The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour Comes to Blu-Ray

Ask the opinion of a handful of music aficionados and the majority of them will say that The Beatles are, and will always be, the greatest band to ever live.  To say they are legendary doesn’t even come close to their influence on the world that still reverberates through society today.  And now they’ve  made a comeback with their experimental film, “Magical Mystery Tour,” which will be available for purchase and watched on blu ray players by their biggest admirers.

Of course, this wasn’t the first movie that the Fab Four has done.  Before this film, there was “Help!” and “A Hard Day’s Night.”  Where this movie differed, of course, was in its tone.  Their first two films were comedic, while “Magical Mystery Tour” experimented with the psychedelic overtones that had become popularized during the era.

Introducing six new songs throughout the film, this 1967 musical introduced us to an eccentric band of characters who populate a trip to the English countryside.  Of course, this is a simplistic run-down of what occurs in the film, as the narrative doesn’t follow any hard and fast rules.  Instead, it is all over the place, boiling down to an odd collection of clips focusing on songs such “The Fool on the Hill” and “I am the Walrus.”

The digital restoration of picture and sound will make your Blu Ray player shine.  The picture quality of “Magical Mystery Tour” really brings to life every character and sequence like never before.  Add to that the 5.1 surround sound that makes the songs sound better than ever, and you have the best presentation of this film that you would have probably never seen otherwise.

For all you huge Beatles fan out there (and there are A LOT of you), the release of “Magical Mystery Tour” includes a deluxe edition that will look great alongside any Blu Ray or Beatles collection.  This 10″ by 10″ set includes two discs; one that is accessible for Blu Ray players and a standard DVD version of the film, plus commentary by none other than Paul McCartney, who was the real driving force behind the experimental film.  You’ll also get to enjoy brand new interviews with McCartney and Ringo Starr.  Plus, an added bonus: a special LP that includes the original mono EP released in the United Kingdom and half a dozen additional songs.  And if all that wasn’t enticing enough to make this deluxe edition a part of your collection, you also get a 60-page book filled with production notes, background info, and photographs from the original film and its production.

With this film and the recent release of the animated movie “Yellow Submarine,” we are now only one movie away from the entire Beatles film collection.  Once “Let It Be” is released, The Beatles life on Blu Ray will be complete.

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Mercedes Potter is a huge fan of The Beatles and looks forward to taking a psychadelic trip watching the Magical Mystery Tour. Follow her @CedesPotter to read other music related posts.