A Hard Day’s Night

A Hard Day’s Night
The Fab Four from Liverpool–John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr–in their first movie. Nobody expected A Hard Day’s Night to be much more than a quick exploitation of a passing musical fad, but when the film opened it immediately seduced the world–even the stuffiest critics fell over themselves in praise (highbrow Dwight Macdonald called it “not only a gay, spontaneous, inventive comedy but it is also as good cinema as I have seen for a long time”). Wisely, screenwriter Alun Owen based his script on the Beatles’ actual celebrity at the time, catching them in the delirious early rush of Beatlemania: eluding rampaging fans, killing time on trains and in hotels, appearing on a TV broadcast. American director Richard Lester, influenced by the freestyle French New Wave and British Goon Show humor, whips up a delightfully upbeat circus of perpetual motion. From the opening scene of the mop tops rushing through a train station mobbed by fans, the movie rarely stops for air. Some of the songs are straightforwardly presented, but others (”Can’t Buy Me Love,” set to the foursome gamboling around an empty field) soar with ingenuity. Above all, the Beatles express their irresistible personalities: droll, deadpan, infectiously cheeky. Better examples of pure cinematic joy are few and far between. –Robert Horton

Customer Review: Don’t Buy It !!!
I can’t agree more with the past two reviewers. As a ‘Beatle Nut’, I’ve always looked (& listened) with intent to find something new with each new release on The Beatles, whether it’s audio or video. This GARBAGE that MIRAMAX put out should be taken off the shelves. They’ve totally ripped their customers off (including me)! With today’s technology, it seems they could have sped the audio tracks up to match the ’standard pitch’ of the audio cds. Why the audio tracks ‘dragged’ from the onset of this movie’s release in ‘64 is beyond me. Don’t give me the excuse that it was to match the video - people are smarter than that! It’s just as easy (and more appealing) to speed video images up to the audio track than vice-versa. And to rip us all off by not offering at least a nice digital, stereo track - let alone 5.1 surround / 5.1 DTS??? The mono (digitally enhanced??) track they do offer is worse than Capitol Record’s version of ‘Duophonic Stereo’ on some of The Beatles’ early cuts. Shame on MIRAMAX. Let’s all start calling them MIRALAX…at least MIRALAX (an effective laxative) ‘gets you moving’ LOL! Seriously, people - rent it if you must see for yourself, but don’t buy this piece of s*%#! You’d be better off holding the money out the window @ 70 mph on the freeway - at least somebody worthwhile might profit from you. These morons should be forced out of business!

Customer Review: Never gets old
Before there was Truth or Dare-Madonna, there was a Hard Day’s Night. Based on the observations of the Beatles real lives with a bit of plot thrown in, this fun little movie has some great lines and wonderful songs.

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The Chess Story: 1947-1975
10,000 Copies World Wide. Includes 14 CDs of Great Chess Music and One CD of Rare Interviews Regarding the History of Chess. Also Includes a 70 Pg. Booklet. 32-Bit Remasters.
List Price: $317.99
Used Price: $504.78
Customer Review: essential for Blues and R&B completeists
“The Chess Story: 1947-1975″ is an amazing collection of vintage music. For the uninitiated, Chess was one of the all-time great Blues and R&B record labels. The Chicago based company recorded music by the likes of Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry, Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, Lowell Fulson, Bo Diddley and so the list goes on. “The Chess Story” contains classics by legends and some one hit wonders that weren’t so wondrous. In this respect, not all of the music is five star quality, but then again the listener doesn’t purchase a box set of this scope for a greatest hits compilation. Along these lines, “The Chess Story” starts out strong, firmly rooted in the Blues. As the set chronologically moves, it becomes weaker as pop and R&B songs become more prevalent. The accompanying literature, CD-ROM and interview disc are good compliments. While pricey, each disc comes out to around $12.00 based on the average cost of Amazon’s marketplace sellers. As a side note, the discs can be seen as they are actually tracked out by visiting the website for musicmatch guide. Like “the Complete Stax-Volt Singles,” this box set is ideal for R&B/Blues completeists and those who aren’t afraid to make a large commitment to something new. Regardless of the listener’s background, “The Chess Story: 1947-1975″ is an epic adventure that will deliver years of enjoyment.
Customer Review: Super collection at any price!
If you are a person who is into old soul and R&B, this collection from Chicago’s Chess/Checker records will blow your mind. It contains samples of many artists who recorded on Chess from 1947 to 1964 such as Willie Dixon, The Moonglows, The Dells, The Sonics, The Radiants, Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters and others too numerous to name. There are also a few STEREO surprises in this package such as Ty Hunter singing “Lonely Baby”. This collection is a treasure chest.

Chess Traps Pirfalls & Swindles: How to Set Them and How to Avoid Them
Used Price: $7.00

Reed & Barton Silver-plated Chess Bar Set
Cocktails or chess? Chess or cocktails? You’ll never have to choose again with this 5-piece bar set, each piece of which boasts a handle shaped like a chess figure. Packaged in a handsome faux-leather gift box, the set includes an 8-1/2-inch ice scoop, a 6-1/4-inch double jigger, a 9-inch bar knife, a 10-inch mixing spoon, and a 5-3/4-inch bottle opener; long handles make for easy holding and use. Each is made of chrome with a shiny finish and will not tarnish with age. Coordinate with Reed & Barton’s chess ice bucket to wow even the most avid chess players at your next social event. The set is warranted against manufacturing defects for 100 years. –Jeff Dalto
List Price: $87.70
Amazon Price: $69.99
Customer Review: Fantastic Product
We purchased a new home, and it has a bar. We wanted something special for bar tools…not the kind of stuff you can buy at a discount store. We saw the chess bar set online and decided to purchase it although it was kind of pricey. We were extremely pleased when it arrived. Everyone who sees it thinks it costs several times more than we paid. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to have barware they can be proud of.