Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is truly delightful! A classic!

Last night, presented by the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian in Hollywood, we saw Sgt. Pepper on the big screen for the first time in 25 years, and it not only "holds up" (as aging movie geeks like to mutter while their fantasies needlessly crumble), it is as fresh, funny, charming and touching as it was when we saw it in the summer of 1978. Blessings to director Michael Schultz, writer Henry Edwards (where are you, fellah?), obviously very busy producers Robert Stigwood, Dee Anthony and Bill Oakes, bright-eyed DP Owen Roizman and of course that music fellow George Martin and those English blokes who wrote such sensational songs. I hope they still have a little money left over, in addition to all the love and joy. (Don't go hungry, Paul; call if you need a few quid.)

Yes, there are thousands of brilliant films to adore, and of course it's common to find a scapegoat to flog, but the sweetness of this movie is undeniable.

It would be very easy to ramble for a couple of days about the wonders of this eternally surprising cast, but I'll save that for parties at B.D.'s pad or the Heartland gazebo. Simply, just try to watch Billy Preston (those boots!), Sandy Farina (!), George Burns, Steve Martin (!?!?!?!), Alice Cooper, Frankie Howerd, Paul Nicholas, Aerosmith, Donald Pleasance, Dianne Steinberg, The Earth, The Wind and The Fire, Stargard (????) and the rest without smiling or getting one of those weird "tingles."

Particularly, Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees -- Barry, Robin, Maurice (goodnight, Brother Gibb) -- commit themselves to a unique, today almost unknown sense of silly good humour. Admittedly, it's a bit uncomfortable when Barry croons to his brothers that he'd "love to turn them on," (egad!) but -- like the sometimes staid framing and cutting -- it's worth overlooking in appreciation of the bigger picture. If you love Rocky Horror, Shock Treatment, The Magic Christian, The Robe, Python's musical offerings, Visconti's The Leopard, Phantom of the Paradise, The Star Wars Holiday Special, Intolerance, The Muppet Movie, Xanadu, Summer of Sam, Happy Campers, The Conversation, The Wiz, On the Waterfront, Spice World, Infested, Yojimbo & Sanjuro, X-2, Bugsy Malone, Potemkin, Grease, Repo Man, Richard Lester's oeuvre, Pennies From Heaven, American Graffiti, Badlands, The Tigger Movie, Little Odessa, The Tattoo Connection or, heck, Singin' in the Rain, High Society or Disorderlies, there's plenty to enjoy here, and no reason to be a mindless bully or snob about it.

Everybody sings really splendidly, too, and Sandy Farina's presence in her one lead role (to date) is unforgettably lovely.

Nice one, Sandy.

While we're at it, why not commend Carel Struyken for being a really good "Brute," and Patti Jerome, Max Showalter and those disturbing robots for tugging our heartstings in "She's Leaving Home" (this version still moves me more than Tori Amos' nice take).

Who knows what bizarre energies converged behind the scenes to bring this thing together (not to mention landing Etta James, Leif Garrett, Barry Humphries, Tina Turner, Sha-Na-Na, Jose Feliciano and Wolfman Jack on the same risers at the finale), but whatever it was, thank you. (Use that great IMDB "more" clicker to scan the credits.)

Now please release a proper widescreen, ZONE-FREE, global DVD packed with extras ASAP. (I cheerfully volunteer as interviewer for the commentary, since no one else on the whole planet would have the guts.) This version from Brasil is pretty good for a full-screen with no chapter-stops (Steve's freaking through "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" right now), but -- like Shock Treatment, The Fabulous Stains and others, the public deserves a good look at this stuff.

Sorry if that sounds like a threat.

Let the pleasure be guilty no more!

Ok, the acting is absolutely terrible and it's completely campy. But, that's part of it's charm. If you can watch the movie without comparing the Beatles versions, most songs hit the mark. Aerosmith's Come Together, Billy Preston's Get Back, and EW&F's Got to Get You into My Life, are still great. There are a couple of songs like Golden Slumbers that play better on the album. If you are fans of The Bee Gees, mainly Barry Gibb's hair, (which, somehow, actually steals a few scenes) and Frampton, you should be tickled. Some of the guest spots are great, some were just, eh. I imagine it will be up to who your favorite acts are. If you make it to the end of the movie, the credits roll out with a virtual who's who of the 70's singing the title song. The movie won't be for everyone, but those who love the 70's should have fun reminiscing.

Am I the only one who liked this movie? After hearing nothing but bad press about it for years, I finally went out and saw it. I thought it was one of the most fun flicks I'd seen in years. All the characters were named after Beatles songs! Starring Billy Shears (Peter Frampton) and the Hendersons (the Bee Gees) "were all there" as well, "Sgt. Pepper" featured Strawberry Fields (Sandy Farina) as Billy's leading lady, and Mr. Mustard (Frank Howerd) was "such a mean old man." Let's not forget Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (Dianne Steinberg), the Sun King (Alice Cooper), and Sgt. Pepper played by an old Beatles protege (Billy Preston). The movie also depicted countless cover versions of Beatles songs, including Earth Wind & Fire's "Got to Get You Into My Life." As the narrator, Mr. Kite (George Burns) even covered "Fixin' a Hole." Critics of the movie should be so critical"when they're 64," let alone 82! Sure, the plot wasn't worthy of a Kubrick screenplay, but what could be more accurate than explaining how corporatism is anathema to the fun of music, and how profound an impact the Beatles had on later artists. Look for Dame Edna (Barry Humphries) in one of the many crowd scenes. I have one final case for "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." It had one of my favourite comedians (Steve Martin) singing one of my favourite Beatles songs (Maxwell's Silver Hammer). I'm picking out a thermos for this movie!

A Beatles fan all my life and this was a pleasant surprise as I had avoided it over the years as being pastiche cliched crap, but hey, life is full of surprises. And I like it. Just shows that brilliant music can make a mediocre story look good. Never the other way around. Bee Gees and Frampton were good choices.

I saw this movie three times as a teenager. This was before I had listened to the Beatles very much. I loved the movie and I even owned the soundtrack.

At forty-four, I have heard the Beatles, seen the fall of the BeeGees and seen the stubborn persistence of an almost geriatric Aerosmith. They are indeed the "Future Villain Band".

Love the Beatles? You will hate this movie. Interested in a simpler time when the hair of rock stars sits in a quiet mass atop the head as if waiting to attack (check out Barry Gibb...or is it Maurice?)? Interested in hearing music that you grew up with and loved torn to pieces by dupes of producers that no longer cared if what they made was good...only profitable? Then, this is the movie for you as well...

Songs done well: Come Together, Got to Get You into My Life, Strawberry Fields and I'll Never Do You No Harm...

Songs that didn't stink: Lucy in the Sky, You never Give me Your Money and A Day in the Life...

Songs that were killed and the corpses urinated upon: When I'm Sixty-four, Fixing a Hole, Mister Mustard and Because...