World Famous Comics: Give My Regards To Broad Street
Give My Regards To Broad Street
Starring: Paul McCartney, Bryan Brown, Ringo Starr, Barbara Bach, Linda McCartney Directed By: Peter Webb (II) Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Binding: DVD Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC Label: 20th Century Fox Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: April 20, 2004 Running Time: 108 minutes Theatrical Release Date: October 23, 1984
Description: Screenwriter/Star Paul McCartney creates a rousing musical fantasy about a pop singer/composer (McCartney) who discovers the master tapes of his new unreleased album have disappeared. If he doesn't locate them by midnight, businessmen will take over his company. Among the musical highlights are fourteen spectacularly staged McCartney tunes including Beatles classics "Yesterday," "Eleanor Rigby" and "Good Day Sunshine."
Amazon.com: Critics were ruthless when Give My Regards to Broad Street was released in 1984, but the passing years have turned it into an offbeat curio from Paul McCartney's post-Wings era. The ex-Beatle was roundly panned for scripting this empty-headed vanity project, and it still qualifies as a mistake of sorts, dubiously combining new performances of Beatles classics with a few Wings hits and tracks from McCartney's popular 1982 solo album Tug of War. Most of these songs are performed as semi-lavish, blandly filmed production numbers ("Silly Love Songs" comes off like an embarrassing mix of Michael Jackson's Thriller and a Flock of Seagulls reunion), and the whole movie reeks of cheesy early-'80s New Wave/MTV influence, even in the casting of Tracey Ullman as a leather-clad Londoner with streaks of red hair dye.
The "plot" is entirely dispensable, consisting of "24 hours in the life of a rock star," in which Paul has until midnight to find the missing master tapes of his latest album, or lose his entire music empire to a slimy corporate takeover. (Parallels to Macca's loss of Beatle music rights to Michael Jackson are fascinating to consider.) It's all an excuse for a rambling, amiable mess of a movie, with slim supporting roles for Ringo Starr (who admirably refused to participate in re-recording the Beatles hits), his wife Barbara Bach, Linda McCartney, and, most inexplicably, Sir Ralph Richardson in one of many throwaway fantasy sequences. Critic Roger Ebert rightly called Broad Street "about as close as you can get to a non-movie" (which might explain why director Peter Webb never made another film), but the music's still good (look closely for Dave Edmunds and former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones), and we'd sure like a spin in Sir Paul's groovy vintage hot-rod. --Jeff Shannon
Great Film! I was skeptical as to how good the movie would be and if I would like it, but after buying it I have to say it is a must have for any Beatles or McCartney fan. The transitions are beautiful, it has some great songs in the film and the 'Eleanor's Dream' sequence is fabulous. I love this film!
A Pro-Musicians review of the movie Well, I'm not really sure what to say on this review that hasn't already been said, but as a McCartney fan, I'll try and give the most objective review of this film that I can.
I am a huge Paul McCartney Fan. I own every album down to the obscure "Fireman" albums... and even for me, this movie is very bizarre and hard to swallow. In a way, it's an enlongated music video with poor acting and a boring plot to boot. It's an uneven hodge-podge of 1980's music video montages and a weak plot trying but failing to put them all together.
Plot aside, the actual 'problem the movie has is the fact that all the sequences, fashions, and production value of the film and music is that it's extremely outdated. We all know that a music films saving graces are never the plot, but the memorable music scenes that are viewed and replayed for years and years after the film is released.. Unfortunately this film doesn't even have THAT going for it. I'm not saying the songs for the film were a poor choice because, lets face it, the whole premise of the movie is centered around Mr. McCartney.... The problem is that the songs themselves (re-recorded works of Beatles, Wings, McCartney solo, and new songs) were recorded and produced with those terrible 1980's production values. Add on top some very cheesy 80's montages and fashions and the movie comes off now and even then as a product that was chasing the pop culture of the time... Lets face it, we all know no matter what situation something like that very rarely stands the test of time in the end.
The final product comes off as an outdated attempt to make an actual 'film'. I applaud Paul of course for trying something different, but the ending product didn't quite measure up to something to stand the test of time. "Broad Street", to me, is simply a work from my favorite artists catalogue that provided something out of the ordinary. I'm not saying it's bad, I'm not saying it's brilliant... I'm simply saying it's something that is now part of Paul McCartney's history that gave him a vehicle to try something different.
For the collectors, buy the film... but definitely don't expect something earth-shattering... It'
All The Best, -Andy Anderson-
Loved it! I really enjoyed this movie. The music was great. This movie is an excellent choice for any Paul McCartney or Beatles fan.
Pretty Nice.. So I must say I'm a pretty big McCartney/Beatles fan, but to be completely truthful this movie was kinda' corny. But it was nice seeing Ringo and Paul together having fun. It's also nice to see Paul just kind of goof around and sing and dance and all of that good stuff! Overall this movie is pretty good if your a McCartney/Beatle's fan you can appreciate it for what it is, kind of a cute movie.
fun video great music I thought this film was very well produced and a feel good film great music
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