A Hard Day's Night is a 1964 British black-and-white comedy film on
Blu-ray, directed by Richard Lester and starring the Beatles—John Lennon, Paul
McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—during the height of
Beatlemania.
The Fab Four's famous first foray into film is considered one of the most
innovative and refreshing music movies ever made. Celebrating the phenomenon of
Beatlemania in 1964 and capturing John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison
and Ringo Starr in their electrifying element, A Hard Day's Night is a wildly
irreverent journey through one day in the life of arguably the world's greatest
rock'n'roll act.
Driven by madcap humour, timeless pathos and an irresistible sense of
adventure, join The Beatles as they travel from their home town of Liverpool to
London for an all-important TV performance. Along the way the band are not only
mobbed by obsessed fans, but tasked with rescuing Paul's mischievous
grandfather (Wilfrid Brambell) from moments of high peril as well as keeping an
eye out for a wandering Ringo who manages to disappear just before the
concert.
Nominated for two Academy Awards®, featuring all-time favourites ‘A Hard
Day's Night’, ‘All My Loving’, Can't Buy Me Love', ‘I Should Have
Known Better’, ‘She Loves You’, ‘Tell Me Why’ and many others,
directed with flair by Richard Lester, A Hard Day's Night is a lively trip
back to a fun era of sensational music marking the true birth of British
Beatlemania.
Black & White
Special Features
- The Beatles: The Road to A Hard day's Night- An Interview with Mark
Lewisohn
- In Their Own Voices: The Beatles on A Hard Day's Night
- Anatomy of a Style
- Picturewise- A New Featurette on Richard Lester
- Audio Commentary
- New Trailer
Plus additional DVD special features
- Things They Said Today
- You Can't Do That! (The Making Of A Hard Day's Night) (60:00)
- The Running Jumping & Standing Still short film
- Audio Commentary
- New Trailer
A Hard Day's Night Movie Reviews
“American-born director Richard Lester serves up a helping of what, on
this side of the pond, we came to think of as kicky, mod British
filmmaking.” Chicago Reader
“The mop-tops are likeably relaxed, with Lennon offering a few welcome
moments of his dry, acerbic wit.” Time Out
“It's a fine conglomeration of madcap clowning in the old Marx
Brothers' style, and it is done with such a dazzling use of camera that it
tickles the intellect and electrifies the nerves.” New York Times
“Not only has this film not dated, it may even look fresher than it did
in 1964; the zigzag cutting and camera moves, the jaunty ironies and
pop-celebrity playfulness, are all standard issue now on MTV and its
offspring.” New York Magazine
“To watch the final concert segment is to look back decades and
realize, as you do seeing vintage footage of Duke Ellington or Frank Sinatra or
John Coltrane, that it's never really gotten any better.” Detroit
Free Press