Even though I've upgraded to the Criterion
Collection's superb Blu-ray edition of A Hard
Day's Night, I have hung onto my old VHS copy
I was unsure as I considered watching a 2013 documentary film called Good O' Freda the other day. I was hesitant because so many Beatle docs nowadays show us info that we fans have known for ages. From what I could gather, the movie was about Freda, the teen girl (at the time) who took the helm of the Beatles Official Fan Club... back before the band even made it big. Apparently Freda had kept most of the details of her adventures with the Fab Four very quiet ever since the 60's concluded, and this doc was her way of finally bringing a lot of amazing stories to light.
More old technology... my Something New
cassette tape, which included the boys singing
I Want to Hold Your Hand in German!
But as it turned out, Freda was a delight, stirring up a whole lot of wistful nostalgia.... not for the 60's, since I was in diapers back then, but for my formative years as a Beatle fan, which began in the sort of mid-70's. Freda herself became misty-eyed at times as she told how she got to know the most famous rock group of all time. She not only manned the fan club but also became the band's secretary - that was her day job, while the fan club work was on her own time - at night. She spent the 1960's and a bit of the 70's at her desk, in the employ of the Beatles... though she got to step out on occasion, joining in some of the events surrounding the band's rise to greatness.
What a fun and revealing movie! From the interviews, film footage, photos and other visuals to the music of the mop tops, this was a very special treat indeed. Beatles fans, serious and casual, will love this, and I'm sure everyone else will enjoy this lighthearted and fascinating documentary.
My VHS copy of Yellow Submarine, which
is still in extremely good condition. But
it'll remain in storage now that I've got
the DVD on my shelf.
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