THE BEATLES "Help!" movie to be released on DVD

A minor, minor, minor detail, but....

Did anyone notice that the Apple copyright notice has been changed from "Apple and Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Corps, Ltd." to " ...are exclusively licensed to Apple Corps, Ltd."

 

When you go to Best Buy - and you should go to one that gives you a selection to choose from so you don't get stuck with a dented box - you need to have them price-match to the BB Online price (89.99 when I bought mine).

Not a great price, but a least under 90.

 

Hmmmm - just checked the BB Online site - now they show $169 for the deluxe set. What's with that?

 

I can't remember they selling a new Beatles product thinking on taking advantage of the fans.

 

Very good observation. It's proven they finally settled down...

 

I heard on the radio today that there are onyl 24 copies of the limited edition in Canada.... surely that can't be right...???

 

I dunno - the deluxe "Help!" sounds like it's taking advantage of the fans. Maybe it's better than it sounds, but I get the impression it's awfully pricey for what you get. I like my deluxe editions, but that one doesn't tempt me...

 

A lot of these things are about taking advantage of the fans. Perhaps "taking advantage of the fans" is a more inflammatory way of putting it, but many Beatles-related releases have been designed and formulated specifically to target fans and collectors and get them to buy something they already own to get something new ("Memory Almost Full" deluxe editions, ITunes exclusive tracks, singles with extra b-sides, and the list goes on and on), or get them to buy something extra that they can only get by paying a hefty premium for (the "Help" deluxe set, numerous Harrison deluxe sets, etc.), and so on. Of course the fans are not forced to buy the stuff, but a lot of the releases (well really, all of the releases that are sold for money) are made to get the most amount of people to spend as much money as possible.

It's unlikely that Paul, Ringo, Yoko, and Olivia are having meetings to see how much they can take advantage of the fans. They either formulate these ideas based on their own opinion or logic (i.e. "wow, Harrison fans will be so glad to get SEVEN minutes of bonus footage on the "Brainwashed" DVD"), or they are passive about it and let others crunch the numbers and formulate the releases. It's really of no concern to me why they make these sorts of decisions. It only matters to me that one has to buy another copy of "Memory Almost Full" to get the bonus DVD, or had to buy four CD's to get the "red" and "blue" albums on CD, or paid hefty premiums for things like the Harrison "Dark Horse Years" set. There are many, many examples. Sometimes the releases are frustratingly incomplete yet are great values for the price (i.e the "McCartney Years" DVD set), sometimes the "deluxe" items are a bit overpriced and not terribly substantial, but are at least offered at the same time as a "standard" edition so fans don't have to double dip (i.e. some recent Harrison sets), sometimes the sets are overly lavish and overpriced but at least don't have any exclusive content other than memorabilia type stuff (i.e. the "Help" DVD set, the "Bangla Desh" set).

So the Beatles and the estates aren't actively trying to take advantage of the fans (or so I would guess), and probably don't think they're taking advantage of the fans, but in some cases I think they have ended up doing just that. For example, Paul probably thought it was just a groovy, neat idea to do something like issue six different singles from "Flaming Pie" with extra tracks. I thought it was a neat idea too. But he probably didn't ever stop to think that, for instance, a fan in the US like myself shelled out almost $70 to get those singles, ultimately paying four to five times what the basic "Flaming Pie" CD cost. Is that "taking advantage" of the fans? I don't know, but there are certainly instances where they could alter the releases and/or alter the prices to be more fan friendly.

 

I saw about 30 copies of the box at HMV downtown Vancouver a a couple days after the thing was released.

SA

 

What a pity we didn't get a full set of promo films on the second disc. It would be great to have a re-edited (complete) version of "The Night Before" - instead of the "hacked-up" version in the film.


Stephen

 

I finally picked up the new Help! DVD set last night and I was surprised that the title song is the same as it ever was as far as the audio.

Wasn't the vocals in Help (the song) re-recorded for the film to match the visuals better? (ie--no tambourine)? That version ended up as the mono single, IIRC---why didn't they use that mix for the film then?

I'm not that impressed with the picture quality of the new DVD---it seems darker than the MPI DVD and more contrasty. It's like the visual equivalent of modern day audio mastering---pumped up to look good at first view but I'm not sure it's much, if any, of an improvement.

 

It's my understanding that the single's vocal doesn't exist on any of the multi-tracks of the song, so it's not possible to do a new 5.1, or even stereo, mix with that vocal take.

Mono only, and since there's no mono soundtrack on the DVD...

 

That's the only thing that really bugs me about the new DVD. I'm rather surprised more people on this forum are going on about the aspect ratio rather than the soundtrack.

 

That's probably because we got a genuine 5.1 mix from the multi-tracks instead of the horrible faked surround that they came up with for the Miramax A Hard Day's Night DVD. That time, people were outraged by how bad it sounded, and wanted the mono alternative. Most folks are too busy enjoying the new mixes to think about the mono, I guess.

 

I am a tad upset that we can't get a mix that uses the vocals on "Help!" that were used in the original film. At least I was lucky enough to record the AMC presentation of the restored film with mono audio.

In general, however, if a 5.1 mix is mostly faithful to the original film mix, I can live with some minor differences. I used to hate the cheap stereo mix for 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' that Fox even distributed on prints. It was missing some sound effects and had a lot of altered vocal parts. When they went back to the music multitracks, they didn't get it all right, but it was a top-notch attempt, and they didn't tweak it with "revised" sound effects. I can accept that.

 

Cool. I taped a version off PBS with the original mono audio a few years back. Other than a glitch or two it was a pretty decent print. I would have liked to have those weird redone "HELP!" vocals on the new DVD too.

The MPI "HELP!" had some "revised" sound effects and was missing the shouting noises from the end scene on the beach, which bothered me a bit.

I have the Criterion laserdisc, MPI laserdisc, a couple of MPI VHS editions (actually, one of them was never returned to me after I lent it to someone ) and the MPI DVD. Haven't bought the new version yet because I don't have a DTS decoder and still can't decide whether I should spend $90 on the deluxe edition or not.

 

Has anybody else tried syncing the audio from the new dvd to the good old cd? They don't match! The songs on the dvd are slower. Pitch sounds the same though.

 

And as you've noticed,there's no unreleased scene,only a featurette interview with an actress who appeared in an unreleased scene.George Harrison looked into it in the mid-1990's,and was informed that the movie studio threw away all of the unreleased footage.
Still photos in the photo gallery in the Criterion 2-Disc Laserdisc set showed that there were once more than a dozen unreleased scenes.Oddly,the new DVD contains no photo gallery at all.

 

Another reason to hold onto the old MPI DVD, as it also contains the photo gallery.

 

Saw the box some days ago, it's huge! I can't wait to get this for Christmas.

 

Beatles remastered Help! to play theatrically once

Any other Canadian members going to see Help! on the big screen next Monday evening? The film is playing on 32 select Cineplex Odeon screens across Canada.

I'll be buying my tickets tomorrow or Saturday morning. Just called the theatre here in Calgary. There are still some tickets available.

This will complete the Beatles movie cycle for me. I will have seen all four major film releases on the big screen including A Hard Day's Night (several times), Let It Be (both back in the day), remastered Yellow Submarine and now the remastered Help!. Should be fun.

Here is the official press release. The price in the press release is incorrect. The cost to see the movie is the standard $13+.

http://www.cineplex.com/Modules/ecms.aspx/$Cineplex/f22fb93d-a9d0-4a0b-93ac-919f9e867278/11%2007%2007%20Beatles%20Help%20Press%20Release%20FINAL.pdf

Another story at ChartAttack.com.

Beatles Movie Help To Screen At 32 Canadian Theatres
Wednesday November 07, 2007
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

The Beatles

"Help, I need somebody. Help, not just anybody."

Have no fear. The Fab Four are here. Cineplex Entertainment and EMI Music Canada has announced that on Nov. 26, a one-time only presentation of the recently restored and remixed Beatles movie Help! will be shown in 32 Cineplex Entertainment theatres across Canada.

"We are thrilled to bring the Beatles 'Help!' to the big screen with Cineplex Entertainment," said Deane Cameron, President of EMI Music Canada. "It allows fans to relive a magical moment from their past or to experience it in theatres for the very first time ever."

For those of you that missed Beatlemania, Help! is the 1965 flick featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison when they were still mop-topped pop stars that wanted to hold your hand. The story goes that Ringo is in possession of a highly sought after ring desired by an Eastern religious cult who are heavy into human sacrifices, a mad scientist who believes the ring is the key to world domination and a few other wacky ring-wanters. The chase is on. Will the Beatles live to rock another day, or eight days a week for that matter?

Following the film, Beatlemaniacs will be treated to a 15 minute interview with director Richard Lester and actress Eleanor Bron.

Hilarious, a bit cheesy and totally nonsensical, Help!, in its new high definition and 5.1 digital surround sound, is a pretty cool way to spend a hard day's night.

Get your advance tickets to ride starting Friday, Nov. 9 at www.cineplex.com and participating theatre box offices.

Help! screens at the following theatres:

SilverCity Coquitlam Cinemas
SilverCity Riverport Cinemas
SilverCity Victoria Cinemas
Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver
Galaxy Cinemas Nanaimo
Colossus Langley Cinemas
Scotiabank Theatre Chinook Centre - Calgary
Scotiabank Theatre Edmonton
Galaxy Cinemas Regina
Galaxy Cinemas Saskatoon
SilverCity Polo Park Cinemas
Scotiabank Theatre Toronto
Cineplex Odeon Queensway Cinemas
Cineplex Odeon Sheppard-Grande Cinemas
Cineplex Odeon Eglinton Town Centre Cinemas
Colossus Vaughan Cinemas
Cineplex Odeon Gardiners Road Cinemas
Galaxy Cinemas Barrie
Cineplex Odeon Niagara Square Cinemas
Galaxy Cinemas Orangeville
SilverCity Sudbury Cinemas
Galaxy Cinemas Peterborough
SilverCity Ancaster Cinemas
Galaxy Cinemas Waterloo
SilverCity Gloucester Cinemas
SilverCity Windsor Cinemas
SilverCity Masonville Cinemas
Cineplex Odeon Brossard Cinemas
Cineplex Odeon Ste. Foy Cinemas
Colossus Laval Cinemas
Scotiabank Theatre Montreal
Galaxy Cinemas Sherbrooke

Is the film playing the U.S. and U.K. as well?

 

There was a one off free screening of the film at the Electric Proms the day before the McCartney concert in London. I know it's been shown in Germany. Nothing here in Norway, but then again - I saw it in the mid '70's... The only one I haven't yet seen in a theatre is Let It be.

 

Beatles remastered Help! to play theatrically once - in High Def!

I never knew movies were so expensive in Calgary! In Vancouver the price is as shown in the press release, $9.95

I am going on Monday and hoping it's a good crowd.

 

I'll be calling back to the theatre, tomorrow, to have them double check the price.

Gary, how much are your tickets?