The Rutles - All You Need Is Cash

I remember watching this movie on VH1 years ago and thinking that it was funny. But watching it again recently, I realized it is not nearly as funny as it could be. There are a few funny gags, but not nearly enough funny, memorable lines. The pros of this movie are: great cameos, catchy Beatles-eque songs, the depictions of Idle as Paul and Innes as Lennon, and some funny laughs with Idle as the narrator. However, this movie is nowhere near as funny as Spinal Tap and doesn't even come close to Holy Grail. Whereas those two movies had lines that were so memorable that they are still quoted today, The Rutles movie is missing that. It doesn't have a very good flow to it and it feels choppy and there is too much time between each joke. Very original when it came out, but I think it will always be overshadowed by Spinal Tap.

The Rutles are the funniest parody band ever conceived (Sorry Spinal Tap), and this mock-rockumentary is absolutely hilarious, especially if you are a Beatles fan because then you will get all of the tiny subtleties that are given to you in the Python-esque comedy about four lads. The only other Beatles parodies that are worth a darn is the "Picture" sketch from "Mr. Show" and the "B Sharps" from The Simpsons!
If you are not a fan of the Beatles, you may not get a lot of the film, but there are still some good jokes that you might enjoy.

I don't know how they ever did this with such a straight face, this movie parodies the Beatles to a "Tea"(lol). If you havn't seen this film , make sure you see any Docu.. on the Beatles you can get your hands on, you will be in stiches.

The Rutles "All You Need is Cash" is the first great Rock documentry parody and there are still few equals. It is better than "Mighty Wind" and Walk Hard" with "This is Spinal Tap" the only real peer. I grew up loving the Beatles, and now I can't take them seriously. This film reminds us how willing we are to heap our adulation on young beautiful people, and how we project greater talent on those people than they really have. Face it, the Beatles can't hold a candle to Mozart, Beethoven or Bach. In the future they will be remembered only as the first commercial global hysteria induced by mass marketing.

You will laugh and laugh and laugh.

The interviews with Jagger are especially hilarious, mainly because they come so close to the truth.

I bought the Soundtrack, and now I listen to it to the exclusion of all Beatles songs. Dirk, Nasty, Stig and Barry are my new pop idols. Stig is my favorite; who's yours?

The Rutles is a guilty pleasure. It's full of campy jokes and predictable humor, but it's irresistible. The more a viewer knows about the Beatles and the British Invasion, the funnier this film will be. Set aside any critical pretensions and just enjoy.