#give my regards to broad street

[franklyimissparis]

if there’s one thing about paul mccartney, it’s that he’s GOING to make a flop of a film when he’s going through it

#my man loves throwing himself into a project to avoid processing his grief #mmt after brian died and gmrtbs after john :/ #not to say i don’t have a soft spot for the films but critically and financially they were both grim #paul mccartney #the beatles #magical mystery tour #give my regards to broad street #beatles

[yellow-submazine]

Give Some Regard to Broad Street

Paul McCartney's 1984 film Give My Regards to Broad Street received mixed reviews, and its reputation has only gone downhill from there.

In this essay (available on ao3) @i-am-the-oyster hopes to convince you that this film is actually very poignant, and worth a deeper look.

The image above is an illustration by @the-paper-apricot of Paul's hawaiian shirt, which features prominently in the movie.

We both would have liked to name the essay That's It, You're Finished (What are you going to do now?). But that name would only make sense if you already know the movie well, or have read the essay.

#give some regard to broad street #give my regards to broad street #film review #essay #illustration

[sleeper9]

I absolutely cannot!! believe Paul McCartney wrote this and put it in a film!!!

#anyway I just finished this movie #paul you’re wild #paul mccartney #give my regards to broad street

[i-am-the-oyster]

at around 5:36 in this video Henry Kelly says:

"You are quoted as saying 'the truth of my life is in that film' [Give My Regards To Broad Street"

Paul quickly distances himself from the quote, but I'd love to find the original source. Any ideas?

#give my regards to broad street #Youtube

[the-boney-rolls]

The Great Covid Beatles Binge, Day 2: Give My Regards to Broad Street

Hoo boy, here we go!

OK so we open with a stern/bored looking Paul stuck in traffic in the rain and it looks like he's spacing out... hey, Paul, are you starting to daydream? Paul? Is this whole movie about to be a dream, Paul? Oh god

This silly little car! The computer, the carpet, the pool ball gear shift. It's giving the 80's car version of the Beatles house in Help! It's also giving hyper-masculine in a way that is, I'm sorry, not convincing.

This plot is already deeply inscrutable. Something about some missing tapes, a reformed criminal that Paul knows somehow and trusts for some reason, and some ominous business men. Something bad will happen at midnight if the tapes aren't found. OK!

Ringo looks so cool and hot! That vest over that sick as hell dragon shirt. Yes. This scene is genuinely funny, too -- Ringo spends the entirety of "Here, There and Everywhere" and "Yesterday" searching through his mountains of drum equipment looking for brushes, only to find them too late. Apparently, the reason for this scene is that Ringo just didn't want to re-record old Beatles songs!

And now we have Paul, Ringo, George Martin and Geoff Emerick all together in a scene! Makes me think about how George Harrison apparently was a little miffed Paul didn't just call him to ask for filmmaking advice since it was something he had experience with. What could have been!

“Wanderlust” is such a great song, actually, damn.

“I’m not a bad boy, really. I’m just — er, manipulated” John??

Now this is more like it! Surprise Linda in drag, hell yes!

I don't know why this scene is happening? It's a rehearsal for... something? But I'll take it. I love "Ballroom Dancing" and I love vaudeville Paul.

I'm starting to feel like Paul's grandpa in AHDN, "so far, I've been in a train and a room, and a car and a room, and a room and a room." Did Paul's experience on that set define what a movie is to him? "Ah yes, a movie must include lots of transportation from one location to another and then some musical scenes." But dear, it worked because there were jokes! And all four of you to play off each other.

I.......... what

This is Silly Love Songs, of all things!

Again, I don't know why this scene is happening in the context of the movie. Is it another rehearsal for something? A music video? Television special? Who knows, Yoko! But OK here we go, I sure am having fun! Linda is extremely into it. That slap bass kills. There's a Michael Jackson impersonator for some reason? Sure! It makes no sense but I love this man and his bizarre beautiful mind.

So now we're doing band rehearsal in some kind of barn? Or abandoned warehouse? Or something? All of the plot of this movie seems to happen in dialog in cars en route to some ambiguous musical engagement.

“Do you think we can get some heat in here or are we practicing to be Canadians?” God bless you, Ringo.

“Should we try Not Such a Bad Boy” “Do we have to?” “Yeah” Bossy Paul bosses around a Beatle, we love to see it.

Is this song about him or John? 

The French horn player coming in late to record "For No One," inexplicably in a bright red motorcycle helmet, so late that he’s preparing up until right before the solo starts. Reminds me of that story of Ringo recording Hey Jude. But it also feels very symbolic of something. There are so many odd inscrutable details in this movie, it could almost be Lynchian in someone else's hands.

“We’re running, and running out of time too” It feels meaningful but I don't know how.

Hello Mr. Darcy! Wow, can I have an entire movie that’s just this Victorian dream sequence? Can we go back in time and do a Beatles movie period piece, please??

The strings in this which are inspired by but are not quite "Eleanor Rigby" are lovely. Apparently this whole sequence is called "Eleanor's Dream," which implies that Paul is Eleanor. Make of that what you will, I suppose.

I like that Linda is a pants-wearing photographer in this period scene. Linda's gotta Linda.

This strikes me as very Evil Beatles. Again, make of that what you will.

Barbara and Linda are acting the HELL out of this going over the waterfall scene damn.

I don't know, I could screen grab this entire segment, it's amazing, it's insane.

But I can't gloss over Paul being horny for Ghost Horse Girl Linda. Incredible.

"That’s it you’re finished. What are you gonna do now?" Well ok at least this one is pretty obviously a reference to the critical reception of his career after the Beatles and again after John.

"Uncle Jim" Ok so I guess this is supposed to be his dad, but what is the point of this scene? And why the monkey? The further I get into this film the more I feel like I am looking deep into this man's psyche but through the murkiest of windows. I'm here for the weird dream symbolism, Paul, but if you're gonna go that route, again go full Lynch and get even weirder.

Just the straight up original recording of "Band on the Run" feels out of place with all these re-records. I wonder why that choice.

His car license plate is "PM 1" That's right, baby, you're number 1.

Another little cute but inconsequential day dream (presumably within the dream that is this entire movie). He looks like Roy Orbison here.

Oh ok Harry was just locked in a cupboard this whole time. So the whole "plot" was pointless. Cool cool cool.

Paul and Harry being giddy and laughing together is cute though, and it makes me wish that that relationship was fleshed out more. Who are they to each other, exactly??

Yup it was all a dream. Love it, love that for us. Thanks, Paul.

OK so this was definitely barely a movie. There could have been something here, but I'll go back to what I said above -- I wish he'd gone weirder with the whole thing! And I wish Paul himself had been weirder. The character Paul is kind of a dud, just plodding along from place to place and only coming alive when he performs. It's like that Hawaiian shirt is supposed to be a stand in for characterization. But worth it for the music video scenes and for getting a tiny glimpse into Paul's psyche.

#give my regards to broad street #paul mccartney #the beatles #linda mccartney #ringo starr

[frodolives]

Just wrote one of my most unhinged essays to date. 3000 word long Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984) Letterboxd review/film analysis. I think I put more thought and effort into writing it than Paul did in writing the entire screenplay. Please somebody read it and tell me if I'm insane or if I'm onto something.

#this is my way of procrastinating an actual important essay i have due in 2 days btw #give my regards to broad street #paul mccartney #the beatles

[beatsfornone]

#paul mccartney #so pretty #the chest hair 👀 #give my regards to Broad Street

[ludmilachaibemachado]

Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney, Olivia Harrison, Barbara Bach, with Ringo Starr, at the premiere of Give My Regards to Broad Street, 1984🌼🍁💐🌺

Via Instagram💐

#60s icons #girlsofthesixties #60s couples #paul mccartney #linda mccartney #ringo starr #barbara bach #olivia harrison #give my regards to broad street #1984

[glennmillerorchestra]

he’s not such a bad boy, no more! 😈

#if give my regards to flop street has one fan it’s me. if i was around in the 80s i would be supporting this terrible movie so hard but alas #i must stick to forcing myself through a terrible movie for 80s paul in the here and now #@ b #<- you know i did this for you #paul mccartney #give my regards to broad street #the beatles #film #my videos

[jobey-wan-kenobi]

why Harry Torrington tho. why this name.

#give my regards to broad street #it's not an anagram of anything right #solo polo #fake john #is he mates with percy thrillington

[illleavemymessageinmysong]

Broad Street and The Red Lady: “Anyway, this should help you take your mind off the gloom. Remember the Summer of ‘66”.

The red haired female motif in ‘Give My Regards To Broad Street’.

The film starts off in rainy London with Paul stuck in a traffic jam. The same rain as symbol of sadness that turns up in many of his songs. The radio is on in the car and, setting up ‘Good Day Sunshine’ the dj says;

“Anyway, this should help you take your mind off the gloom. Remember the Summer of ‘66”. This prompts the dream within a dream theme of the film.

People have pointed out the Harry/John thing and the Victorian dream sequence where Harry gets killed in the street and when you see it, wow, yeah. Gives that whole sequence an emotional heft I’d never considered.

Then there’s this odd motif of red haired females in the film.

the woman in the boardroom

the little girl sailing down the Nile in a china cup

the female dancer in the ballroom

the receptionist in the MPL type office

And, of course, there’s Tracey Ullman’s character, Sandra. Tracey, no redhead, goes red for the film.

And even Linda. From Mary McCartney:

“They were doing a dream sequence, so she was getting into character. The ginger hair is a wig”

Has Paul ever been asked about this?

#paul mccartney #give my regards to broad street #the red lady

[throwthewine]

Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984)

If I ever get out of here If we ever get out of here

#give my regards to broad street #don't mind me. i'll just be here taking this movie too seriously #and feeling sad #paul mccartney #the beatles

[blixtbaby]

APRIL 1983

#paul mccartney #linda mccartney #give my regards to broad street

[sleeper9]

It just makes me absolutely bonkers that give my regards to broadstreet is so representative of the mclennon oeuvre, meaning if it isn’t about John it simply doesn’t make sense at all! It’s the quintessential archetype of this phenomenon. Where for decades people have just been like shrug idk what that crazy film is about it’s indecipherable! I listened to 3 different film people discuss the movie before I ever saw it and not once did anyone say oh this is clearly about John. Paul is literally trying to wrap his head around what has recently just happened to him in this film and people are just hmm what could this silly thing mean… it’s not even a read it’s the only read of the movie that makes any sense at all… I can’t get over that I really cannot. It just pops in to my brain every once in awhile “oh yeah Paul wrote and filmed a whole sequence of him imagining John dying in the street” …. Bonkers. Crazy. This man’s brain. I constantly think of him portraying May as a crying woman he halfheartedly comforts.

#personal #give my regards to broad street #paul mccartney

[i-am-the-oyster]

Today in “two podcast dudes loudly miss the point”

I’m listening to the Give My Regards to Broad Street episode of

Take It Away: The Complete Paul McCartney Archive Podcast

(Paraphrasing)

Dude 1:

I hate the Eleanor’s dream section of the movie so much. I don’t get any of the symbolism.

Dude 2:

Yeah, wouldn’t this movie be much better if it was a Beatles movie? Though I suppose John would have to be alive for that.

#for those who haven’t watched #eleanor’s dream is incredibly obviously about the beatles breakup and then john’s death #give my regards to broad street #two podcast dudes loudly miss the point

[modernmanblues]

lest we forget the one time Paul McCartney let John Paul Jones cameo in one of his feature films.

#the way he makes an appearance for like .05 secs 😭 #jonesy? eyeliner???? YASS GIRL GET IT #give my regards to broad street #john paul jones #jpj #jonesy #the daily jones™️ #paul mccartney #linda mccartney #ringo starr