Working Like a Dog

The lives of The Beatles have been closely documented and retold, from seedy movies about the Hamburg days to headlines involving murder, legal controversy and multimillion-dollar divorces. However, there was a magical time in the mid-'60s when everything was so good for The Beatles that there was nothing left to do but have fun with it. A Hard Day's Night, directed in 1964 by Richard Lester, is the original rock mockumentary. It follows John, Paul, George and Ringo on a couple of "days in the life" of their early stardom, including a whirlwind trip to London to perform on a TV show and, of course, running from screaming girls. Although completely silly, it somehow manages to not be bad by featuring a full Lennon/McCartney soundtrack and poking fun at the band's early style and popularity. So not bad, in fact, that it was nominated for two Oscars and a Grammy, and has received consistent praise from critics and fans since its release. A fully restored print of the film makes it even easier to appreciate what really makes it great--the music--at midnight screenings this Friday and Saturday at the Inwood Theatre, 5458 W. Lovers Lane. Call 214-764-9106 or visit landmarktheatres.com.
Fri., Jan. 23; Sat., Jan. 24, 2009