Rating: 
Summary: A terrific spoof...
Review: Any Beatles fan worth his salt (ie one with a sense of humour) will appreciate this spot-on film; even the younger generation who missed Beatlemania will know enough to get the drift, and will especially be amused by the latter half of the film (especially when Ron marries a girl "whose father started World War two"). With songs arguably better than some of those that made the Beatles popular (all sentimentality aside, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" cannot be much better than a loving spoof of itself) and incredible acting (Idle is more McCartney than McCartney), it's a wonderful film and should be owned by anyone who is anyone. DVD features are fine, not wonderful, but really, how many droning directors commentaries and "making of" films do you really want?
Rating:
Summary: The Prefab Four
Review: This was a fantastic parody. The first real mockumentary, in fact. The brainchild of Monty Python's Eric Idle, The Rutles is a film that follows around the "Prefab Four" (the Rutles) as the band experiances the trials and tribulations of fame, success, and love.
Originally made for SNL, it features cameos from such alumnus as Dan Akroyd, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, and Bill Murray, just to name a few. Even George Harrison makes an appearance as an older reporter in the movie.Eric Idle's reporter character is hilarious, and Neil Inne's Nasty character is perfectly John Lennon, dead on.
The DVD has some great features as well, including a "songs only" option (something the Beatles Anthology should have taken advantage of) and Eric Idle's memoires. The memoires offer a great insight into the movie and make for some interesting reading.
If you liked "This is Spinal Tap" and other musical mockumentaries, see the one that started it all and witness, firsthand, Rutlemania.
Rating:
Summary: Rutlemania!
Review: Preceding "This is Spinal Tap" by a full six years, this is the mockumentary that set the standard. If The Beatles had existed in a different dimension, this would have been their story. Eric Idle and company are dead on in this superb parody of The Fab Four. Although a bit off in actual physical appearance, the mannerisms, presentation, and movie persona of these gentleman make them virtual doppelgangers for the boys from Liverpool. Following an alternate reality version of The Beatles actual history, this film follows (hilariously) the mythological Rutles from their humble roots through their almost rise to fame and fortune. The music and song parodies contained in this feature are catchy and brilliantly done, thanks to Idle's cohort in crime, Neil Innes. Although a bit shy on "special features", this DVD is well worth the money invested. You'll find yourself watching it over and over and over again. And laughing yourself to tears each and every time.
Rating:
Summary: Get up and Go buy this DVD!
Review: Only a certain kind of individuals could spoof the Beatles and do it well. These are these individuals... The Rutles was great... they had a great cast and they copied the beatles wonderfully. Eric Idel did a great Paul McCartney escpecially when he was singing to the queen... I was in tears. The songs are great and so is this DVD... SO BUY IT!
Rating: 
Summary: All you need is jokes
Review: There's a problem with trying to spoof The Beatles. They had such a good sense of humor about themselves, and Beatlemania was intrinsically so ridiculous, that your efforts are bound to pale by comparison.Neil Innes does the best work of anyone here. His song parodies capture the Beatles' style at the molecular level. Not only are the words, melodies and arrangements exactly right, but the recordings themselves incorporate historically correct musical instruments and reproduce with great fidelity the sounds they made after producer George Martin got done manipulating them. Innes' Ron Nasty is good work, too. His "off-the-cuff" comments to reporters are no less funny than those of his model, John Lennon. His close attention to Lennon's body language alone is good for some grins. Eric Idle has Paul McCartney's calf-eyed narcissism down pat. His screenwriting contribution is a little more problematic. He has a tendency to flog his very few, very slender jokes to death. It may be slightly amusing that instead of getting into drugs the Rutles got into tea. Play on that notion a dozen times and it becomes less so. His solo work more or less cinches it: Idle was the "Ringo" of Monty Python: a charming personality, a solid craftsman surrounded by geniuses. The most effective comedic sequences skewer The Beatles' film career (let's face it: The Beatles aren't remembered primarily for their acting). I assume co-director Gary Weis is mainly responsible for these scenes, which reproduce with hilarious accuracy the inane physical humor of "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!" and the dime-store surrealism of "Magical Mystery Tour". To tell the truth, the only time this movie makes me laugh out loud is during the "Ouch!" clip (modeled on Richard Lester's "Help!", obviously). In four consecutive close-ups, filmed in slow motion, each of The Rutles gets hit on the head with an apple and mouths the word "Ouch!" The moment is such a delight probably because the actors seem to know they've got a good bit on their hands: the takes used show each one stifling the urge to crack up. This DVD earns an extra star for two of its bonus features: lengthy mock interviews in which Mick Jagger and Paul Simon improvise "recollections" of The Rutles clearly based on their real-life experiences with The Beatles. Not much of this material made it into the feature, where it seems rather drab anyway. Taken on its own, it's pretty amazing stuff (now HERE are some musicians who can act!). Between the two of them they stumble exactly once while inserting the appropriate Rutles-related names, places and album titles into their stories. Always knew these guys were smart.
Rating:
Summary: An Absolute MUST for hardcore Bealtes fans
Review: For those of us who grew up with the Beatles - or those of us who are rediscovering the magic of the Beatles, this is a wonderful DVD: full of humour, satire and just plain fun...just like "A Hard Day's Night" or "Help." The short review: here are 20 Beatles songs you haven't heard yet.
Rating: 
Summary: why did they cut it?
Review: RUTLES is a funny movie, but the only version of it on VHS or DVD is cut. I watched this on NBC in 1978 and I recall a very funny scene where Idle is questioning Akroyd as to why he didn't sign up the Rutles --after which, Akroyd goes into a room and shoots himself! Why is this scene ALWAYS cut? Even with all the bonus footage on the DVD, this scene is STILL MISSING! No excuse for that ... what a shame, to cut such a funny scene, thus ruining an otherwise fine film. oh, well! Save your money until they do it right.
Rating:
Summary: Let It Rot
Review: FUNNY parody about the Beatles done by Eric Idle (of the Monty Phython movies...wink,wink,nudge,nudge) and a bunch of guys from SNL and real rock stars like Mick Jagger. The Rutles are four lads from Liverpool and are called the "pre-fab-four"
This is a good movie if you're a Monty Phython or Beatle fan.
Rating:
Summary: ALL YOU NEED IS CASH (AND LOVE)
Review: This is a lampoon of the Beatles mystique, but it is a loving tribute to them also. There is an off the cuff remark made from one of the former Beatles saying that Monty Python took over when the Beatles broke up. This is a fusion of that remark. The parody is a dead on hilarious send up of the Beatle history and what better person to have conceived this is from 'Python' Eric Idle and produced by Saturday Night Live's producer Lorne Micheals (did he put up "$3000" cash to produce this - -that's an in-joke ya know). It stars original Saturday Night Live alums, other Pythons, a couple of famous rock stars, and even a cameo by the late George Harrison himself disguised as a reporter. The film originally aired to bad ratings back in 1978, but it is has achieved cult classic status probably influencing THIS IS SPINAL TAP. The soundtrack itself is equal to being included on the Beatles discography with some really great Beatle sounding songs, some original, others straight parodies (i.e. OUCH!-HELP!, DOUBLE ALLEY-PENNY LANE, and GET UP AND GO-GET BACK. Overall, witty, loving and hilarious. The DVD has pretty good extras including some deleted scenes and an audio commentary by Eric Idle. Classic Line- Reporters to Rutles "Do you feel better after seeing the Queen?"/ Rutles to reporters "No! You feel better after seeing your doctor!"
Rating:
Summary: And now for something completely different....The Rutles!
Review: You will love The Rutles as much as I do if you;
1 Love The Beatles. Or, at least have enough knowledge and understanding of Beatle history to appreciate the humor in this clever "mockumentary".
The Rutles, or the Pre-Fab Four as they are called, are four lads from Liverpool, England, who make it big, not because of any musical talent, but because of their tight-fitting pants. Rutlemania is born! They are introduced by Ed Sullivan himself (cleverly dubbing the word "Rutles" in place of "Beatles"). The Rutles soon conquer the world! They make hit films like "Hard Days Rut", "Ouch!". But when Nasty (the Lennon-esq member of The Rutles) makes his coment about being "bigger than God" , things soon fall apart for The Rutles. People burn their Rutles records, and record sales go up as people buy records to burn them.
Then they make films such as "Tragical History Tour", and "Yellow Submarine Sandwich"(excellent animation, by the way. Looks extremely similar to the actual "Yellow Subarine" film animation!)
The George Harrison-esq member is believed to be dead (considered to be the "quiet one" he hasn't spoken since 1966, so people assumed he was dead, and that The Rutles had gotten a wax-dummy replacement) because he is not wearing any pants on the cover of the "Abby Road"-like album; and on "Sgt. Ruters Only Darts Club Band", he is leaning a certain way.
Special cameo apperences include Mick Jagger, Paul Simon, George Harrison (keep your eyes open for him. I almost missed him. He plays an interviewer), Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, and others. And, 2, if you enjoy British humor, like Monty Python's Flying Circus. Eric Idle, of Monty Python fame, created the Rutles. He plays a few characters in the film, such as the McCartney-esq Rutle, Dirk McQuickly, as well as the documentary interviewer. It is funny when, as the interviewer, he is standing there talking, and the camera moves away, and he has to run to chase after it.
Also, this DVD offers, as one of the special features, Eric Idles memoir of making The Rutles; it is good reading. I found out former Beatle, George Harrison, supported Eric Idle all the way, and encouraged him to make the movie. I learned all four Beatles had enjoyed watching The Rutles movie; Especially John and Ringo. Yoko Ono has a good enough sense of humor, as well. She didn't seem to mind being portrayed in the film as "Hitler's daughter"! So...Love and appreciate The Beatles? love to laugh? are in the mood for good humor? Then buy The Rutles now. (Come on, you know you want to)
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