@Cas van der Wal Sounds about right. Thatcher did a number on us, but we've (mostly) recovered since then. The music scene is in the shitter, but the city itself has become a cultural hub again after the whole European Capital of Culture 08 thing. If nothing else, we Scousers are resilient.
It's so weird too, considering The Beatles recorded practically everything they ever did in a studio in London and barely ever came to Liverpool after the very early days as a club band. Kind of as if hordes of tourists would trample through Cambridge only because it's the "Pink Floyd town".
The animation looks very bright, surreal, and psychedelic. A little reminder that the design is incorrectly attributed to the psychedelic pop artist, Peter Max. But the animators pioneered the design before he become famous.
This is probably the fairest appraisal of Yellow Submarine I've seen. Taking into account its merits and faults while still appreciating the artistic and sentimental value. You have this diehard's seal of approval.
Sorry, but I'm STILL gonna defend this movie as a watershed of experimental animation, and great Beatles music, as well as its breezy dialogue filled with quick one-liners. It's meant to be a picaresque story, with each individual adventure having a unique style. By the way, it's not the "Do Not Touch Button", that ejects Ringo...it's the "Panic Button". The bagpipe was not random. When they entered the building where the instruments were being held, Ringo stepped on it the first time, and almost gave their cover away. He tossed it out the window, and after tormenting a meanie, it came to said resting place, only to be stepped on again. I shall be filing notice of appeal in due course😁
@@CiowaDyer You're welcome. I discovered this gem my junior year in high school on WLVI 56 in Boston over Thanksgiving, and laughed my head off. But nothing prepared me for the restored version now available. It totally popped with color, and it was great to hear the dropped bits of dialogue that fell victim to wear and tear of only a few prints distributed to independent stations back then.
Ciowa Dyer it’s not really that weird is bad, there’s nothing wrong with weird. It’s more being weird just for being weird that is a problem, that come up as obnoxious and often have no point at all. If it had a point that could easily excused, like Alice in wonderland to use something mentioned in the reviews, there’s a lot of weird there, but it serve the story and themes of the story... here, I can’t really say it does
@@oliviawilliams6204 The entire point of the counterculture movement was to make art that did not follow the formulas of standard conventionality. In that, YELLOW SUBMARINE succeeds on the cinematic level and also on the propaganda level in conveying how conflicts should be resolved through fraternity and compassion.
I consider myself in the camp of people who watch this movie and don’t entirely know what to make of it. Still, I am happy that Musical Hell did shake things up a little and review a movie that’s just unique instead of just outright “bad” (as has also been the case for a few other movies/musicals that have appeared in Musical Hell before), because the internet is just full of people who just divulge so much in tearing apart the worst kind of media that it becomes almost like a drug, and I honestly think that’s plaguing the online reviewing environment in a way. (But hey, at least the next case should be fun to riff!)
A few years ago I made the mistake of watching this film while I was sick. My thinking was that, hey, I don’t feel well, and I need something mindless and soothing to drift in and out of consciousness to. Never before have my fever dreams been truly so terrifying and trippy. 🤣🤣
As someone who loves this film, it was very interesting to hear a differing opinion on Yellow Submarine. Almost all your points were fair (almost bc nobody’s perfect and I don’t think _I_ could be as fair with a film I didn’t like) so I can’t really refute them. All I can say is... I love it and others people don’t. And that’s fine. What I will say though, is that I think a lot of people don’t like this film because they think a movie *requires* a structured 5-act plot. I don’t think this is the case. Heck, I don’t even think every film _needs_ a plot to be good. It all depends on your intention of course, but to me Yellow Submarine is a 90 minutes showcase of psychedelic animation and great music (from the Beatles AND George Martin, thank you so much for not leaving him out). And I’m perfectly fine with that. As an animation student who loves more experimental animation, this is my jam!
"I don't think every film needs a plot to be good." I completely agree. Napoleon Dynamite, I feel, falls into this category as well. While not as surreal as Yellow Submarine, it is very odd for a slice-of-life film, and the plot is almost non-existent. It's also one of my favorite movies just because of how entertaining I find it. I think I like weird movies just for the sole fact that they are unconventional. More conventional movies can become boring and predictable because they're often reliant on old tropes. Now this is not to say that every experimental movie is a masterpiece, or that mainstream films are bad (Into the Spiderverse uses quite a few tropes and I still really enjoyed it), but I appreciate when writers and animators think outside of the box. Honestly, with a limitless medium like animation, why wouldn't you go ham with it? I respect Diva's opinion, but there is a lot of creativity going on here, and I'm all for it.
The reason why someone does not like something is entirely relevant. A food critic who hates oregano should not be reviewing an Italian restaurant, for example.
Agreed! As I said in a different post, this movie remains one of my favorite memories from seeing it as a kid, along with The Point, of course. As with Studio Ghibli classics and others, there doesn't need to be an explanation for why things are as they are in Pepperland. They just are.
LOVE this movie--the animation was way ahead of its time and I think it's pretty mind-blowing for '68. And as far as Beatles movies, I'll take it over the AWFUL and UNWATCHABLE Magical Mystery Tour anytime.
I HATE John Lennon. I've always hated him. If you want a good reason why, Walt Disney himself asked Lennon to appear in a cameo voice role in The Jungle Book, and he told Disney to piss off.
@@llewelynshingler2173: He was still screwing over a bunch of the people whose work got him famous. And I think he did union busting at this time as well?
As a little girl raised with The Beatles I was awestruck by this movie. As an adult, I look at it and marvel at the genius way that The Beatles were merchandising themselves and their music through this acid trip of a movie. It appealed to everyone from children to adults and even people who hate The Beatles (since they had PLENTY in a movie like this to hate on with). It had an actual plot, it had a back story before we even got to The Beatles, the songs used were not bad at all, the musical score was good, the creativity in the animation of the movie is just... mind blowing. That glove is still terrifying. Spice World should have taken notes on how to make a memorable movie, because.. 🎶You can't UNSEE The Yellow Submarine lol🎶
superlive98 the Trope “Scooby-Dooby-Doors” was named so, because of Hanna-Barbera using for Scooby-Doo the first time with “The All-New Scooby-Doo Movies”.
@@robbiewalker2831 "Scooby Doo"-Beatles connection: The name "Scooby Doo" was inspired by Frank Sinatra's scat-singing outro of his 1966 hit "Strangers In The Night." ("Scooby-dooby-doo" etc.) Five years before that, "Strangers" co-writer Bert Kaempfert was the producer of a record by Tony Sheridan called "My Bonnie" which featured the Beatles as backing band, making their first-ever professional recording.
"They step on a random bagpipe and trip the Creepy Clown alarm" wins the day as the most random thing I've heard...today. Also, I have to update my wifi passphrase now...
As stupid as Sgt Pepper's can get, I think Id prefer watching that one ogter Yellow Submarine, it doesn't hurt my eyes, it has a plot that can be easily understood and a lot of good covers (that I often prefer to the original songs) and no bad songs
Something I’ve learned from my years as a Beatles fan, the late-60’s were a strange time for the Beatles. With the whole “greater than Jesus” Controversy and this movie being some prime examples
Apparently, that was why Mark David Chapman shot Lennon since he was the one who started that and Chapman was born-again who firmly believed that nobody is more popular than Jesus.
@@SpamEggSausage Lennon told Walt Disney himself to piss off. I HATE John Lennon. Chapman wasn't a Christian at the time that he killed Lennon. That was WELL after. Lennon was a pretentious asshole. Who failed to respect peoples religious beliefs.
Replying to your super old comment because it's 5:30 AM and I haven't slept yet and it's bugging me but I can't find the answer on Google. Why are John's pants two different colors? Like, the darker and lighter purple. Was that a thing back then and I'm not googling it right? My sister has plastic models of the characters and I kept thinking it was a mistake in the manufacturing when I was little.
What I always thought as a child during the Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds Scene was that the woman John sees is the love of his life and then she disappears, but the song is how he remembers her. When he sees her in Yellow Submarine, it's the first time he's seen her since they met
Have you seen "All This and World War 2"? A documentary about the war with clips from 20th Century Fox war movies (including "Patton" & "Tora! Tora! Tora!") and a soundtrack of Beatles covers by artists including Elton John, Leo Sayer and Helen Reddy. Doesn't entirely work, but still very watchable.
@@superlive98 I watched "Give My Regards to Broad Street" the other day. That "Silly Love Songs" number with the weird white costumes, wigs & makeup is really strange. & then they add a black guy doin' a robot dance. What the?
"Yellow Submarine" might be a complete acid trip in terms of narrative, but I still appreciate it as a timeless testament to the colorful range and vibrancy of Animation. There truly is no better medium that capture the sheer boundless nature of imagination. All you need is a pen, some paint, and a little talent and you can create entire worlds filled with wonder.
Never heard of "Yellow Submarine" inducing seizures, although it certainly looks like it could. But there was never any publicity about that occurring.
@@bighand1530 You don't remember? It's the one with Porygon that got banned from ever being shown again and it got Pokemon on a 4 month hiatus and neither Porygon or its evolved forms were ever shown (except for small cameos in the "World of Pokemon" intros from the films.
Also, a fact on the live action sequence at the end with the actual Beatles: it was originally going to have animation and effects imposed over it (hence the weird lighting and matching black shirts), but they ran out of time and money to do it. But the producers insisted that if there were no real Beatles, no one would see it, so it got left in to the dismay of the crew.
Whelp, at least today I can just relax and watch Thomas and Friends with my nephew, knowing that Ringo Starr's voicing acting career to an uphill turn from here.
You're right. They call a monster "ugly" and make him cry before ejecting him from the submarine and they make Jeremy feel bad before Ringo feels sorry for him. Still, The Fabs have given so much happiness to the world I'll let them slide on these minor transgressions.
I don't know why I have a very vague memory of seeing this as a child back then, because it certainly wasn't something my conservative parents would have knowingly allowed me to watch, but for as long as I can remember I've considered the Meanies to be scary as all get-out. I also have some impression that it was on CBS, which was the only channel we had at the time, so I don't think it was shown in school (and frankly the most progressive that district ever got was letting classes walk across town to the public library to see "Free to Be You and Me"). Maybe a babysitter let me watch. I think it also explains why the Monty Python animation looked so familiar when I discovered that show many years later.
Yellow Submarine is frankly a movie that isn't meant to be analyzed. It's really more of an experience. The catch is that when you make a movie that's an "experience", well, it's easy for it to not necessarily be an experience for everyone. The lack of a strong plot or character arcs was fine for me, it frankly helps Yellow Submarine to not get bogged down when the real attraction is the psychedelic animation and the soundtrack numbers by the Beatles. Trying to cram something demands logical sense into this picture would have made it excruciating. I absolutely love the movie and was obsessed with it in college and I was even rocking out to this little review of it (and will hear no words against All Together Now :P). But attempts to share it with my friends tended to be mixed - some liked it, some loathed it. It's definitely a movie "of its time."
I have a soft spot for this film. When I worked at Blockbuster (I know, that really dates me), this was the only Beatles film we had at our location. I played it on the TV screens after George Harrison died. We weren’t allowed to play anything other than our pre-approved VHS screeners, but it was a good idea to honor him with showing the movie.
I’m glad you didn’t judge this one too harshly, I liked Yellow Submarine fine despite the weirdness and agree with your conclusion, it isn’t a bad movie, just unique. It isn’t for everyone and that’s ok! Also... I am SO glad that you’re gonna tackle Mamma Mia 2, I admit the first movie was kind of a guilty pleasure as a teen, (mostly because I grew up listening to ABBA) but by the time the sequel came out, I knew it was gonna be bad.
Personally, I don't see weirdness for the sake of being weird as a bad thing. I get why others do, but I personally love stuff that's as weird as humanly possible.
Fun facts: As a kid, my grandparents inexplicably owned semi-abstract, floral patterned bedsheets designed by this film's art director Heinz Edelmann. He also illustrated a fantastic nonfiction book on humanoid mythical creatures called "A Field Guide to the Little People" by Nancy Arrowsmith. The art there is a little more gestural and conventional, but there's plenty of creepy stuff, like a moth with a human head for a body.
@@KRobinson-ko1ne Nah, the name "Little People" for fairies, elves, dwarves, and so on has been around for a couple of centuries. But her book did help spread the use of it, along with the fairy lore by Katharine M. Briggs.
Ah yes my childhood trauma But for real, the moment before Eleanor Rigby where the factory chimneys spew smoke and make that noise scared me more than the Blue Meanies themselves
Oh me too! Glad I'm not the only one. Also the old logo on those old Disney VHS tapes w the puffy white cases... The diamond shaped logo came in with this huge loud noise, and I remember leaving the room until that part was over every time I put one on. Same for the factory noise in YS.
I was curious how Diva would cover it and it was very interesting to see it that way. Too bad you didn't use any clips from the Monty Python spoof "The Rutles - All you need is cash" where they had a spoof sequence called "Yellow Submarine Sandwich", which also had weird and creative animation.
As another film review franchise on UA-cam puts it: no movie is without sin....but your entertaining retrospect has not diminished in any way my love for this film. Oh.....and spare nothing in ripping *Mamma Mia 2* a new one.
My elementary music teacher was a big Beatles theme, and showed this to us in second grade. I found it weirdly enrapturing, though it probably gave me my intense fear of hallucinations in retrospect.
I watched this movie over and over again as a kid, thinking it was the greatest thing ever. I watched it again before I left for college-and it still holds up to my childhood memories
My brothers and I were practically raised on this movie. Our parents rented it for us so many times that the video store eventually just gave it to them. We all still frequently quote it to each other to this day.
Man, after watching this, I *REALLY* want to know what she'd make of The Monkees' "Head." (Which I'm personally a fan of, but the resulting video would still be great even if she hated it.)
Now that's one I'd like to see you take on. I vaguely remember seeing it when I was a kid. It really does have its charm, but what on earth is a Nutcracker adaptation doing taking place in midsummer?!
When I saw that my FAVORITE movie was going to be on Musical Hell, I can't say I wasn't a bit taken aback. But it turned out to be a very good and reasonable review. I understand that it's not for everyone, but I appreciate you acknowledging its merits, even if as a whole the movie just wasn't your thing. Now if you want a BAD Beatles movie to take on, 'Magical Mystery Tour' will simultaneously freak you out and bore you to tears. (The music is still incredible, though.)
"Magical Mystery Tour" was supposed to be broadcast nationally on TV in the USA a few days after Christmas 1967. The album of its music had already been released and was a big seller, as all the Beatles records were then. But the film was shown on television in Britain first, and was heavily criticized and scorned, so the US showing was immediately cancelled. I was very disappointed at the time and thought we should've been allowed to see it anyway, and judge for ourselves. I never did see it till the 1980s when it got shown repeatedly on "Night Flight" on Saturday nights - and yes, it turned out to be lousy. The Beatles had been annoyed that the movies they'd previously made hadn't allowed them any creative input, and they mistakenly thought they could just turn on a camera themselves and create something wonderful and fun. Nope. It's a mess.
@@hebneh I think I first saw Magical Mystery Tour in college in the mid-1970s when it was shown on campus. I agree that it's a mess, though it's musical sequences are interesting. I remember the visuals of "Blue Jay Way", "Your Mother Should Know", and "I Am the Walrus". I've since seen the film on TV, maybe about a decade ago, probably on PBS.
Skipper 13k I think it's in ”The Last Olympian” when they’re at the Plaza Hotel and someone mentions the famous demigods who have stayed there and the Beatles were among that list.
@@rachellesch8681 OMG that is AWESOME! Please tell me Ringo and John were children of Posiden, hence "Octopus's Garden" and "I am the Walrus." Come to think of it, "Yellow Submarine" gives credence to them all being Posiden's kin.
@@rachellesch8681 Ok thanks. It's been a while since I've read those books, migh check thme out again. I remember that in those books Captain Blackbeard was also a demigod.
Oh my god, this was difficult to click on. I love this movie, discovered it relatively recently. It was love at first watch, like "Eraserhead." "Weird for the sake of weird" might be old now, but when this movie came out in the '60s, "weird" was a relatively new genre in film (bar the many weird silent films that the mainstream public probably didn't remember at that point). I also have to disagree on the cameo at the end. Not the least because it's a hilarious double entente of "Wasn't that a fun make-believe adventure, kids?" and "Wow, that was some good shit we smoked!" (And Ringo is adorable beyond words.) But I'm overjoyed that this movie actually escaped punishment from the Court of Musical Hell! As a nitpicky fan of the movie though, I'll just go ahead and dish out my own punishments: * For the crime of not having the Beatles voice their own characters, and in particular Ringo, who's voice is all wrong, whoever is responsible for that is sentenced to watch "Timon & Pumba," "Mulan 2," and any other low-budget sequels or TV shows where a classic character's distinctive voice actor is replaced by a painfully inferior impression. * For failing to think of and write "Octopus's Garden" in time for it to be included in this film, Sir Ringo Starr is sentenced to an entire summer in "the Cooler." (Not that he'll mind.) * For failing to give us the epic submarine battle that "Robot Chicken" cooked up, between the Yellow Submarine and the dreaded Blue October, the writers of "Yellow Submarine" are sentenced to a full 24 hours of sobriety. * And finally, for NOT LETTING RINGO SING HIS OWN DAMN SONGS ("Yellow Submarine" is just played over the credits, and when it comes time for "A Little Help from My Friends," they give the role of "Billy Shears" to John for some reason), the writer who made that decision is sentenced to watch every single creepy CGI episode of the new "Thomas the Tank Engine" series. Court adjourned!
According to Ringo himself, the song was inspired by a boat trip, a cook telling him about octopus gardens, and "medication." (The trivia sites tend to leave that last part out.)
You notice how the Beatles' shirts in the live-action cameo, as well as the background, are black or gray? I'm given to understand the plan was originally to project colorful animation onto them, but either the effect didn't work or they ran out of money to do it.
It's a shame you didn't count the wordplay as a saving grace (much of which went over my head when I first saw this at fourteen): "Where are we?" "A holey sea." (Holy See?) "Hey, I wonder what would happen if I pulled this lever." "You mustn't do that!" "Can't help it, I'm a born lever-puller." "Are you blue-ish? You don't look blue-ish."
Maybe one day, we'll get more of Don-Nah and Dee-Vah's backstory. Maybe they were lovers who reacted poorly to being told they couldn't be together... oh my god... I just came up with a story... dumb Dakota Woloschuk actually thought of an original idea! *starts painting a musical poster* The Tragic Love of Dahlia Naas and Deana Valors (or The Birth of Don-Nah and Dee-Vah). Two girls fall in love, yet they meet tragedy when their parents try to prevent them from being together, in the end, they both die, but the paths they chose to take in their efforts to defy their parents results in them being eternally apart; one an angel, the other a demon.
@@bromodragone8405 not to mention make sure we do a good enough job so she isn't tempted to call in a favor and banish us to the circle where bad actors are punished!
I’ve always had a soft spot for All Together Now, though I did basically grow up with it and a whole bunch of other Beatles tunes. Also, I absolutely agree Diva. Octopuses Garden slaps! Easily the best Beatles era Ringo song, at least to me.
@@MelanieNLee true, it was waaaay before it was written... Yellow Submarine came just before the boys went off to India for a retreat with the Maharishi. Hence why the ending live action was pretty rushed; they were just ready to go off to India at the time . This film was sort of riding a coat tail of Pepper and MMT, I mean 3 out of the 4 new songs were leftovers from the album sessions with "Only a Northern Song" being from Pepper, while "All Together Now" and "It's all Too Much" being from MMT. John's "Hey Bulldog" was the only official new one made specifically for the film in hindsight, as they had just finished "Lady Madonna" and "The Inner Light" (which Hey Bulldog was worked on within the sessions of)
I grew up w this film bc my dad is a huge Beatles fan - a year or two ago they did remastered showings of it in the cinema and honestly it was so much fun - everybody in the audience joined in on the very last song, it was just a good time, no matter how bizarre the movie may be.
Although when I saw it at the cinema I had no memory of the "Only a Northern Song" segment at all, which was weird because the only thing my memory DOES keep a hold of consistently is music.
YAAAAY! She's back! Thanks for your review, Diva! I always love watching your animated reviews! Even if the world of this one, IS demented-looking enough to fit right into a Mr. Creepy Pasta story.
@@MelanieNLee That was pretty much the deal for all the Beatles' (fictional) movies--A Hard Day's Night, Help, Magical Mystery Tour (such plot as it had) and this. They always put some special emphasis on Ringo. (In AHDN, there was a lot of emphasis on Ringo and his feeling like an outsider; in Help he was the one with the sacrificial ring and the one with the most to lose if they didn't solve the problem, in MMT it was him and his aunt who started out the movie getting the tickets and boarding the bus, and in this he is, as you say, something of a main character.) I think the reason they did that was that Ringo was closest to being the "everyman" of the group that people could identify with--not one of the three "geniuses" and even a little funny-looking. (Even he himself once said, "What's a scruff like me doing with all this lot?")
He gets the most memorable lines, second only to the Blue Meanie himself: "It must've been (...) a figment of me imagination. But I don't *have* an imagination." (breaks fourth wall) "I've got a hole in me pocket." I'm such a pathetic sentimentalist that this exchange makes me break into tears every time: Ringo: "Hey, Mr Boob! You can come with us if you like." Jeremy: "You mean you'd take a nowhere man?" Ringo: "Yeah, come on. We'll take you somewhere." Speaking of Blue Meanie, I'm disappointed that his twisted freakout--the bit in which he spins his eyes and chatters his teeth in a display that chilled me to the bones as a brat--wasn't included. It's a phenomenal performance of both animation and voice that can depict Meanie as so utterly cruel and abusive to his underling, yet make his reformation and reconciliation with Max convincing with just a few words.
The Beatles came to America when I was in 2nd grade, and Yellow Submarine was released when I was 11, and I saw it in the theater. I've always loved it. Of course, psychedelia was part of my musical menu. (No, I never did drugs.) Some anachronisms on your part: the movie Yellow Submarine (1968) preceded Scooby-Doo (1969) and "Octopus's Garden" (1969). You can't rip off what you precede (unless you spy on the production process). Anyway, it's interesting seeing YS from the POV of someone who appreciates that this is a good film, yet very strange and, to some, off-putting. I don't remember the "Hey, Bulldog" sequence. Perhaps it was edited out and then put back in. BTW, Sesame Street, via the Muppets, covered "All Together Now".
Fun fact: The voice actor for "George" in the movie was arrested halfway through recording his parts and the voice actor for "Ringo" had to finish them for him. He had deserted from the British Army stationed in Germany. Just when you think this movie couldn't be any weirder...
The Beatles (mainly John) said no to The Jungle Book but said yes to this movie…..Think about that…..This is coming from someone who likes The Jungle Book a lot.
I wouldn't have minded it in regular computer animation, but that mo-cap is just plain ugly. Even A Christmas Carol, which I liked a lot, would have been better off in regular Disney animation.
Zemeckis lost his marbles a bit for a while when he got obsessed with computer animation. He's a genius filmmaker, sometimes that happens to people like him.
Ah yes, Yellow Submarine. I love this movie. I watched it many times as a young kid, and I suspect it’s one of the main reasons I love weird/trippy animation and stories to this day. Oddly, the video I had didn’t have the dog scene or song in it, and I didn’t see it until I got it on DVD. I wonder why - it didn’t seem like a bad or scary scene. Speaking of, I remember finding the Northern song section to be a little scary as a kid. Also, I wonder if the Master Hand of Smash fans was inspired by the glove in this movie? I was a little nervous to see it under Musical Hell, but you gave it a fair, honest review instead of trying to drum up how “bad” this weird movie is, and I appreciate that. It’s just not your kind of movie, and that’s understandable. It’s not a movie for everyone.
I was baby sat by this movie. I watched on laser disc, got their 1999 DVD and then their 50th anniversary. If you want some interesting insight, should read the book on the making of The Yellow Submarine. They were tasked with making the movie in about 6 months with an art director who was a perfection and would redo all the work. On top of that the Beatle gave them bottom of the barrel music "Nothing is too good for this movie, and so lets give them that. Nothing." Plus they explain about the English release verse the American release, where they cut out the Bull Dog song and go straight into battle. Make it rare to have the full movie, only to turn around and put it back in, making the cut verse hard to find. And I will show myself out before I find myself gathering further. :)
I was a little tiny kid in the early 70s. I remember watching it on our black and white television and being totally terrified this film. This may be the reason I was never much of a Beatles fan.
Speaking of not aging well, I would love to see a video about Help! at some point. I just watched it for the first time since I was a kid and I'd completely forgotten what it was about and holy shit lol
this movie's always been one of my favorites. ive actually never really thought about it in a critical light before, so seeing this opened up a new perspective for me.
Want a recommendation for another weird movie musical that will probably kind of confuse you? Raggedy Ann and Andy a Musical adventure. A truly great candidate for a future review.
The way I enjoy the movie is the same I enjoy all my guilty pleasures: "embrace the weird". When I accept how stupid/weird it is, I can enjoy because of that stupidity/weirdness.
This movie is my *childhood.* It's so strange looking at it now from the critical lens of an adult, lol (and you did a good job!) - but as a kid, I just wanna say that I loved it so much. This movie and _Help!_ really introduced me to The Beatles when I was really young - I watched them over and over again. 💛
I saw this movie when it first came out, with my Spanish father, who, when he first heard them, predicted the success of the Beatles, and Simon and Garfunkle (we also saw Beatlemania on Broadway together). We loved "Yellow Submarine". It's been a lot of years since I've seen it, but I remember it with great affection.
Lulz, I always loved watching this as a kid. This and "The Point" if you want another trippy animated musical to put through Musical Hell in the future.
Alright I'm going to come out and admit that this is a semi guilty pleasure for me. It is one of the most trippiest things I've ever seen, you know that this film was definitely made in the 60s
More than an hour after getting the notification for this episode, I just made time for it now. EDIT- 4:00 P.M.: *finishes episode 17 minutes later* "Yellow Submarine" was so much weirder than I thought it would be! 😆
I would like to remind people that one of the animators from Yellow Submarine worked on the Pumpin and Blowin scene from The Pirate Movie. Make of that what you will.
I have very fond memories of Yellow Submarine from when I was a kid. And it's not the worst or weirdest movie the Beatles ever made; at least this one had beautiful animation tied together with a loose plot, unlike Magical Mystery Tour, which was just the mundane English countryside tied together with nothing.
I remember watching this on an old tv on a rolling cart when I was in kindergarten... I’ll never forget those opening title, I genuinely thought this movie was something my overactive imagination made up for a decently long time (until I found out who the Beatles were)
I approve Of offering up Martin as one of the best parts of this. And if you haven't ever given it a listen I would recommend his retirement piece. What the moment came along the studio offered in the ability to make whatever He wanted. He pride in singers and actors versions of a number of the beatle songs and featured a number of his compositions from the yellow submarine. It's a wonderful listen.
"The Yellow Submarine" is to my taste, however, but it seems like a great classic animated film which will be fun for the whole family for generations to come. 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁
This movie actually inspired me to go on a Halloween budget this year, and do a Meanies costume lol. That aside, please leave Mamma Mia Here We Go Again for a MUCH later review, and please get to reviewing other films far worse than it (I'm glad you did Jem, but let's get to Camp Rock next? Maybe Spongebob Atlantis Squarepantis?)
I'm from Liverpool and all I'll say is this: the hangover of Beatlemania is a terrifying thing, especially if you're part of the local live scene.
@Cas van der Wal Sounds about right. Thatcher did a number on us, but we've (mostly) recovered since then. The music scene is in the shitter, but the city itself has become a cultural hub again after the whole European Capital of Culture 08 thing. If nothing else, we Scousers are resilient.
I feel bad that I only think about Liverpool is because the Beatles I’m sure it’s a lovely place
It's so weird too, considering The Beatles recorded practically everything they ever did in a studio in London and barely ever came to Liverpool after the very early days as a club band.
Kind of as if hordes of tourists would trample through Cambridge only because it's the "Pink Floyd town".
“I do not know what to make of Yellow Submarine.”
Bold of you to assume that you’re supposed to make something of this film in the first place.
I have this film! It’s pretty good!
The animation looks very bright, surreal, and psychedelic. A little reminder that the design is incorrectly attributed to the psychedelic pop artist, Peter Max. But the animators pioneered the design before he become famous.
Heinz Edelmann Ftw!
Something about it reminds me a little of Terry Gilliam’s animations in Monty Python.
Honestly for how weird the animation is I actually kinda like it.
@@MissCaraMint Same
This is probably the fairest appraisal of Yellow Submarine I've seen. Taking into account its merits and faults while still appreciating the artistic and sentimental value.
You have this diehard's seal of approval.
We all live in a circle down in Hell
A circle down in Hell
A circle down in Hell
Long ago I heard a parody of this: "We've been taking large amounts of pills...large amounts of pills...large amounts of pills..."
Hahaha, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone who had to sit through this monstority ended up chanting that song towards the end! 😹
A parody I found goes:
“We’re all killed by a yellow sudden beam”.
It makes sense in context.
Lol. "We all posed for a dirty magazine"
IM CRYING
Sorry, but I'm STILL gonna defend this movie as a watershed of experimental animation, and great Beatles music, as well as its breezy dialogue filled with quick one-liners. It's meant to be a picaresque story, with each individual adventure having a unique style. By the way, it's not the "Do Not Touch Button", that ejects Ringo...it's the "Panic Button". The bagpipe was not random. When they entered the building where the instruments were being held, Ringo stepped on it the first time, and almost gave their cover away. He tossed it out the window, and after tormenting a meanie, it came to said resting place, only to be stepped on again. I shall be filing notice of appeal in due course😁
Ringo said that kids would come up to him on the street yelling, "Why did you press the button?!"
@@jenniferschillig3768 Aw, I like that. So cute😊
@@CiowaDyer You're welcome. I discovered this gem my junior year in high school on WLVI 56 in Boston over Thanksgiving, and laughed my head off. But nothing prepared me for the restored version now available. It totally popped with color, and it was great to hear the dropped bits of dialogue that fell victim to wear and tear of only a few prints distributed to independent stations back then.
Ciowa Dyer it’s not really that weird is bad, there’s nothing wrong with weird. It’s more being weird just for being weird that is a problem, that come up as obnoxious and often have no point at all. If it had a point that could easily excused, like Alice in wonderland to use something mentioned in the reviews, there’s a lot of weird there, but it serve the story and themes of the story... here, I can’t really say it does
@@oliviawilliams6204 The entire point of the counterculture movement was to make art that did not follow the formulas of standard conventionality. In that, YELLOW SUBMARINE succeeds on the cinematic level and also on the propaganda level in conveying how conflicts should be resolved through fraternity and compassion.
Never clicker a video so fast! Also, fun fact: Mark Hamill was inspired by the Blue Meanie for the voice of Joker.
Huh.... For some reason that doesn't surprise me at all!
I'm glad _some_ good came of this nonsense.
Seriously? That is awesome!
And Him from the Powerpuff Girls--and the Gromble from AAHHH! Real Monsters too.
Ergotth that’s such good stuff a real fun fact
I consider myself in the camp of people who watch this movie and don’t entirely know what to make of it. Still, I am happy that Musical Hell did shake things up a little and review a movie that’s just unique instead of just outright “bad” (as has also been the case for a few other movies/musicals that have appeared in Musical Hell before), because the internet is just full of people who just divulge so much in tearing apart the worst kind of media that it becomes almost like a drug, and I honestly think that’s plaguing the online reviewing environment in a way. (But hey, at least the next case should be fun to riff!)
A few years ago I made the mistake of watching this film while I was sick. My thinking was that, hey, I don’t feel well, and I need something mindless and soothing to drift in and out of consciousness to.
Never before have my fever dreams been truly so terrifying and trippy. 🤣🤣
As someone who loves this film, it was very interesting to hear a differing opinion on Yellow Submarine. Almost all your points were fair (almost bc nobody’s perfect and I don’t think _I_ could be as fair with a film I didn’t like) so I can’t really refute them. All I can say is... I love it and others people don’t. And that’s fine.
What I will say though, is that I think a lot of people don’t like this film because they think a movie *requires* a structured 5-act plot. I don’t think this is the case. Heck, I don’t even think every film _needs_ a plot to be good. It all depends on your intention of course, but to me Yellow Submarine is a 90 minutes showcase of psychedelic animation and great music (from the Beatles AND George Martin, thank you so much for not leaving him out). And I’m perfectly fine with that.
As an animation student who loves more experimental animation, this is my jam!
I think yellow submarine is less of a movie and more of an experience.
"I don't think every film needs a plot to be good."
I completely agree.
Napoleon Dynamite, I feel, falls into this category as well. While not as surreal as Yellow Submarine, it is very odd for a slice-of-life film, and the plot is almost non-existent. It's also one of my favorite movies just because of how entertaining I find it. I think I like weird movies just for the sole fact that they are unconventional.
More conventional movies can become boring and predictable because they're often reliant on old tropes. Now this is not to say that every experimental movie is a masterpiece, or that mainstream films are bad (Into the Spiderverse uses quite a few tropes and I still really enjoyed it), but I appreciate when writers and animators think outside of the box.
Honestly, with a limitless medium like animation, why wouldn't you go ham with it?
I respect Diva's opinion, but there is a lot of creativity going on here, and I'm all for it.
The reason why someone does not like something is entirely relevant. A food critic who hates oregano should not be reviewing an Italian restaurant, for example.
Agreed! As I said in a different post, this movie remains one of my favorite memories from seeing it as a kid, along with The Point, of course.
As with Studio Ghibli classics and others, there doesn't need to be an explanation for why things are as they are in Pepperland. They just are.
LOVE this movie--the animation was way ahead of its time and I think it's pretty mind-blowing for '68. And as far as Beatles movies, I'll take it over the AWFUL and UNWATCHABLE Magical Mystery Tour anytime.
The cameo wasn’t indulgent, it was contractually obligated.
Mia Atkinson I found the cameo fitting and the reprise of "All Together Now" a satisfying ending.
I HATE John Lennon. I've always hated him. If you want a good reason why, Walt Disney himself asked Lennon to appear in a cameo voice role in The Jungle Book, and he told Disney to piss off.
lol I don't blame him. Disney is evil incarnate. I would have told him to piss off too.
@@tracyblackfox152 Disney was semi-respectable at the time.
@@llewelynshingler2173: He was still screwing over a bunch of the people whose work got him famous. And I think he did union busting at this time as well?
As a little girl raised with The Beatles I was awestruck by this movie.
As an adult, I look at it and marvel at the genius way that The Beatles were merchandising themselves and their music through this acid trip of a movie.
It appealed to everyone from children to adults and even people who hate The Beatles (since they had PLENTY in a movie like this to hate on with).
It had an actual plot, it had a back story before we even got to The Beatles, the songs used were not bad at all, the musical score was good, the creativity in the animation of the movie is just... mind blowing.
That glove is still terrifying.
Spice World should have taken notes on how to make a memorable movie, because..
🎶You can't UNSEE The Yellow Submarine lol🎶
In all fairness, this came before Scooby-Doo. And before that, the chase gag was used in Disney's Alice in Wonderland in 1951.
It was a common gag in many Hollywood comedies and cartoons from the 1930's on.
superlive98 the Trope “Scooby-Dooby-Doors” was named so, because of Hanna-Barbera using for Scooby-Doo the first time with “The All-New Scooby-Doo Movies”.
@@robbiewalker2831 "Scooby Doo"-Beatles connection: The name "Scooby Doo" was inspired by Frank Sinatra's scat-singing outro of his 1966 hit "Strangers In The Night." ("Scooby-dooby-doo" etc.) Five years before that, "Strangers" co-writer Bert Kaempfert was the producer of a record by Tony Sheridan called "My Bonnie" which featured the Beatles as backing band, making their first-ever professional recording.
Personally, I love this movie for its surrealism, experimentation, and music-inspired imagery. Weird movies are just kind of my thing.
I found someone who is alike to me! XD
Truly the greatest musical acid trip in movie history.
geardog24 besides the wall...absolutely!
"They step on a random bagpipe and trip the Creepy Clown alarm" wins the day as the most random thing I've heard...today.
Also, I have to update my wifi passphrase now...
A random bagpipe?
Me seeing Yellow Submarine on Musical Hell:"Is that even legal"
Well, at least it's more tolerable than that OTHER infamous Beatles jukebox musical that Diva has tackled on this court before! 😉
As stupid as Sgt Pepper's can get, I think Id prefer watching that one ogter Yellow Submarine, it doesn't hurt my eyes, it has a plot that can be easily understood and a lot of good covers (that I often prefer to the original songs) and no bad songs
You dare to put this up on my 40th Birthday? Bombing my favourite movie? How dare you oO XD
Nathaniel Foga idk
To be fair, Eleanor Rigby starts pretty abruptly anyway.
I see the producer Al Bronax smoking a pipe, and his secretary petting a cat, and Onslow himself playing footie during Eleanor Rigby.
Something I’ve learned from my years as a Beatles fan, the late-60’s were a strange time for the Beatles. With the whole “greater than Jesus” Controversy and this movie being some prime examples
Apparently, that was why Mark David Chapman shot Lennon since he was the one who started that and Chapman was born-again who firmly believed that nobody is more popular than Jesus.
@@josephrowe849 reason number one million why I'm an atheist
We're greater than cheeses.
@@SpamEggSausage Lennon told Walt Disney himself to piss off. I HATE John Lennon.
Chapman wasn't a Christian at the time that he killed Lennon. That was WELL after.
Lennon was a pretentious asshole. Who failed to respect peoples religious beliefs.
Replying to your super old comment because it's 5:30 AM and I haven't slept yet and it's bugging me but I can't find the answer on Google. Why are John's pants two different colors? Like, the darker and lighter purple. Was that a thing back then and I'm not googling it right? My sister has plastic models of the characters and I kept thinking it was a mistake in the manufacturing when I was little.
What I always thought as a child during the Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds Scene was that the woman John sees is the love of his life and then she disappears, but the song is how he remembers her. When he sees her in Yellow Submarine, it's the first time he's seen her since they met
Musical Hell's trying Yellow Submarine? All I gotta say is may Lucifer have mercy on your psyche, and beware Animat.
Have you seen "All This and World War 2"? A documentary about the war with clips from 20th Century Fox war movies (including "Patton" & "Tora! Tora! Tora!") and a soundtrack of Beatles covers by artists including Elton John, Leo Sayer and Helen Reddy. Doesn't entirely work, but still very watchable.
@@johnpjones182 I've seen it. YELLOW SUBMARINE is better.
@@superlive98 I watched "Give My Regards to Broad Street" the other day. That "Silly Love Songs" number with the weird white costumes, wigs & makeup is really strange. & then they add a black guy doin' a robot dance. What the?
Make me glad and sad that the remake by Zemeckis and his MoCap studio never happened.
The what??
@@limalepakko6074 lostmediaarchive.fandom.com/wiki/Yellow_Submarine_(2010_Animation_Test_and_2012_Canceled_Animated_Film)
I really don’t want to imagine what that would’ve looked like. Completely creepy idea that Zemeckis and company tried to get that going
motxmod I can understand being glad, but sad.............................?
All flaws aside, I still love this movie. I’ve been a Beatles fan since I was a kid, so that probably had something to do with it.
Right? Maybe it makes a difference if you were about seven when the first Beatles album hit the US market.
57Strudel ...which I was. I was in second grade when "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" was released.
@@MelanieNLee Yup, I was too :)
Actually, it was the 90s when I saw this movie on VHS and later DVD. A classmate who was a huge Beatles fan recommended it to me, and there you go.
I've been watching this movie since I was 2, so this is nostalgic.
"Yellow Submarine" might be a complete acid trip in terms of narrative, but I still appreciate it as a timeless testament to the colorful range and vibrancy of Animation. There truly is no better medium that capture the sheer boundless nature of imagination. All you need is a pen, some paint, and a little talent and you can create entire worlds filled with wonder.
Imagine the amount of seizures this thing has caused...
Just like that one banned Pokemon episode.
Never heard of "Yellow Submarine" inducing seizures, although it certainly looks like it could. But there was never any publicity about that occurring.
@@josephrowe849 Which episode?
@@bighand1530 You don't remember? It's the one with Porygon that got banned from ever being shown again and it got Pokemon on a 4 month hiatus and neither Porygon or its evolved forms were ever shown (except for small cameos in the "World of Pokemon" intros from the films.
@@josephrowe849 No I don’t.
Also, a fact on the live action sequence at the end with the actual Beatles: it was originally going to have animation and effects imposed over it (hence the weird lighting and matching black shirts), but they ran out of time and money to do it. But the producers insisted that if there were no real Beatles, no one would see it, so it got left in to the dismay of the crew.
.........................and the dismay of the Beatles, I would think.
Whelp, at least today I can just relax and watch Thomas and Friends with my nephew, knowing that Ringo Starr's voicing acting career to an uphill turn from here.
5:27
As someone who grew up on MST3k it's always a treat whenever Diva references it. :)
I've always found it ironic that the villains were called Meanies when the 4 heroes could behave like jerks too (especially towards Fred).
You're right. They call a monster "ugly" and make him cry before ejecting him from the submarine and they make Jeremy feel bad before Ringo feels sorry for him. Still, The Fabs have given so much happiness to the world I'll let them slide on these minor transgressions.
I don't know why I have a very vague memory of seeing this as a child back then, because it certainly wasn't something my conservative parents would have knowingly allowed me to watch, but for as long as I can remember I've considered the Meanies to be scary as all get-out. I also have some impression that it was on CBS, which was the only channel we had at the time, so I don't think it was shown in school (and frankly the most progressive that district ever got was letting classes walk across town to the public library to see "Free to Be You and Me"). Maybe a babysitter let me watch. I think it also explains why the Monty Python animation looked so familiar when I discovered that show many years later.
It made its TV debut on CBS in 1974, I think. That was the first time I saw it, as well.
I know that we were shown this film in school when we studied the Beatles, at the age of about 8 I think lol
40 years later still the stuff of nightmares....
Yellow Submarine is frankly a movie that isn't meant to be analyzed. It's really more of an experience.
The catch is that when you make a movie that's an "experience", well, it's easy for it to not necessarily be an experience for everyone. The lack of a strong plot or character arcs was fine for me, it frankly helps Yellow Submarine to not get bogged down when the real attraction is the psychedelic animation and the soundtrack numbers by the Beatles. Trying to cram something demands logical sense into this picture would have made it excruciating.
I absolutely love the movie and was obsessed with it in college and I was even rocking out to this little review of it (and will hear no words against All Together Now :P). But attempts to share it with my friends tended to be mixed - some liked it, some loathed it. It's definitely a movie "of its time."
I have a soft spot for this film. When I worked at Blockbuster (I know, that really dates me), this was the only Beatles film we had at our location. I played it on the TV screens after George Harrison died. We weren’t allowed to play anything other than our pre-approved VHS screeners, but it was a good idea to honor him with showing the movie.
I’m glad you didn’t judge this one too harshly, I liked Yellow Submarine fine despite the weirdness and agree with your conclusion, it isn’t a bad movie, just unique. It isn’t for everyone and that’s ok! Also... I am SO glad that you’re gonna tackle Mamma Mia 2, I admit the first movie was kind of a guilty pleasure as a teen, (mostly because I grew up listening to ABBA) but by the time the sequel came out, I knew it was gonna be bad.
Personally, I don't see weirdness for the sake of being weird as a bad thing. I get why others do, but I personally love stuff that's as weird as humanly possible.
Fun facts: As a kid, my grandparents inexplicably owned semi-abstract, floral patterned bedsheets designed by this film's art director Heinz Edelmann. He also illustrated a fantastic nonfiction book on humanoid mythical creatures called "A Field Guide to the Little People" by Nancy Arrowsmith. The art there is a little more gestural and conventional, but there's plenty of creepy stuff, like a moth with a human head for a body.
Nancy Arrowsmith? Is that where they got their name?
@@KRobinson-ko1ne Nah, the name "Little People" for fairies, elves, dwarves, and so on has been around for a couple of centuries. But her book did help spread the use of it, along with the fairy lore by Katharine M. Briggs.
I was referring to Aerosmith the band
Ah yes my childhood trauma
But for real, the moment before Eleanor Rigby where the factory chimneys spew smoke and make that noise scared me more than the Blue Meanies themselves
Oh me too! Glad I'm not the only one. Also the old logo on those old Disney VHS tapes w the puffy white cases... The diamond shaped logo came in with this huge loud noise, and I remember leaving the room until that part was over every time I put one on. Same for the factory noise in YS.
I was curious how Diva would cover it and it was very interesting to see it that way. Too bad you didn't use any clips from the Monty Python spoof "The Rutles - All you need is cash" where they had a spoof sequence called "Yellow Submarine Sandwich", which also had weird and creative animation.
04279 Oh, there's an idea!
As another film review franchise on UA-cam puts it: no movie is without sin....but your entertaining retrospect has not diminished in any way my love for this film.
Oh.....and spare nothing in ripping *Mamma Mia 2* a new one.
I actually like Mamma Mia 2.
My elementary music teacher was a big Beatles theme, and showed this to us in second grade. I found it weirdly enrapturing, though it probably gave me my intense fear of hallucinations in retrospect.
I grew up on thus movie. Loved it for 50 years, still play the soundtrack now and then.
Just watched the movie for the first time.
I really adore The Beatles, especially their music
I watched this movie over and over again as a kid, thinking it was the greatest thing ever. I watched it again before I left for college-and it still holds up to my childhood memories
My brothers and I were practically raised on this movie. Our parents rented it for us so many times that the video store eventually just gave it to them. We all still frequently quote it to each other to this day.
It’s funny how this is a non Disney movie in the 60’s and that it’s aimed for adult audience.
Not really.
I certainly wouldn't take MY spawn to watch this nightmare-fuel freak-show.
Cheshire Kat if you say so
...while also being rated G.
They said “No” to the Jungle Book, and made this weird thing.
T G who did?
It's weird seeing George Harrison as old too, since he only made it to 58.
Man, after watching this, I *REALLY* want to know what she'd make of The Monkees' "Head."
(Which I'm personally a fan of, but the resulting video would still be great even if she hated it.)
"This is one weird movie!" I wonder which is weirder this or "Nutcracker Fantasy"?
Now that's one I'd like to see you take on. I vaguely remember seeing it when I was a kid. It really does have its charm, but what on earth is a Nutcracker adaptation doing taking place in midsummer?!
When I saw that my FAVORITE movie was going to be on Musical Hell, I can't say I wasn't a bit taken aback. But it turned out to be a very good and reasonable review. I understand that it's not for everyone, but I appreciate you acknowledging its merits, even if as a whole the movie just wasn't your thing.
Now if you want a BAD Beatles movie to take on, 'Magical Mystery Tour' will simultaneously freak you out and bore you to tears. (The music is still incredible, though.)
Lindsay Stern Yes on roasting Magical Mystery Tour.
"Magical Mystery Tour" was supposed to be broadcast nationally on TV in the USA a few days after Christmas 1967. The album of its music had already been released and was a big seller, as all the Beatles records were then. But the film was shown on television in Britain first, and was heavily criticized and scorned, so the US showing was immediately cancelled. I was very disappointed at the time and thought we should've been allowed to see it anyway, and judge for ourselves. I never did see it till the 1980s when it got shown repeatedly on "Night Flight" on Saturday nights - and yes, it turned out to be lousy. The Beatles had been annoyed that the movies they'd previously made hadn't allowed them any creative input, and they mistakenly thought they could just turn on a camera themselves and create something wonderful and fun. Nope. It's a mess.
@@hebneh I think I first saw Magical Mystery Tour in college in the mid-1970s when it was shown on campus. I agree that it's a mess, though it's musical sequences are interesting. I remember the visuals of "Blue Jay Way", "Your Mother Should Know", and "I Am the Walrus". I've since seen the film on TV, maybe about a decade ago, probably on PBS.
Thank you for getting the yellow submarine somg stuck in my head.
I skated to this song once with a group and it was musical hell on earth.
I can enjoy that song in small doses, but it’s silliness is the point of its nostalgia
6:25 I was semi-expecting a _Percy Jackson_ reference, but now that I got it, I am quite pleased!
6:26 apparently in the Percy Jackson universe the Beatles were demigods so...
Really? Which book was that mentioned in? It sounds about right but I don’t remember that line.
Skipper 13k I think it's in ”The Last Olympian” when they’re at the Plaza Hotel and someone mentions the famous demigods who have stayed there and the Beatles were among that list.
@@rachellesch8681 OMG that is AWESOME! Please tell me Ringo and John were children of Posiden, hence "Octopus's Garden" and "I am the Walrus." Come to think of it, "Yellow Submarine" gives credence to them all being Posiden's kin.
Lizzy Chrome it just mentioned that they were demigods. They didn't mention which gods they were related to.
@@rachellesch8681 Ok thanks. It's been a while since I've read those books, migh check thme out again.
I remember that in those books Captain Blackbeard was also a demigod.
Oh my god, this was difficult to click on. I love this movie, discovered it relatively recently. It was love at first watch, like "Eraserhead."
"Weird for the sake of weird" might be old now, but when this movie came out in the '60s, "weird" was a relatively new genre in film (bar the many weird silent films that the mainstream public probably didn't remember at that point).
I also have to disagree on the cameo at the end. Not the least because it's a hilarious double entente of "Wasn't that a fun make-believe adventure, kids?" and "Wow, that was some good shit we smoked!" (And Ringo is adorable beyond words.)
But I'm overjoyed that this movie actually escaped punishment from the Court of Musical Hell!
As a nitpicky fan of the movie though, I'll just go ahead and dish out my own punishments:
* For the crime of not having the Beatles voice their own characters, and in particular Ringo, who's voice is all wrong, whoever is responsible for that is sentenced to watch "Timon & Pumba," "Mulan 2," and any other low-budget sequels or TV shows where a classic character's distinctive voice actor is replaced by a painfully inferior impression.
* For failing to think of and write "Octopus's Garden" in time for it to be included in this film, Sir Ringo Starr is sentenced to an entire summer in "the Cooler." (Not that he'll mind.)
* For failing to give us the epic submarine battle that "Robot Chicken" cooked up, between the Yellow Submarine and the dreaded Blue October, the writers of "Yellow Submarine" are sentenced to a full 24 hours of sobriety.
* And finally, for NOT LETTING RINGO SING HIS OWN DAMN SONGS ("Yellow Submarine" is just played over the credits, and when it comes time for "A Little Help from My Friends," they give the role of "Billy Shears" to John for some reason), the writer who made that decision is sentenced to watch every single creepy CGI episode of the new "Thomas the Tank Engine" series.
Court adjourned!
Lizzy Chrome Do you suppose that the movie Yellow Submarine inspired the song "Octopus's Garden"?
@@MelanieNLee Maybe so!
According to Ringo himself, the song was inspired by a boat trip, a cook telling him about octopus gardens, and "medication." (The trivia sites tend to leave that last part out.)
I'm gonna say this: at least it inspired a lot of animators with its weirdness.
"Monty Python," none the least!
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
@@asalways1504 Really? What aspect?
I think I know where at least some of the inspiration for Weirdmageddon in Gravity Falls came from now.
I guess you'll have to take a look at the An American Tail quadrilogy. Or The Land Before Time quattuordecology.
Oh Diva. Sweetie. One never enters Yellow Submarine expecting anything to be close to normal.
Even the trailer says “Nothing is real…”
"'H' is for "Hurry" 'E' is for "Er"gent 'L' is for love me 'P' is for "Won't you please help me?!"
You notice how the Beatles' shirts in the live-action cameo, as well as the background, are black or gray? I'm given to understand the plan was originally to project colorful animation onto them, but either the effect didn't work or they ran out of money to do it.
It's a shame you didn't count the wordplay as a saving grace (much of which went over my head when I first saw this at fourteen):
"Where are we?" "A holey sea." (Holy See?)
"Hey, I wonder what would happen if I pulled this lever." "You mustn't do that!" "Can't help it, I'm a born lever-puller."
"Are you blue-ish? You don't look blue-ish."
While I adore both "The Beatles" and musicals, maybe THIS wasn't the best project to combine the two... 😉🎶🎼
And magical mystery tour was?
Watch AniMat’s review of Yellow Submarine to see why people like me think it is.
Trina Q Will have to disagree with that.
Happy to see this avoided too much harsh judgment. I LOVE this movie....but I get why others don't.
Maybe one day, we'll get more of Don-Nah and Dee-Vah's backstory. Maybe they were lovers who reacted poorly to being told they couldn't be together... oh my god... I just came up with a story... dumb Dakota Woloschuk actually thought of an original idea! *starts painting a musical poster* The Tragic Love of Dahlia Naas and Deana Valors (or The Birth of Don-Nah and Dee-Vah). Two girls fall in love, yet they meet tragedy when their parents try to prevent them from being together, in the end, they both die, but the paths they chose to take in their efforts to defy their parents results in them being eternally apart; one an angel, the other a demon.
Love it. Love everything about it. Count me in, I'm volunteering to help with the project! Let's make this musical HAPPEN!
@@wellthatwaswierd4570 Now all we need is to see if she'll do it.
@@bromodragone8405 not to mention make sure we do a good enough job so she isn't tempted to call in a favor and banish us to the circle where bad actors are punished!
@@wellthatwaswierd4570 I live in the second circle.
10:07: Ah, so that’s where Scratch was playing Whack-a-Mole with Sonic in the AOSTH intro.
Diva's really gonna be roasting my weird faves again huh
Ditto, I love when Diva tears apart childhood classics which are just as surreal as we remember them to be! 😹
I would love to see her tear apart the 1970s movie of Tommy by Ken Russell
I’ve always had a soft spot for All Together Now, though I did basically grow up with it and a whole bunch of other Beatles tunes. Also, I absolutely agree Diva. Octopuses Garden slaps! Easily the best Beatles era Ringo song, at least to me.
Ben Burke But I don't think "Octopus's Garden" had been written yet.
@@MelanieNLee true, it was waaaay before it was written... Yellow Submarine came just before the boys went off to India for a retreat with the Maharishi. Hence why the ending live action was pretty rushed; they were just ready to go off to India at the time . This film was sort of riding a coat tail of Pepper and MMT, I mean 3 out of the 4 new songs were leftovers from the album sessions with "Only a Northern Song" being from Pepper, while "All Together Now" and "It's all Too Much" being from MMT. John's "Hey Bulldog" was the only official new one made specifically for the film in hindsight, as they had just finished "Lady Madonna" and "The Inner Light" (which Hey Bulldog was worked on within the sessions of)
I grew up w this film bc my dad is a huge Beatles fan - a year or two ago they did remastered showings of it in the cinema and honestly it was so much fun - everybody in the audience joined in on the very last song, it was just a good time, no matter how bizarre the movie may be.
Although when I saw it at the cinema I had no memory of the "Only a Northern Song" segment at all, which was weird because the only thing my memory DOES keep a hold of consistently is music.
YAAAAY!
She's back!
Thanks for your review, Diva!
I always love watching your animated reviews!
Even if the world of this one, IS demented-looking enough to fit right into a Mr. Creepy Pasta story.
Am I the only one thinking it, or was Ringo the most active out of all Beatles in this movie?
Fermin Tenava Yes, the movie made Ringo the main character, or close to it.
@@MelanieNLee That was pretty much the deal for all the Beatles' (fictional) movies--A Hard Day's Night, Help, Magical Mystery Tour (such plot as it had) and this. They always put some special emphasis on Ringo. (In AHDN, there was a lot of emphasis on Ringo and his feeling like an outsider; in Help he was the one with the sacrificial ring and the one with the most to lose if they didn't solve the problem, in MMT it was him and his aunt who started out the movie getting the tickets and boarding the bus, and in this he is, as you say, something of a main character.) I think the reason they did that was that Ringo was closest to being the "everyman" of the group that people could identify with--not one of the three "geniuses" and even a little funny-looking. (Even he himself once said, "What's a scruff like me doing with all this lot?")
He gets the most memorable lines, second only to the Blue Meanie himself:
"It must've been (...) a figment of me imagination. But I don't *have* an imagination."
(breaks fourth wall) "I've got a hole in me pocket."
I'm such a pathetic sentimentalist that this exchange makes me break into tears every time:
Ringo: "Hey, Mr Boob! You can come with us if you like."
Jeremy: "You mean you'd take a nowhere man?"
Ringo: "Yeah, come on. We'll take you somewhere."
Speaking of Blue Meanie, I'm disappointed that his twisted freakout--the bit in which he spins his eyes and chatters his teeth in a display that chilled me to the bones as a brat--wasn't included. It's a phenomenal performance of both animation and voice that can depict Meanie as so utterly cruel and abusive to his underling, yet make his reformation and reconciliation with Max convincing with just a few words.
ScreamingScallop Hmm...good observation about Ringo's lines.
However, it's "Pigment of me imagination". It's a pun.
The Beatles came to America when I was in 2nd grade, and Yellow Submarine was released when I was 11, and I saw it in the theater. I've always loved it. Of course, psychedelia was part of my musical menu. (No, I never did drugs.)
Some anachronisms on your part: the movie Yellow Submarine (1968) preceded Scooby-Doo (1969) and "Octopus's Garden" (1969). You can't rip off what you precede (unless you spy on the production process).
Anyway, it's interesting seeing YS from the POV of someone who appreciates that this is a good film, yet very strange and, to some, off-putting.
I don't remember the "Hey, Bulldog" sequence. Perhaps it was edited out and then put back in.
BTW, Sesame Street, via the Muppets, covered "All Together Now".
ua-cam.com/video/zcyfQQ7nZMw/v-deo.html
Yes, the 'Hey Bulldog' sequence was cut from the US release and not seen here until the 1999 remaster.
"YOUNG Fred"; the elderly man's name is "Young Fred". I... I just feel that's IMPORTANT, somehow, darn it.
Fun fact: The voice actor for "George" in the movie was arrested halfway through recording his parts and the voice actor for "Ringo" had to finish them for him. He had deserted from the British Army stationed in Germany.
Just when you think this movie couldn't be any weirder...
Fun Fact: The original American VHS release didn't have Hey Bulldog, or the scene right before it where they talk to themselves.
The Beatles (mainly John) said no to The Jungle Book but said yes to this movie…..Think about that…..This is coming from someone who likes The Jungle Book a lot.
Fun fact: Robert Zemeckis wanted to remake this movie, but with motion-capture.
Yes, really.
I wouldn't have minded it in regular computer animation, but that mo-cap is just plain ugly. Even A Christmas Carol, which I liked a lot, would have been better off in regular Disney animation.
Tin tin is one of the few mo-cap movies that doesn’t look awful
And thank goodness that never happened.
Zemeckis lost his marbles a bit for a while when he got obsessed with computer animation. He's a genius filmmaker, sometimes that happens to people like him.
Ah yes, Yellow Submarine. I love this movie. I watched it many times as a young kid, and I suspect it’s one of the main reasons I love weird/trippy animation and stories to this day. Oddly, the video I had didn’t have the dog scene or song in it, and I didn’t see it until I got it on DVD. I wonder why - it didn’t seem like a bad or scary scene. Speaking of, I remember finding the Northern song section to be a little scary as a kid.
Also, I wonder if the Master Hand of Smash fans was inspired by the glove in this movie?
I was a little nervous to see it under Musical Hell, but you gave it a fair, honest review instead of trying to drum up how “bad” this weird movie is, and I appreciate that. It’s just not your kind of movie, and that’s understandable. It’s not a movie for everyone.
I was baby sat by this movie. I watched on laser disc, got their 1999 DVD and then their 50th anniversary. If you want some interesting insight, should read the book on the making of The Yellow Submarine. They were tasked with making the movie in about 6 months with an art director who was a perfection and would redo all the work. On top of that the Beatle gave them bottom of the barrel music "Nothing is too good for this movie, and so lets give them that. Nothing."
Plus they explain about the English release verse the American release, where they cut out the Bull Dog song and go straight into battle. Make it rare to have the full movie, only to turn around and put it back in, making the cut verse hard to find.
And I will show myself out before I find myself gathering further. :)
I was a little tiny kid in the early 70s. I remember watching it on our black and white television and being totally terrified this film. This may be the reason I was never much of a Beatles fan.
Speaking of not aging well, I would love to see a video about Help! at some point. I just watched it for the first time since I was a kid and I'd completely forgotten what it was about and holy shit lol
Best animated movie I knew from my childhood. Loved it then, lovin‘ it still.
First saw this movie when I was 6. One of my favorite animated movies ever
this movie's always been one of my favorites. ive actually never really thought about it in a critical light before, so seeing this opened up a new perspective for me.
Want a recommendation for another weird movie musical that will probably kind of confuse you? Raggedy Ann and Andy a Musical adventure. A truly great candidate for a future review.
That was the best animated film of the 1970's.
The way I enjoy the movie is the same I enjoy all my guilty pleasures: "embrace the weird". When I accept how stupid/weird it is, I can enjoy because of that stupidity/weirdness.
Zee the Zebra the hell? I just get stoned
@@hpatss4966 Cool. Do whatever you want.
Oh wow, I just noticed. We're creeping up on Case #100. I wonder what special celebration episode Diva has lined up for that event.
this movie turns the lyrics ''we all live in a yellow submarine'' into '' we all took some yellow pills
This movie is my *childhood.* It's so strange looking at it now from the critical lens of an adult, lol (and you did a good job!) - but as a kid, I just wanna say that I loved it so much. This movie and _Help!_ really introduced me to The Beatles when I was really young - I watched them over and over again. 💛
I saw this movie when it first came out, with my Spanish father, who, when he first heard them, predicted the success of the Beatles, and Simon and Garfunkle (we also saw Beatlemania on Broadway together). We loved "Yellow Submarine". It's been a lot of years since I've seen it, but I remember it with great affection.
Lulz, I always loved watching this as a kid. This and "The Point" if you want another trippy animated musical to put through Musical Hell in the future.
JHaru777 I liked The Point, especially the song "Are You Sleeping?", but I can see Diva roasting it.
@@MelanieNLee Well to be fair, The Point does have more plot and philosophy than Yellow Submarine. Even if it is SUPER hippy philosophy. XD
'The Point' is a weird, weird favorite of mine. It would definitely be fascinating to see what Diva would make of it.
I've got a hole in me pocket. (Still hopin' to see Heidi's Song condemned to the Fiery Pit some fine day.)
SceamingScallop I'm still hoping for a review of Jesus Christ Superstar...the 2000 Jesus Christ Superstar.
My friend in 1968 pointed out that the cartoon Ringo says "in ME pocket" while the real, live-action Ringo at the end says "in MY pocket".
Alright I'm going to come out and admit that this is a semi guilty pleasure for me. It is one of the most trippiest things I've ever seen, you know that this film was definitely made in the 60s
More than an hour after getting the notification for this episode, I just made time for it now.
EDIT- 4:00 P.M.: *finishes episode 17 minutes later*
"Yellow Submarine" was so much weirder than I thought it would be! 😆
Ohhhh boy it's one of my childhood favourites that also gave me nightmares...
Ah yes, I remember watching this troppy movie awhile back. Truly some sweet and darker memories!
I would like to remind people that one of the animators from Yellow Submarine worked on the Pumpin and Blowin scene from The Pirate Movie. Make of that what you will.
I have very fond memories of Yellow Submarine from when I was a kid. And it's not the worst or weirdest movie the Beatles ever made; at least this one had beautiful animation tied together with a loose plot, unlike Magical Mystery Tour, which was just the mundane English countryside tied together with nothing.
I remember watching this on an old tv on a rolling cart when I was in kindergarten... I’ll never forget those opening title, I genuinely thought this movie was something my overactive imagination made up for a decently long time (until I found out who the Beatles were)
The video started buffering RIGHT as "Mamma Mia" showed up on the screen, and for a second I thought poor Diva had been rendered speechless. XD
In all fairness, that was my personal reaction when I found out they were making a sequel. XD
I approve Of offering up Martin as one of the best parts of this.
And if you haven't ever given it a listen I would recommend his retirement piece.
What the moment came along the studio offered in the ability to make whatever He wanted. He pride in singers and actors versions of a number of the beatle songs and featured a number of his compositions from the yellow submarine.
It's a wonderful listen.
"The Yellow Submarine" is to my taste, however, but it seems like a great classic animated film which will be fun for the whole family for generations to come. 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁
All the music in an animated film was pre-recorded? I'm shocked!
This movie actually inspired me to go on a Halloween budget this year, and do a Meanies costume lol.
That aside, please leave Mamma Mia Here We Go Again for a MUCH later review, and please get to reviewing other films far worse than it (I'm glad you did Jem, but let's get to Camp Rock next? Maybe Spongebob Atlantis Squarepantis?)