Yellow Submarine

Way back in the early 70s, when I was still an easily freaked-out kid who had not yet heard of LSD, I recall being alternately fascinated and frightened by Yellow Submarine (the movie, not the song). I’m pretty sure I saw it on TV. Viewing the amazing videos from Rock Band: Beatles got me nostalgic to see it again.

I figured I’d just fire up the ol’ Netflix queue. Hey, it’s an old movie - maybe it’s even available to Watch Instantly. I should have known better - any Beatles-related property is going to have a complicated and interesting history.

It got a facelift for home video sale in 1999, but it’s now out of print. There are used copies out there, going for high prices.

And now, from Wikipedia:

Variety reported in August 2009 that Disney and director Robert Zemeckis were negotiating to produce a computer-animated remake of the film. Performance capture would be used, as with Zemeckis’s previous animated films The Polar Express, Beowulf, and A Christmas Carol. According to the story, Disney hopes to release the film in time for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Yay! A psychedelic classic being given the dead-eyed Polar Express treatment. I can hardly wait.

Any ideas for viewing this thing for old times’ sake without shelling out big bucks to buy it?

You might be able to find it in … illegitimate places.

I’d love to see a reissue of it in HD.

Yes, I’m aware that there might be a … flood of sources for it.

And yes, a Blu-Ray re-issue would seem more pressing than a CGI remake.

It was originally a made-for-network tv movie.

Not that I’m aware. It was in the theaters before it was on TV. You sure you’re not thinking of Magical Mystery Tour?

Edit: Sadly my ex-husband seems to have gotten my DVD of it in the divorce. ><

I know MMT was a TV thing for the BBC.

Huh. IMDB says “Athryn’s right, triggercut’s wrong.” I do remember that it aired on TV when I was a toddler, and I managed to watch all of about five minutes before getting bored and deciding to go back to running headlong into things instead.

I have the DVD; it has a fully-remastered 5.1 mix for the soundtrack that they did at Abbey Road, specifically for the DVD, which sounds absolutely fucking awesome.

Or, if you’re a purist, you can listen to it in the original mono; the 5.1 is phenomenal though (although probably less of a revelation than it was before the remaster CDs were released).

I had the DVD as well – but not the 5.1 remastering. Not sure if I still have it or not.

Pfft. Apart from the Beatles connection, YS has nothing on Jamie and the Magic Torch.

I always preferred The Monkees’s classic, Head (co-written by Jack Nicholson!).

Mwahaha I have two copies…and no you can’t have one.
It is awesome. It will always be awesome, and as far as I’m concerned one of the best animated movies of all time.
Really what I wanted from Beatles:Rockband was Yellow Submarine Part II the adventure game with fun music parts.

With the whole Beatles surge right now, it will be back in print. It is about time for another Beatles remastered DVD/Blue ray uber boxed set.

According to the story, Disney hopes to release the film in time for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Wait, what?

Also, close enough to post this:

I pronounce this pizza to be… awesome!

Cary Elwes, Dean Lennox Kelly, Peter Serafinowicz and Adam Campbell are in negotiations to portray the members of the band in “Yellow Submarine,” which the director is remaking for Disney.
Peter Serafinowicz?!?!?

Woah.

I know this is late but i didn’t see this thread till now. Triggercut is kind of right.

Al Brodax was the producer and writter of both the Saturday morning Beatles cartoon and Yellow Submarine. Yellow Submarine grew from ideas that he never had the budget for or time during the series. However during its production, Yellow Submarine was always ment to be a feature film.

Why not?

I just got my hands on a poor digital copy of Let It Be.

They have made a restored 4K print for the 50th anniversary. Starting to play in theaters, apparently. Anyone seen it?