The Beatles Films Podcast

More chasing and more studied pointlessness as we head into the film's final scenes. We look at the Buster Keaton influence on the escalating police chase scenes, and ask whether Ringo is actually back where he belongs when he rejoins the group, given that there's been no narrative resolution of his earlier discontent. We look at the filming and editing techniques of the concert scene, and have a look at John's final words for Grandfather.A Hard Day's Night is often on BBC iPlayer, although not at the moment, and available to rent on a few streaming services. https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/a-hard-days-night There's also a good quality copy on YouTube at the moment, which might of course be taken down soon. Do yourself a favour and buy the Blu-ray anyway.Get Samira Ahmed's excellent book about the film, from the BFI Modern Classics series: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/hard-days-night-9781839029394/The 1905 film The Life of Charles Peace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCNuY7SH6YYBuster Keaton's Cops: https://youtu.be/_JdW1vJbKCYThe film's car thief John Bluthal as the Leaning Tower of Pisa replica salesman in Superman III: https://youtu.be/Vvz6MTymE-UThe Young Ones episode "Boring" has the discriminatory language we refer to cut out on BBC iPlayer but you can find the original scene if you're interested enough to Google it. This does have an Abbey Road visual gag for good measure though: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00bfqm6/the-young-ones-series-1-3-boringMeet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24/08/2026 • 58:52

(Ringo's Theme.) We get on to Ringo Starr's real introduction to the world as an actor, when everyone thought "Hey, he's not bad at this, is he?" In particular he does a great job with Wilfred Brambell in the canteen, convincing us he's slowly becoming persuaded to leave the group. We spend some time parading with Ringo, looking at his interactions with the boy and in the pub.A Hard Day's Night is often on BBC iPlayer, although not at the moment, and available to rent on a few streaming services. https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/a-hard-days-night There's also a good quality copy on YouTube at the moment, which might of course be taken down soon. Do yourself a favour and buy the Blu-ray anyway.Get Samira Ahmed's excellent book about the film, from the BFI Modern Classics series: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/hard-days-night-9781839029394/Ringo's handwritten lyrics to Octopus's Garden: https://www.beatlesbible.com/gallery/lyrics/lyrics-octopuss-garden_01/A little article about Paul McCartney's selfie from his Eyes of the Storm exhibition: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c741wvwk3qvoThe opening sequence of Superman III, in which Gordon Rollings, having had Ringo throw a dart in his sandwich, is part of a domino rally of mishaps: https://youtu.be/P9BwmdEfrDkRingo's book, Anatomy of a Murder by Robert Traver, a pen name for John D Voelker: https://share.google/ASKJ6NDsUVGkXcIe0Meet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17/08/2026 • 53:55

Part 4 takes in three of the film's key solo spots: John Lennon's scene with Anna Quayle, George Harrison in the teen TV show office, and Paul McCartney fronting the Beatles' performance of And I Love Her.A Hard Day's Night is often on BBC iPlayer, although not at the moment, and available to rent on a few streaming services. https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/a-hard-days-night There's also a good quality copy on YouTube at the moment, which might of course be taken down soon. Do yourself a favour and buy the Blu-ray anyway.Get Samira Ahmed's excellent book about the film, from the BFI Modern Classics series: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/hard-days-night-9781839029394/The picture of George Harrison scowling, and the context: https://www.reddit.com/r/beatles/comments/1lh31ss/i_heard_george_loved_this_photo_so_much_he_had_a/Joe Lycett talking about he and James Acaster being mistaken for one another: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Wa91yrX2d8MHow to Be Cool by Philip Pullman: https://share.google/HyHlY8dpVwsurWT6oMarlon Brando in On the Waterfront came out a full decade earlier than we thought it might have: 1954. Still, our point stands, probably.Dexy's Midnight Runners performing Jackie Wilson said on Top of the Pops in 1982 with an image of darts player Jocky Wilson behind them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwcBkRUifmYMeet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10/08/2026 • 75:04

From the hotel to the TV studio. We see the Beatles at a press event, which revisits one of the film's themes: that Beatlemania persists with or without the Beatles themselves. We get into more class dynamics between Ringo Starr and the sound engineer ("Aren't you being rather arbitrary?") and John Lennon's delivery of If I Fell gets us into discussing whether he could sing love songs straightforwardly without undercutting them with a joke, something which Paul McCartney didn't struggle with.A Hard Day's Night is often on BBC iPlayer, although not at the moment, and available to rent on a few streaming services. https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/a-hard-days-night There's also a good quality copy on YouTube at the moment, which might of course be taken down soon. Do yourself a favour and buy the Blu-ray anyway.Get Samira Ahmed's excellent book about the film, from the BFI Modern Classics series: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/hard-days-night-9781839029394/The scene we mention from Richard Lester's Superman II, in which General Zod walks on water and an onlooker throws away his drink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aISDPLtY-28Meet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

03/08/2026 • 49:34

Part 2 covers roughly the next 12 minutes of Richard Lester's film. We look at the absurdist downplayed reaction to finding an intruder in your hotel room cupboard, and the generational disconnect in how comfortable the Beatles seem in the nightclub, vs how grandfather can only fit in at the casino by pretending to be someone else. Plus! The class dynamics in Ringo Starr's jump-dancing with a posh fellow clubgoer, and some more magic realism in John Lennon's bathtub scene.A Hard Day's Night is often on BBC iPlayer, although not at the moment, and available to rent on a few streaming services. https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/a-hard-days-night There's also a good quality copy on YouTube at the moment, which might of course be taken down soon. Do yourself a favour and buy the Blu-ray anyway.Get Samira Ahmed's excellent book about the film, from the BFI Modern Classics series: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/hard-days-night-9781839029394/James Wood in Prospect magazine in 2000, coining the term "hysterical realism" with reference to, among other books, Zadie Smith's White Teeth: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/culture/56397/hysterical-realismWatch the 2024 Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/a-complete-unknown Meet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27/07/2026 • 42:32

Come 'ead, then. We start by looking at roughly the first 16 minutes of the Beatles' 1964 film debut. Expect a detailed breakdown of their first dialogue scene in the train carriage ("Who's that little old man?"), and how it establishes straight away through absurdist techniques that these characters don't inhabit a strict reality, giving Richard Lester licence to do more or less what he wants from now on. We unpack the generational and class dynamics at play in the scene with the train commuter ("I bet you're sorry you won!") and discuss, in frankly more detail than anyone wants, whether or not the film is a musical.A Hard Day's Night is often on BBC iPlayer, although not at the moment, and available to rent on a few streaming services. https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/a-hard-days-night There's also a good quality copy on YouTube at the moment, which might of course be taken down soon. Do yourself a favour and buy the Blu-ray anyway.Get Samira Ahmed's excellent book about the film, from the BFI Modern Classics series: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/hard-days-night-9781839029394/Guns N' Roses' November Rain video, which as explained would not exist without I Should've Known Better: https://youtu.be/8SbUC-UaAxEThe Proclaimers jukebox musical Sunshine on Leith, which is great: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/sunshine-on-leith A bit more on Theatre of the absurd: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_of_the_absurdMeet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

20/07/2026 • 71:14

Ian Hart's third outing as John Lennon was 2013's Snodgrass, adapted by David Quantick from Ian R MacLeod's short story. Aired as part of the Sky Arts Playhouse series, it deals with a Lennon who left The Beatles in 1962 following his refusal to record How Do You Do It. With John now 50, bitter but insisting he did the right thing, it asks: where does creativity go when it has no outlet? We discuss this and its alternative timeline of a Beatles who went on to be nearly as big as The Hollies. Then we're joined by David Quantick to talk about how the project came to be and his attempts to make a feature-length version, the process of trying to capture Lennonian wit in dialogue, and his views on the Sam Mendes biopics and Paul McCartney's latest output, The Boys of Dungeon Lane. You can watch Snodgrass, albeit not in great quality, on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek89aSrwMN0What is probably a better quality version is on Vimeo, but you need an age-verified account because it's supposedly "mature content": https://vimeo.com/240214664David's website, including links to buy his books, is at https://davidquantick.comMartin Carr's solo work is released under his own name: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3b02YDnufwl9CPIblMomrD and under the name bravecaptain: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4IpVpd0lNWwyReKr5MkloYBeatles Forever by ELO (we apologise in advance): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4g3JgwYFio David's mention of a film called The Ballad of John and Yoko starring "a McGann" is a reference to John and Yoko: A Love Story, which is on our list.Meet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

06/07/2026 • 87:37

In Apple Films' 1971 documentary, Ravi Shankar is pondering whether he's diluted his beloved Indian classical music by promoting it to the West, through his association with George Harrison and The Beatles. We look at how the film explores this, and how it emphasises the spiritual connection necessary to perform the music, through techniques like focusing on the musicians' eye contact while playing. Plus! Was George actually rubbish at the sitar?Watch the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvwf53_ZPEM The final scene of Mad Men, in a very similar setting to the Esalen Institute, where Ravi and George practise sitar in Raga: https://youtu.be/LKPI56zW5AAMeet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29/06/2026 • 52:44

We're in agreement: this is the worst film we've covered. Yes, worse than Sextette. Ringo Starr's role in Frank Zappa's 1971 freakout film seems like it could've gone to anyone: is there a specific reason for using him as a Zappa avatar in this film? We also talk Zappa and free speech: do the arguably puerile lyrics undermine the virtuoso musicianship of Zappa and the Mothers of Invention? And did John Lennon and Yoko Ono rip off a Zappa song after they played together?A WARNING: there is more effing and jeffing in this episode than usual, because of the necessity to quote some of the dialogue to discuss it.Watch 200 Motels: https://m.ok.ru/video/1559126346278The documentary The True Story of 200 Motels: https://youtu.be/hHupp3ZDKAkThéâtre du Grand-Guignol: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_GuignolCirque de Clunes on Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge: https://youtu.be/hPQHHP7dfjUBenson Boone: https://youtube.com/@bensonbooneThe Darkness: https://youtube.com/@theactualdarknessJamrag/King Kong, as of 2025's Power to the People box set, now credits Zappa as a writer: https://youtu.be/4BDPdquOpnkRingo's quote about his waning commitment to filmmaking is from Alan Clayson's book Ringo Starr: https://share.google/mEjJ4ljorGZFTVQmi Meet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22/06/2026 • 57:08

This film is of Mark Lewisohn's 2022 stage show bringing to life what the Beatles did in 1962, enhanced by director Chris Purcell's on-location filming. We talk about how it showcases a performance style and an enthusiasm that belies a reputation for dry historical detail. And quite a bit about Ringo Starr's drumming, as it turns out.You can rent Evolver 62 on Prime Video and Apple TV at the moment: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/evolver-62And buy it on blu-ray in some territories: https://www.wowhd.co.uk/evolver-62/824355814323The Bill Hicks bit with the Ringo joke in it: https://youtu.be/-jIuP_Uk7AkThe Red Dwarf episode with the Ringo joke is series 2, episode 6, "Parallel Universe": https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00b8qy6/red-dwarf-ii-6-parallel-universe. See also series 1, episode 2, "Future Echoes" in which we find out Lister's robot goldfish are called Lennon and McCartney.The Ringo interview it turns out we were both thinking of was actually with Dave Stewart, not Elvis Costello: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl9188EPdLITrailer for Bart Layton's The Imposter, which repopularised reconstructions in documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1kHod0xa_8Actor Peter Boyle, at whose wedding John Lennon was best man: https://share.google/7TH4WLlIiuMSOvzW1Ed's point towards the end about how the surfeit of biography online affects fandom is paraphrased from Monsters: What Do We Do with Great Art by Bad People? by Claire Dederer: https://share.google/pXQbXdAMaKS5qEJdfMeet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15/06/2026 • 62:53

1972's Imagine was part-longform music video for John Lennon's Imagine and Yoko Ono's Fly albums, and part-bonkers conceptual art film. We try and get to the bottom of it: does it mean anything, and does a work of art's meaning have to be intentional in order to be, well, meaningful? Plus some key themes: mass isolation, intimacy in celebrity, male femininity through submission: sure, why not? You can watch the 2018 remaster on Prime Video.The trailer for the 2018 cinema release: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThIhgBloqN0The chess scene, set to Yoko's Don't Count the Waves: https://youtu.be/nVRhtWfJqXQThe video for the song Imagine: https://youtu.be/YkgkThdzX-8OK, so we weren't 100% correct about Situationism, but give us a break: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situationist_International The chess scene in Bottom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f64qJorLrYThe Marina Abramović work similar to Yoko's Cut Piece is Rhythm 0, in which she stood for six hours and invited the audience to use 72 objects to do whatever they wanted to her: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythm_0Meet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

08/06/2026 • 60:50

We love an iconic Beatle interview, and here's one: the first time two Beatles had been interviewed together on TV since the band split up. It's fascinating for a few reasons. We talk about Ringo's alcoholism (he went into rehab later that year), and how George gently prevents his drunk friend from going too far. Plus some discussion of the When We Was Fab video, which George was there to promote. Was Paul McCartney in the walrus costume? And was Michael Aspel the founder of the Traveling Wilburys?Watch the interview: https://youtu.be/-vrRfORrcYMThelma Barlow, the Coronation Street actor also interviewed in the episode: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelma_Barlow Terry Wogan interviewing English footballer Paul "Gazza" Gascoigne in 1990: "The dream could turn out to be a nightmare" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcGvSKRQ5KYGeorge's When We Was Fab video: https://youtu.be/AVu6nPTVbBQOliver Reed drunk on Aspel and Company: https://youtu.be/EZMXIxIQmPwMeet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

01/06/2026 • 73:38

Based on Lars Saabye Christensen's 1984 book, a huge success in Norway, it's another coming-of-age story! Why does teenage Beatles fandom dovetail so well with this genre? We look at the use of music in the film, which secured the rights to use a few Beatles songs, as well as how successfully it marries up the four teenage boy characters with their respective Beatles.You can rent the film cheaply on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlOJYlREuIEThe book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatles_(novel)Watch The Bonfire of the Vanities: https://share.google/2KvlWLlYJaRyxTi1DMario Puzo's The Godfather novel: https://share.google/25bfmbahtQ6IksLbAThe Norwegian Wood film: https://share.google/olHb9tcPqN3cYKKtQMeet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25/05/2026 • 47:41

Given a short cinema release in April 2026, this film remixes and restores John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 1972 One to One concerts at Madison Square Garden, New York, John's only full-length post-Beatles concerts. We look at the context: this is shortly after the release of Sometime in New York City, an album which hadn't gone down well with fans or critics. Does this explain the audience's seeming relief at hearing songs from other albums? We also look at Yoko Ono as an "anti-rock" vocalist, and discuss Imagine: as this was its only concert performance by its author, did the song escape the singalong anthem status it might otherwise have had?The film has no streaming release date set at the moment, but generally these short cinema runs are a preamble to an imminent streaming release so we'd expect one soon. https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/power-to-the-people-john-and-yoko-live-in-nycWatch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7DztEZ86IYBruce Channel's Hey Baby, part of the brief 1962 harmonica craze into which Love Me Do slotted: https://youtu.be/Ync7jflOzuAKanye West's 808s & Heartbreak, which started the popularity for autotune: https://open.spotify.com/album/5ykOQlHaE5ZRxMibfI75YW?si=csCzZXmhSqe0uUhNISzyXwThe Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense: https://a24films.com/films/stop-making-senseMeet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

18/05/2026 • 59:18

In 1972, Paul McCartney's original 1961 Höfner bass guitar went missing. Then he got it back! Is there enough for a whole BBC documentary in it? Well, as we'll see, this film tells the story very well, but maybe the story itself is a bit unsatisfying. Still, a decent line-up of talking heads, including Paul himself, Klaus Voormann and Elvis Costello. What's not to like? Especially if you're into watching Klaus act out the middle section from A Day in the Life for no obvious reason.You can watch the film on BBC iPlayer until at least March 2027: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002v46m/mccartney-the-hunt-for-the-lost-bass"Big Johnny Bass" is of course Bill Black, Elvis Presley's bass player. Paul owns his double bass and played it on Real Love. We knew that really.The Netflix documentary Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer: https://www.netflix.com/title/81031373Meet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11/05/2026 • 67:23

Morgan Neville's new documentary, released in conjunction with MPL and with Paul McCartney's cooperation, covers the 1970s and what Paul did next after leaving The Beatles. It could've been a hagiography. But anyone who's seen it will have noticed it allows a lot more criticism of Paul than you'd expect. We look at the reasons for this and the effect of it: is this a Paul acknowledging his shortcomings, or just taking the opportunity to frame the narrative around them? We also discuss the effect of Sean Ono Lennon's contribution to the film, and whether it constitutes some public validation for Paul about his relationship with John Lennon.You can watch the film on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0FXN4DTFCOther films and shows we mention in the episode include Netflix's Take That: https://www.netflix.com/title/81901625Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model: https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81928842It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley, still in a few cinemas at time of release but sure to be on a streamer soon: https://share.google/uBk1OKq2Q83X8Nfs8Wingspan is on YouTube for free at the moment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BOthkQtbJAThe interview with Paul in the Evening Standard: https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/paul-mccartney-wings-beatles-interview-book-b1256680.htmlBarry Miles's book Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now: https://share.google/lhLl0jnHBAC5TztISMeet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

02/03/2026 • 67:53

Time for some wild speculation, now we've got a lot of the Beatle wives and fifth Beatle candidates' casting confirmed. We look in particular at Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney, and discuss the film Foe, in which she and Paul Mescal played a couple living in an isolated setting. A bit like Paul McCartney and Linda's Scottish farmhouse exile? We've been watching lots of films featuring the cast too, and we look at what their performances suggest they'll bring to these roles. Does the casting of high-profile actors to play wives and Beatle family members suggest big roles for them, and does this in turn suggest these films will have a focus on the band's home lives, and how fame affected them?We'll do our best to cite all the films we've mentioned. For Mescal and Ronan, watch Foe on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.co.uk/FOE-Saoirse-Ronan/dp/B0C9G86K94To make sure we've got it right: Ronan was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 2008, and for Best Actress in a Leading Role three times: 2016, 2018 and 2020The other Mescal films: Hamnet and The History of Sound, both out in UK cinemas in January 2026Mescal talking about stepping back from public view while the Beatles films are in production: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/02/i-dont-want-to-resent-the-thing-i-love-paul-mescal-and-josh-oconnor-on-romance-rationing-and-retirementYou can and should buy and rent Harris Dickinson's Urchin in lots of places: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/urchinOther Dickinsongs: Where the Crawdads Sing, Blitz, BabygirlJoseph Quinn in Hoard: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/hoardStranger Things, featuring Quinn from season four: https://www.netflix.com/title/80057281The trailer for Andrea Arnold's wonderful Bird, with Barry Keoghan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y0iJkT97JcMore Keoghanicals: Dunkirk, Bring Them Down, The BatmanMia McKenna-Bruce stars in Seven Dials on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81314952 And in How to Have Sex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWmF8KpxxmAThe films' entry on the FDA website, that currently suggests they'll all be released on 7 April 2028, but as we say is likely to change: https://filmdistributorsassociation.com/release-schedule/past-present-and-future-releases/?filmSearch=beatlesMeet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13/01/2026 • 75:00

Happy Christmas! Let's have a look at Dave Mullins' film, co-written with Sean Ono Lennon, which won Best Animated Short Film at the 2024 Oscars. We discuss the animation techniques, including use of the Unreal Engine, and talk about how John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Christmas song Happy Xmas (War Is Over) came about in 1971, and how it came to be used in the film.Watch the film on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W68-XaFepOgWe made a donation to the War Child charity for this episode, which you can too if you'd like: https://www.warchild.org.uk/donate-war-is-over-film The "making of" short documentary piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADIePh3JR40 Yoko Ono's 1966 piece, Play It By Trust: https://www.imaginepeace.com/archives/24764 Dave Mullins' Pixar short, Lou: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIL0vSNx8Xg The Toy Story 3 scene in which the characters accept and wait for their death: https://youtu.be/Hg2DBQNvLBQ An article about the auction of the 1969 postcard John and Yoko sent UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-61174089 Meet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25/12/2025 • 47:08

What did we expect from the new episode? Well: the big decision here is not to include any new interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr from the 2020s. We discuss the effect that decision has on this episode, and on how it rounds off the series as a whole. Does the episode work as a general making-of-Anthology, or as a patchwork of unused clips from the other eight episodes? And is there any more Threetles footage to come, or is that your lot?The 2025 Beatles Anthology is available to watch on Disney+: https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/browse/entity-cab32c53-c3f8-4879-86f5-c8e4a1657338You can find our five-part deep dive into the original Beatles Anthology earlier in this feedTom Doyle's book Ringo: A Fab Life: https://share.google/JTtimJRkRdc9nEJajThe episode of the Beatles Books Podcast featuring Tom Doyle: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-sjt4u-19a1a32Meet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

08/12/2025 • 58:16

They couldn't let it lie, could they? Well, fair enough: The Beatles Anthology felt like a sleeping giant for Apple: gathering dust on a lot of fortysomethings' DVD shelves when it could be out there, brand spanking new and showing a whole new generation how great these guys were.And of course these episodes have been altered: we talk about what's new, and what's been removed and why. Plus there's the subject of the AI upscaling of some of the early performance footage: what effect does it have and what are the implications?The 2025 Beatles Anthology is available to watch on Disney+: https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/browse/entity-cab32c53-c3f8-4879-86f5-c8e4a1657338You can find our five-part deep dive into the original Beatles Anthology earlier in this feedThe 1929 short film The Singing Brakeman, starring Jimmie Rodgers: https://youtu.be/JvA9fWnEXw0The episode of the Producing The Beatles podcast about Now and Then: https://www.producingthebeatles.com/new-episodes/2023/11/14/016-now-and-then-56hkt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

01/12/2025 • 65:58

It's part 2 and we're getting into it: what were the standout performances? There's a lot to choose from: Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney all had a go, but what motivated their song choices? We also discuss Paul in particular: less secure than Ringo in his relationship with George Harrison, it's fascinating to watch Paul tread carefully through his contributions, and we talk about the credit he deserves for how he handled this. What would a Paul McCartney tribute concert look like and who would appear at it?You can find ways to watch and listen to the Concert for George at https://concertforgeorge.comWe insist you listen to Steven's podcast with Jason Carty, Nothing Is Real: https://www.nothingisrealpod.comYou can also find their Radio Ulster series Back to the Irish, which examines the Irish connections of the Beatles and other artists, on BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b079m78nPrince's performance on While My Guitar Gently Weeps at George's Rock n Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2004: https://youtu.be/dWRCooFKk3cThe Art of McCartney compilation album that Matt likes a lot more than Steven does: https://open.spotify.com/album/4iZ49yyqqCiB4B1NVV98lMThe Prince's Trust Rock Gala 1986, where Paul performed I Saw Her Standing There, Long Tall Sally and Get Back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hivErCQ7R6IMeet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24/11/2025 • 49:54

As reluctant as he famously is to talk about it, Steven Cockcroft, one half of the Nothing Is Real podcast, attended the George Harrison tribute concert on 29 November 2002. So when it came to discussing the 2003 concert film we thought, Who better to invite on as a guest? Part 1 of our conversation touches on our memories of George's death in 2001, how Steven got a ticket, which artists were confirmed when, and which were rumoured, and the differences between the DVD's two versions: the full concert and the edited theatrical release.You can find ways to watch and listen to the Concert for George at https://concertforgeorge.comIf you haven't listened to Nothing Is Real you must. Steven Cockcroft and Jason Carty created the the gold standard of Beatles podcasts, and they are sorely missed: https://www.nothingisrealpod.comYou can also find their Radio Ulster series Back to the Irish, which examines the Irish connections of the Beatles and other artists, on BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b079m78nBobFest in 1993 was officially known as The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration, a Bob Dylan tribute: https://www.bobdylan.com/albums/the-30th-anniversary-concert-celebrationTom Hanks's episode of Desert Island Discs, in which he chose an unlikely Beatles song and spoke movingly about how they helped him through childhood loneliness: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b079m78nThe Martin Scorsese concert film The Last Waltz: https://share.google/DQgykliRFBj1vxoMxMeet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17/11/2025 • 66:45

Ringo Starr and Harry Nilsson playing Merlin (yes, the wizard) and the son of Dracula: what could possibly go wrong? Well, a fair bit as it turns out: some baffling choices are made and it can't quite make up its mind what it is, but at least Ringo enjoyed being a producer, didn't he? No, not really. Still, he had a bar in his Apple Films office, at least.Watch the film in this fairly ropy VHS transfer: https://youtu.be/cfkHN_QxNcwOr in this weird but fascinating HD upscale made using AI: https://youtu.be/1o9zHsyl-3UThe Irish actor who played Merlin in the BBC series is Colin Morgan: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2959880Woody Allen's 1966 film What's Up, Tiger Lily? where he redubbed a Japanese spy film to make it a comedy: https://share.google/4D2x2eAJnUsmysiq7The other Apple Films productions we mention are Raga: https://youtu.be/bvwf53_ZPEMLittle Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs: https://youtu.be/XOxABAk0scUDid Britain Murder Hanratty? https://youtu.be/HGl9tzMNtpEAn agreement between France and Great Britain to build what became the Channel Tunnel was signed in 1973, so perhaps it was in the news at the time? That's our best guess anyway: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_Tunnel#HistoryNilsson's Son of Schmilsson album: https://open.spotify.com/album/522ynXVXJEFsiozNTy6rbtMeet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10/11/2025 • 52:55

It would've been remiss, having just covered the German Paul is Dead, not to do a quick bonus episode on this lovely little short from British writer-director George Moore. He imagines a Lake District writing retreat in which the Beatles wake up after a drug-fuelled night to discover Paul McCartney is dead, and go about trying to recruit local shepherd Billy Shears as a replacement. We talk about the characterisations used for the group and how much that allows a comprehensive story to be told in just 12 minutes, the references to the Strawberry Fields Forever video and A Hard Day's Night, and what it tells us about Ringo Starr's emotional intelligence.Watch the film: it's great and it's only 12 minutes. https://vimeo.com/273978693Poker Face, the Natasha Lyonne show Matt mentions: https://share.google/QjGG4FhuJ2Iz1YQ59Police Squad! https://share.google/WXk1K6SFYwTAZxQVCMeet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

07/11/2025 • 39:39

We really enjoyed Hendrik Handloegten's 2000 film, which uses fandom and the old Paul is Dead mystery trope to great effect in a coming-of-age story. Tobias maybe has some stuff going on at home, and at 13 is on the cusp of noticing girls, and the film perfectly shows how kids get obsessed and wilfully believe outlandish things because the fantasy is more appealing than reality.We go down the rabbit hole of the Paul is Dead theory ourselves, and ask: is there anything in it? (No, no, there isn't.)There are other versions of the film online, but this one doesn't cut out the music: https://ok.ru/video/4866916879014Some songs from the Paul is Dead novelty subgenre: The Ballad of Paul by The Mystery Tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nFQpyAXBc0Brother Paul by Billy Shears and the All-Americans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPUycDF-ypgSo Long Paul by Werbley Finster: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuGpldj1UogWe're All Paul Bearers by Zacherias & The Tree People: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRubiFAZS9YThe appalling "The Last Testament of George Harrison (Paul McCartney Really Is Dead)": https://youtu.be/Rhjtly9KTqEOther coming-of-age films we mention in which kids get obsessed with something as a reaction to family disruption: Super 8; Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; The Goonies; Boyhood. We didn't mention it but you could add Stand By Me to that list too.Meet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

03/11/2025 • 58:33

We look at Ryan White's 2013 documentary about Freda Kelly, employed by Brian Epstein and The Beatles from 1962 to 1972, and president of their fan club. How influential was she in what became Beatlemania? We discuss her obvious empathy with and yet professional distance from the Beatles' female fans, and her instinctive understanding that a personal connection with fans strengthens the relationship. Also, this small film made with Kickstarter funding secured the rights to use four Beatles songs: how?Watch the film on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucoGodRvzX8The interview with Freda and Ryan White for the iTunes launch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvMticJSYqMNew Zealand's performance in the 2010 World Cup, as tweeted by Ed and retweeted by Russell Crowe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup#Group_FOther Ryan White films and series mentioned are Good Night Oppy: https://share.google/f55I0xmygF4ttj6UJThe Case Against 8: https://share.google/3RPhWLFhVPEmRVcHVAssassins: https://share.google/pR0CNS8MuXJ9rnsrXPamela: A Love Story: https://www.netflix.com/title/81590934The Keepers: https://www.netflix.com/title/80122179When we recorded this we discussed Freda's cameo in Backbeat, playing George Harrison's mother giving him scones before they sail to Hamburg. Then when we watched it we weren't convinced it was her. A bit of digging revealed it's a Liverpudlian actor called Frieda Kelly, who was active in the 80s and 90s. IMDb incorrectly adds Freda, not Frieda, to the cast list. Justice for Frieda! https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0446394Meet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27/10/2025 • 67:39

Strap in for Jim Hosking's deliberately provocative and frustrating take on the "genesis of a song" story. In fictionalising a meeting between Paul McCartney (Sky Elobar) and Stevie Wonder (Gil Gex) at Paul's Scottish cottage, and throwing narrative structure and logic out the window, is he poking fun at how seriously classic rock fans take these stories? We discuss the comedy of repetition, how it can force you to reinterpret simple statements by overexposure to them, and, briefly because it can't be avoided, prosthetic penises.In the UK you can watch the film on Kanopy, a free streaming service available if you have a library card. But note the films available to you depend on which library you're registered with, so it might not be included: https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/15627467Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/Y2ebFMjJujwThe video for Paul's solo version: https://youtu.be/JNsh6uMFNTcClarification: when we say it was the second most successful single of Paul's career including Hey Jude, we should say it was the one that ran for second-longest at number one in the US charts. He of course had bigger sellers, like Mull of Kintyre.The full clip of Andy Kaufman's I Trusted You: https://youtu.be/TSYV-nEE300The "We Are The World" documentary The Greatest Night in Pop on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81720500The full SNL sketch, with Eddie Murphy as Stevie Wonder and Joe Piscopo as Frank Sinatra: https://youtu.be/0h2jZtuRuicPaul's quote about working with Stevie is from his book The Lyrics.Meet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

20/10/2025 • 47:40

Alan G Parker's latest Beatles-related documentary is about John Lennon's last ten years - or maybe the last 15 or so? We look at the film's unfocused approach, its long, seemingly unedited anecdotes, and the perspective lent it by its choice of talking head contributors. We also discuss its use of AI animation, from both a creative and ethical perspective.You can currently watch Borrowed Time on Prime Video. If not it's widely available digitally, and as we mention, it had a Blu-ray and DVD release too.Watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQpCDjvjLSIEd mistitles Kenneth Womack's excellent book, John Lennon 1980: The Last Days in the Life, but he's read it, we promise: https://kennethwomack.com/books/beatlesbooks/john-lennon-1980-the-last-days-in-the-life/Meet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13/10/2025 • 76:28

A film that contains one of the most famous cinematic depictions of the Beatles: Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Justin Long and Jason Schwartzman's brief cameo as Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in Rishikesh, India is widely quoted and memed. We ask what assumptions it makes about the Beatles' personalities. How responsible was the Yellow Submarine film for how a generation, particularly in America, thinks of the Beatles' individual characters and does that play a role here?The film itself parodies music biopics so of course there's a lot else to talk about. We discuss the tropes of the music biopic. How many of them will there be in the Sam Mendes Beatles films?The theatrical version of the film: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/walk-hard-the-dewey-cox-story"American Cox: The Unbearably Long Self-Indulging Director's Cut" is on YouTube for free: https://youtu.be/8UdDZ9xmcfkBeatles scene, with the deleted bits: https://youtu.be/6frgnqTo1eMRay https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/ray-2004 and Walk The Line https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/walk-the-lineAn "artist hits on the famous riff" scene from Straight Outta Compton: https://youtu.be/XC61gApOFacDavid Krumholtz, who plays a manager in Ray, and in Walk Hard: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0472710The Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere trailer: https://youtu.be/oQXdM3J33No (Krumholtz is a record exec in this too)The Tim Robinson sketch: https://youtu.be/6v1qNVZmofILimmy's Wrong Way Down a One Way Street: https://youtu.be/LW7Iv-V1-JoMeet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

06/10/2025 • 88:30

On Friday 29 September 1967, John Lennon and George Harrison appeared as guests on The Frost Programme, whose host David Frost had just interviewed Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, with whom the Beatles were then prominently associated in the press. They discussed their newfound practice of transcendental meditation and the public were interested enough that the two appeared again, five days later, on Wednesday 4 October to continue the discussion, this time in front of a questioning audience of academics and doctors.We discuss first how remarkable it is that pop stars were given a platform like this to debate theology, and how different the environment was compared to today's discussion programmes, in that everyone was given time to make their points without interruption, and the two Beatles weren't condescended to or shouted down. It's interesting too to note the group dynamic: George is the much-more serious leader here and John takes a back seat, adding humour but not undermining their points.Watch the Friday 29 September 1967 broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpYg2H34piwThe Wednesday 4 October 1967 broadcast (note the YouTube video is mislabelled as 29 September): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUGkbNu06-kDr John Allison's paper, Respiratory Changes During Transcendental Meditation, published in The Lancet on 18 April 1970: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S014067367092427XDetails of the BBC Third Programme broadcast of King Lear from 29 September, which the Beatles mixed live into I Am The Walrus: https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av68007Meet the Beatles Films PodcastThe Beatles Films Podcast is hosted by Matt Looker and Ed Williamson. We're both film writers and Beatles fans. Between us we've written for TheShiznit.co.uk, Total Film, Den of Geek and Virgin Media.But tomorrow may rain, so you'll follow us on:Instagram https://instagram.com/beatlesfilmspodBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/beatlesfilmspod.bsky.socialYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BeatlesFilmsPodcastThreads https://www.threads.net/@beatlesfilmspodFacebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/304654901827622 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29/09/2025 • 72:08