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Summary: Long time Beatles Fan
Review: Loved it! Best musical movie, black and white I've ever seen. Glad I bought it. Many years of reading and research finds this DVD excellent.
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Summary: You can't buy love but can finally buy A Hard Day's Night!
Review: One of the best films to feature The Beatles, A Hard Day's Night captures a lost era in pop music and cinema. Writer Alan Owun followed the band around as part of his research incoporating actually comments and observations that the band made into his funny screenplay. Night represents a high water mark for the band; it's the first and only album where all the material was written by John & Paul. Lennon was very prolific during this period composing the bulk of the 13 tracks that ended up on the UK soundtrack and spread out over two albums in the US.Richard Lester's direction was sharp, witty and groundbreaking when Night came out. His approach shaped the film, music and television world for sometime. The Monkees television series was an attempt to recreate some of Lester's tricks used in this film and Help! the follow up. In many respects, Lester's musical sequences are among the first "music videos" in terms of style and content. The DVD comes stuffed with extras. The shorts and comments from those directly or indirectly involved in the film is still quite interesting. While I admire MGM/UA's version of Yellow Submarine (it looks stunning and the unfinished sequences and interviews with those who did the voiceovers are quite interesting), I wish that they had taken this approach to that film. The only think missing of note are comments from the most important folks involved--John, Paul, George and Ringo. Since they put forth most of their views in the Anthology perhaps it was felt that including them here would just duplicate that experience. Regardless, we could do with some fresh insight from Paul and Ringo and even audio commentary from Lennon's many interviews would have been welcome. The picture quality is sharp and crisp. A lot of care was obviously taken in the transfer to DVD. This is the second time around for the film and it is an improvement over the first although some fans would be hard pressed to tell the difference. The sound is nothing short of stunning and hopefully represents the type of upgrades we will see on the soundtrack album when it is re-released. One of the best early albums The Beatles made, A Hard Day's Night has held up remarkable well nearly 40 years later. Extras that might have been included (but aren't) could have included a DVD Audio or SACD version of the album, a replica of the press book and one sheet that came with the movie (suitable for framing of course). Still, the extras included here are nice and informative if not always as groundbreaking as the film itself. A great DVD that recaptures the glory of early Beatlemania, A Hard Day's Night stands as one of the best rock movies ever made. It's well worth purchasing.
Rating: 
Summary: Of Course, A 5 Star Movie-Just Not The Greatest DVD Release
Review: Since the film was restored and re-released in theaters in Dec. 2000, there has been much impatience for the the DVD release. I placed my pre-order with Amazon (way back in June of 2001), and I know there are other folks out there who did the same thing. We have all been very anxious for the much talked about extra material, interviews, and restored picture and soundtrack - which is why I feel this package falls a bit short and is not quite as satisfying as I had hoped it would be. First things first - The film looks great, no question. Fabulous. The songs jump from our surround system, sounding pristine and full and rich - better than before. But here's where I begin to lose a bit of my enthusiasm... On the first disc (along with the film), is a "documentary" called "Things They Said Today" (really just a string of mostly facinating anecdotes/interviews with those who were there at the time) - it's very enjoyable and fun to watch. Just the kind of thing that should be included. But then you get to the second disc, and it's a whole lot more of the same. With mostly the same people. Saying a bit more of the same things they said on the other disc. Now not to say this is totally a bad thing, but why not just make the documentary on the first disc longer and let it be the feature on the second disc? Why not include more of these other interviews instead of repackaging it on to another disc as if it were something different from what's offered on the first? Of course I know the real reason is marketing, but two discs are supposed to be better than one - not just more of what's already been said. In my humble opinion, what should have been included are some of the film's outtakes (which do exist - there's only a teeny taste of that here with a few mistakes and some "Ringo/This Boy" footage), and the entire famous "lost scene" of Paul and the Showgirl talking backstage, which was cut from the original film. That stuff is truly priceless, and would have been a real treat to watch. It also would have been a great gift to fans everywhere. And where is the "Running, Jumping, Standing Still" short that was supposed to be included? This was a short film by Richard Lester that the Beatles had seen and enjoyed - it's one of the things that made them more comfortable about working with him... My last, but possibly biggest issue with this set - they seem to have interviewed everyone who is still alive that had anything to do with the film - BUT WHERE ARE THE (remaining) FABS??? It is sooo obvious that the only interviews missing here are Paul's and Ringo's - and if they dug around in the "archives" a bit, I'm sure they would have found John and George talking about the filming also. To me, it seems their rememberances should have been the first order of business when deciding what to include in this package. I didn't mean to go on so long, and despite everything I've said, for the price, it's definitely "a keeper" - worth purchasing for the DVD library for sure. But I'm just a wee bit sorry that, to me, it didn't quite live up to the pre-release hype.
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Summary: My favorite film of all time
Review: Why is this my favorite film? Well, for one thing, I've seen it scores of times and it still sends thrills through me at times and still makes me laugh at others. Lennon snorting Coke-- the drink, not the powder; "Hey, Mister, can we have our ball back!"; The world's first glimpse of Patti "Layla" Boyd/Harrison/Clapton; the "Can't Buy Me Love" section, which may qualify as the invention of music video; god, I could describe this whole movie and every scene is a keeper. And quite frankly, if you don't choke up during the final "concert" scene, when Richard Lester's camera falls on the desparate blonde girl in the audience calling for her favorite Beatle in vain, then you probably don't have a soul. That is "Beatlemania" wrapped up in a five-second shot. It is at once mysterious and heartbreaking. And Wilfred Brambell as Paul's grandfather! Definitely the supporting actor nomination that got missed for 1964. What a riot!
Thanks to him, I have to stifle the urge to say, "I bet you're a great swimmer" whenever I meet a buxom woman... Enough. Just go buy this. Go!....Go!
Rating: 
Summary: Running,Jumping,Falling Down
Review: Where oh where is the Running, Jumping, Standing Still Film?
It was on the MPI VHS tape why not the Mirimax DVD? It is part of the history of this wonderful film and speaks volumes of A Hard Day's Night's inception. It's inclusion would have been as important as the interviews with aging assistant editors and the like. In fact the interviews with the aging cast and crew are mildly interesting but a bit tedious when seen next to the youthful vigor of the film. Some out-takes or Beatle interviews about the film would have been nice. The cover should have been the original movie poster. Generally the extras could have been more of a treat but in a world where Michael Jackson owned and sold half of the Beatles catalog to Sony/CBS and Disney is charged with re-releasing the Beatles breakthrough film these shortcommings are hardly surprising. The movie is as always outstanding and refreshing even after all these years. Nice to have it on DVD. The 4 stars are for the DVD package not the movie which gets all 5, no let's make that 10!
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Summary: Ooops
Review: Except for the botched audio processing on the music soundtrack of this dvd, its great. Its no wonder the music industry is dying, with tin eared producers of the likes that worked on this project, I guess it could be a bad dvd run..............not
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Summary: A 12 year old with an opinion on the world's greatest band?
Review: We should keep the opinions of 12 year olds restricted to new releases by the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, & N'Sync. To hear the post below critique the masters had me chuckling as I start my day. Parents, put that kid back in front of the tv to write a review of Spongebob Squarepants for his 7th grade class. The Beatles records and A Hard Day's Night (DVD) is all any music collection will ever need. Bar none.
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Summary: Great Movie, Lousy Presentation. Beware!
Review: First--A HARD DAY'S NIGHT is truly one of the greatest *movies* ever filmed, let alone one of the best musicals or the Beatles' best film. It's a must-own for any music fan or fan of good film. Having said that, Miramax has almost completely ruined this release. No trailers for the movie, no outtakes ("You Can't Do That" was available on the documentary of the same name), no Director's Commentary, no "I'll Cry Instead" prologue from 1981, and no mono soundtrack. And believe me, with this horribly remixed pseudo-stereo, echo-enhanced soundtrack, you're going to desperately want a mono soundtrack. On the up side, the images are super: crisp, clear and gorgeous B&W. And the interviews are interesting, but not likely to be watched more than once or twice by anyone other than a devoted fan. (But why wasn't Victor Spinetti interviewed extensively?!) Strong warning: Buyers beware. This DVD could have and SHOULD have been so much better. The three stars are for the movie only, NOT the DVD packaging. You might want to hold out for a later release.
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Summary: Funky Soundtrack
Review: Ok, the picture is incredible. Everything is "very clean." However, some listings of the DVD have indicated that the soundtrack is in 5:1. Not really. The dialog comes out the center speakers and the songs come out the stereo speakers (almost exclusively the front). There is some debate over whether the songs are in stereo or not (I side with the no they're not). It is just weird to watch when the sound shifts entirely from the middle to entirely to the sides. But hey, this is Hard Day's Night with a bunch of extras at a very reasonable price...what, you're not going to buy it?
Rating: 
Summary: Who do I complain to?
Review: The DVD transfer has been done at the wrong speed. The dialogue doesn't suffer too much, but the songs are slow and, consequently, at the wrong pitch. I recommend that you don't buy this DVD set. I'm returning my copy.
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