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10.59pm
7 November 2010
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forn said
I’ve noticed over the years that this movie is rarely on, or even available to stream. Not sure why that is. A Hard Day’s Night is on often, and is usually available to watch from TCM. I know this is partly because A Hard Day’s Night is well regarded as a good movie for film students and whatnot, plus it’s just a better film. But there are times when I get the urge to watch this, and it’s not horrible by any means. And where else can you see the early Beatles in color?It used to be that Yellow Submarine was on TV a lot, but it too seems to be disappearing.
Totally agree with this. Have often seen AHDN on streaming services / iPlayer etc. but I have never seen Help . I’ve always been unsure why.
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1.53am
1 December 2009
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I have to wonder if “Help !” has gotten a bit of an unsavoury reputation in the wake of reckoning with racial issues – a film depicting a bunch of kooky “Eastern” religious fanatics – played by white Europeans with brownface makeup – can’t help but be viewed more problematically in the 2020s than in its original mid-60s context
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Sea Belt, kelicopterGEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
6.25am
7 November 2022
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“Now see what you’ve done with your filthy Eastern ways” (John Lennon in Help !)
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Mr. MoonlightNow today I find, you have changed your mind
6.26am
7 November 2022
Offline vonbontee said
I have to wonder if “Help !” has gotten a bit of an unsavoury reputation in the wake of reckoning with racial issues – a film depicting a bunch of kooky “Eastern” religious fanatics – played by white Europeans with brownface makeup – can’t help but be viewed more problematically in the 2020s than in its original mid-60s context
I don’t recall the brownface — didn’t the head honcho Leo McKern just look himself?
Now today I find, you have changed your mind
4.46pm
14 December 2009
Offline Sea Belt said
I don’t recall the brownface — didn’t the head honcho Leo McKern just look himself?
Maybe I’m wrong about that; I thought the actors were made up to look darker.
But even if they weren’t, it’s still a case of white actors being cast as “Easterners”. Which, to be fair, was pretty standard procedure in those times. And I feel that the scriptwriters were being self-aware in explicitly pointing the fact out, by creating that Indian restaurant where all the employees (but one) are white Englishmen, to Ringo’s surprise.
Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
6.56pm
7 November 2022
Offline Well, it seems one can’t win either way — except perhaps to anxiously make sure not even the slightest perceived negativity is communicated (which needless to say, would eventually have a paralyzing effect on Art).
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7.59pm
1 December 2009
Offline Sea Belt said
Well, it seems one can’t win either way — except perhaps to anxiously make sure not even the slightest perceived negativity is communicated (which needless to say, would eventually have a paralyzing effect on Art).
Well, it was probably just a question of practicality – I don’t suppose there were many Indian actors in the British film industry at the time (just as there also was a shortage of Native American film actors in Hollywood, despite the many Westerns made over the decades.
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Sea Belt, RichardGEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
6.08pm
4 September 2019
Offline vonbontee said
I have to wonder if “Help !” has gotten a bit of an unsavoury reputation in the wake of reckoning with racial issues – a film depicting a bunch of kooky “Eastern” religious fanatics – played by white Europeans with brownface makeup – can’t help but be viewed more problematically in the 2020s than in its original mid-60s context
That certainly is possible. I don’t recall hearing much complaint about it though. If that’s the reason it isn’t seen anymore, it’s a real shame. Well, whatever the reason, it’s a real shame.
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Sea Belt, Rube10.47pm
30 August 2021
Offline In the Rolling Stone interview, John says the film was ahead of its time and compares it to Batman which came out the following year.
As a nine-year-old, Help ! always appealed to me more than A Hard Day’s Night , but I can see why it might be problematic by today’s standards.
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10.49pm
30 August 2021
Offline Sea Belt said
“Now see what you’ve done with your filthy Eastern ways” (John Lennon in Help !)
As a nine-year-old, this went completely over my head, but now I love the way Paul sweetly enquires. “What filthy was are these?”
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3.03am
4 September 2019
Offline Mr. Moonlight said
In the Rolling Stone interview, John says the film was ahead of its time and compares it to Batman which came out the following year.As a nine-year-old, Help ! always appealed to me more than A Hard Day’s Night , but I can see why it might be problematic by today’s standards.
I don’t see why it should be any more problematic than some Monty Python scenes. I wonder what John would have thought about today’s hyper sensitivities?
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Richard, Sea Belt, Mr. Moonlight4.40am
7 November 2022
Offline I think so far we have been speculating without any solid evidence about why Help ! seems to be less available/marketed. One thing I notice is that Help ! is more dated as a 60s technicolor goofy comedy, whereas A Hard Day’s Night is more sophisticated and “arty”, so this may be a reason. I personally prefer the dated 60s goofiness of Help !. It seems there have been moments in recent decades where a retro appeal of 60s culture poked through in different ways — example, the Austin Powers movies. But even though that franchise enjoyed big audiences, one of Mike Myers’ inspirations for it — the “Matt Helm” comedy spy movies from the 60s with Dean Martin — never enjoyed any reboot as far as I know.
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11.26am
30 August 2021
Offline There was a Matt Helm TV series in the seventies starring Anthony Franciosa.
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6.53pm
7 November 2022
Offline Interesting, I never knew that. The 70s I’m not sure is late enough to count as a longevity of retro — plus I see it only lasted one season.
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4.25pm
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20 August 2013
Offline 8mm behind-the-scenes footage from Help ! production set to be auctioned https://www.nationalworld.com/…..on-4498469
The rare footage, with a duration of just 3 minutes and 17 seconds, is scheduled for auction by Boston-based RR Auction.
Filmed on location on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire during the shooting of the ‘I Need You ‘ sequence, the footage captures the band in a number of authentic off-camera moments – interacting with the cast and crew, playing around with their instruments and sharing light-hearted moments.
From RR Auction: https://www.rrauction.com/auct…..elp/?cat=0
The bidding ends on 2 February.
“Now At: $1,331(4 bids)
Next Bid: $1,465
The 30 Minute Rule begins February 22 at 7:00 PM EST. An Initial Bid Must Be Placed By February 22 at 6:00 PM EST To Participate After 6:00 PM EST”
I hope we get to see the whole film one of these days!
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