Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is one of the finest Beatles albums, and sadly, it’s also the name of this campy story starring 1970s music icons like The BeeGees, Peter Frampton, Billy Preston, Earth Wind & Fire, Alice Cooper and Aerosmith (as the Future Villain Band singing ‘Come Together.’)
As much as I wish to declare this musical an abomination, there is something strangely good about it. The only thing The Beatles have in common with this film is the music. The film—a loose concept story of Billy Shears and his band hitting it big and leaving the wholesome town of Heartland and Shears’ girlfriend Strawberry Fields behind. Heartand is taken over by Mr. Mustard. Strawberry goes to find Billy and the band to help save the city. There’s some horrible plot to destroy decency and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Watching and listening to Frampton and Co muck about in crazy tight pants and colorful half-opened shirts is nuts! There is no actual dialogue spoken—it’s all sung and sometimes badly. (See aforementioned Earth Wind & Fire singing ‘Got to get you into My Life’.) George Burns narrates the film. The acting is, well, this is The BeeGees and Peter Frampton we’re talking about here. It’s awful too. The skateboards, the hair, the sad special effects… well, it’s awful and therein lies the charm.
The cast—no matter how wooden—is fun to watch. Barry and Maurice Gibb are hysterical. Steve Martin pops up for ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’—utterly nonsensical and oddly charming. You don’t who or what to expect. Barry Gibb singing my personal favorite ‘A Day in the Life’. Billy Preston pops up shooting sparks, singing ‘Get Back’ and zapping Peter Frampton. Hearland City Hall looks strangely familiar—like the museum in the remake of House of Wax.
As I see it, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is hysterical. The randomness (Frampton and Steve Tyler ‘fight’ it out, the brothers Gibb rescuing the chick) and poor acting is funny enough to watch because of the people in it. A cult film if there ever was one.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)
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1 comment:
If you take it as an off-beat musical and obvious product of the 60s/70s (regardless of when it was made), it's a lot of fun. Kind of like The Blues Brothers. Not a ton of cohesive plot, but if you're just looking for a cool road trip, it's a neat ride.
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