Rating: 
Summary: Ladies and Gentlemen, The Beatles!
Review: I've owned this film on VHS for many years. I'm glad it's being rereleased on DVD soon. This tape features highlights from the Ed Sullivan Shows and, though incomplete, they are a beautiful piece of history and a treasure to any Beatles fan. Also presented here are highlights from the Washington, D.C. concert. That is very exciting to see. Then, of course, this video is packed with behind-the-scenes footage, much of which was taken from the "What's Happening in the USA" special. You can see the Beatles in hotel rooms and in the back seat of their limo, and on the train going from New York to Washington. This tape is a must for any Beatles fan.
Rating:
Summary: The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit
Review: If you want to actually see the Beatles perform, this is definatly the movie to get. So, some of the stuff actually does get repeptitive, but the songs are great and the quality is excellent. You can't love the early Beatles songs and NOT get this...the only collection of early Beatles that is worth getting! You'll love it, yeah yeah yeah!
Rating:
Summary: 4 regular guys who were geniuses
Review: In addition to a Hard Day's Night, this is a must have. It really shows why people all over the world regard The Beatles as a magical group. How four "boys next door" who never caught up in their fame (but have the best time doing it) happen to turn the music world on its ear with humor, a unique sound, original songs, and a blend of harmony that is so appealing that no one can deny.
Rating:
Summary: Behind the scenes with the Beatles
Review: In my opinion, this DVD is a must for anyone who is a fan of the Beatles (assuming of course they have a DVD player). This gives a great look at what it must have been like to be alive then (I'm only 20). To see the excitement, to watch them play, fantastic. But not only do you get to watch this public side of them, you also get to see them as average guys. While some may find these behind the scenes scenes a bit on the boring side, I really enjoyed seeing them, as they really were. What made it especially interesting to me is when they tried to amuse themselves on the train, some of their antics seemed like some of the stuff my friends would do, which really gave them a human quality. And if you like their music, and of course you do, or you shouldn't be reading this review, then you can just jump to the concert scenes if you wish.
The video quality and audio is pretty good for the most part, though quite horrible for the Washington DC trip. Also, I think they should have included all of the Beatle's songs performed on The Ed Sullivan Show. As I understand it, some of them were cut. Overall though, still a very good disc, with it's good points far outnumbering the bad. As said before, a must for hardcore fans, though newbies may want to check out their movies such as A Hard Days Night and Help!
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely worth buying
Review: It has been mentioned if you have purchased the "Anthology" on dvd as well as the "Ed Sullivan Shows" than you need not buy this....not so. There is plenty of previously unreleased scenes along with the filmmaker's commentary to keep ones interest. I remember when the Beatles were on Sullivan and I thoroughly enjoyed this dvd although if you want the Sullivan appearances in their entirety than yes buy thay dvd as well. Highly recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Absoulety Excellent!
Review: It is a must have for any Beatles fan. Not an acted out thing, it gives the viewer an idea of what it was like to be a Beatle. The candid shots in this film ake it even better; it gives you an idea of their individual personalities, and not just a whole. see it whenever you can!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: A most enjoyable view
Review: Much has been written and seen about the Beatles landing in America. After winning many fans over worldwide prior to February of 1964, the Beatles were ready to conquer the U.S. although they were not quite prepared for the overwhelming response they received once they arrived. Originally intended for a UK audience, the Maysles brothers' documentary follows the Beatles from the very moment they landed at JFK airport until they departed for home some two weeks later. Included are highlights from the Beatles' performances on the Ed Sullivan Show as well as portions of their first American concert at the Washington Coliseum. Behind the scenes footage from the hotel rooms, the Peppermint Lounge (for a night on the town), press photo shoots, and on the train to (and from) Washington, D.C. give an idea of how amazingly close the Maysles brothers were to the center of it all. Their landmark style of creating documentaries provides an amazing "fly on the wall" perspective. There is no narration and there are no formal interviews. The film lets the event speak for itself as it captures the action quite naturally and spontaneously. Nothing is staged and the film provides a most intimate look at the Beatles' interaction with each other as well as with the excitement of Beatlemania. For those of us born too late to witness and experience the mania, this is our link to the past and a glimpse at the beginning of a very important revolution in pop music and culture.The re-release of this noteworthy documentary provides a noticeable improvement over the original version. There is now an audio commentary by Albert Maysles. Furthermore, there is a 51-minute interview with him which includes his presentation of a handful of outtakes from the original film. One notable highlight of the personal interview includes Maysles' discussion of how his camera was accidentally turned on at the Washington Coliseum concert. Without a second thought, he propped it up on his shoulder (without security seeing him). His brief footage provides a very rare view of how a Beatle fan saw and "heard" the Beatles play. It's very clear from the footage that fans interested in listening to the show simply could not do so. Other intriguing highlights include recorded comments from teenagers and adults on the street and at JFK airport. The drawbacks to be noted about this DVD are the result of other previous DVD releases including the Ed Sullivan Presents the Beatles DVD set and The Beatles Anthology. The Sullivan set contains ALL of the shows in their entirety while this release only includes portions of shows. The Anthology set contains a good segment of the Coliseum concert taken from an absolutely pristine film print and not the more common well-worn copy. This release still contains the worn footage. It would have been nice to see a bonus feature containing the complete Coliseum concert from the master print. However, this DVD is the original documentary and the integrity is maintained throughout. It's important to note that the Maysles brothers did not have permission to film in either the CBS studios for the Sullivan shows or in the Washington Coliseum. (One other highlight on the extra footage is Paul McCartney trying to come to the brothers' aid when security blocked them from the CBS studio for the first show.) A color booklet is included with a handful of photos and quotes from each of the Beatles; however, perhaps Apple could have designed a better booklet to include reprints of news articles and reviews from 1964, transcripts of Beatle interviews, and, perhaps, a reprint of the diary of events from Mark Lewishon's Beatles Chronicle. This is definitely a treat for Beatle fans and a great example of how to produce a quality documentary. I also recommend the Maysles brothers' production, Gimme Shelter, where they capture the exciting and controversial events surrounding the Rolling Stones 1969 tour, including the tragedy at Altamont.
Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointed.
Review: Of all the billions, I am shocked that they have made no effort to provide subtitles.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing.
Review: Spurred on by the other reviews, I was looking forward to this video. I sat down to watch it with my 12-year-old daughter, to proudly show her that the fab-four were, yes, much bigger than the Backstreet Boys. I was anticipating an energetic, fast-paced video. Boy, was I wrong. In a word, Yawn. This is one slow video, folks. The film-makers apparently felt that having inside-the-hotel access was too priceless to cut a second of footage. The result is endless sequences of the Beatles in rooms, and backseats of limos...on and on like the home-videos of people who don't know when to stop and move to the next scene. It was also a bit jarring, I'm afraid, to watch my heroes suck down what appeared to be about a pack an hour of cigarettes, though I suppose that's neither here nor there. Bottom line is that I wanted badly to like this movie, and revisit wonderful times, but it just dragged. Too bad. I shoulda bought Hard Day's Night.
Rating:
Summary: The Beatles in New York, Miami and DC
Review: The Beatles came together in 1962. They toured England, had three number one hits, and were a big success. On February 7, 1964, they landed at Kennedy International Airport in New York. Two days later they would be seen by 73,000,000 Americans on the Ed Sullivan Show. This DVD shows that time period through an hour and a half of historic black and white footage. Featured here are four songs from that landmark Sullivan appearance, plus two others. Also there are three songs from their Washington, DC concert, their first American gig. In between concert footage, this documentary shows the Beatles behind the scenes. All in all a splendid effort. Any Beatles fan will treasure this documentary as a beautiful piece of history.
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