Eight days a week review

[Westside Steve]

Eight days a week

 

Hulu

 

PG. 137 min

 

 

 

 

I can't imagine there being a more important pop music icon in the 20th century, or the 21st for that matter,than the Beatles. Probably only Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley could even be mentioned in the same sentence. Even then it's the alignment of the stars in of world events, mass media, and generation identity that set them above the pack, at least in why not-so-humble opinion.

 

On top of that few would disagree that Ron Howard is one of our finest directors.

 

I have to say it's a pretty bold move for the people at Hulu who footed the bill for this film hoping to attract more subscribers to their pay-per-view television service. Frankly I didn't subscribe to Hulu but made a physical trek to one of the very few theaters lucky enough to show it, in this case the NightLight theaters in downtown Akron, which is a cool experience in itself. It's an Eclectic little place kind of a cross between irregular Movie House and somebody's rec room but, God bless them, they do lean toward more unusual flicks.

 

It might possibly show up on other screens later on and for those of you who already have the satellite service you can see it now.

 

There isn't much I can tell you in the way of a plot synopsis because what this is, is a overview of The Beatles few touring years.

 

If you are as much of the Beatles fan as I am or many others are you probably already know everything in the film butt it's still fascinating to see outtakes and rarely seen clips all put together in one package. You get to revisit some of the incident during those years that fell into place to make the Beatles the generational catalyst that they were. The assassination of John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King, the civil rights movement, the misunderstood quote in which John Lennon compare the Beatles to Jesus. All of these incidents are part of the story and the film.

 

Even if you are not surprised by any of this documentary you will get a better sense of life on the road for four young men trapped within their own fame and how it became too much of a burden to carry on. Many of us in the entertainment business love the adoration of fans but can you imagine what it would be like if it were 24 hours a day and thousands of fans?

 

All that being said I guess if you are a Beatles fan, or not part of that generation or even familiar with it, this film might not mean that much to you.

 

Be that as it may the target audience is distinct and those who are part of it will love it. And Hulu is smart enough to realize that the baby boomers as a group have the money to drop an extra ten bucks a month to watch some old TV shows.

 

Also interesting is immediately following the documentary there is a 30-minute clip from the famous Shea Stadium concert which is been digitally remastered and actually sounds great. I have no idea what kind of program or programs are used to restore this concert footage but it's pretty amazing and will appeal to people who might just like the Beatles music.

 

For a Beatle fan?

 

A

 

For someone who isn't? Who knows?

 

 

WSS

 

 

 

 

Westside Steve Simmons