On this 45th anniversary of the Magical Mystery Tour film debut on BBC 1 (in Black & White no less) I have to admit, it is the first time I'd seen this film from beginning to end. Thanks to PBS, I was able to watch it fully restored HD video (4x3) with a remastered sound track that could only have been dreamed of even in the best movie theaters of the day.
But one thing I did not know was that this film was never intended to be a theatrical release.
I'd once heard this film described as "going on a bus trip and filming anything interesting that happened. Unfortunately nothing did." That reviewer was either on drugs or did not watch the film. Of course if he was on drugs AND watched the film the review would have been quite different!
Magical Mystery Tour is a 50 minute conceptual film, not tightly scripted or conceived, but with direction. It is not one film, but several disjointed pieces joined together through something we Americans never really heard of, a Mystery Tour. Thanks again to PBS for the retrospective... A mystery tour is/was a real thing in Britain. People pay to get on a bus that will take them somewhere. They will find out where when they get there. In the mean time there are activities and stops along the way. The Magical Mystery Tour takes this concept to film. It's not the destination that's fun. The point is the experiences, sights, sounds and people along the way.
Some pieces of this film are absolute rubbish (to use the preferred British word), but most of it is brilliant! The visuals, though simplistic by today's standards, are quite engaging. Some of the humor is "too British" for me, but much of the film was quite entertaining. Transporting myself back to 1967 and trying to put myself in the shoes of the people my current age I can see why this film didn't see the light of day for nearly 45 years. Now though, I think it really deserved it slot on "Great Performances". Not a fine wine, but perhaps "stinky cheese". Still better with age!
Thanks PBS.
But one thing I did not know was that this film was never intended to be a theatrical release.
I'd once heard this film described as "going on a bus trip and filming anything interesting that happened. Unfortunately nothing did." That reviewer was either on drugs or did not watch the film. Of course if he was on drugs AND watched the film the review would have been quite different!
Magical Mystery Tour is a 50 minute conceptual film, not tightly scripted or conceived, but with direction. It is not one film, but several disjointed pieces joined together through something we Americans never really heard of, a Mystery Tour. Thanks again to PBS for the retrospective... A mystery tour is/was a real thing in Britain. People pay to get on a bus that will take them somewhere. They will find out where when they get there. In the mean time there are activities and stops along the way. The Magical Mystery Tour takes this concept to film. It's not the destination that's fun. The point is the experiences, sights, sounds and people along the way.
Some pieces of this film are absolute rubbish (to use the preferred British word), but most of it is brilliant! The visuals, though simplistic by today's standards, are quite engaging. Some of the humor is "too British" for me, but much of the film was quite entertaining. Transporting myself back to 1967 and trying to put myself in the shoes of the people my current age I can see why this film didn't see the light of day for nearly 45 years. Now though, I think it really deserved it slot on "Great Performances". Not a fine wine, but perhaps "stinky cheese". Still better with age!
Thanks PBS.
