This obvious satire of the Beatles is quite affectionate, this moptop group notable for their tight trousers, which attract the attention record executive Leggy Mountbatten, resulting in a lifetime recording contract. They go through many parallel musical and personal changes that are all very amusing, the hand of Eric Idle (Monty Python) always evident. At the height of the mania they appear on the Ed Sullivan Show, and do a monster concert where mostly screams are heard at Ch� Stadium in New York. Soon, they are working on their first concept album, Sgt. Rutter’s Only Darts Club Band. All the Beatles movies are deftly parodied. I won’t reveal any more of the hilarity, except to say that it is consistently funny throughout.

      The transfer from 16mm is exceptional, well-aged BW footage for the early scenes, the soundtrack has been enhanced to surround, and some of the music may have been re-recorded. All the tunes can be heard in their entirety in one of the many special features. These include director’s commentary, with an introduction by Eric Idle, who conceived the whole project, Photo Gallery, and the ubiquitous Deleted Scenes. Highly recommended, and unlikely to offend Beatles fans; you’ll get more of the inside jokes.

Andrew Marshall