Post by yerblues1968 on Jun 24, 2008 0:56:54 GMT -5
YELLOW SUBMARINE
Yellow Submarine is a 1968 animated feature film based on the music of The Beatles. It is also the title for the soundtrack album to the feature film, released as part of The Beatles' music catalogue. The film was directed by Canadian-born animation producer George Dunning, and produced by United Artists and King Features Syndicate. The Beatles themselves appear only in the closing scene of the film, with the Beatles characters in the film voiced by other actors.
PLOT
Pepperland is a cheerful music-loving paradise under the sea, protected by Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which falls under a surprise attack by the music-hating Blue Meanies; the attackers seal the band inside a music-proof bubble, then turn the Pepperlanders into statues and drain the country itself of colour.
Pepperland's elderly Lord Mayor sends Old Fred (whom the mayor calls "Young Fred") off in a yellow submarine to get assistance. Old Fred travels to Liverpool, where he follows the depressed and aimless Ringo and persuades him to help. Ringo collects his "mates" John, George and finally Paul. The five journey back to Pepperland in the yellow submarine, passing through several episodes:
* Sea Of Time - where time flows both forwards and backwards to the tune of "When I'm Sixty-Four",
* Sea Of Science - where they sing "Only a Northern Song",
* Sea Of Monsters - where the dreaded "vacuum cleaner" beast sucks up the entire landscape and then itself,
* Sea of Nothing - where they pick up a rather helpful "nowhere man" named Jeremy Hilary Boob PhD, and sing the song "Nowhere Man" . Ringo takes pity on him and takes him aboard the submarine.
* Foothills of the Headlands (or Sea of Heads) - where they get separated from the submarine and John sings "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds",
* Finally, Sea of Holes - where Jeremy is kidnapped by one of the Blue Meanies. When Ringo jumps on to a green hole (which turns into the Sea of Green), they arrive in Pepperland.
Reunited with Old Fred and the submarine, they imitate Sgt. Pepper's band, and "rally the land to rebellion". Jeremy is rescued, colour and flowers rebloom, the original Sgt. Pepper's band is released (thanks to a hole in Ringo's pocket from the Sea Of Holes), and Pepperland is restored. The Blue Meanies are forced to retreat, but John extends an offer of friendship, and the Chief Blue Meanie has a change of heart and accepts. An enormous party ensues, with everyone living happily ever after.
At the end, the real Beatles (in a live-action sequence), having returned home, playfully show off their souvenirs. George has the submarine's motor, Paul has "a little love", and Ringo still has half a hole in his pocket because he gave the rest to Jeremy. However, John spots "newer and bluer Meanies in the vicinity of the theatre" and cheerfully comments there's only one way to go out: "Singing!" The quartet obliges with a reprise of "All Together Now" which ends with various translations of the song's title appearing in sequence on the screen.
PRODUCTION
Released at the height of the psychedelic pop culture period of the 1960s, the movie Yellow Submarine was a box-office hit, drawing in crowds both for its lush, wildly creative images, and its soundtrack of Beatles songs. The original story was written by Lee Minoff, based on the song by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and the screenplay penned by four collaborators including Erich Segal. The recurring line "It's all in the mind" is taken from The Goon Show.
The dialogue is littered with puns, double entendres, and Beatles in-jokes, many scripted by poet Roger McGough. "Blue Meanies" is sometimes used as a slang term for the police, although many viewers will have missed this (see List of slang terms for police officers). The term "Blue Meanies" is actually a metaphor for bad people in government and corporations, who force their wills on good people (Pepperlanders), and carelessly deplete and ruin the natural environment, resources, colour and landscape[citation needed]. They are carefree about their destructive ways and will do whatever necessary to crush those (The Beatles) who oppose them.
(In the DVD commentary track, Production Supervisor John Coates adds an additional perspective, stating that "blue" was a play on "Jew," not as a reflection of any anti-Semitism on the part of the filmmakers, but rather as a commentary on the stereotypical casting of Jews as villains. There is also a scene where a Blue Meanie questions some disguised Beatles, asking, "Are you Bluish? You don't look Bluish...")
Additionally, The Beatles' appearance in the film was actually based on their music video Strawberry Fields Forever, with the exception of Paul being without his moustache. The film also includes several references to songs not included in the soundtrack, including A Day in the Life where the lyrics are referenced in the 'Sea of Holes' scene, as well as the orchestral breaks earlier in the movie, also from A Day in the Life.
MUSIC
In addition to the existing title song Yellow Submarine, five new songs were commissioned for the movie: All Together Now, (a football-crowd favourite); It's All Too Much, (a George Harrison composition); Baby You're a Rich Man, a song that made its public debut as the All You Need Is Love single B-side; Only a Northern Song, a Harrison song originally recorded during sessions for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (the partial inspiration for this film); and Hey Bulldog, a John Lennon piano romp echoing of Lady Madonna, which was recorded at the same time (this song was originally included only in the European theatrical release, but restored for the US theatrical reissue in 1999).
The film's instrumental music was an orchestral score composed and arranged by George Martin. One of the film's cues, heard after the main title credits, was originally recorded as the introduction to Don't Pass Me By, Ringo's composition for The Beatles (a.k.a. The White Album); it was later released as A Beginning on the Anthology 3 album.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Submarine_%28film%29
Yellow Submarine World Premier at London Pavilion - July 17, 1968 (2.57 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=X2hBQcCGuzM
Yellow Submarine Beatles Interview - John and George (0.52 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=FYC_yBp3WjU
Yellow Submarine Trailer (3.48)
youtube.com/watch?v=zzh1SCy3Sbk
Yellow Submarine - Part 1 (9.59 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=hTIkbdisVAQ
Yellow Submarine - Part 2 (9.58 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=Cnadobj7nXM
Yellow Submarine - Part 3 (9.58 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=kWrygecZXz0
Yellow Submarine - Part 4 (9.58 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=KZZqKt7q8Uk
Yellow Submarine - Part 5 (9.58 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=AaldEtqYRUU
Yellow Submarine - Part 6 (9.58 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=4mL4yf601Mw
Yellow Submarine - Part 7 (9.58 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=AoqUg8WiPaI
Yellow Submarine - Part 8 (9.58 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=mTLFAivSNnQ
Yellow Submarine - Part 9 (5.36 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=kXvM6_uxT-E
Yellow Submarine deleted and alternate scene. (3.56 minutes)
youtube.com/watch?v=nu2aHbkGiwU
Yellow Submarine DVD may be purchased here:
www.amazon.com/Yellow-Submarine-George-Dunning-II/dp/B00000JRUQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1214285904&sr=1-1