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Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)

Director: Michael Schultz

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From Time Out Film Guide

The Stigwood Organisation did the '70s (Saturday Night Fever), the '50s (Grease), and here tackle a prolonged dramatisation of the Beatles' lyrics and images. The songs themselves were so archly attuned to the highs and lows of the '60s that any sustained literal approximation (Strawberry Fields as the girl-next-door?) is risky. This crass moral pantomime is plain embarrassing. The story, an allegory of big business versus simple music and love is centred around 'Heartland', home town of the Lonely Hearts Club Band, which depressingly combines the ethics and appearances of Toytown and Peyton Place, picked out in nursery colours. The Bee Gees (who do all the numbers impeccably) and little Peter Frampton fight off evil, which materialises as punks, litter, and a sadly unfunny Frankie Howerd. But somehow Bee Gees Against Capitalism doesn't quite ring true. It's almost 'guaranteed to raise a smile'.

Author: JS 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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Cast & crew

Director: Michael Schultz

Producer: Robert Stigwood

Cast: Peter Frampton, The Bee Gees, Frankie Howerd, Paul Nicholas, Donald Pleasence, Sandy Farina, Steve Martin, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, George Burns full cast

Genre(s): Musicals

Duration: 111 mins


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