A Hard Day's Night

Who says there were no pop videos in the 1960s? This is an example of one, two, three - indeed, possibly five - all loosely connected via a daftly enjoyable storyline featuring old "Steptoe" himself - Mr. Wilfrid Bramble. It has a plot, not that it remotely matters: the fab four are heading to London to do a television show and poor old Ringo gets separated - much to the chagrin of the programme's director. What ensues are various enjoyable escapades interspersed with some dapper performances from the band. The thing is riddled with charisma - the band are clearly having a whale of a time, Bramble looks like startled rabbit - as only he could - and the scenes with the screaming fans contribute well to the overall sense of adulation in which this band were held. It makes no pretence to be a film of great cinematographic worth - which is just as well 'cos it isn't - but as 90 minutes of almost fly-on-the wall fun and games, it's well worth a watch.