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38 reviews in total

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17 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
not quite the Beatles ..., 31 July 2004

Author: didi-5 from United Kingdom

This affectionate spoof of The Beatles rise to fame and fortunes after their split was a collaboration between a couple of Pythons, some of the SNL cast, and Neil Innes of the Bonzo Dog Band. It's an interesting combination, which grew from bits in the Rutland Weekend Television show.

With a soundtrack featuring the likes of 'Ouch!' (instead of Help!); 'Get Up And Go' (instead of Get Back), and an animated 'Cheese and Onions', you just know this is going to be silly. The thing is that the songs by Innes are just brilliant, as memorable as anything the Fab Four did.

But The Rutles are The Prefab Four, so let's concentrate on their story. Eric Idle has the most roles to play as well as being the Rutles' version of Macca, and narrates the thing throughout. Neil Innes is the Lennon equivalent, complete with cute Scouse accent, while John Halsey (as Barrington Womble, forever known as Barry Wom) is the Rutles' Ringo, and Rikki Fataar is the George equivalent, Stig. Their story basically equates to the Beatles' - except that their manager Leggy Mountbatten goes to Australia, where they have to resort to contacting him through the Ouija board (and by letters); they form a company to produce other acts - which fails - and end up playing their last gig on a London rooftop. There's even a spoof of the broadcast which featured 'All You Need Is Love'.

The SNL guys - Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, and John Belushi - fit in just fine. Alongside them are Mick Jagger and Paul Simon playing themselves talking about the Rutles ... as well as a sneaky appearance from Python friend and financier George Harrison as a reporter.

If you're a Beatles fan or a fan of anyone connected with this, you'll love it.

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15 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
An acquired taste, but well worth the effort, 30 January 2003
Author: TC Raymond from Rutland

Eric Idle's now-classic spoof of The Beatles grew out of his mid-seventies BBC TV series Rutland Weekend Television, which featured a fictional rock group called the Rutland Stones. A bit of creative thinking (and the genius stroke of bringing in the brilliant musical parodist Neil Innes) later, and the Rutles were born. This film, made on a tiny budget but displaying a greater range of ideas and imagination than a dozen current-day Hollywood blockbusters, tells the story of Dirk, Nasty, Stig and Barry, the 'pre-fab four', from their beginnings at the Rat Kellar in Hamburg through their first hit singles, their movies A Hard Day's Rut and Ouch, Che Stadium, tea addiction, Sgt Rutter's Only Darts Club Band, Surrey mystics, the lawsuits, the marriages, Rutle Corps and the final break-up of the band, with a glimpse of their post-fame lives.

The film is an acquired taste, requiring a certain knowledge of the Beatles' career and a liking for Eric Idle's droll sense of (mostly verbal and very British) humour, but if you enjoyed THIS IS SPINAL TAP, then this should bring a smile to your face. Despite it being Idle's project, he is very nearly upstaged at every turn by Innes, who not only offers a letter-perfect pastiche of the Beatles' songs (the highlights being 'Doubleback Alley', 'Piggy In The Middle', 'I Must Be In Love' and 'Cheese and Onions'), but also an uncanny performance as Ron Nasty - the way he walks, talks, slouches, poses and arranges his features are almost scarily close to the real Lennon, particularly his delivery of the line "I'd like to own a squadron of tanks". Everyone will have their own favourite moment, but the superb recreation of the psychedelic animation style of YELLOW SUBMARINE wins it for me every time. The cameos by Mick Jagger and Paul Simon are rather pointless, and they do disrupt the fantasy, but George Harrison is spot-on as a journalist and the Saturday Night Live players are good in their cameo roles. How could anyone resist Bill Murray the K?!

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15 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
Funny, but could have been even better, 18 May 2003

Author: (rcraig62@comcast.net) from Brick, NJ

If you're a fan of the Beatles or of Monty Python's Flying Circus (and I happen to be both), it's hard to dislike this classic take-off of the Beatles phenomenon masterminded by Python's Eric Idle and composer Neil Innes that lampoons the Fab Four so precisely that the attention to detail for Beatlemaniacs will be even more impressive than the wit.

Some of the gags are priceless ("Their first album took twenty minutes to record. Their second took even longer."), but that's nothing compared to Idle's spoofing of familiar Beatles set pieces: the John & Yoko chaacters press conference for peace held in a shower, the Rutles looking "shocked and stunned" in their reaction when told of their manager's demise, and the playful banter with the media (Q: Do you feel better after seeing the queen? Rutle: No. You feel better after seeing the doctor. Rutle: Not my doctor, you don't.) And, in the traditional Python style, it's a documentary that spoofs documentaries. In one scene, narrator Idle finds himself chasing after a tracking shot that goes speeding away without him.

But the thing about it is that really satisfies on the level of the obsessed Beatle fan who knows absolutely everything there is about the Beatles' story. The Kaiserkeller is referenced as the Rat Kellar, an old hotspot crawling with rats, the Beatles' detested music publisher Dick James gets a dig ("a music publisher of no fixed ability"), the thievery going on at Apple, Ringo's fascination with the I Ching, and even Allen Klein appears (John Belushi, wearing Klein's trademark turtleneck sweater). Amidst all that, the true highlight (as was the case with the Beatles' movies themselves) is the music. Neil Innes' parodies of Beatle songs are dead-on in style and substance without ridiculing or plagiarizing them ("A Girl Like You" is close to "If I Fell", but not quite). He also gives a more-than-credible performance playing the John Lennon character. On the negative side, I thought Idle kind of glossed over the disintegration of the band- a period ripe for comic parody, and the bit about Idle in New Orleans interviewing old blues singers who supposedly inspired the band is a total throwaway. Besides, weren't the Beatles inspired by R & R pioneers like Chuck Berry and Little Richard rather than Muddy Waters? I think that's Idle's one slip-up to Beatle history.

This movie will be compared, perhaps unfavorably, to This Is Spinal Tap. I think they're about even. But for the definite word on Beatles (or Rutles) commentary, this is it. And the songs are even better than the jokes.

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9 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
My review of The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash..., 24 November 2000

Author: (kblackwell@cableregina.com) from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

A perfect blend of Monty Python and Saturday Night Live in this mock-umentary about the greatest rock group of all time, The Beatles. Eric Idle is hilarious as the interviewer/narrator, with cameos from some big-named stars, such as Mick Jagger, George Harrison, John Belushi, Michael Palin, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Lorne Michaels, Gilda Radner, Paul Simon and more. An instant classic if you love Monty Python, SNL, or the Beatles....

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6 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Four Lads Who Shook Their Heads, 8 May 2002

Author: Shaun Hennessy (henfish) from Chatham, Kent

Rags to riches story of Dirk (Eric Idle), Barry (John Halsey), Stig (Rikki Fataar) and Nasty (Neil Innes): The Rutles. We follow their journey from humble Merseyside beginnings in Liverpool's Cavern Club to global superstardom under the secure (if somewhat shaky) hand of their manager, 'Leggy' Mountbatten. This intriguing and revelatory voyage to the highest echelons of the pop world and subsequent (and almost obligatory) mass litigation features several contributions from celebrity fans of the pre-fab four; ready to reveal to the waiting world exactly 'how it was'!!!

Brilliant mock-umentary stands as a glowing beacon to the Beatles (including a self-deprecating cameo from producer Harrison) with an astute collection of marvellous mickey-takes of the fab's more pivotal moments performed by four actors clearly having the time of their lives. (Idle and Innes are inspired). All this interweaved with Innes' uncannilly excellent soundtrack (inc. the sublime 'Let's Be Natural') makes for a must see film for true devotees of Beatles and comedy alike.

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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Man, this is mean!, 21 September 2006

Author: Shaolin_Apu from Seinäjoki, Finland

Although parodies never actually rise to the level of their victim they may be lethally funny at least. Some days ago when I was watching the Beatles Anthology, I suddenly started to remember scenes from this movie and I noticed that was laughing to myself. This only indicates how 'The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash' works other way around too.

Although the Rutles is a very funny comedy itself it does require that you know both Beatles and Monty Python relatively well. Otherwise you might lose something very essential. On the other hand 'The Rutles' can be watched many times again and again without losing a bit of its fascination and there aren't quite many films that can compete with that quality - and even less comedies! For a comedy there is a noteworthy section of famous persons presented as the supporting cast. When making 'The Rutles' Eric Idle was at the top of his fame and he received really good support for this film which is one of those ultra rare examples on how to create Pythonesque comedy and do it even better than the Monties.

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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Eric Idle's Finest Hour, 19 July 2006

Author: AdamFontaine from Ambrosia

"The final impression conveyed by this dismal programme was that of the talentless sneering at the talented" was how one angry Beatles fan summed up 'All You Need Is Cash' in a letter to 'The Radio Times' in 1978. He'd missed the point completely. Eric Idle and Gary Weis' film is not a mickey take of the group themselves, but rather the media circus that surrounded the Beatles. Archive footage is seamlessly blended with new material to create an exhilarating comic portrait of a fictitious '60's super group. Those who saw Tony Palmer's pretentious 'All You Need Is Love' series will appreciate Idle's spoof even more. Special mention must be made of Neil Innes as the Lennon figure, Ron Nasty. So brilliant were his Beatles pastiches that they were eventually released as an album. And as for 'Yellow Submarine Sandwich', well, it takes your breath away! Not all of the film works, for example, the joke made of Brian Epstein's death falls flat, but it remains Idle's best post 'Python' project to date.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
While "The Rutles" doesn't contain any outright belly laughs, there are many times when I chuckled and the humor was extremely clever, 2 December 2006

Author: TimothyFarrell from Worcester, MA

While "The Rutles" doesn't contain any outright belly laughs, there are many times when I chuckled and the humor was extremely clever. The mockumentory spoof of The Beatles has become a cult classic. You have to give credit to Eric Idle for conceiving such an accurate and well-researched spoof. In many ways, this can almost be seen as the dry run for "This Is Spinal Tap". If you are a fan of "Spinal Tap", "Monty Python", vintage "SNL", or the fab four, you'll most likely be amused by this made for TV movie.

One of the reasons why it works so well is the amount of comedic talent assembled. Eric Idle and Michael Palin from "Monty Python", Neil Innes from the Bonzo Doo Dog Band (who were featured in The Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour"), and many cast members from the original season of "SNL" (John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner). Adding to this are cameos from musicians such as George Harrison and Ron Wood, and interviews with Mick Jagger and Paul Simon. Fans of the 70s will be in heaven! Plus the songs are both hilarious and catchy and well written, something which "Spinal Tap" would also manage to pull off. "The Rutles" is refreshing, very amusing, and deserving of its cult classic status. (7/10)

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3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Vynil Punching Heavyweight Evangelistic Boxing Kangaroo, 22 August 2005

Author: Steve Nyland (Squonkamatic) from New York, USA

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I adore this show and cannot recommend it highly enough to Beatles fans. Not only does it wonderfully de-mystify certain elements of the Beatles legend by bringing them down to earth with a resounding THUD!, but is surprisingly respectful of the reasons why Beatles fans 'luv' them so much. Even the persistent "Paul Is Dead" rumor gets the Python treatment, with no offending party from the cluttered baggage compartment of annoying Beatle minutiae going unmolested.

The starting point is the music, composed by Monty Python affiliate Neil Innes, who also sang/performed on the recordings and plays 'Ron Nasty', sort of the evil twin Doppelganger to John Lennon. I am surprised to see comments from others relating their disappointment with his songs, which is sort of the point. I am afraid they were snookered into expecting actual substance -- My take on it is that Innes was drawing attention to the mundane nature of Beatles music in general, and how perfect it was for their time. Everyone was so stoned back then that the ordinary-ness sort of got wafted up in a billowing cloud. People assigned meanings or depth to songs that were essentially just pop tunes about falling in love, taking dope, enjoying nature and questioning authority. And once you think about it, things haven't really changed that much. Innes is only saying that pop music itself is usually disappointing, which is funny 'cos it's true today even more than back then.

My favorite songs from the Rutles -- "Doubleback Alley", "Let's Be Natural", "Cheese & Onions", and especially the wonderful "I Am The Walrus" parody "Piggy In The Middle", which even has a backwards secret message -- are remarkably aware of their source material, not only in terms of melody but lyrical content. By not trying to match what the Beatles did but to almost mirror their intent to state the opposite, Innes created some genuine classics that almost stand on their own without the Beatle comparisons. Familiarity with the source material is what makes it hilarious: The chanting of "This Little Piggy Went To Market" at the conclusion of "Piggy In The Middle" couldn't be more appropriate, equating Lennon's original word imagery with childhood rhymes and nonsense words. Which is precisely what Lennon had done in the first place. Throw his critics & scholarly fans a curve ball by constructing a song out of complete gibberish, then daring them to waste their time trying to find a deeper meaning. And amazingly, that is *exactly* what they did. Innes deserved an Emmy + a Grammy.

The look of the show is probably even more perfect. All four of the Rutle performers actually do physically resemble their Beatle counterparts and use it to their advantage. Eric Idle's mugging, eye rolling and cloying as 'Dirk McQuigly' is the closest thing to a cheap shot in the piece. One can understand why Sir Paul McCartney may not have been too thrilled by the portrayal, which is not exactly flattering: Dirk comes off as an idiot. Neil Innes appears and sounds remarkably like John Lennon at times -- I love how he bobs up and down during the Ed Sullivan and Command Performance sequences, as well as his gleefully sadistic Ron Nasty character, kicking a sound technician off the roof before the "Get Up And Go" performance, holding a press conference to inform reporters they are "daft", or stating that his life's aspiration is to "Command a battalion of tanks." One of the biggest laughs to be had is the global TV hookup for "Love Life", which underscores how ridiculous the original Beatles piece was, especially those stupid, colorful psychedelic costumes. They look 100% silly, and after seeing it once you'll never look at the video of the "All You Need Is Love" performance the same way.

Yet as with the musical content, the ridiculous nature of the 1960's itself is what Eric Idle & Neil Innes were focused on rather than making fun of legendary Beatles incidents. The board tapping at Bogner section is a brilliant poke at the mysticism fad that the Beatles found themselves wrapped up in, and one of my favorite moments is where Ron Nasty and his Nazi wife sit in a bathtub and comment the fascinatingly perverse truism that "Civilization is nothing more than an effective sewage system." Which works not only as a perfect parody of the John & Yoko 'Bed-Ins' and Bagism philosophies, but is also a pretty damn accurate assessment of modern life. And then there is the "Piggy In The Middle" performance, which is a sight to behold for any fan of "Magical Mystery Tour", a masterpiece so ahead of it's time that not even the Beatles seemed aware of what the point of it was. I love the double-takes that the masked Dirk McQuigly gives to the costumed nuns and Meter Maids who meander through the set at the end of the song, sort of like they wandered into the shot from a totally different film. Which is a pretty accurate observation on what "Magical Mystery Tour" was all about: Spontaneous happenstance whereby ordinary, stupid, childish elements were juxtaposed on film to create a sort of visual tension that defines psychedelic surrealism better than any other 1960's media event I can think of. That Innes & Idle had figured that out by 1978 is nothing short of remarkable insight into popular culture.

But the bottom line caveat on THE RUTLES is that if you are pre-disposed against The Beatles, Monty Python, 1960's nostalgia and unapologetic non politically correct humor, this probably won't be the CITIZEN KANE of rock parodies -- THIS IS SPINAL TAP still holds that brass ring. But for those of us with an appreciation for those things this is a wonderful diversion and actually could have been expanded to a feature length film & not overstayed it's welcome. They left us wanting more, and that's showbiz. "Hey Diddle Diddle" indeed.

8/10

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3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Lets see The Beatles+Python's+Groundbreaking format=Funny!, 23 August 2001

Author: droopfozz from NYNY

The very first comedic mockumentary (2 years pre-Spinal Tap) this is a very funny film, with great music, it happened on accident Eric planned on making another film with Neil, but the music sounded to much like A Hard Day's Night. This film is so acurate in its homage to Beatlemania George, (Stig) who is also in this movie) quotes it 5 times in the Beatles: Anthology Book. Hilarious and a cult classic.

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