Let's talk about The Beatles for a moment. Everybody loves The Beatles! No, seriously: everybody. I have a theory: the liking of The Beatles is a cultural obligation. Now, there is no denying the importance of the band and the impact they had on the world of music – but the same can be said of Robert Johnson or The Velvet Underground. Something different is going on with The Beatles. Admit dislike of their music to a group and they will be aghast that you would DARE not to like it. It goes beyond mere fandom – as I said, it's an obligation.
The thing is that this results in a large chunk of the populace who doesn't know much more of The Beatles' music than the big songs played on the radio. Merely being aware of all of a band's hit singles does not make one a fan of that band. To truly be a fanatic, one must be familiar with the majority of a group's work, or at least have put some effort into it. Buying a ten dollar t-shirt from Target because you think it's “cool” doesn't make you a fan.
Anyway, that's my little pretentious rant, and I suppose I should end it by assuring all readers that I don't consider myself a Beatles fanatic: a fact I'm honest enough to admit.
Of course, true fanatic or no, every year crowds flock to our yearly Beatles festival: Abbey Road on the River, which runs from May 24 to May 28. This is, of course, a film column, and so our focus is upon the exciting news that the extremely tripped-out animated film “Yellow Submarine” will be screening at the festival all week.
However, even more pertinent is the fact that the film will be screened this evening, Thursday, at Rave Stonybrook Cinemas. In “Yellow Submarine” the utopian Pepperland is under attack, and there is only one group of people who can save it: The Beatles! It is quite a bizarre film, and a hell of a lot of fun. It screens at Stonybrook tonight at 7:30, and again on Saturday, May 12, at 2:00.
Stonybrook Cinema is located at 2745 S. Hurstbourne Parkway. Theater information and advance ticket sales can be found at the Stonybrook website.
Image: Internet Movie Database
