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The Rutles - All You Need Is Cash [1978]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

First screened on BBC2 in 1978, at a time when the standing of The Beatles was at its lowest, The Rutles--All You Need is Cash is the original and (pace This is Spinal Tap) best "rockumentary" spoof. Codirector Eric Idle was then enjoying success with Rutland Weekend Television, while his script displays the same feeling for the inane non-sequitur evident in his Monty Python work. The band's progress from "penniless, untalented nobodies" to "rich, untalented somebodies" is vividly brought to life--with dialogue adapted from actual Beatles interviews and newsreels, and a roster of songs sounding uncannily close to Beatles originals thanks to "Nasty" Neil Innes' genius for pastiche. Interviews with a suitably primed Mick Jagger and Paul Simon give added realism, as do cameos from George Harrison (one-time Beach Boy Rikki Fataar plays his Rutles double Stig) and Stones guitarist Ron Wood. Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi make characterful, pre-Blues Brothers appearances.

On the DVD: The Rutles--All You Need is Cash has come up well in this DVD transfer. The fullscreen 4:3 ratio picture and mono sound wear their age well, enhanced by the extra scenes included. There's further interview material with Jagger and Simon, and a specially recorded, though wholly unfunny, DVD introduction from Idle, who also contributes a running commentary. All in all, this is an ideal way to get to know, or renew acquaintance with, a film that brings the swinging 60s back down to earth. --Richard Whitehouse


"Some Names Have Been Changed to Avoid Legal Action."
Review date: 2008-06-14 Rating: 4 out of 10

At the end of the day, 'The Rutles' is a satirical recreation of the Beatles' career in which most of the names have been changed to avoid infringing copyright, nothing more, nothing less. And so whilst some of Eric Idles' one-liners are amusing, I couldn't see anything truly original or even 'Funny' during the whole film.

The Rutles = The Beatles

Tea = 'LSD'

Chastity = Yoko (Although I must say that dressing 'Nasty'/John Lennon's girlfriend up as an 'SS' Officer was thoroughly disgusting.)

'Shower in' = 'Bed in'

And the the blatant ripoffs don't end there.

The Ed Sullivan Show, the films, the 'Bigger than God/Jesus' fiasco, the gig on the roof...I honestly think it's fair to say that Eric Idle didn't 'Write' anything at all. And so whilst 'This Is Spinal Tap' was a spoof and a parody, 'The Rutles' is just a friendly jibe at the Beatles' expense.

Indeed, the only reason I gave it two stars was that some of Neil Innes songs were as good as the originals and Bill Murray was quite funny as the psychotic New York DJ. But if you want to learn about the history of the Beatles, watch a documentary. And if you want to watch a spoof documentary about the career of a rock band, watch 'This Is Spinal Tap.'

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Reviews


Monty Python meets The Beatles
Review date: 2007-09-08 Rating: 10 out of 10

As a 60's kid, I grew up with The Beatles, and saw documentaries about them. I also got hooked on Monty Python in the mid-70's, so when I first saw "The Rutles" on TV I found it very entertaining. Eric Idle is perfectly cast as the announcer and also as "Dirk McQuickly" in the group, as well as playing another character (Stanley J Krammerhead III, I believe). Add to this the musical talent of Neil Innes (who sounds remarkably like the late great John Lennon) and you have a great spoof movie which will appeal to any Python-minded Beatles fan. The documentaries in it have the same feel as those of The Beatles, the songs are direct parodies of famous Beatles hits, and even the hairstyles are similar. Not to be taken too seriously, this is an affectionate tongue-in-cheek parody which does nothing to undermine the greatness of The Beatles. Note some very familiar faces in this film (Mick Jagger, Paul Simon, Dan Aykroyd and even George Harrison!). Definitely worth buying if you're a Beatles/Python fan.

Good idea, less than brilliant execution
Review date: 2007-08-17 Rating: 6 out of 10

Innes and Idle's spoof was a very good idea, and many of the songs are amusingly awful in their Beatlesishness. It's supposed to have a disjointed film clip documentary feel about it, which I thought they did well, but the quality of the writing is patchy. The jokey and satirical commentary on their career was very funny, and there should have been more of this, but it's quite clear they ran out of top quality material. So they should have simply cut it short. Instead they carried on with much poorer material with the laborious interview scenes which are a bit of a bore, to say the least. I don't know how much of this unfunny stuff they had to cut out, but it should have been more than they did.

Extremely clever and extremely funny
Review date: 2007-03-24 Rating: 8 out of 10

I am not what you would term a Beatles fan but my sister certainly was in the 1990's. She would play their CD's and watch their films and numerous documentaries about them over and over again. I also accompanied her to two Beatles conventions in Liverpool so I have come to appreciate their music and I know a lot about them without actually owning a Beatles CD or DVD myself.

When I watched this with my sister, I thought it was hilarious. It is so cleverly written. The way in which facts about the Beatles are twisted and rewritten is comic genius. Arthur Sultan, The Surrey Mystic, is especially funny. Neil Innes' songs are fascinating: they are parodies of Beatles songs and yet they are really endearing and catchy in their own right. The songs are not exactly rip-offs yet Beatles fans will be able to tell which Beatles song (or combination of songs) they are supposed to parody. For instance, 'Hold My Hand' is a parody of 'Please Please Me', 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' and 'All My Loving'.

I really don't know what non-Beatles fans or people with no knowlege of the history of the Beatles would make of this DVD: you would have to have a real fanatic's knowledge of the Beatles' background and their music to appreciate the humour and how clever the writers are.

Flawed masterpiece
Review date: 2007-03-08 Rating: 8 out of 10

I remember hearing about The Rutles from a friend (a disgrunted Beatles fan). So obviously I had to see it! I can see why this upset a few of the Fab Four's fans, but maybe they missed the point - this is an extremely affectionate parody of the world's greatest band, set to a perfect pastiche score by Neil Innes. It's not without problems - stretching the joke to cover the entire Rutles career makes it a tad too long and contrived, and there's a couple of forgettable scenes with Saturday Night Live alumni along for the ride who add nothing - but this is still comic genius and very funny. Highly recommended!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Eric Idle
John Belushi
Dan Aykroyd
Neil Innes
Michael Palin

Creators:
Eric Idle (Primary Contributor)
John Belushi (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Prism Leisure
Manufacturer: Prism Leisure
EAN: 5028836030478
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Black & White, Colour, PAL,
Release date: 2005-04-25
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Running time: 73 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1978
Language: English (Original Language)

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