For one day only Yellow Submarine 8th July 2018 my first question is why only one day ? why not a full cinema release. However I was not going to miss this very special moment having worked on the film at TV Cartoons in Dean Street all those years ago in the cutting rooms.The restored quality is truly brilliant, maybe almost too good, the odd bit of sparkle and film scratch combined with a little cel dust hide a multitude of slight imperfections on the original, but now the colours are really vibrant and the sound spot on.I was able to view this one day only big screen performance at the Curzon Cinema in Mayfair. As the end credits faded away a great round of applause from a very appreciative audience both young and old, and I suspect a few others like myself who were there making it back in 1968I wish the Yellow Submarine in this new restored 4k format a happy voyage to an all new audience, long may it sail.

This is an animated film built around songs by the Beatles. There will be mild spoilers ahead:The plot here is really kind of basic. In a far off land called Pepperland, the Blue Meanies have attacked because they hate music and happiness. They imprison Sgt. Pepper and his Lonely Hearts Club Band in a globe and subjugate the people to their rule. One man, Old Fred, flees in the Yellow Submarine to find help (as the Lord Mayor says, "H is for Hurry, E is for Ergent, L is for Love me and P is for Please!").Fred takes the sub to Liverpool and more Beatles music, "Eleanor Rigby" next, coming upon Ringo walking alone and feeling unappreciated. Fred jabbers incoherently, but Ringo agrees to help and off we go to get the other three, each making an entrance amidst rater whimsical surroundings (lots of strangeness in the house they're in, with things playing with toys and odd things going on behind doors).Paul is last to arrive, completely up to speed on things and referring to Blue Meanies as though he knows what they are. The Beatles join Fred in the sub and proceed though various Seas which serve as musical cues as well as introducing the character of Jeremy Hillary Boob, a rather endearing if bombastic little man.En route to Pepperland, we meet monsters, Indians, the cavalry, a Sea of Holes (where Ringo winds up with "a hole in me pocket" literally. Jeremy is kidnapped by the Blue Meanies in the Sea of Holes, which gives way to the Sea of Green and Pepperland.Pepperland has lost all color and is now a sad, drab and gray place. The Beatles manage to make it to where the other band is imprisoned and Ringo uses the "hole" from his pocket to free them from the globe. Some of the best stuff happens in here, like a conversation between the head Blue Meanie and his toady Max. Max has some great lines here, mostly replies to questions. Jeremy, of all people, neutralizes the head Blue Meanie and the day is saved.There's a short live action bit with the real Beatles cutting up for the camera and ending the film by singing "All Together Now". It's a very fun, if somewhat lightweight film.This is available on DVD and Blu Ray and looks great. It's well worth getting. Recommended.

Intentionally marketed as a "head movie" (at the very height of the flower-power craze of the mid-1960s), Yellow Submarine is an animated offering, with songs, that probably comes across a helluva lot better if you're stoned.But, if you don't indulge in such mind-numbing, I mean, mind-altering activities as this, then you'll surely find yourself (like I did) at a disadvantage, feeling somewhat short-changed by this decidedly disappointing and over-hyped "Beatles" movie.Featuring some really terrible humor, a boring story-line, and flat, uninspired pop-art animation, I view Yellow Submarine as being something of a "message" movie.Even though this film's "message" is somewhat vague, one can clearly tell that Yellow Submarine was a movie intended to make The Beatles more money (which it did) by trying to deceive the viewer into believing that The Fab 4 actually cared about more than just money (which they probably didn't).This is one of those movies that just hasn't aged very well in the 46 years since its 1968 release. To me, Yellow Submarine's story seems to be geared more to naive children, rather than to intelligent, thinking adults.One of this film's biggest downfalls was that a good number of The Beatles' songs that riddled the story (such as Eleanor Rigby, Nowhere Man, & When I'm 64) just didn't fit very well into its plot-line which focused on a crisis in Pepperland that was provoked by an all-out attack from the Blue Meanies.

The film Yellow Submarine is unique in its positive attitude towards the flower power movement. Nearly all films portray flower power as immoral and even violent. This includes apparent cult products like Easy Rider, Fritz the Cat, Strawberry Statement, and even Hair (the movie). Obviously the establishment had a strong disliking against the rebellious forces. In essence flower power was creative and sensual. And Yellow Submarine manages to grasp this atmosphere of hope and development. Certainly John Lennon and George Harrison themselves were icons of the kind-hearted attempt to revolutionize human relations. The resulting film is lovely albeit somewhat naive. The graceful state of Pepperland is overpowered by the emperor of the blue forces. The Supreme Counselor of Pepperland sends out the Yellow Submarine in order to get help. This help turns out to consist of the Beatles, and in particular their music. For the blue forces shrink at the sound of music. Their existence is based on the word No. Their main weapons are the flying gloves (note the resemblance to love), that of course contain fists and are capable of causing nuclear explosions. In the end the music prevails, and even elicits tears from the emperor of the blue meanies (sounds almost cute). Perhaps it helps, that there is a total lack of reds. Just green pastures, butterflies and free fruit. And shaking hands, the secret symbol of the reds. Still the separation between good and bad is less obvious than it seems. For on their quest the Beatles fraternize with "Nowhere man", a cross-breed of a monkey and a blue soldier (isn't he a bit like you and me?). According to Lennon he is content, just let him be, and continue his circular movements. But the gentle Star adopts the creature. And during the liberation of Pepperland the Beatles discover copies of themselves, enclosed in a bowl of blue glass. It leads ever present Lennon into reflections about space and time. And life in general, naturally. Another ambiguous object (there are many) are the big green apples, that are used by both parties in order to put out of action the others. However, the Beatles act devoid of violence. They just appeal to common sense, resignation, perseverance, and humor. Undoubtedly this was the spirit and attitude of the overwhelming majority of the people involved in the flower power counterculture. It is nice to finally watch a film that says just that, and no more.