So, what is everybody's impression & thoughts on the Magical Mystery Tour movie 40 years on? i personally love it, it did seem quite far out for the time but i think people have took to it better as years have gone on. i find it very Python-esque in many ways (specially John's spaggeti scene).
HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY TO THE WHITE ALBUM! you say its your birthday!
it looks like somebody's crappy home movie..probably because Paul directed it I can just imagine how aweful the b&w showing of it was on Boxing Day in UK that long ago December day (although I have to admit, there is still a lot of cool psychedelia in it..and John's "Walrus" sequence is basically the only truly "saving grace" the 55 minute film has. It would've been a far greater thing if Richard Lester had worn the director's cap instead of Macca.
I think that was kind of the point. Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters had just done their thing driving across america in their pyschedelic bus, waiting for things to "happen". I would say with some confidence that MMT was supposed to imbody that spirit of hippy amatuerish naivety. It at least attempted to capture the yoof mood of the day. Richard Lester would have made a more commercially successful product, but it would have been as a genuine reflection of the times as an episode of The Partridge Family, and with as much credibility
I love it. It's stupid and chaotic, and not to be taken seriously. It's problem was twofold. Firstly, it was always meant to be seen in colour. Black and white rendered it flat and lifeless. There wasn't much of a storyline, so the colour was all. And in 1967 Britain only about 2% of the population had a colour TV. Secondly, this was the first glimpse (for most people) of the 'Fabs' in non-fab mode, post Revolver, and without their smart suits and constanly chirpy manner. Probably a bit of a shock to the system.
I just want you to reassure him - talk to him, make him see the error of his ways. Then I'll hit him.
I seen a video on Ebay the other day,its was out-takes from MMT plus home video footage Mal Evans took at the time also,raging i didnt buy it,was a bit steep at £14.00.Im sure there is footage somewhere on the net.
I seen a video on Ebay the other day,its was out-takes from MMT plus home video footage Mal Evans took at the time also,raging i didnt buy it,was a bit steep at £14.00.Im sure there is footage somewhere on the net.
The Mal Evans video (silent) surely is. It is on my harddisc for a start.
Sorry folks, but I think MMT is garbage. It's disjointed, incoherent and except for a few moments ("I Am The Walrus") is virtually unwatchable.
My 9 year old son wants to make a movie and I made him watch the first 10 minutes; then I looked at him and said "This is why you need a script!"
I remember the first time I saw it, back in the early 80's on the USA network (anyone remember "Night Flight"?). I was at my best friend's house and when it was over I looked at him and said "If you were really my friend you wouldn't have let me watch that." If I hadn't had had the book memorized I wouldn't have had any idea of what was going on!
But to be fair, it probably would have a much better reputation if it hadn't been presented as a Big Event For The Whole Family during Christmas season. If the Fabs had just distributed it to art house cinemas, or used it as background projection (a la Pink Floyd's light show), then it probably would have fared a lot better.
But to be fair, it probably would have a much better reputation if it hadn't been presented as a Big Event For The Whole Family during Christmas season. If the Fabs had just distributed it to art house cinemas, or used it as background projection (a la Pink Floyd's light show), then it probably would have fared a lot better.
In hindsight, yes. But they were THE BEATLES, it could only appear on national tv.
You have to remember that it was made in 1967. Yes, it should be thought of as a charming little art house film. Their big mistake was not the film, but the fact that it was first broadcast on TV, in black & white. When it was shown in colour a few months later it had far better reviews. Though only about 0.5% of the country had a colour TV at that time.
For me, MMT just goes to prove that among the Beatles, it was Paul that was the great avant garde innovator, and not John.
I just want you to reassure him - talk to him, make him see the error of his ways. Then I'll hit him.
You have to remember that it was made in 1967. Yes, it should be thought of as a charming little art house film. Their big mistake was not the film, but the fact that it was first broadcast on TV, in black & white. When it was shown in colour a few months later it had far better reviews. Though only about 0.5% of the country had a colour TV at that time.
For me, MMT just goes to prove that among the Beatles, it was Paul that was the great avant garde innovator, and not John.
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.
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!
" 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)
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.
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(although I have to admit, there is still a lot of cool psychedelia in it..and John's "Walrus" sequence is basically the only truly "saving grace" the 55 minute film has. It would've been a far greater thing if Richard Lester had worn the director's cap instead of Macca.
DM's Beatles forums › Beatles forums › Films, TV Shows, Interviews › Magical Mystery Tour - 40 Years On!