I finally got around to sitting down and watching this movie. What I have to say is: Are all these Beatle fans crazy?
Aside from the interludes where it was just scenes set to Beatles songs, it was terrible. I like the Beatles. I even like their indulgences, such as Revolution #9. But all I could think during this movie was, “You know what too many drugs gets you? Do you? It get’s you Yellow Submarine!”
It was mostly the animation style and character designs that got me, but the pseudo-intellectual drug talk inbetween these scenes didn’t help.
I’m only 22, and hence wasn’t around when this was full swing, so maybe I didn’t get the full effect. This is my only argument for this movie, and it’s pretty weak. I’m sure this movie set some sort of precedence for American animation, seeing as Disney pretty much had the market cornered at the time. But it was horrible! Horrible!
You know what it reminds me of? Do you remember when you were a kid and you saw a Pink Panther cartoon? You would sit down and say, “Alright, cartoons!” But it would always turn out to be just another Pink Panther movie. I’m older now, and really like those Peter Sellers movies, but it’s anathema to a child. It was that same sense of disappointment that raged inside of me during the entirety of Yellow Submarine.
Sorry, this is a rant of mine. What do you really think of Yellow Submarine?
Impudent pup! How dare you question the value of a classic? Why I oughta teach you a lesson you’ll never forget…come over here so I can hit you with my cane!
Well, I love it (I’m 39) and so does my son (he’s 8), so to the extent our household is an indicator, you didn’t need to be there to get the “full effect.” At family events (at Nana and Poppy’s), the whole tribe of youngsters has been known to give it a viewing, singing along and reciting the dialogue.
The Peter Maxx animation is certainly associated with a particular time, but what did you find terrible about it? Just curious. I thought the animation, like the dialogue and characters, had a sense of whimsy and a clever innocence (if there can be such a thing) that was anything but pseudo-intellectual. BTW, you actually need several viewings to catch all the asides and “throw-away” comments (I thought the dialogue was a particular strength).
Anyway, it’s clear you’re an unrepentant Blue Meanie, so there’s probably no talking to you. Feel the love, man! Release your inner hippie!
Although the style of the animation greatly resembles the artwork of (the great) Peter Maxx, Maxx had no connection to the movie at all and did none of the animation.
Personally, I found out this information while waiting in line at one of his gallery shows with a copy of the VHS tape of YS to be autographed, I’d never noticed that he isn’t credited anywhere on the box or in the movie credits. A guy a couple places ahead of me in line had a vinyl copy of the soundtrack to be signed. P.Max signed it, handed it back to the guy, smiled, and said, “You know, this isn’t my work.” The poor guy looked like a hole was going to open up in the earth and swallow him. As for me, a hole opened up in my purse and swallowed up that VHS copy. I was happy enough just to shake his hand anyway.
I’ve seen Yellow Submarine twice. The first time was when I was a wee lad, and I saw it in the cinema. As a kid, I enjoyed it. I thought it was one of the best movies I’d seen in my short life. I had a battery-powered Yellow Submarine that floated, that I got for a dollar and a couple of box tops (boy, I wish I had that toy now).
The second time I saw it was when I bought the video tape last year. Yawn It bored the hell out of me. Of course, I’m not a fan of “oldies” music. To me, “oldies” means Devo and The Bangles.
I’ve never seen YS myself, but feel obligated to remind you that the Beatles had jack to do with it. They weren’t involved in the creation of any of their cartoons, although they did like YS and had a short live action sequence added so they could be “involved.” Before that, their only input was the songs, and aside from previously released material like “Sgt Pepper,” the Beatles only offered songs they doubted would make it onto one of their regular albums.
That said, the snippets of animation I’ve seen are so dang original that they can’t be knocked off without me thinking, Wow, Yellow Submarine. Plus, YS inspired portions of The Powerpuff Girls. So I’ll defend it.
I saw it at the (great) Castro Theater when it was re-released last year. As some of you may know from previous things the Beatles are not my thing, and Yellow Submarine didn’t change that opinion. Story wise it was a very poor movie, but I think you have to admit that visually it was very interesting.
I’d just like to thank don jaime for reminding everyone that the Beatles had jack to do with production. It was not their idea, they did not contribute anything to the story or animation. They wrote two songs for the movie, (“Hey Bulldog” and “It’s All Too Much”) and those weren’t even specifically for the movie. They just happened to have those two songs laying around, as well as “It’s Only a Northern Song”, which had been in their “catalogue” for at least a year before they gave it to “Yellow Submarine”.
I’m only 16, and I thought Yellow Submarine was great. Yeah, the music part was better than the animated part, but it did have it’s good moments. I don’t really think any movie was completely horrible, I will always look for redeeming things. The only movie I can’t find one for is Meet Joe Black. Simply the worst movie I have ever seen. Not even Brad Pitt’s chest can save that awful movie.
I’ve always liked YS. I saw it again on VHS at my brother’s house last summer. It’s true that the Beatles’ voices were never heard in the movie except for the songs and the live-action bit at the end.
Anyone else notice that Glove is right-handed when it flies to the left and left-handed when it flies right?
It’s an A/B* thing. Relax. Mellow out. No, were not all crazy.
Maybe some of the symbolism in the movie went over your head possibly. Also you have to be in just the right frame of reference. I’ll be the first to admit that it makes little if any sense though.
I just thought this would be a good place to post a “hello” to PepperLandGirl, who I just knew would turn up.
{b]Hi, PLG!"**
“YellowSub” was okay…“MMT” was kinda so-so…“Hard Day’s Night” clearly rocked and is one of the greatest movies ever filmed. Thank you, Lord, for Richard Lester.