(1965), and the concert filmThe Beatles at Shea Stadium(1966).
Its generally thought that, aside from the uniformly great soundtrack, the film itself is a hot mess.
The previous year had seen the release of their critically acclaimed albumRevolver, which was followed by the seminalSgt.
Image via Apple Corps/BBC
Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Its hardly surprising that the film which resulted was wayward in the extreme.
ThroughoutMagical Mystery Tour, their limited abilities are painfully apparent.
Image via Universal
McCartneys acting is studious, but uninspired, and George Harrison merely looks bored throughout.
Meanwhile, John Lennon hams it up, mugging into the camera at every opportunity.
The one exception to this isRingo Starr.
The pair’s back-and-forths on the bus provide much amusement.
Starrs talent would hold him in good stead in years to come.
The remake of the 1968 Beatles movie was stopped dead in its tracks, leaving only little pieces behind.
Image via Disney+
‘Magical Mystery Tour’: The Beginning of Music Videos?
Of course, the music video was already beginning to appear as a format.
All this changed withMagical Mystery Tour.
A raft of new songs feature in the film, all of them presented in new and challenging ways.
For proof, we could head in the direction of the cracking title track.
(It’s no wonder the makers ofA Minecraft Movieused itfor their recent trailer).
But the quintessential example is “I Am The Walrus.”
