A Hard Day's Night (1964)'s comments

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DisneyStitch

Even if you're pretty familiar with the Beatles' soundtracks that spanned decades this is a fun, neat way to visually encounter the band beyond the music that you've allowed into your ears. It's very much a product of the sixties and very experiential in that regard. The hordes of screaming girls can be a bit crazy but that's an essential part of human history and Beatlemania that really couldn't be left out. I like how it kind of poked fun at having to avoid people chasing them down everywhere they go and how it really exposed that being that kind of famous still leaves much to be desired.

5 months 1 week ago

chunkylefunga

Incredibly dated in pretty much all aspects.

Jokes you can see a mile off and didn't really properly laugh once.

Suppose you had to watch this in the 60s to find it fresh.

Was suprised have blatantly they alluded to John doing cocaine, would have thought 60s censors would have banned that.

Only real good part about the movie is that the songs are excellent.

9 months 3 weeks ago

Siskoid

The world got to know the Beatles in A Hard Day's Night, in a way that was very different from past music stars' forays into film (namely, Elvis'). They got to be themselves play-acting situations they would normally be in (more or less), using their actual personalities and cementing their appeal with fans. The film would go on to influence the portrayal of the band in media (Help!, the animated series, you can even count The Monkees), tons of music videos, and other artists as well. We wouldn't have Spice World without A Hard Day's Night (yes, I went there). But it is bizarre, and of that stripe of '60s comedy I just don't find funny - I have similar problems with Blake Edwards pictures - with an extended gag about McCartney's "clean" grandfather causing all sorts of trouble while the Fab Four get chased around England by crazed girls, authoritarian cops, and their own exasperated manager. More than a little self-serving. Obviously the music is good, but while I didn't expect a proper story, the only set piece I have any real affection for is Ringo playing hooky and walking down a canal. John is just pure anarchic lunacy. Paul is the pretty boy. And George is probably the one you'd notice on second viewing, but not all that much on the first. For Beatles fans, this is doubtless a seminal document. If I speak heresy here, it's because I'm not a particular fan and am coming at it strictly as a cinephile, giving it more respect than admiration.

3 years 9 months ago

Paravail

This movie wasn't just funny...it was really funny.

6 years 7 months ago

somnomania

Just watched this earlier on TCM; very good, VERY funny! It honestly felt like a Monty Python film in places, and you can't beat the music.

7 years 2 months ago

BigAwesomeBLT

Like a bizarre time capsule of the period. I like how mental Lennon comes across. An easy and very entertaining watch for a Sunday afternoon.

8 years 7 months ago

Mozart78

My kids got a great kick out of this humorous trip through a day in the life of the Beatles!

9 years 1 month ago

nicolaskrizan

fab

http://beyond1001movies.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/backtrack-a-hard-days-night-1964/

9 years 5 months ago

Rigters

Very nice movie, The Beatles are the greatest band ever without no doubt.

The 4 are just great but in this movie, Lennon and Ringo are the great stars.

11 years 3 months ago

dombrewer

Good fun, and interesting to see such a specific slice of cultural life captured in that moment. It's also interesting seeing the way the Beatles were individually portrayed (by their choice, or the screenwriters?) - Lennon is the most unhinged of the quartet being especially madcap, Paul is the most aloof and sharpest witted, George basically cool, but the star of the film turns out to be Ringo who decides he wants more from life than sitting behind a drum kit and goes AWOL - hanging out with scruffy orphan kids and pondering the meaning of life. Personally I could have done without the constant screaming of the pubescent girls; the supporting cast are either annoying (Norm 'n' Shake - dull) or just creepy (Wilfred Brambell looking as seedy as ever); the songs are repeated in the final concert from earlier in the film (you could arguably turn it off at that point and not miss anything) which is odd given the number of great songs they already had to work with at that point, and sometimes it tries far too hard to be funny, but it works, even if you're not a Beatles fan.

11 years 6 months ago