Welcome Fellow Fab-Four Fun Film Fans!

The Mods & Rockers 2000 Film Festival presents a great variety of movies. There are several of obvious interest to us Beatles fans. (A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, YELLOW SUBMARINE and WONDERWALL come to mind!)

But there are also several other films which have less obvious Beatles connections - which may be of interest to the dedicated Beatles fan. This page tells you about all the Beatle-related movies in the festival.

If having perused the full film festival schedule you spot a Beatles connection not mentioned on this page - please contact us immediately with full details.

SMASHING TIME

This 1968 satire on Swingin' London was written by Liverpudlian writer and jazz singer George Melly - who became a close friend of former Beatles publicist Derek Taylor. (Taylor produced Melly's 1972 album "Nuts!") Melly's sharp Mersey-wit was cut from the same cloth as the Beatles' humor - especially John's love of wordplay.

And the film co-stars mod-gal Rita Tushingham who was Beatles' Director Richard Lester's female lead in 1965's "The Knack"

THE GURU

A British rock star is disaffected with values in the western world and goes to India to study under a guru - and take sitar lessons. Hmmmm!

AND it co-stars Rita Tushingham!

Michael York in "The Guru"

A HARD DAY'S NIGHT

Brand-new 35mm print! And digitally re-mixed audio!

With guest: producer Walter Shenson live in-person!

This screening takes place just one week after Walter Shenson's 81st birthday! Let's give him a wonderful birthday gift - by having a jam-packed movie theatre for the man who HELPed the Beatles become "LEGENDS OF THE SILVER SCREEN"!

THE MAKING OF A HARD DAY'S NIGHT

The World Theatrical Premiere of the 60-minute documentary which gives the behind-the-scenes scoop on the Beatles' first film.

THE ROLLING STONES ROCK & ROLL CIRCUS

In January 1969, director Michael Lindsay-Hogg would start shooting the film which became "Let It Be." But a few months earlier he directed this 1968 TV special for The Stones. And among the Stones' guests was John Lennon performing a searing "Yer Blues" - backed by a real super-group. Try Eric Clapton and Keith Richards on guitar... Jimi Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell on drums...

This film stayed in the vaults for 28 years before it was released on video. This screening is the film's West Coast Theatrical Premiere!

YELLOW SUBMARINE

Digitally-restored print! And digitally re-mixed audio!

The restored version cries out to be seen on the big screen. And yet it played in L.A. for 10 minutes and it was gone! Make up for that by catching this very special screening.

With special guest: Bruce Markoe - the man who instigated and supervised the entire restoration. This is his first public appearance discussing the restoration. And he has a great story to tell...

A MOD ODYSSEY

The original short film made to promote the film

Scenes restored to Yellow Submarine

33 1/3 REVOLUTIONS PER MONKEE
THE MONKEES - PILOT EPISODE

Don't forget that the Beatles got a kick out of the Monkees! They knew that the Monkees were not a real band - but were four guys having fun PLAYING a band.

So they hung out a little. Which is why you can catch a glimpse of Mike Nesmith attending the Beatles' "Day In The Life" sessions... why Peter Tork visited George Harrison during the Wonderwall sessions... etc etc

HERE WE GO ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH

This coming-of-age, losing-of-virginity film was written by Hunter Davies - who was the Beatles' official biographer. His book "The Beatles" was published in 1968.

Hunter Davies

GO-GO MANIA

This all-star concert movie features the cream of the British Invasion. It features the full-length versions of two great performances by the early (1963) Beatles filmed in rich 35mm color! The songs are "SHE LOVES YOU' and 'TWIST AND SHOUT" - and they have to be seen on the big screen to be really appreciated!

The cinematographer was Geoffrey Unsworth - who later filmed Stanley Kubrick's "2001" - so it all looks much better than the average pop movie.

The film also features performances by several other pals of the Beatles - many singing specially-written Beatles compositions. These include: Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, Peter & Gordon, The Fourmost, Sounds Incorporated, The Remo Four and Tommy Quickly.

Billy J. Kramer had several number one hits with specially-written Lennon-McCartney written songs including "Bad To Me". Peter & Gordon also had a string of John and Paul-penned hits - such as "World Without Love." The Fourmost had a hit with a John song "I'm In Love" - and singer Tommy Quickly received a John and Paul song called "Tip Of My Tongue" never recorded by the Beatles. Instrumental group The Remo Four were used by George as session musicians on his solo "Wonderwall" project - and instrumentalists Sounds Incorporated were featured by the Beatles on "Sgt. Pepper" - playing brass on tracks such as "Good Morning Good Morning."

Billy J. Kramer and Peter and Gordon

CO-DEPENDENCE DAY!

This is the name of the special fun English Tea Party celebrating July 4th weekend in British style! Included in the festivities are live performances of 60's music by all-star band - The Shag-a-delics! - who only play once a year at this bash!

This year the band is led by rock legend Spencer Davis. Included in the band are former Wings guitarist Laurence Juber and former McCartney sideman Chris Spedding (see him in "Give My Regards To Broad Street") Also in the band is former Knack drummer Bruce Gary - who played a lot with Jack Bruce - who is currently on the road with Ringo - whose tour ends the day before this gig - and who usually rests up at his Los Angeles home for while after tours....

MORE
THE COMMITTEE

Both of these films feature specially-recorded soundtracks by the early Pink Floyd - whose first album was produced by former Beatles engineer Norman Smith at Abbey Road Studios at the same time that "Sgt. Pepper" was being recorded in the fabled Studio Two.

Pink Floyd

30 IS A DANGEROUS AGE, CYNTHIA

This Dudley Moore film was directed by Joe McGrath - who directed the landmark Peter Cook & Dudley Moore TV series "Not Only...But Also" - on which John Lennon made two notable guest appearances.

THE RISE & RISE OF MICHAEL RIMMER

This film stars Peter Cook - who was great friends with Peter Cook - and appeared several times on the Peter Cook & Dudley Moore 60's BBC TV show "Not Only... But Also" including appearances reading his poems and a famous acting cameo as a smartly-uniformed bathroom attendant in a spoof news report about upscale public bathrooms!

TOOMORROW

Monkees music producer Don Kirshner partnered with James Bond co-producer Harry Saltzman to make this movie - a cynically-conceived marketing device which aimed to make the psychedelic pop group "Toomorrow" - with lead singer Olivia Newton-John - into "the next Beatles."

Didn't QUITE payoff...!

WONDERWALL

Last year the Mods & Rockers Film Festival presented the American Premiere of this lost classic from 1968. It was a huge hit - and is receiving an encore screening at this year's festival.

This is all happening just 32 years after George & Pattie Harrison and Ringo & Maureen Starr attended the World Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival - and 30 years after George & Pattie attended the British Premiere - in the middle of the "Get Back" sessions.

This film features GEORGE'S ONLY MOVIE SCORE! And it also includes drumming by Ringo and guitar by Eric Clapton!

AND THE PREVIOUSLY UNHEARD SONG
NEWLY-DISCOVERED BY GEORGE IN HIS VAULTS!

AND - NEW REVELATION! - A POEM WRITTEN BY JOHN LENNON!

Director Joe Massot personally commissioned George to write the Wonderwall soundtrack. He became close friends with the Beatles - especially John and George - who invited him to join them on their pilgrimage to Rishikesh, India in spring 1968. Joe shot some of the footage of that visit used in the "Anthology" TV series.

Director Joe Massot was a wonderful live guest last year - and he will be returning as a live guest - with more recollections of his work with George Harrison and The Beatles

Wonderwall Soundtrack LP

REFLECTIONS ON LOVE

The 1965 short "REFLECTIONS ON LOVE" was shot by Wonderwall director Joe Massot - with famed Beatles photographer Robert Freeman as Director of Photography.

This short film includes brief documentary footage of the Beatles in 1965 - in a short but fun sequence - and a featured appearance by Jenny Boyd - sister of George's first wife - Pattie Boyd. Jenny Boyd was the person who introduced the Beatles to the Maharishi (!) worked in the Beatles' Apple Boutique - and later was later married to Mick Fleetwood! (Phew!)

BE GLAD FOR THE SONG HAS NO ENDING
RETYING THE KNOT

"Be Glad" was a "Magical Mystery Tour"- style movie by the group which was considered by many to be the progressive-folk equivalent of the Beatles. There is no doubt that the Fabs were very taken with the Incredible String Band - and their influence shows up in a lot of their 1968-1970 work.

Among the many distinctive features of the "Incredibles" was their breaking of the rules of traditional song structure. The verse verse chorus verse chorus style of writing. They developed a 'modular' style - with three often diverse sequences segued together to form one song.

A few months after John heard that innovative approach to writing in the Incredible String Band song "A Very Cellular Song" - he wrote "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" - which was equally inventive in its compositional structure.

John was proud of absorbing influences from all around him - though he always developed his own take on the music that inspired him.

There are also some interesting parallels between the two principal writer/singer/writers in the Incredible String Band (Mike Heron and Robin Williamson) and John and Paul. If you don't know the music of this band - check out these two films.

WEAR YOUR LOVE LIKE HEAVEN

In 1968 - Donovan was as close to the Beatles as any other artist. This film is Donovan at his most 1968!

Donovan with the Maharishi

MESSAGE TO LOVE: THE 1970 ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL

Though no Beatles attended this festival - there is a great sequence in the film where the entire crowd of 600,000 (larger even than the Woodstock audience!) are swaying along to the festival sound system blasting "Give Peace A Chance."

CANDY

The notorious Terry Southern novel transformed into a bawdy movie with a slew of stars including Marlon Brando, James Coburn. Richard Burton - and our very own Ringo - transformed into a Mexican gardener! (Well the moustache helped. A little...!)

Ringo in a publicity still from "Candy"

POP DOWN

This ultra-rare film features some of Britain's less celebrated psychedelic pop groups - including a group called The Idle Race - whose leader later joined The Move - then formed The Electric Light Orchestra - and then was a co-founder of The Traveling Wilburys...

Well you know that this musician is none other than Jeff Lynne - who later co-produced the two Beatles reunion songs "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love" and has produced with George, Ringo and Paul. He was co-producer of Paul's "Flaming Pie" album.

It should be a treat to see the extremely young Jeff Lynne!

Check out the Musicians A-Z to view all the other cool artists to be seen and heard in this film festival.