听 It doesn't take much to earn fame these days, which makes a viewing of "A Hard Day's Night" so incredible for the Beatlemania it captures. Filled with the faces of a generation in mass frenzy, this hugely enjoyable film receives the type of DVD release that alone deserves adulation.
TECHNICAL FEATURES
Picture This is a pleasing transfer of the film to disc, although some scenes carry slight print damage that could easily be removed digitally. The contrast levels are good, though, and the movie often looks quite fresh.
Sound The 5.1 mix of this film doesn't really feature any rear speaker activity. All the dialogue and effects stick to the centre speaker, while any musical numbers concentrate on the front left and right. This works quite well, with some good bass support, but this isn't a particularly ambitious effort.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Disc One
Things They Said Today This revealing 36-minute documentary is made up of a host of new interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. David Picker, then executive of United Artists, recalls signing up a band he'd never heard of for a very cheap three-picture deal. Band manager Brian Epstein arranged it, and musical director George Martin doesn't hide his contempt when talking about what he considered to be a lousy deal. The Beatles weren't keen on doing a movie because pop band films were normally so poor, but "A Hard Day's Night" went on to garner serious critical praise.
Disc Two
Disc two is composed of an extraordinary selection of interviews, ranging from the director right down to actors who featured only in crowd scenes. The quality of the anecdotes is excellent, and together forms a highly enjoyable education on a unique period in British pop culture. The interviews are gathered into relevant sections on the disc and vary in length from three to 20 minutes. They often include behind-the-scenes clips and stills.
Their Production Will Be Second to None Director Richard Lester discusses his career, and how a short film he made for 拢60 was nominated for an Academy Award, and led to him being hired to direct "A Hard Day's Night". Sir George Martin describes how he would stockpile songs for the Beatles, while associate producer Denis O'Dell admits his kids forced him to say yes to making the film, and studio executive David Picker admits to getting plain lucky in landing the project.
With the Beatles This section is composed of interviews with various actors that appeared in the film, from leading roles to bit parts. John Junkin chats about the professionalism and down-to-earth behaviour of the Beatles, and Lionel Blair discusses the dance choreography he had to put together for the film. Other contributors are Kenneth Haigh, David Janson, Anna Quayle, Jeremy Lloyd, and Terry Hooper.
What You See Director of photography Gilbert Taylor chats about lengthy shoots that reduced him to wearing slippers on set, and Betty Glasow recalls how she was the only person doing the entire cast's hair. Paul Wilson reveals how he brought TV techniques to his camerawork on the film, and second assistant director Barrie Melrose recalls being unable to communicate to his crew because they were always surrounded by screaming girls.
Busy Working Overtime Assistant directors Pam Tomling and Roy Benson devote most of their time to dissecting the editing of the film, while sound engineers Gordon Daniel and Jim Roddan marvel over the difficulties in recording sound whilst surrounded by constantly screaming girls.
Listen to the Music Playing in Your Head This is an interview with George Martin where he goes into some detail about working with the Beatles and how they never brought two tunes to him that sounded alike. He demanded a new single off them every three months and a new album every six. They delivered. George also talks us through the songs featured in the movie.
Such a Clean Old Man Alan Simpson and Roy Galton offer their thoughts on Wilfrid Brambell who, as well as featuring in "A Hard Day's Night", also starred as Steptoe in classic TV series Steptoe and Son. They recall a traditional actor who always stuck to his lines, and who was in fact only 50 when he took on the role of Steptoe.
I've Lost my Little Girl Actress Isla Blair talks us through footage and stills of a scene she did in the film, which was then cut.
Taking Testimonial Pictures Poster and title designer Robert Freeman offers a commentary on some of the still shots he took on the set of the movie.
Dressing to the Hilt You can't say that this DVD release isn't thorough! In this little featurette, Gordon Millings (son of the Beatles' tailor) has a rummage through suits and templates used to make the distinctive suits worn by the Fab Four.
Dealing with the Men From the press publicist to the Beatles, Tony Barrow spills the truth on the press coverage of the day, and just how moronic journalists can be.
They and I Have Memories We all have memories, but artist and buddy of the Beatles Klaus Voorman has some pretty distinct memories of a youth spent hanging around with the mop-tops. Sleep was apparently a rare commodity, with never less than a couple of hundred girls screaming outside the Beatles' apartment every night.
Hitting the Big Time in the US Concert promoter Sid Bernstein reminisces about the heights the Fab Four reached. At only a few minutes long, this section would benefit from more material.
Region: 2
Chapters: 14
Ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Technical Features: Scene selection, animated menus, subtitles, and English captions for the hearing impaired.
