tavm Review of The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash

The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash (1978 TV Movie)

The Rutles: All You Need is Cash is a brilliant mockumentary of the Beatles-like group

[10/10 · 24 July 2013]

After years of reading about this movie, I finally saw The Rutles: All You Need is Cash on YouTube just now. Monty Python member Eric Idle created and wrote this mockumentary about a Beatles-like group originally as a filmed sketch on "Rutland Weekend Television". That sketch would eventually make its American debut on "Saturday Night Live" when he hosted the show during its second season. Lorne Michaels, producer of that show, liked what he saw and agreed to help produce a television special of this group for a 90 minute prime time spot. So with Idle and Gary Weis-"SNL" filmmaker at the time-directing and Rutles member Neil Innes writing the tunes-inspired by the Beatles songs, of course-and cameos by the likes of Mick Jagger, Paul Simon, fellow Python Michael Palin, and "SNL"ers like Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, along with writers/bit players Al Franken & Tom Davis, and Michaels himself, oh, and also former Beatle George Harrison who I didn't recognize in his makeup, this was quite a funny and entertaining show that I enjoyed highly especially when they played with certain happenings like having their manager quit to go to Australia for a teaching position instead of killing himself or mentioning Bob Dylan introducing them to a strange substance-called tea! There's plenty more funny stuff but I'll just now say that I loved The Rutles: All You Need is Cash and highly recommend it if you love The Beatles and great comedy.