Rating: 
Summary: Pained-from-laughing-funny!
Review: I wanted to correct a previous review. Someone said he didn't believe that this show was produced prior to the Beatles multi-part "Anthology." Well, I just want to remind him that John Belushi appeared in "All You Need is Cash," as Ron Decline. Since Mr. Belushi died in 1982, I believe that answers the question! It does appear that this program is a spoof of that Beatles tribute, but in fact, it cames first, and is a brilliant piece of work. I saw it when it first aired in 1978, and I still think it is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I was an original Beatles fan, and I taught myself just enough guitar to be able to play their songs. The music Neil Innes composed and performed for The Rutles is like perfect Beatle muscic, but with little twist in there that are like funny little inside jokes. I am thrilled that it's back in print, and I can't wait to play it for my teenage daughter (who MAY get some of the jokes!)!
Rating:
Summary: The Most Hilarious Prequel in History
Review: I got the title of these remarks from a 1990 review of the CD. The author wrote that, despite its similarities to "The Compleat Beatles," a serious documentary, "The Rutles" was actually released first. True or not, this is a marvelous film in its seamless combination of humor and music (sometimes humorous music). The group is discovered by Stiggy Mountbatten. After he dies, a reporter asks the mother what first attracted him to the group. "I think it was the tight pants," she replies. The music is excellent and, as in "This is Spinal Tap," holds up on its own. How much like the Beatles it sounds can be illustrated by the following anecdote: During the "hourglass segment" (news clips) of the British Invasion installment of Peter Noone's old VH-1 show "My Generation," the Beatles' appearance at Shea Stadium is accompanied by a Rutles tune. Was it an inside joke? Did a producer goof up? The song was half over before my wife and I figured out why it seemed out of place to us. ["My gosh, it's not the Beatles, it's the Rutles."] Since the VHS is unavailable at present, I strongly urge you to order the CD soundtrack of the film. I also recommend highly a second CD, released just after the Beatles issued "Anthology." The Rutles album is title "Archeaology," and the songs on it are a more serious, musically brilliant, tribute to the Fab Four from Rutland's Pre-Fab Four. I've given several copies of the video and CD as Christmas and birthday gifts over the years. I pray the video ies reissued soon.
Rating:
Summary: A brilliantly-funny and affectionate parody
Review: Somehow, this manages to be both a hilarious parody of The Beatles and also an affectionate tribute to them. It's obvious that Eric Idle and Neil Innes love the The Beatles even as they let 'em have it. Some of the lines in this special are priceless such as: "It was here they found themselves--far from home and far from talented." And the music is wonderful, perfectly capturing the various stylistic changes The Beatles went through. "Spinal Tap" may be the best parody of rock ever made but this is by far the best parody of a single group. And, if George Harrison was willing to do a cameo, you know it's a great piece of work.
Rating:
Summary: You'll Need a Sense of Humor, Too!
Review: Neil Innes plays Ron Nasty who sounds just like John Lennon and claims the Rutles are bigger than God, I mean Rod (sorry, Rod Stewart!)! John Halsey plays the munchkin-sized drummer Barry Wom, who like Ringo Starr has the same ambition: "I'd like to be a hairdresser- or two- I'd like to be 2 hairdressers!". Ricky Fataar plays guitarist/sitarist Stig O'Hara who has topped George Harrison in silence- he hasn't said a word in years! Eric Idle (alumnist from Monty Python) plays different roles- Dirk McQuigley, bass player who admits using tea "You asked so I'll tell you!" and like Paul McCartney, serenades his wife (played by Bianca Jagger) with silly love songs, and the inept reporter who takes you to the exact spot in Liverpool the Rutles met, the 1st National Bank in Louisiana, I mean the banks of Lousiana (you'll figure it out!), and the rooftop where the record, film and lawsuit Let It Rot took place. Bill Murray plays Bill Murray the K, Dan Aykroyd plays the nerd, the idiot Brian Thigh, who gave the Rutles away to another record label, Gilda Radner plays the chatty Emily Pules, and John Belushi plays the hilariously intimidating Ron Decline. Terence Bayler plays their manager Leggy Mountbatten who is mainly interested in their trousers! Other cameos include George Harrison as a bespectacled reporter, Ron Wood as a Hell's Angel, and Mick Jagger and Paul Simon as themselves (although I don't quite agree with Mick's closing comment!).In the Cavern, the Rutles perform "Blue Suede Schubert", and the Rutles clown about on A Hard Day's Rut to the tune "I Must Be In Love", appear on national television to perform "Love Life", and film the movie Ouch! in the Bahamas, form Rutle Corps to "help people to help themselves". Barry Wom sings "Living In Hope", Stig sings "Between Us", Dirk sings "With a Girl Like You", and Ron sings "Cheese and Onions" for their animated film Yellow Submarine Sandwhich and marries a Nazi (perhaps a reference to a comment the real-life Yoko Ono made). If you're a Beatles fan, you'll love this parody of the Fab 4!
Rating:
Summary: All you need is this video
Review: A must have for all Beatles and Python fans. This is possibly the funniest spoof rockumentary ever made. If you're a hardcore Beatle fan you'll be amazed at the accuracy of the parodies of old Beatles clips in the film. The mannerisms are perfect. For those reviewers arguing about whether this is a SNL or Python production here's the Word from Mr Innes Himself (I went to see his one man show last night) The Rutles started of as a small item in the Sketch Programme "Rutland Weekend Television" the episode was first aired in the UK on 12 November, 1976 (BTW Rutland IS a real geographical region in the UK not made up as one reviewer claims) Rutland weekend television was written by Eric Idle with music provided by Neil innes. Innes and Idle had met working on a children's TV programme called "do not adjust your Set" (along with soon to be Pythons Idle, Gilliam, and Jones) that ran from 1967-69 on ITV in the UK. In October 2, 1976 after Python had spread across America, Eric Idle was invited to be the host of a Saturday Night Live show. Aired on that show was the Rutles sketch from "Rutland weekend television" (actually ahead of it's UK airing) this was included as part of a long running spoof attempt by SNL to get the Beatles back together. It got a massive viewer response which prompted SNL to put up the money for a full length film based on it. This was written by Idle with music from Innes (None of the other Pythons were involved) and had cameos from SNL regulars, some Pythons, pop stars and George Harrison himself. "The Rutles - All you need is cash" was first aired on NBC-TV in 1978 As it was produced by SNL and had no other input from the other Pythons, other than a few cameo appearances, it cannot be considered a Monty Python production.
Rating:
Summary: "All You Need Is Cash" To Convince A Re-release!
Review: "Ouch!" One would think with all of these rave reviews, the on-screen cast, and the excellent music, the availablity of this movie would be a no-brainer! "Nevertheless," "Love Life," and Mr. Movie Man, don't become the "Piggy in the Middle." "Get Up and Go" release this classic parody. Until then, I, and many others, will be "Living in Hope."
Rating:
Summary: Sergeant Rutter's Only Darts Club Band
Review: There's a chap who has written a review of this DVD claiming that the primary contribution to the Rutles was made by the SNL folks, rather than the Python guys, because there are more of them. This is innaccurate: The Rutles began as a spoof in the UK on a London Weekend Television (LWT) show called Rutland Weekend Television, featuring programmes on a fictional regional station (set in a fictional region of Britain!). It was when The Rutles proved a hit in a guest slot on SNL that Michaels agreed to finance the film, but it could not have been done without the creative force: Eric Idle and Neil Innes. True, Idle was an ex-Python, but he was the only one involved in The Rutles (no Chapman, Cleese, Gilliam, Jones or Palin - the latter merely makes a cameo in the film). Those SNL guys appear in The Rutles, but this wasn't an improvised affair like Spinal Tap. It was carefully scripted by Idle, while it is Innes songs (Idle didn't write them and mimes as Dirk McQuigly!) that really make the idea work. They are therefore the primary contributors. Oh, by the way: The Rutles is quite brilliant.
Rating:
Summary: Before there was SPINAL TAP...
Review: Gleefully insane parody of the Fab Four (here the "Pre-Fab Four" (!)), thanks to Eric Idle & Co. Takes dead-on aim at not the Beatles themselves but the pomposity that has grown up around them, and works twice as well for that reason. Great moments abound: the bed-in, the kamikaze watermelons, the "Day in the Life" parody "Cheese and Onions" -- it's almost too much fun. Required ownership for any comedy DVD library, and just plain fun in general.
Rating:
Summary: The Rutles:Long live the kings of parody!
Review: Although I grew up as a child of the 60's, I never could quite get my mind rapped round the appeal of the Beatles.I could,however, appreciate a good ribbing.Well, this is the best bloody ribbing I have ever seen out of Hollywood - this film is the best bit of satire this side of the Discworld novels! While not so well known (indeed, I've only known one other person who has heard of it) as Spinal Tap, The Rutles succeeds brilliantly at the over-the-top humour which eluded the other film.This is THE best example of intelligent-satire-disguised-as-farce that has come along since "Carry On Cleo." If I could choose one film to represent the comedy genre, this would be it.I can but hope that the studio will one day see fit to re-release this comedic masterpiece on video, so a new generation will be able to experience this gem.
Rating: 
Summary: This is SPINAL TAP for Beatles fans
Review: Hilarious mockumentary about a British band that... well, you can guess the rest. The clips of their "movies" are the absolute best! Who could forget "Ouch!" (to the tune of "Help!") complete with kamikaze watermelons; or the enigmatic "Cheese And Onions" which brings an entire orchestra to a crescendo - just to end on one brief note from an out of tune piano? Featuring Eric Idle and Bill Murray, "The Rutles" is often sillier and more entertaining than "This is Spinal Tap". A must for Beatles fans that don't take themselves too seriously. (Also check out the Rutles self-titled album and more recent "Archeology" in the CD store.)
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