the beatles: help!

Director: Richard Lester
(UK, 1965, 90 minutes)

Wednesday 24 October, 8pm, at FreeDM Studio, Roundhouse

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When The Beatles' second film with Richard Lester premiered in July 1965, the London Pavilion in Piccadilly Circus was besieged by over 10,000 screaming fans. They'd made the film in less than a year - A Hard Day's Night having only been released the October before.

After not having been seen in cinemas since the sixties, this brilliant comedy adventure in Technicolor still feels fresh and exhilarating - with the Beatles' looking like they're having too much fun.

Featuring some fantastic costumes and set designs, the story revolves around Ringo's ruby ring and the religious cult members, mad scientist and London police all desperate to get their hands on it. The chase takes them from their swish London pad, to the Alps and the Bahamas, with plenty of tracks in between, from 'Help!' to 'Ticket to Ride'.

"When taken in tandem, 'A Hard Day's Night' and 'Help!', not only became the blue print for 'The Monkees' TV series and video directors of the MTV generation, but more importantly freeze-framed an image of The Beatles the world still clings to affectionately," Roy Carr, ex-NME journalist and author of two books on The Beatles