Get him whatever it is they drink, uh, coke-a-rama?

[SCENE: John, George and Ringo are sitting by themselves in a train compartment, travelling to their next gig. Paul enters.]

PAUL: Hullo Lads. Just met a couple of London fellas. They call themselves 101 Films and apparently they’re going to do a podcast on our picture, A Hard Day’s Night!

RINGO: That’s very exciting.

GEORGE: Very exciting.

JOHN: Very exciting indeed.

RINGO: What’s a podcast when it’s at home then?

JOHN: Well it’s the same thing when it’s at home as when it’s at work. A waste of bleedin’ time.

PAUL: Ah c’mon John, don’t be a drag. They’re going to talk about  our film and how’s it’s influenced everything from the Monkees to music videos to Spice World: The Movie.

JOHN: You’d have to be under the influence to watch Spice World: The Movie. Forget all that nonsense, did they like it?

PAUL: One of them seemed to, the taller one with the haircut. The other one, the one with the ears, well he seemed on the whole to be more ambiguous about the whole situation…

RINGO: That’s a shame.

GEORGE: A crying shame.

JOHN: I’ve heard about the one with the ears. He only likes films with geese running around and people falling in manure.

RINGO: Oh. I’m all depressed now.

GEORGE: Me too.

PAUL: Now Lads, don’t be soft. How about a song to cheer us up?

ALL: Yeah!

THE BEATLES: (SINGS) Number 9, Number 9, Number 9…

We’re back with a new recording studio (‘Studio A’ or ‘Lewis’s Bedroom’ to everyone else) and a new episode of 101 Films You Should Have Seen (Probably). As you’ve probably guessed from the above (or been horribly confused) 101 Films has turned its collective lazy eye to 1964’s A Hard Day’s Night.

I’ve been a Beatles fan for many years but I must admit I was never all that interested in watching the films. I had seen Yellow Submarine when I was kid (undergoing essentially an LSD trip at the age of 7) but that was obviously long before I really understood what the Beatles were. I suppose I thought A Hard Day’s Night would just be some cheap and cheesy  Beatlemania cash in, a Beatles version of those mediocre films Elvis was forced to churn out in the 50s and 60s.

A Hard Day’s Night is a bit more interesting though. Yes, it was obviously made quickly, and despite their obvious charisma and charm none of the Beatles are particularly good actors. But what it does do is *feel* like a Beatles film. It isn’t just a random film with the Beatles awkwardly crowbarred in. A Hard Day’s Night is crafted around them. They play themselves, they are not in a (too) fantastical situation and, most importantly, the script, by Liverpool playwright Alun Owen, successfully captures their banter and the essence of each of their characters.

With Lewis also being a big Beatles fan I thought he would enjoy this film, but he wasn’t as carried away by the charm of the film as I was. Still, there was lots to enjoy and discuss, especially the influence A Hard Day’s Night has had on all sorts of TV shows and films. On top of all the Beatle chat, there was the usual stuff and nonsense and of course some classic 101 Films fluffs and inaccuracies. This week we riff on the fact that a listener who has recommended some films for us is called Dax, just like in the character in Moonraker! Although of course, it’s Drax in Moonraker. Ah well…

Anyway, without further ado, let us present this week’s feature presentation:

Click here to download and listen on your MP3 player of choice:

101 Films Podcast 032 – A Hard Days Night

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We’d love to hear your own film recommendations – please get in touch at 101filmsyoushouldhaveseen@gmail.com or leave a comment on the blog. Feel free to also to say nice things about us on iTunes!

Director: Richard Lester Year of release: 1964 Studio/Distributor: Proscenium Films/Walter Shenson Films Country: UK