Yellow Submarine

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

At the beginning of the story, Pepperland is introduced by a narrator as a cheerful music-loving paradise under the sea, protected by Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. A yellow submarine rests on a somewhat Aztec-like pyramid on a hill. At the edge of the land is a range of high blue mountains.

The land falls under a surprise attack by the music-hating Blue Meanies (who live in or beyond the blue mountains), who seal the band inside a music-proof bubble, make the Pepperlanders immobile as statues by throwing loads of big green apples upon them (a curious reference to the Apple Records music label), and drain the countryside of colour. The attack starts with magical projectiles fired from big artillery stationed in the blue mountains.

In the last minute before his own capture, Pepperland’s elderly Lord Mayor sends Old Fred, a sailor (whom the mayor calls “Young Fred”), to get help; he runs to the Yellow Submarine and takes off in it. Old Fred travels to Liverpool (whose scene is set by “Eleanor Rigby”), where he follows the depressed and aimless Ringo and persuades him to return to Pepperland with him. Ringo collects his “mates” John, George, and finally Paul. According to the director, the four are introduced with accompanying characterisation: Ringo wanders aimlessly around Liverpool, at one point claiming that he has no imagination; John appears with literary fanfare, as Frankenstein’s monster who drinks a potion and turns into himself; George appears in a surreal, Sitar-themed area that plays on his championing of transcendental meditation; and Paul appears as a “modern Mozart”. The five journey back to Pepperland in the yellow submarine. As they start learning to operate the submarine, they sing “All Together Now”, after which they pass through several regions on their way to Pepperland:
Sea of Time – where time flows both forwards and backwards to the tune of “When I’m Sixty-Four”,
Sea of Science – where they sing “Only a Northern Song”,
Sea of Monsters – where a monstrous “vacuum cleaner beast” sucks up all loose objects and people and then the entire landscape and finally itself, freeing them. It is there that Ringo presses the forbidden button on the submarine, sending him out of the submarine, where he is riding one of the monsters, who toss him around, and with the threat of the Native Americans, resulting in George, pressing another button on the submarine, sending the U.S. Cavalry to successfully defeat the Indians, thus rescuing Ringo back into the submarine.
Sea of Nothing – where they meet a rather helpful “nowhere man” named Jeremy Hillary Boob PhD, and sing the song “Nowhere Man” in reference to him. As they leave, however, Jeremy starts crying and Ringo takes pity on Jeremy and lets him join them aboard the submarine.
Foothills of the Headlands (or Sea of Heads) – where they are separated from the submarine and John sings “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”,
Finally, the Sea of Holes – where Jeremy is kidnapped by one of the Blue Meanies patrolling the outskirts of Pepperland. Here Ringo thoroughly investigates a hole and puts it into his pocket, a move that will be significant in the final stage of the story. When Ringo jumps on to a green hole, it turns into the Sea of Green and they arrive in Pepperland.

Reunited with Old Fred and the submarine, they look upon the landscape: a sorry sight. The beautiful flowers have become thorns, the once happy landscape now a barren wasteland. Everyone is immobilised and made miserable by the evil Blue Meanies, only able to move when permitted (such as when the Meanies feel like bullying them). The Beatles, after defeating some “Apple Bonker” Meanies, dress as Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and steal some instruments (their own instruments were lost in the Sea of Monsters) from the tall tower where the Meanies impounded them. The four are discovered at the last second (Ringo accidentally steps on a bagpipe) and a clown Meanie sounds the alarm, causing the Beatles to flee hastily from the Meanies’ vicious multi-headed (and multi-bodied) dog. Once in the clear, the four “rally the land to rebellion”, singing “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, forcing the Blue Meanies to retreat. The Chief Blue Meanie retaliates, sending out the Meanies’ Glove, but John defeats it by singing “All You Need is Love”. Pepperland is restored to colour and its flowers re-bloom, as the residents, brought new life by the Beatles’ music, rise up and take up arms against the Meanies, who are fleeing headlong back to the blue border mountains where they came from. The original Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band are released (thanks to the hole carried in Ringo’s pocket from the Sea of Holes) and Ringo rescues Jeremy. The Beatles then have a rematch with the multi-headed Meanie dog, singing “Hey Bulldog”, with the Beatles victorious once again (This scene was in the UK version). The Blue Meanies are forced to retreat, and the Chief Blue Meanie tries to save face by killing Jeremy, but Jeremy performs some “transformation magic” on him causing the Meanie to sadly concede defeat. John extends an offer of friendship, and the Chief Blue Meanie has a change of heart (partly due to the “transformation magic” performed by Jeremy) and accepts. An enormous party ensues, where everyone sings “It’s All Too Much” with everyone living happily ever after.

At the end, the animation is replaced by live-action with the real Beatles, having returned home, playfully showing off their souvenirs: George has the submarine’s motor, Paul has “a little ‘LOVE'” and Ringo still has half a hole in his pocket (having supposedly given the other half to Jeremy, “to keep his mind from wandering”, a reference to “Fixing a Hole”). Looking through a telescope, John announces that “newer and bluer Meanies have been sighted within the vicinity of this theatre” and claims there is only one way to go out: “Singing!”. The quartet obliges with a short reprise of “All Together Now”, which ends with translations of the song’s title into various languages appearing in sequence on the screen

REVIEW:

I’m not a huge fan of the Beatles, bur I do enjoy their music very much, and will not pass on an opportunity to enjoy seeing them on screen. To my knowledge, their film career has been, shall we say, less that stellar. Yellow Submarine was actually a way for them to honor their contract while not making what they thought would sure be another flop. As it turns out, their cameo appearance at the end wasn’t enough, and they still had to make a couple of other films, but I do believe this was the most successful.

What is this about?

The Fab Four’s first and only animated feature — a psychedelic must-see for Beatles fans — finds the boys trying to save Pepperland from the scourge of the Blue Meanies amid a sea of puns, non sequiturs and surrealistic flights of fancy.

What did I like?

Music. How can you have a film starring one of the greatest groups of all time and not have some great music, right? Each of the songs that were chosen for this film are those that evoke images in one’s mind of a story, hence the animation. I’ve heard a few reviews compare this favorably to Fantasia. I won’t put it in that category, but I can see the comparison.

Animation and influence. This film can be seen as one big acid trip, if you ask me. The images are so out there that they make you automatically assume these artists were on something when they came up with it. There is also the fact that this was released in the 60s. Aside from that, this film has set quite the legacy for itself. Many things have been influences by it, but the two things that stick out to me are various sketches on Sesame Street and then, of course, the Saturday morning cartoon from the 80s, Kidd Video. Both of these obviously used this film as a basis for their medium, and it works, very well, I might add.

Antagonist. The Blue Meanies are far from being the scariest or most competent villains you’ll come across, but they are entertaining. There is also this pointing finger thing they have that does all the work and is pretty cool when you think about. It was like if Thing from The Addams Family developed a bad attitude.

What didn’t I like?

Voices. The first time I saw the vultures in The Jungle Book, I thought the Beatles actually voiced them, but I turned out to be wrong. I could be wrong, but I think the same guys voice the animated versions of the Fab Four in this incarnation. If this was just a random TV movie or Saturday morning cartoon, I would care less, but the fact that this is an actual Beatles project and doesn’t have them providing their own voices in a bit disconcerting. Yeah, you can make the case about their schedules and whatnot, but to me, it just seems as if this shouldn’t have gone any further without making sure they could provide their own voices, especially since these guys doing the voices all sound alike.

Sgt. Pepper. From what I could gather, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is basically like the musical force in Pepperland. Their music has magical powers it seems, and yet they are defeated in the film’s opening scene by a simple bubble gun, of sorts. I’m not saying there needed to be some kind of epic battle, but it just seems that something more would have been needed to take out the heroes of Pepperland.

Yellow Submarine is a film that I’ve long been curious about but have never had the chance to see. When I originally put it in my Netflix queue, the DVD wasn’t available. When it did become to available, it spent a year in the very long wait category until this week, when it just so happened to become available. I’m ever so happy it did. This was a throughly enjoyable film that had me from start to finish. While this film does have a couple of issue, they are so minor that they don’t really warrant a mention. I highly recommend this film, especially to fans of animation and the Beatles. It is a must-see!!!

4 1/2 out of 5 stars

 

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonley Hearts Club Band

PLOT:

The original Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band performed during WWI in France, as the Allies’ “most effective weapon.” Their melodies cheered troops engaged in battle and stopped hostilities, leading to their receiving the coveted Golden Eagle Award. Back at their hometown of Heartland, they continued performing through the Roaring ’20’s, the Depression, and through another Great War, until the demise of the bandleader in 1958. He left his magical instruments to the town of Heartland. These items have the power to make dreams come true, and as long as they remained in the town’s possession, humanity would live happily foreverafter. He left his wholesome grandson, Billy Shears, (Peter Frampton) his Golden Eagle and musical legacy. The town’s venerable mayor, Mr. Kite (George Burns) tells the tale of the new Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club band, consisting of Billy, his best friends, Mark, Dave, and Bob Henderson (The Bee Gees), and managed by his jealous stepbrother, Dougie Shears (Paul Nicholas).

The new band debuts in their wholesome small town one sunny summer day, introduced by money-hungry Dougie. Dave, Mark, and Bob start off the performance, joined by Billy after he shares a brief moment with his sweetheart, Strawberry Fields (Sandy Farina). Townsfolk of all ages instantly take to the boys, who receive a telegram from Big Deal Records requesting a demo tape, with the promise of big success. Mr. Kite briefly imagines himself as a superstar, performing a number in the town square, alone except for two little girls who join his jaunty dance.

The town’s magical weather vane picks up a strange signal, the arrival of Mean Mr. Mustard (Frankie Howerd). His mission: to Take Over Heartland. He is apparently directed by the FVB, who reminds him: We hate love; We hate joy; We love money. The band is recording their demo tape at a farm near town as he arrives. Back in Hollywood, Big Deal’s B.D. Hoffler (Donald Pleasence) hears the tape and begins his plan to sign them to his label. The band is summoned to Hollywood immediately, giving Billy and Strawberry scant time for tender goodbyes. They share one night in the farm’s hayloft before the band’s hasty departure.

Arriving in L.A. by Big Deal’s private jet, the band is welcomed personally by B.D. and his sexy assistant, Lucy (Dianne Steinberg). They are transported by stretch El Camino to B.D.’s mansion, where the naive bandmates are immediately corrupted by liquor, drugs, and women. Later that evening, the intoxicated boys are duped into signing B.D.’s exploitive contract. The next morning they commence recording sessions, leading to instant superstardom with sold-out concerts, intense media coverage, and enormous record sales. During their rise to success, B.D. requires Lucy and her backup singers, the Diamonds (Stargard) to control the band by exerting their evil and sexual influence.

Back in Heartland, Strawberry pines for Billy while Mr. Mustard steals the magical instruments from Mr. Kite’s office at City Hall. Mustard begins his mission to deliver the instruments to various villainous characters. Without the protection of the instruments, Heartland instantly degenerates into a den of iniquity.

Strawberry leaves home in pursuit of her beloved Billy, leaving her parents heartbroken in her absence. Mr. Mustard’s robots alert him and his Brute (Carel Struyken) of Strawberry’s departure. When she arrives in L.A., she sees a billboard showing Billy and the rest of the band, next to another featuring Lucy and the Diamonds. Both billboards come to life. The women’s seductive performance lures the men into their embrace, horrifying the distraught Strawberry. When she momentarily turns away, the billboards return to their inanimate states.

The next day, Strawberry arrives at the band’s recording session, witnessing some flirtatious glances between Billy and Lucy. B.D. and Dougie try to get rid of her, but she is able to get in and explain the treachery that has befallen Heartland. Mr. Mustard arrives moments later, and the band accosts his van in an effort to recover the stolen instruments. The van’s computer indicates the first instrument went to Dr. Maxwell Hammer (Steve Martin), a cheerfully deranged and money-driven physician. Billy, Mark, Dave, Bob, and Strawberry make haste to Dr. Hammer’s office and retrieve Sgt. Pepper’s silver cornet after a non-contact fight sequence. They find the drum in the van, then seek Father Sun (Alice Cooper) for the tuba. In his Orwellian lair, he drums the message, “We Hate Love; We Hate Joy; We Love Money” into the heads of militant young cadets. The band and Strawberry retrieve the tuba, but Billy is injured by an electrical shock. Back safely in the van, Strawberry lovingly tends to the unconscious Billy. He dreams of her, then revives at the sound of her beautiful singing.

Mark Henderson, working at the van’s computer, causes a malfunction and cannot retrieve the location of the final missing instrument. Heartland continues to deteriorate into desperate circumstances. B.D. is forced to cancel several tour dates, but Dougie suggests a huge benefit concert to save the town.

One day, as the townsfolk drudge through the town, bewildered at its delapidated state, they are surprised by the arrival of a singing and acrobatic troupe, anchored by Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band and the lovely Strawberry Fields. Mr. Kite, along with the rest of the town, is cheered at this fortunate turn of events. B.D., Dougie, and Lucy are pleased at their business cunning in exploiting the situation for financial gain. Dougie and Lucy go into City Hall, where the day’s proceeds are stored and load up a wheelbarrow with several bags of money. They transfer the money into the van’s refrigerator as Earth, Wind and Fire perform the evening show for the town, Billy and the Hendersons enjoy front-row seats. Mr. Mustard and the Brute get to town and find the van. They kidnap Strawberry and drag her into the van, then drive off. Dougie and Lucy manage to hide in the van without being discovered. The band sees the departing van and sets off in hot pursuit via the town’s hot air balloon.

Mustard was headed for FVB Central with the recovered instruments where the evil genius would suppress the magical instruments and make the world safe for his legions. Unless the band could arrive first and stop them. Mustard, who has admired Strawberry all along, attempts to woo her via serenade in her bound-and-gagged state. Soon, the balloon comes into view, and Dougie and Lucy try to escape the van with some of their lot., They are discovered and led into FVB Central along with Strawberry, then tied up and forced to endure a performance by FVB – Future Villain Band (Aerosmith). Billy and the Hendersons break into the complex and wrestle FVB into submission, killing the evil genius (Steve Tyler). Unfortunately, Strawberry falls to her death in the struggle.

Back in Heartland, the cleaned-up town mourns the loss of Strawberry Fields, who lies in state in a coffin of clear glass engraved with Heartland’s signature hearts. Billy, Dougie, and the Hendersons are all pallbearers. Mr. Kite questions whether it was worth the loss in order to restore the town. Leaving the church after her service, Billy sadly walks off for some time alone, remembering the good times he shared with Strawberry. He then attempts suicide by jumping from a rooftop. As he falls, the Heartland Weather Vane (Billy Preston) comes to life and returns him to the rooftop. Billy Shears is not only saved, but apparently cured of his depression by this surprising turn of events.

The Magical Weather Vane then changes Mr. Mustard and the Brute into a bishop and a monk; Dougie and Lucy into an altar boy and a nun. Next, he brings a hale and hearty Strawberry Fields back to life. She runs to Billy and they embrace warmly in a fairy tale ending.

The townsfolk are joined by dozens of celebrity guests of 1970’s fame for a rollicking and joyful finale, in a tribute to the cover of the original Beatles album that inspired the film.

REVIEW:

I’ll admit that I was very disappointed with this film from the get go. I tend to look at the film’s trailers before I watch them, and to find out that The Beatles did not appear in this film, kind of took me out of it. Although, I will say Aerosmith and Earth, Wind,  Fire were a suitable stand-in for me, but just not the same. When you expect to see The BEatles, you want to see The Beatles.

That was just the start of my disappointment. This thing is a rock opera. The few films of this genre that I’ve been privy to watch have not done it for me. As a matter of fact, they struggle to keep my attention. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is no exception.

I’m not a huge fan of The Beatles, but I do really like their music. One of the reasons I even bothered to watch this was my hope that there would be plenty of music. True, there was plenty of it, but it was done in such a way as to not keep my interest.

I don’t want to make it seem like the film is without its good points. The casting of popular music acts of the time, such as The Bee Gees, Earth, Wind, & Fire, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, etc., was great. It was kind of like a passing of the torch, if you will. Also, George Burns, who was the only one to speak in the entire film, served as a great narrator.

Although some may find the cheesiness of the flick a bit off-putting, I actually liked it, but that’s just my taste.

I really wanted to like this film, if not love it, but just can’t. This was just not what I expected. It’s not without its good points, but for me, the negatives outweigh the positives. I can recommend this to you, but be aware that the only remnants of The Beatles are covers of their songs. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band isn’t totally awful, but I felt it could have been served better as a musical rather than a rock opera. Dialogue works wonders!

2 1/2 out of 5 stars