There are some films that you watch when you're really young that stay with you into your adulthood. They are at the back of your mind where they rest throughout your teenage years and when you're in your early 20s you start to want those childhood days back and start to reminisce about when you first saw that film...
For me, the films I think back to are films like, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters and of course, Disney. But the more obscure films, such as The Mikado, Pirates of Penznace, The Secret of NIMH, American Tail, Big Foot and the Hendersons, Some Like it Hot, Flight of the Navigator, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Hook, Brassed Off, The Lady Killers, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Guys and Dolls and the Marx brothers films, just to name a few films that shaped me. But the one I'm missing off my list is The Beatle's Yellow Submarine.
This year is the 50th anniversary of The Yellow Submarine, an anniversary that has prompted my parents and my aunt and uncle to reminisce about when they first saw it, at the cinema! Luckily the film is an important part of the animation and British film landscape so it was given the 'big screen' treatment, meaning that fans like me, could see it in all its glory for the first time at the cinema.
I can't remember exactly what age I saw it, but I was very young, maybe not even 8 years old yet. The Yellow Submarine was on TV and back in the day, we recorded everything on video tapes. We used to have a HUGE library of videos, having to take half of them out to see where everything was. I wore that video out I watched it so much. I eventually, in my early teens, was able to ask for the 'real' VHS for a birthday or Christmas present and I was ecstatic when I saw that shiny yellow box. I waited another decade to get the shiny new CD that had been released with all the music from the film and not long after that, I was able to purchase the restored version on DVD, special edition. It's so beautiful to behold.
Directed by George Dunning, this classic animation will be forever the cult hit with fans of The Beatles and new fans of the animated marvel. Hoping that the coverage the film has been getting in the past few months that more people will go and see why it is such a beloved film. A story about a fictional fantastical land, Pepperland, who are invaded by the evil Blue Meanies who hate music and anything happy really. Their one hope, Captain Fred who escapes in the fabled Yellow Submarine travels to our world where the Fab Four go on an adventure to help out Fred and the rest of Pepperland fight, with music and song.
My family obviously knew of my Beatles obsession, so my dad painted the sub on my wall which was there until I moved rooms when I was 15. My obsession has quieted down but when I see all the awesome merchandise, I can't help but wish I had it all and it never 'all too much'.
I used to put on The Beatles vinyl that my parents owned and listen to their music and dance around the dinning room table. Seeing the film on the big screen made me think back to those days. The animation is still crazy and wild and I love it. With the use of what we'd call a gif, used throughout Eleanor Rigby and the hand drawn sketch effect in 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' all moments I adore. Just need a sing-along to happen and life would be complete.