahamas. But wait! There's more to this perfectly restored classic than meets the eye - namely an electrifying encoded Hi-Fi soundtrack, adding an unprecedented dimension to the original songs: HELP! "You're Gonna Lose That Girl," "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," "Ticket to Ride," "I Need You," "Another Girl" and "The Night Before". The visual execution of these songs is incredibly stylish - so just relax and experience this movie event, and let the memories of a lost era flood your mind!
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