Topic: The wankest film idea ever conceived? Danny Boyle's Ed Sheeran Beatles thing

[Retinend]

Well I saw it when it came out and rather liked it. Sure, I would also have liked for there to have been 90 minutes of what-if?s being systematically addressed... but the fact of the matter is that this is a romantic comedy, and I was invested in the romance at the heart of the film. They were authentic characters that I could relate to. Little details made me laugh: Rocky stealing all the crisps; the little recording studio next to a train crossing; Ellie's "dream board" _{or whatever it was called}. Moreover I liked how it sent up the marketing-led music industry and how Jack had to fight them to remain his authentic self.

The musical elements was well chosen (bursting onto the scene with "Back in the USSR" or singing "Oh Bla Di Oh Bla Da" with the kids to finish) and the sci-fi elements were well-integrated without swamping the romantic A-plot: John Lennon's appearance was heartwarming; honestly completely took me off guard and brought a tear to my eye; and gave some food for thought re being true to oneself. The "anomaly" had ripple-effects which made for an amusing set of call-backs. The fans-who-remembered stalking him made for a good looming threat.

The scene where these two, instead of accusing Jack, actually (to his surprise) thank him for his work was the most moving scene in the film for me. It was an affirmation of the fact that some things are a pure good-in-itself. Whether or not we are some superhuman figure who towers above our contemporaries by dint of pure genius... is actually less important than making people happy via being a conduit for what is good and wholesome.

On that point, I was really riled up by this guest on _{not the director} Robert Rodriguez's podcast "Something About the Beatles":

https://somethingaboutthebeatles.com/184-yesterday-and-the-myth-of-meritocracy/

I had an inkling while I was watching the film that, vanilla as it was, it would really get up the noses of people who mean to deconstruct everything in service of their own egos and self-righteousness.

That's not to say there isn't a point in what the guest is saying... Rodriguez does a good job of fielding these criticisms and being generous to them... unfortunately though the guest seems stuck on the narrative of "Elvis stole Rock 'n' Roll" and doesn't have anything insightful to say about the Beatles specifically.

[Bad Ambassador]

Dementia is a very sad condition.

[dissolute ocelot]

Well I saw it when it came out and rather liked it. Sure, I would also have liked for there to have been 90 minutes of what-if?s being systematically addressed... but the fact of the matter is that this is a romantic comedy

This reminds me a little of when Notting Hill came out and people said "But it's nothing like the real Notting Hill!", or the debates over how many people in Love Actually were actually creeps/stalkers/abusers. Curtis is very good at superficially-pleasing romcoms, but steadfastly refuses to explore beyond that level. Classic switch-brain-off-and-enjoy filmmaking.

[popcorn]

I suppose lots of posts in this thread (including mine) are an example of the fallacy of criticising things for what they're not instead of what they are - there was a discussion about this here recently but I can't find it now - except I don't really think is a fallacy and I think it's quite a sensible approach tbh. It shouldn't have been a romcom, it turned out shit.

[Bad Ambassador]

If you can describe the premise of a film without offering any indication that it's meant to be a romcom, then it probably shouldn't be. Female Character has no actual connection to the concept of the film. And the ending would have been marginally better if she had been the only one who could remember Harry Potter.

[popcorn]

And the ending would have been marginally better if she had been the only one who could remember Harry Potter.

And if she had been a struggling children's author. ie making it more than just a stupid pointless joke

[C_Larence]

The scene where these two, instead of accusing Jack, actually (to his surprise) thank him for his work was the most moving scene in the film for me. It was an affirmation of the fact that some things are a pure good-in-itself. Whether or not we are some superhuman figure who towers above our contemporaries by dint of pure genius... is actually less important than making people happy via being a conduit for what is good and wholesome.

To each their own, but I absolutely hated that scene. The bait and switch of “oooh these people who we’ve shown doing nothing but ominously scowling at the main character are actually proud of him bet you didn’t see that coming” was insulting.

[Retinend]

To each their own, but I absolutely hated that scene. The bait and switch of %u201Coooh these people who we%u2019ve shown doing nothing but ominously scowling at the main character are actually proud of him bet you didn%u2019t see that coming%u201D was insulting.

It's funny, my own use of the phrase "looming threat" probably implanted the false memory of "scowling" in your head. In fact, the "looming threat" I was referring to was the implication that Malik will be revealed as a fraud (hence his nightmare of John Paul George and Ringo ambushing him on Cordon's talkshow).

Proof (no scowls):




https://imgur.com/a/9zvhnDv

the ending would have been marginally better if she had been the only one who could remember Harry Potter.

That would have only muddied the waters of the premise. It was by getting hit by the bus, and presumably by means of the physical trauma having some effect on his brain, the Jack won his special powers. Ellie didn't have any such experience, so it would be odd if she suddenly had the memories that Jack didn't (and that Jack's memory - hitherto understood to correspond faithfully to our own world  - turned out not to be 100% faithful but rather just a better-than-average one).

[C_Larence]

Apologies, I obviously misremembered scowls, but I remember at the time feeling like the reveal was cheap and manipulative. I’ve just rewatched the Back In The USSR clip, which is when I believe the man first appears, and I still feel like they are trying to make you think he’s there for a negative purpose.

Anyway, I liked the movie up until the bus scene, thought the music during that part referencing A Day In The Life was a really nice touch, but everything after that was naff. Still miles better than Across The Universe, I’ll give it that.

[popcorn]

I'm going to do a film where I'm the only one who remembers the Amen break.

[Hand Solo]

I'm going to do a film where I'm the only one who remembers the Amen break.

I'm going to either do a film where I'm the only one who remembers the Wilhelm scream, or the Lunn Poly "Get away!" adverts.

[Replies From View]

Well I'm going to do one where nobody was born to make those Chewits adverts with the Godzilla thing so instead there was an advert with Boris Becker taking off all his clothes and bellowing "CHEWITS.  LIKE CHEWING ON MY BALLS."

[Bad Ambassador]

Well I'm going to do one where nobody was born to make those Chewits adverts with the Godzilla thing so instead there was an advert with Boris Becker taking off all his clothes and bellowing "CHEWITS.  LIKE CHEWING ON MY BALLS."

I call it "Barrow-in-Furness Bus Station".

[idunnosomename]

im doing a film where one man finds he's the only person to remember the wankest film idea ever conceived: Danny Boyle's Ed Sheeran Beatles thing. maybe also the 2012 olympic ceremony too.
 
and he does nothing because the world is a better place without danny boyle and his wanky films. even if it means no trainspotting film.

[Bad Ambassador]

The irritating thing is that the film bears no trace of Boyle's usual style. He seems to have been on complete autopilot for a shit film, which he chose to do over the Bond film he was trying to talk the Broccolis into.

[Hand Solo]

Thanks to a relaxation of social distancing rules I've now been out and to my complete amazement several people I've asked don't remember the Lunn Poly "Get away!" adverts. I think I'm through the looking glass here people, the world is never going to be the same again..

[idunnosomename]

Thanks to a relaxation of social distancing rules I've now been out and to my complete amazement several people I've asked don't remember the Lunn Poly "Get away!" adverts. I think I'm through the looking glass here people, the world is never going to be the same again..

get away!

[idunnosomename]

honestly though i did want to throw him out of a window after no one could fucking shut up about Slumdog Millionaire

[Hand Solo]

get away!

I have now disappeared from that dimension and appeared in another alternate one like Dr Sam Beckett from Quantum Leap. From what Al the hologram that only I can see and hear has told me through Ziggy his computer module, in this dimension the milk advert where the kids argue about Accrington Stanley never happened! Dear Lord, may God have mercy on us all!

It's strange how most of my Quantum Leap type adventures seem to be advert based.

[Blumf]

Accrington Stanley? Who are they?

[Hand Solo]

Accrington Stanley? Who are they?

Exactly! I now find myself leaping into another alternate existence. From what I can gather this lad's parents have gone away on holiday and he's had quite a raucous party in their absence and the table has been scratched, he's rifling through the Yellow Pages for a French Polisher before they return, what do I do? Oh boy!

[icehaven]

Exactly! I now find myself leaping into another alternate existence. From what I can gather this lad's parents have gone away on holiday and he's had quite a raucous party in their absence and the table has been scratched, he's rifling through the Yellow Pages for a French Polisher before they return, what do I do? Oh boy!

Who are you?

[Hand Solo]

Who are you?

My name?

Hartley. J. R. Hartley.

[Dr Rock]

Apologies, I obviously misremembered scowls, but I remember at the time feeling like the reveal was cheap and manipulative. I’ve just rewatched the Back In The USSR clip, which is when I believe the man first appears, and I still feel like they are trying to make you think he’s there for a negative purpose.

Yes, they are presented as they who may out him as a fraud, then it's a twist that they have zero problems with him nicking all the music. But where would they get a yellow submarine toy to taunt him with? Pesulambly he hasn't done that song yet, or he wouldn't be surprised there was a toy yellow submarine. But if the Beatles never existed and never recorded Yellow Submarine, would there be yellow submarine toys - that look exactly like the ones from the cartoon?

I hope someone got fired for that blunder.

[Captain Z]

Thanks to a relaxation of social distancing rules I've now been out and to my complete amazement several people I've asked don't remember the Lunn Poly "Get away!" adverts. I think I'm through the looking glass here people, the world is never going to be the same again..

Weirdly I thought of these yesterday, even though I hadn't seen your posts about them until just now.

[Hand Solo]

Weirdly I thought of these yesterday, even though I hadn't seen your posts about them until just now.

Get away!

[Gulftastic]

I call it "Barrow-in-Furness Bus Station".

'..Bus depot'

Stop getting nostalgia wrong.

[Thomas]

film where everybody except Danny Boyle has forgotten Moonraker

he makes it himself - but this time the lady has, or maybe hasn't, got braces

[Mr_Simnock]

I'm going to either do a film where I'm the only one who remembers the Wilhelm scream, or the Lunn Poly "Get away!" adverts.

Im going to do a film where I'm the only person to remember the lib dems, actually at the moment I think this might already be true

[Mister Six]

The irritating thing is that the film bears no trace of Boyle's usual style. He seems to have been on complete autopilot for a shit film, which he chose to do over the Bond film he was trying to talk the Broccolis into.

That's not irritating - it means I don't have to watch it.