Review: The Rutles - All You Need Is Cash

Punk reference at the end, kids!

Predating This Is Spinal Tap by a quarter of twenty years, Eric Idle's The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash is a hoot even for non-fans like myself. It's hard to escape The Beatles, lord knows I've tried, so even I knew which songs were being cleverly mixed-and-matched for a brilliant send-up of the Fab Four by the Pre-Fab Four.

At 76 minutes it doesn't drag and it features Idle, Michael Palin, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Dan Akroyd, John Belushi, Mick & Bianca Jagger, Ron Wood, Franken and Davis, and even George Harrison.

Fans and non-fans alike have to appreciate this film. It's loving yet abusive. The John Lennon character marries Hitler's daughter and their animated film is called "Yellow Submarine Sandwich". The official site is here.

When the Rutles break up, Dirk (Paul McCartney) forms Punk Floyd. He's obviously mocking Sid Vicious with an oversize safety pin through his nose. The camera pulls back to reveal a huge safety pin through his head. He even walks and spits like Squidney. Duh-hurrrrr!

Update! "Squidney" refers to the old joke "What has eight arms and kills its girlfriend?....Squid Vicious!"