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[madman]

Exactly. The disjointed lets-see-what-happens feel was the whole point of the film. The Merry pranksters gained fame for driving a pyschedelic bus around america in 64 staging random happenings. Macca was clearly inspired by this and wanted to capture that hippy amatuerishness. To criticise it for this is like criticising Star wars for having spaceships.
I'm not a big fan of "hippy" cinema at the best of times, so MMT doesn't really work for me. But it was a brave attempt at something different.

"Hippy amatuerishness" is one thing, bad filmmaking is something else.  McCartney may have been inspired by the Pranksters, but the approach was totally different.  The Pranksters film's made no pretense at having a script or story; they filmed whatever happened and that was the story.

With MMT, the Fabs tried to bring that improv spirit into an actual story, which was a big mistake.  They either should have completely made it [the movie] up, or had a stronger. more developed story and stuck to that.  

If you're going to improvise, you can't be too worried about going from point A to point B; you just go and point B is wherever you end up.  Maybe if there had been less stops (the wizards, the beach sequence, etc.) and more travleing MMT wouldn't have been slammed so badly.

I'm not trying be too argumentative here, after all its only my opinion!

[Kevin]

" you're going to improvise, you can't be too worried about going from point A to point B; you just go and point B is wherever you end up.  Maybe if there had been less stops (the wizards, the beach sequence, etc.) and more travleing MMT wouldn't have been slammed so badly.

I'm not trying be too argumentative here, after all its only my opinion!

Not at all. But the way I see it The Beatles were always masters at taking things from the fringe and turning it into something more palatable for the masses. You can be innovative like (for instance) 1966 Zappa but never sell, or turn it into something commercially successful. and The Beatles were about money (and without there ability to make it would never have things like complete artistic freedom and unlimited studio time.)
McCartney trook something that most people wouldn't have got into and tried to make it accessable. I think you cxould argue that that is either a great strength or a terrible weakness (bringing the spirit of the times into peoples living rooms versus diluting it)

[BlueMeanie]

Thinking about it, MMT is not dissimilar to the way Dogma films are produced today, with a lack of script, and much natural lighting.

[madman]

McCartney trook something that most people wouldn't have got into and tried to make it accessable. I think you cxould argue that that is either a great strength or a terrible weakness (bringing the spirit of the times into peoples living rooms versus diluting it)

Agreed.  But sometimes in trying to make something more accessible you end up diluting it anyway.

[PaulieBear]

my favorite part is the where's the bus.
and the part with the military paulie

[Hello Goodbye]

my favorite part is the where's the bus.

"The bus is ten miles north on the Dewsbury road and they're having a lovely time! ..."

....and the part with the military paulie

Right.  Carry on, Sergeant"