History Film / Help

* MadScientist: Professor Foot. Lampshaded by John when he says "This is absurd! You're nothing but a trite, hackneyed mad scientist!".

** LivingMacGuffin: Ringo when wearing the ring, since the cult are not so much trying to take the ring from him as trying to sacrifice him because he's wearing the ring. ([[ReligionOfEvil It's a different religion from ours]]. I think.)

** LivingMacGuffin: Ringo when wearing the ring, since the cult are not so much trying to take the ring from him as trying to ''kill'' him because he's wearing the ring. ([[ReligionOfEvil It's a different religion from ours]]. I think.)

* LivingMcGuffin: Ringo becomes this when wearing the ring, since the cult are not so much trying to take the ring from him as trying to ''kill'' him because he's wearing the ring. ([[ReligionOfEvil It's a different religion from ours]]. I think.)

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Ringo, in a possible CallBack to ''AHardDaysNight". "What are you doing?" "Posting a letter."

* IsItSomethingYouEat: George's reaction when holding a cymbal at one point.

* DeadpanSnarker: [[WorldOfSnark Each of the]] {{Beatles}}.

* As John and Ringo walk down the sidewalk to mail a letter, John is heard reciting the first few lines to his ''In His Own Write'' poem, "I Sat Belonely".

* PoliceAreUseless: Averted (the police in this case being the British police, the Bahaman Police and ''fricking army''). They do quite a good job protecting the Beatles, as the Inspector in charge turns out to be quite a bright penny. [[spoiler:Hell, they even save the Beatles from the cult]]! ''Twice''.

As a film, it's probably better than ''Film/MagicalMysteryTour'', but not as good as ''Film/AHardDaysNight''.

** One of the orchestral cues is [[TheJimmyHartVersion appropriately titled]], "Another Hard Day's Night".

* UnfortunateImplications: This isn't a great depiction of Eastern cultures, particularly Hinduism, though it's clear Clang is running more a cult of personality than a real religion.
--> "Without the ring, there can be no sacrifice...without the sacrifice, there can be no congregation...without the congregation...no more ''me!''"

-->'''Superintendent:''' Oh come on now lads, don't be windy, where's that famous pluck? \\

-->'''Superintendent:''' Oh come on now lads, don't be windy, where's that famous pluck?
'''John:''' I haven't got any, have you George?
'''George:''' Did have.
'''Paul:''' I have had.

* HilariousInHindsight: Remember the disguises that the lads wore when they went to the Bahamas? Awfully familier don't you think?

Note: the Beatles often weren't sober while making this film. They had recently discovered marijuana. This hurt their performances. Unfortunately, Richard Lester was probably sober.

In the mid-1960s, Music/TheBeatles were the hottest thing since sliced bread. The four guys from Liverpool not only topped the charts with their music, but they topped the box office with their movie ''Film/AHardDaysNight'' in 1964. So, in 1965, they, director Richard Lester, and producer Walter Shenson got back together to make another movie for United Artists. The result was ''Help!''

Unlike its predecessor (though more like Richard Lester's non-Beatles films), ''Help!'' was a surreal and literally colorful action adventure parody and a {{homage}} to UnitedArtists' most successful film series at the time, Film/JamesBond. Its plot was ahead of its time -- real Film/JamesBond films wouldn't be so nonsensical for another decade.

* AudienceParticipation: The film has been called "The Rocky Horror Beatles Show" at some conventions (most notably Beatlefest Chicago), where screenings are frequently interrupted by audience members counting the number of times John dials the phone and handing out sticks of Wrigley's spearmint gum during the "Paul on the Floor" segment.

* {{MacGuffin}}: The ring.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Footage for a few deleted scenes has been floating around. One of the most prominent ones is for a scene in which the Beatles attend The Sam Ahab School of Transcendental Elocution. While there, they, Sam Ahab, and another student known as "Lady Macbeth" are hypnotized by the cult's "Go to the Window" music, except for George, who was wearing earplugs. They try to chop off Ringo's hand while most of the room is in a trance, but George knocks the axe (!!!) they were using out of their hands and into a mirror. The cult flees and everyone wakes up to see the axe left behind. The scene ends with John removing the axe and asking Lady Macbeth "[[ShoutOut Is this a chopper]] [[{{Macbeth}} that you see before you?]]". This scene would have explained why Ringo withdrew his hand so quickly the next time they tried to cut it off, as well as how the boys knew to plug their ears in the Scotland Yard scene.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The gardener from George's room is not seen again after playing the flute in "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away".

Note: the Beatles often weren't sober while making this film. They had recently discovered marijuana. This hurt their performances. But YourMileageMayVary. Unfortunately, Richard Lester was probably sober.

* UnfortunateImplications: This isn't a great depiction of Eastern cultures, though it's clear Clang is running more a cult of personality than anything else.

* ComedicSociopathy: John, most notably, but really all of them; at some point, each suggests cutting Ringo's finger off (John does so holding a steak knife and says it would be like "having a tooth out"), and George, Ringo and John's complete non-reaction when Ringo supposedly [[ItMakesSenseInContext squashes Paul]].