Help! (1965)

When a fan sends the drummer (Ringo Starr) of The Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison) an ancient sacrificial ring that becomes stuck on his finger, he becomes targeted by a group of obsessed Eastern mystics as well as an ambitious scientist (Victor Spinetti) who has his own plans for the ring. Directed by Richard Lester (PETULIA). Essentially a live action cartoon with The Beatles as the road runner and the villains as the coyote. The best part of the movie, of course, are the songs. The nonsensical plot is fun for awhile but it gets old pretty fast. The songs aren't integral to the narrative, they're inserted into the action and became a big influence on the music videos that emerged on MTV. The characterization of the Eastern cult is uncomfortable at times, bordering on racism. It goes without saying that Beatles fans will enjoy this. As for everybody else, I'm not so sure. With Eleanor Bron, Leo McKern, Patrick Cargill and Roy Kinnear.