The Beatles Are Back-Sort Of

Even after over 40 years since the craze around the nation, The Beatles still have a lasting effect on people whether it is  good or bad. With still so much support given to the group, a new movie titled, ‘The Beatles: Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years,’ was released on September 16th;  is sure to spark a renewal of “beatlemania” amongst longtime fans.

“I’m looking forward to seeing new content come out about The Beatles and seeing a new point of view to them. ” sophomore avid Beatles fan Gbemi Abon said.

The movie includes unseen footage and intimate interviews with and within the band. The idea for the movie began in 2002 when producers asked fans for any footage of The Beatles or concert videos. Oscar-winning director Ron Howard joined the project in 2013, taking to social media once again to ask fans for more unseen footage of the group. Although most footages recovered videos were poor quality, with the help of Giles Martin, son of George Martin who produced much of The Beatles’ music, and his team, plenty of footage was able to be revived and used in the movie.  

Throughout the film, footage of The Beatles’ first tour onstage and off is shown. It follows their rise to fame as viewers watch their venues getting larger and larger. The film even shows the more unflattering sides to some of The Beatles’ concerts in the wake of many controversies surrounding the group. For instance, some footage even depicts protests and hostile crowd during concerts, due to controversial comments members would say at the time. With the movie showcasing the beginnings of The Beatles and all the inbetween, it is quite fitting for the movie to end with footage of the Beatles’ 1969 London rooftop concert, the last public appearance for the group as a whole.

With a wide range of fans, the movie is targeted towards both new and old fans to either relive memories of seeing The Beatles or recreate the experience and what it must have been like. The movie comes exactly a week after the release of “Live at the Hollywood Bowl,” a 17 track, live Beatles album. The album mainly consists of 1964 and 1965 tapes of the concerts performed in the titular stadium. Though these tapes were thought to be unusable due to poor quality and the overwhelming loud cheers of the crowd, with the help and advancement of technology the tapes have been revitalized similar to some footage in the movie. The movie and the album are expected to provide a new perspective of the hit group and please many eager fans.