Talk:Magical Mystery Tour (film)

"Plot"

Am I alone in thinking that "plot" should be in quotes? Let's be honest, there wasn't much of a plot was there? :) --kingboyk 08:05, 10 March 2006 (UTC)

Sorry I don't have a reference for you, but I did find it online in one of the beatle fan sites, a story about how Ken Keasley (?) had taken students into the surrounding California countryside to make an ad-hoc improv film, making it up as they were inspired by the places they found. Lennon, it was said, loved the idea and this film was their attempt to do the same thing. Only it went horribly wrong. Because they were famous, the press hounded them, drowning every stop-over spot in papparazzi. At one point, they say Lennon got out of the bus and ripped the banners off so they could just drive on in peace -- they then rented a local airfield and hastily threw together the final 'scenes' to complete the film in time for the BBC deadline.

I think this is a marvellous story, and if it is true, it more than explains the missing 'plot' because the film cannot be judged by hollywood/television standard format values, it is instead the record of a rolling happening, an improv theatre colliding with the raw truth of British culture at that time (ie, how the media destroyed the artists intent in their greed for a scoop). Hopefully someone can track down that story and confirm it, and fold it into this page. -- garym 12:10, May 25 2006 (EDT)

Sorry for sounding stuffy, but even if there wasn't a plot (which is obviously arguable, see the above comment) putting plot in quotes sounds a bit...POV.

Now, as an un-stuffy person, I agree, it was missing a bit of "plot." But as the above person sorta said, it wasn't really meant to be a movie like that. 75.36.160.7 (talk) 04:20, 6 August 2009 (UTC)

"Plot" part 2

nothing in the article about the circus freaks, performers, and "eccentric characters" who were also passengers on the bus. In fact McCartney said the plot was to put "circus freaks, performers, and "eccentric characters with themselves on bus tour, and film what happened." "Nothing happened" he said. "That's what went wrong with the movie". This article seems to have been written by someone who hasn't seen the movie, and just read some poorly written articles on it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.164.71.229 (talk) 10:14, 8 September 2020 (UTC)

What an incredibly accurate description of the Wikipedia as a whole. 2003:CA:3F18:4624:E457:3590:6848:89AF (talk) 20:11, 13 April 2022 (UTC)

Did this air in the USA in '67?

This article says it did, whereas the Magical Mystery Tour (album) article claims that the film didn't surface in the United States until 1976. Which is right? 217.155.20.163 23:26, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

"Cult Classic"

Really? Among what cult? Even die-hard Beatles fans tend to regard this as little more than a footnote. Jgm 22:14, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

I AM what you would call a die-hard Beatles fan, and I love this film! It's one of those movies that's so bad it's good... basically, it's just the Beatles being really high (obviously), and having a good time. All of the Beatles fans that I know (who've seen the film) also love this movie. -Chris (December 12th, 2006 11:10am PST)

So what? That's personal anecdote. Anyway the Beatles are the biggest selling band in the world, how can ANYTHING they do be really described as having a cult following? "...Has a cult following" is one of those knee jerk phrases that gets inserted into Wikipedia without editors really considering what it means.Verlaine76 (talk) 16:13, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Wikilinks

Please see Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Wikilinks for what should be linked, and how often. There is no need to link the individual members of The Beatles every time they occur, either in the text or the infobox. --Rodhullandemu (talk - contribs) 15:05, 1 November 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Beatles MMT dvd.jpg

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BetacommandBot (talk) 06:52, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

Rerelease in 2008

I have not heard of it is it true??? —Preceding unsigned comment added by ZookGuy (talk • contribs) 19:02, 9 August 2008 (UTC)

NO!! 89.27.202.154 (talk) 17:29, 28 September 2009 (UTC)

Bootleg DVD?

Why is a bootleg DVD release included in the film's video release history -- especially when we already list an earlier legitimate DVD release? --Metropolitan90 (talk) 02:28, 5 October 2011 (UTC)

2001 or Dr. Strangelove?

This is on the 2001: A Space Odyssey article:

In spite of Kubrick's tendency to destroy scenes he shot but did not use in the film, unused footage from the final Stargate sequence appears in the Beatles film Magical Mystery Tour during the sequence accompanied by their instrumental song "Flying".

This page has:

"Flying" uses aerial footage which was shot on black and white film that had originally been photographed for Stanley Kubrick's Dr Strangelove; it was lab-tinted for inclusion in the sequence.

So which one is it?

Very likely neither as there is no credible source in the 'net that corroborates this story. It's pretty much impossible that the 2001 footage was used as it was still in production when MMT was shown and I find it unbelievable that Kubrick would have handed his footage out before the film was complete (of course later he did give similar outtakes from The Shining to Ridley Scott for Blade Runner but that was a couple of years after The Shining was done), the landscapes are completely different, and the 2001 footage was shot on 65mm Panavision which the BBC wouldn't have been equipped to deal with.

There are some circumstantial connections between the Beatles and Strangelove (Cinematographer Gilbert Taylor shot Hard Day's Night and Strangelove, though he had no involvement in MMT, Apple Corp exec Denis O'Dell had connections with Kubrick's producer James B Harris) and the footage is similar.

It's probably general stock in MMT footage of which there would have been plenty, and the colour effects made someone think of 2001 and got it confused with the Shining/Blade Runner affair and started an urban myth.

The Magical Mystery Tour ref has been deleted from the 2001 page and should be removed here as it's completely unsourced apocrypha.Verlaine76 (talk) 15:56, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

I should add neither Baxter nor Le Brutto mention any Kubrick footage being used on MMT. I think this should be deleted.Verlaine76 (talk) 12:17, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

No-one has come forward with a credible source for this information, so I'm removing it. When it can be verified it can be restored. Verlaine76 (talk) 19:10, 31 December 2013 (UTC)

After many years away from this page I return to see that Wikiweeds have grown up again where I deleted them and a fresh clump pf unsourced anedotes and speculation has sprouted. As it happens I do have a source now (BBC radio documentary on the Beatles films) that confirms it was Dr Strangelove that was the source of the Flying footage. I have included updated text with, a source, that more accurately reflects the now properly sourced facts. I've also deleted speculation about fans discussing comparisons between the sequence and 2001: A Space Odyssey, because no one cares what stoned conversation you had in your dorm room last night and certainly no one thinks it worthy of stuffing into Wikipedia! Verlaine76 (talk) 21:33, 22 August 2018 (UTC)

References

Track Listing

I just watched the movie (2012 edition) and I don't remember Penny Lane being in it? Where was it used? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 31.53.186.44 (talk) 12:07, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

RAF West Malling

Not only decommissioned but also completely built over by a new housing estate. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.4.29.189 (talk) 11:38, 17 May 2014 (UTC)

Trick

I should have known that Lennon's lyric 'The walrus was Paul' in Glass Onion was all a trick. Especially considering that the lyrics of I Am the Walrus explicitly state that John was the walrus.

I always thought Paul was the walrus, John was the chicken, Ringo was the hippopotamus and George was the rabbit. Well, at least I got one of the animals right. -- C.Syde (talk | contribs) 09:20, 27 July 2014 (UTC)

Budget / Box Office

Did this film have an official budget and box office gross by any chance? I noticed that this page lacked a budget and box office, when I was trying to work out which film was more of a disaster, this one or Head. -- C.Syde (talk | contribs) 07:23, 24 January 2015 (UTC)

Songs

We are missing the following songs in the list:

• Strawberry Fields Forever
• Penny Lane
• Baby, You're a Rich Man
• All You Need Is Love

Neel.arunabh (talk) 18:01, 6 March 2016 (UTC)

Timeline

Many sources treat all of MMT and especially the telefilm as some kind of panicked, chaotic, and flimsy reaction of little worth that only came about due to Brian Epstein's death when The Beatles didn't know what to do. However, Your Mother Should Know has Paul say that the song was written specifically for the telefilm *AND* mentions that Brian sat in on one of the song's first recording sessions. So in order to somewhat redeem MMT, I think the article should mention that the whole idea and concept pre-dated Brian's death. --2003:71:4F76:852:BC40:458B:2969:6132 (talk) 21:27, 18 June 2018 (UTC)

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