by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, The Red Herring

Welcome to a new column, in which our staff will recommend movies that will help you start watching a particular genre, director, film movement, etc. It’s a list of movies, but with a purpose that isn’t recounting the best or even favorites. Each entry will suggest a few films that will help you find a way into more movies! A starter pack, if you will.

It was 57 years ago today that The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, just a week after “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100, kicking off the British Invasion. The song stayed there for 7 weeks, only to be replaced in the top slot by…The Beatles’ ”Love Me Do.” To mark the occasion, I put together a starter pack for The Beatles.

Essential Beatlemania (1962-1966):

A Hard Day's Night (dir. Richard Lester, 1964)

Others can speak better to the groundbreaking aspects of this film, and to its influence on so many films that came after, so I will focus on what makes watching this film so fun. A Hard Day’s Night is a showcase for The Beatles’ sense of humor above all else, mixing documentary-style footage with that of the four lads goofing off. It also knowingly plays off of their fame, with fans, press, and fanmail all the subjects of wry gags. A lot of mileage is gained from the way that every authority figure in the film looks down on them. Additionally, Wilfrid Brambell plays Paul’s “grandfather” and adds a strange, yet very British, sensibility to every scene that he’s in, as he becomes an avatar for the foursome’s antics. One of the most essential films of the 20th century.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand (dir. Robert Zemeckis, 1978)

A group of New Jersey teens travel into New York City to try to see The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964 is a charming premise for a film, and one that works well despite The Beatles only directly appearing via archive footage. Zemeckis’ directorial debut–despite him being a mentee of Steven Spielberg–cribs heavily from George Lucas’ American Graffiti for its deep sense of nostalgia. I Wanna Hold Your Hand points to this as a perfect moment in time, but similarly to Lucas, doesn’t paint an entirely rosy picture of the past. Instead, this film adds more madcap energy, foregrounds sex as something uncomofrtable, and points to the squeaky clean idea of the past as nothing but a thin veneer. Sort of dry-run for Back to the Future in all kinds of ways, not  only because of the period setting, but Zemeckis reused several situations from this film in his time travel classic. 

The Beatles: Eight Days A Week–The Touring Years (dir. Ron Howard, 2016)

This documentary is built around the band’s 1965 concert at Shea Stadium, which was shot on 35mm and restored with a 4K scan for this movie. The Beatles were never able to become a great touring band, as the sound technology of the time was overwhelmed by the volume level of their screaming fans, and the footage here proves it. The archival films within are the reason to watch this, though the talking head aspect of the documentary does a great job giving context, and includes some great stories about the band. An especially poignant one recounts the band refusing to play segregated concerts in the South. 

Next Steps (1967-1970):

Yellow Submarine (dir. George Dunning, 1968)

I wrote about my personal history with this film for its 50th anniversary rerelease, but I didn’t really talk about the songs included in the film. Coming after the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album, this film serves as a great introduction to the band’s most whimsical era, including 13 songs in total. Beyond the great music, the film also features several forms of animation, and is a total joy to watch. By this time, the band was no longer touring and disillusioned with media projects, but liked this enough to film a live action cameo at the end. 

Across the Universe (dir. Julie Taymour, 2007)

Overly long, indulgent, and not featuring any characters that have any sort of depth, I still wanted to include this jukebox musical anyway, If you know those things going in, then it can make for a fun extended watch, as the musical sequences are visually stunning. One of the most purely cinematic musicals of the last 20 years, it never once feels like it was trying to be on the stage. 

Bonus Tracks:

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (dir. Jake Kasdan, 2007)

Including this for two reasons. One, this is a great deconstruction of the modern musician biopic and a firm reminder that no one should try and make one about any Beatle. Two, it has a great scene where Cox (John C. Reilly) meets The Beatles as played by Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Justin Long, and Jason Schwartzman. 

The Beatles: Get Back (Peter Jackson, 2021)

This documentary covering the end of The Beatles career comes out in August, and I couldn’t be more excited. This will include the entire remastered rooftop concert as well as footage of The Beatles recording. The recently released teaser is a great start: