List Price: $29.98 Our Price: $20.06 You Save: $9.92 (33%)

Product Description

The Beatles followed up their debut film A HARD DAY'S NIGHT with this fanciful spy spoof. When Ringo adds a new ring to his collection he's unaware of how important and dangerous this piece of jewelry is. On one hand a religious cult considers it a sacred object and the wearer must become a sacrifice to their gods. On the other hand the ring has magical abilities that hold the key to supreme power. Soon the boys from Liverpool are engaged in a slapstick and madcap chase round the world as a crazed scientist a pack of crooks and several religious fanatics set out to capture the band. Watch for the English Channel swimmer who seems to be perpetually lost and appears in nearly every location. Includes Beatles' hits including "Help!" "Ticket To Ride" "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" and many more.System Requirements:Running Time: 153 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY/SHOWBIZ Rating: G UPC: 5099951034795 Manufacturer No: C9DW-10347

After the worldwide success of A Hard Day's Night, the Beatles and director Richard Lester reunited for a follow-up film, Eight Arms to Hold You. Well, that wasn't the final title; a pleading Lennon-McCartney tune provided the catchier handle: Help! A loose semispoof of the globe-trotting James Bond pictures, Help! has always been considered a somewhat disorganized comedown from its predecessor; but it presents "the famous Beatles" even more clearly as the English cousins of the Marx Brothers. The plot has an Eastern religious cult declaring that the new ring on Ringo's finger is the key element in a human sacrifice; they will stop at nothing to obtain it. Meanwhile, a mad scientist (crazed Victor Spinetti, who also appeared in A Hard Day's Night and Magical Mystery Tour) believes that if he has the ring, he could--dare we say it?--rule the world. The songs, including "Ticket to Ride" and "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," are filmed with gleeful ingenuity, in locations such as the Bahamas, an Austrian ski resort, and the Salisbury Plain. The relentless nonsense becomes nearly the equivalent of a swinging-'60s Alice in Wonderland: for instance, Paul shrinks to the size of a gum wrapper, John fishes a season ticket out of his soup, George wears a top hat on the ski slopes, the lads sing the "Ode to Joy" to a lion. Oh, and the film is dedicated to Elias Howe, "who in 1846 invented the sewing machine." Brilliant. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

• Help! Deluxe Edition
  I could not be more pleased with this purchase. Package was in excellent condition, brand new and well worth the $35 I paid. I saw the same item in Best Buy over the Christmas holidays, and they wanted $119 for it!...more info
• Help
  It has been a long time since I saw Help, but thoroughly enjoyed just as much this time as I did the first time. Absolutely worth buying....more info
• Great product
  Marvelous package, brings back memories of my younger days. Fantastic how they provided additional insight into the making of the film, along with the reproduction script. Great item for Beatles collectors. The seller was fast in delivery, and reasonably priced compared to retail outlets....more info
• Great collector's package
  This is a great collection of material and tribute to the heyday of 'Beatlemania'. The remastered edition of 'Help' is very well done; a huge improvement over previous releases and a worthy addition to any Beatles collection. The amazing Amazon promotional deal made this purchase a 'no-brainer'.
  ...more info
• Help!
  A timeless masterpiece! The Beatles are as fresh today as they ever were.
  Good sevice from Amazon Thanks to all!...more info
• Charming, Witty, and Funny
  I had purchased this movie a while back, and have never gotten the chance to watch it.
  I should have seen it when I bought it-I was missing out!
  
  I had previously watched "A Hard Day's Night", and "Help!" beats it out of the park. Not to take anything away from "A Hard Day's Night", but I just thought this was more entertaining.
  
  This movie is extremely silly and hilarious, while still keeping the plot, and surprisingly, keeps the story-line moving, all the way to the end.
  
  This movie made me laugh all the way through, while at the same time, I got to enjoy the songs that were on the "Help!" CD. The attempts to get Ringo's ring made me laugh the most during the film.
  
  "Help!" is a great movie for anybody who is a beatles fan, old-time movie fan, or just want a good laugh. I'd highly recommend this movie, and plan to watch it again very soon....more info
• A true Beatle Classic
  What a capsule in Beatles history........The best way for new fans to really understand not only the BEATLES BUT THE 60'S THEMSLEVES! Just sit back and enjoy it!...more info
• Help!..This is a great movie!
  Help is a great comedy that is very entertaining; however, I can imagine that some people would find this movie corny and campy. The picture quality is excellent and looks like it was restored in High Definition. There are no specks or scrathes in the picture. Since widescreen is the main format now, this was reframed for widescreen even though the original ratio was much closer to full screen. The 5.1 surround sound is nice, but some great Beatles collectors might not approve. Rather than using the original mono sound, this uses a 5.1 surround sound with the songs' audio derived from the stereo studio sound....more info
• Outstanding reissue at all levels
  I hadn't seen the Beatles' Help! movie in a long, long time, let alone the 2007 premastered version. Well, I picked this up recently, and boy, am I glad I did. The 2007 reissue is a 2 DVD set.
  
  DVD 1 of "Help!" (95 min.) brings the original movie (released in 1965), and what a delight it is to see it again after all this years. It doesn't have the original charm and innocence of 1964's "A Hard Day's Night", but that is not a surprise as at that time the Beatles were battling the peak of Beatlemania. Director Richard Lestor somehow manages the 4 guys through a zany script (something about a chase for a ring on Ringo's finger, not that it matters a whole lot). The movie is just a pretense to showcase the Beatles in any way, shape or form. The way the songs are presented in the movie became, what is clear by now, a model on how to shoot interesting music videos (as is acknowledged in the second DVD, more on that later). The songs play fabulously if you have the proper home-theatre set-up (which I have). To think that this movie is now 44 years old just boggles the mind. It still feels fresh to this day.
  
  DVD 2 (60 min.) brings mostly a recollection of those who were involved in the movie at that time, and it is a delight to hear these people (including the director, but also many others) recollecting on the insaneness that it was to shoot a film with the Beatles. Lester tells a funny anecdote that he received an award from MTV for being the father of music videos and he says "I want a blood test", haha! It also includes a look on how the movie was "remastered" (with spectacular results, by the way) and several trailers for the movie, including one in Spanish for "Los Beatles", just hilarious.
  
  In all, this is a must have for Beatles fans, and by now also a great historical time-capsule of things in the mid-60s. Highly recommended!...more info
• Beatles 4-Ever
  I loved the Beatles movies since it was the days before TV videos. Growing up as a Beatles fan back in the 60's my friends and I would sit at the movie theater all day and still would not get enough of The Fab 4.
  This movie is abit corny by todays standards but if you love The Beatles and thier music you love this one. The scenery as they travel around the world when filming is great. ...more info
• Beatles Help Deluxe Edition
  Fantastic 2 dvd Deluxe set of the Beatles Help.I'm a big Beatles fan and got this for a great price from Amazon,well worth it....more info
• Its the BEATLES!!
  ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS! What fun for even my children, who missed Beatle-mania... very quirky, very clever, with all those great tunes. Not to be missed....more info
• HELP DVD
  I am a Beatles lover and I have shared this with my 5 year old daughter. I purchased this movie to watch it with her. I have lost count as to how many times she has watched this. She repeats lines from the movie and knows every word to the songs. I was able to explain a very important part of her Mother's life by introducing her to them in this movie. A very lighthearted movie with some of the best music ever created....more info
• A lot of fluff.
  I bought this set for my Mom who is a big Beatles fan and she really wasn't impressed. There's a lot of 'memorabilia' type stuff, but she said the movie really isn't very good, and she'd much rather just listen to the music than watch the movie or read the song notes, or look at pictures of them. If you're big into collectibles, and memorabilia, this is definitely for you, just wasn't for my Mom, and I wasn't too impressed either....more info
• A great Elvis movie
  A few quips, some jump cuts and a few arch scene transition titles do not offset my impression that here is an above average Elvis exploitation movie starring the Beatles. Somehow, I never saw this one until now. It's not remotely comparable to "A Hard Day's Night." The silly plot about an Indian death cult trying to recover one of Ringo's rings wears thin fast. Still, it's delightful to see the Fab Four in restored, glorious color. The songs are great, but are just gratuitously stuck in every 10 minutes with no relation to the plot. Worse, the Beatles don't bother to even pretend to be playing along. They are out of synch, especially Ringo who doesn't bother to stay on the beat, his cymbals flailing every which way, his drums set up in absurd locations like some rocks at the beach or a military plain. Film looks like it was just duped yesterday, though, thanks to the great restoration. Thankfully, you can cue just the songs on the menu and skip the filler in between....more info
• Help!
  I got the movie just in time and in the condition they said it was in. Fantastic!...more info
• Absolutely Amazing!!!
  From beginning to end, Help! is an amazing work of art! Every song that they do on this movie is at a different location and visually beautiful. The Beatles are just too cool in the videos as well. I really enjoy the close up camera during the song "The Night Before". They have a camera at the end of Paul's bass and you can see him playing really good and it looks awesome.
  
  The story of the film is hilarious and as good as any other comedy that came out at the time. There were parts that I still remember that make me laugh. The funniest scene, to me, is when they are in the restroom and the hand dryer starts tearing off the clothes of everyone that walks in. Hard Day's Night is a classic film, but I liked this the best between the two. Come on, this has a mini-Paul! lol. ...more info
• I love this movie!!!!
  This is such a good movie,its really funny,has great humor,
  it has very clear picture and the songs in this movie are really
  great!!!this is by far the best beatles movie,in my opinion.
  the beatles are the greatest!
  
  
  i hope you love this movie!!...more info
• Another Beatles' film
  I also saw this film at the theatre when I was young. I also have this in VHS and now in DVD. I'm happy with my purchase of this dvd. It's like watching a long music video but better. Funny as the first movie they made. I also recommend this film to Beatles' fans as it has a lot of action and comedy. Even folks who don't know the Beatles' that well can't help but like this one.
  ...more info
• Bringing back memories
  The Beatles' "HELP", is an underrated classic.It brought back a lot of great memories. And it was fun teaching my kids about British comedy,music, and why some of their shows/movies is even funnier to me b/c of Beatles' references (i.e. "Meet the Beat Alls"- Powerpuff Girls episode).Nothing like a good laugh!...more info
• Perfect!
  I've just receveid my box. The film is what is expected (are you a fan or not). What counts, however, are the gifts that accompany the film: the poster, cards, the extras on DVD, the script, the book of photos ... An item of collector....more info
• I second all the plaudits, but --
  the blurb repeats an insular and erroneous US analysis --
  
  ". . . it presents "the famous Beatles" even more clearly as the English cousins of the Marx Brothers."
  
  The Beatles were huge fans of the UK's Goons (which had been recorded by George Martin, and US director Richard Lester had brought from UK radio to TV), which were not the Marx Brothers, from which they derived their style of humor.
  ...more info
• Beatlemovie
  The Beatles IN COLOR!
  Welcome Americans to the world in which only the Beatles could have a great time!
  Get ready!
  Experience cults and their shotfalls!
  See sultry seduction in the form of a beautiful actress.
  A super powerful supporting cast!
  And comedy!
  You will laugh and sing.
  Great fun!
  Do buy this!
  The video quality is quite acceptable too!...more info
• GOOD DEAL FOR THE 19.99 I PAID FROM AMAZON BUT
  i got this i seen it for 19.99 and love the beatles but the packing its in looks super cheap not worth 150 or 250 like they sell in canada at stores but for 19.99 its ok but ever thing falls out looks like they got a kid to put it together even trying to take the dvds out to watch are a pain in the butt but the books cards and poster are kool but not worth theb big price wait till they drop it to 19.99 again...more info
• Great Music! Bad Movie!
  I am a Beatles Fan & enjoy listening to their music. However, this being said, I thought the movie, "Help!" wasn't very good. It was a combination music video of the The Beatles performing their various songs in different locations and a movie about a group of evil religious zealots trying to steal one of Ringo's rings.
  
  "Help!" is a really artsy film, where we see crazy, unrealistic antics happening repeatedly by all the cast members. The acting is bad in this film and the storyline is silly throughout. The music, costuming & make-up are the only redeeming features in this film....more info
• Help! The DVD
  For people from 60's like me, this is an outstanding movie. DVD quality is excellent.
  Saludos, Allan. ...more info
• Frankly, This Movie Stinks
  The Beatles were at the height of their fame when this movie was made, so it was guaranteed to get big box office, which it did. A Hard Days' Night was excellent, this sorry excuse for a follow-up is an abomination. There are a few funny scenes and of course the music is good, although the lip-synching and pretend instrumentation are reminiscent of The Partridge Family. John Lennon is clearly overweight and they all look like they're half-stoned alot of the time. I'm a Beatle fan, but this is a clunker. It's not that it hasn't aged well. It wasn't good to begin with. Pass....more info
• Gorgeous Film and Music (of course)
  I don't know why it took me so long to watch/purchase this movie. I am a Beatles freak and own every album and had seen Hard Day's Night, but until this reissue of Help! I just hadn't taken the time to check it out. But I have to say that I liked this movie MORE than Hard Day's Night. The gorgeous color and fun storyline were highly entertaining! This is my kind of movie. Quick little one liners, and funny little bits that if you blink you might miss them. Which also makes this film ideal for repeat viewing. The visuals are just outstanding, vibrant colors and great scenery! I highly recommend this film to even the most casual Beatle fan (if there is such a thing!!)...more info
• A fan
  Wots to review? Its the BEATLES!! I'm a long time fan. VHS too worn out....more info
• Help! vs. A Hard Day's Night
  I am probably committing heresy here but I've recently watched both A Hard Day's Night and Help! in high-def and I have to give Help! the edge, in spite of its far-fetched plot involving a magic ring. Let's face it, both of these movies have their plot defects, but Help! comes through somehow fresher.(I would have felt differently 30 years ago).
  
  One thing that I found evident was just how much the television show, The Monkees, that I grew up with was a blatant (but well-done) rip-off of Help! When I was a kid, growing up in the 70's, the Beatles were yesterday's news, but the Monkees' show was on every afternoon, and as Michael Stipe has often said, was perhaps a bigger influence on that generation than the disbanded Beatles, whom I would discover through listening to Wings, about the time that Wings began to falter.
  
  Anyway, watching Help! is a bit like watching an extended Monkees episode(Yes, they all had ridiculous plots just like Help!) and for the MTV generation who came prior to The Real World, this will feel comforting because Help! is basically full of music videos.
  
  The newly-released print looks sensational. I am not sure if I have ever seen a color movie from that era that looks as good as the new Help! DVD and the movie seems a lot better than it did the first time that I saw it back in the mid to late 1970's. The boys look great and were at the height of their musical prowess and their beauty as men. They would never again look this great together and appear to be such great friends, just having a sensational time as mates.
  
  Every Beatles' fan should buy this....more info
• Forty-seven years old and just now watching this .....
  I friend of mine loaned this to our family since my 14-year-old daughter (drummer in her own basement band) has really gotten into the Beatles in a big way lately. We sat down and watched it together -- what a hoot!
  
  It's definitely slap-stick humor with a thin story line tying the music together, which doesn't sound very positive, but it's funny. We are still referencing scenes in the movie to this day and we watched it about eight weeks ago. It was great to see the "younger" version of the group and how each one was so full of personality.
  
  If you are a Beatles fan and have never seen this, it's about time -- really, really fun to watch....more info
• A trip to the 60's
  I have greatly enjoyed this return to my youth, when the Beatles held sway over much of entertainment. The copy of the film Help is in excellent condition and is a joy to watch....more info