History Film / Help

* DeliberatelyMonochrome: The film made a big deal of being in color - then, at the beginning, the scene shifts from a death-cult sacrifice being cut short to the band playing the title tune in black-and-white...turns out it's a film the cult is watching.
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: It may seem disconcerting to see The Beatles (especially Lennon, although it's very obvious from his facial expression and tone of voice that he is mocking such attitudes) referring to "filthy Eastern ways" regarding their cultist pursuers, but all the deliberately stilted dialog in the movie is meant to invoke old movie and adventure novel cliches.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Help_2009_Stereo_Remaster_1218.jpg]]

* WraparoundBackground: In-movie variation - in the Bahamas, the police chief welcomes the Scotland Yard detective and presents a squad of policemen for inspection. The squad consists of only four men, the last in the row ducking and heading to the front of the row as the chief and inspector pass by the other three.

* StrappedToAnOperatingTable: Parodied when the scientists attempt to amputate Ringo's finger to get the ring. The position of the straps should make it more than easy for Ringo to free himself (and he clearly has not been paralyzed in any way either), but it's played like he's completely restrained. Justified, by the fact that he's stoned off his ass, both in and out of universe.

* StrappedToAnOperatingTable: In an attempt to remove a stuck ring from his finger, Ringo goes to a MadScientist who straps him to a device that runs current through him to enlarge the molecules of metal objects. When it doesn't work the scientist opts for surgery, but is thwarted, then, toward movie's end, he has Ringo strapped down on a yacht, ready to try again.

* StonerFlick: The Beatles were stoned off their asses during the making of it, and the non sequiturs and other ridiculous bits are far more entertaining.

The plot involves a cult from "the eastern country" (presumably but not definitely UsefulNotes/{{India}} and loosely based on the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuggee Thuggee]] who make sacrifices to their goddess, "Kaili". The person to be sacrificed wears a large ring with an enormous ruby in it. Unfortunately, the cultists find out at the ceremony that the girl who was supposed to be sacrificed mailed the ring to Music/RingoStarr, who is now wearing it. So, the cult scrambles to England to get the ring.

* EasyImpersonation: While the Beatles are at Scotland Yard, the bad guys telephone for them. The Inspector plays Ringo, bragging at being "a bit of a mimic, you know, Creator/JamesCagney..." and proceeds with a ludicrous impression peppered with 'gear, fab'...George smirks "Not a bit like Cagney!"

* FakeOutOpening: The ColdOpen in which the cult is about to sacrifice the woman to ''Kalili''. It's this cool, solemn, proto-''Franschise/IndianaJones''-like bit with elaborate CostumePorn....[[MoodWhiplash but then the ring's discovered to be missing....cue the Beatles singing '"Help!"....]]

* GenreShift: ''Film/AHardDaysNight'' was a mockumentary. ''Help!'' is an action/adventure comedy.

* HiroshimaAsAUnitOfMeasure: As The Beatles record a song in the middle of Salisbury Plain with the Army protecting them, the bad guys burrow underneath, setting a massive amount of explosives labelled in military-grade stencil "Equal to exactly one millionth of the explosives exploded in one week of the Second World War".
* HumanSacrifice: Played for laughs. Spending the whole movie trying to kill Ringo, who has a sacrificial ring stuck on his finger, the cult leader muses to himself "Perhaps if we gave away free tickets to the youth organization annual sacrifice and dinner dance, all this could be avoided. It's a very real problem!" just before he turns a flame thrower on the band.

* InTheStyleOf: "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" is very [[Music/BobDylan Dylanesque]].

* MacGuffin: The ring. Interesting it has no power in and of itself, other than that it can't be removed even with the aid of Mad Science.

* AllAnimalsAreDomesticated: The tiger that is sent to attack Ringo at the pub is actually from a zoo and won't attack Ringo if he has 'Ode to Joy' sung to him.

* 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.

* CrazyPrepared: The cult dons (sometimes) elaborate disguises and rigs up ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDoo''-like traps in places they anticipate the Beatles will wander into.

In the mid-1960s, Music/TheBeatles were the hottest thing since sliced bread. The four guys from Use3fulNotes/{{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 Creator/UnitedArtists. The result was ''Help!''

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 Creator/UnitedArtists. The result was ''Help!''

The plot involves a cult from "the eastern country" (presumably but not definitely UsefulNotes/{{India)}} and loosely based on the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuggee Thuggee]] who make sacrifices to their goddess, "Kaili". The person to be sacrificed wears a large ring with an enormous ruby in it. Unfortunately, the cultists find out at the ceremony that the girl who was supposed to be sacrificed mailed the ring to Music/RingoStarr, who is now wearing it. So, the cult scrambles to England to get the ring.

* AccentUponTheWrongSyllable: Clang pronounces "Beatle" to rhyme with "Seattle".

The plot involves a cult from "the eastern country" (presumably but not definitely India) and loosely based on the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuggee Thuggee]] who make sacrifices to their goddess, "Kaili". The person to be sacrificed wears a large ring with an enormous ruby in it. Unfortunately, the cultists find out at the ceremony that the girl who was supposed to be sacrificed mailed the ring to Music/RingoStarr, who is now wearing it. So, the cult scrambles to England to get the ring.

* BadImpressionists: Superintendent Gluck does a bad impression of Ringo over the phone after boasting of his ability as a James Cagney impersonator: "Hello, this is the famous Ringo, gear, fab. What can I do for you, as it were, gear, fab?"

* BellyDancer: Shown during the Indian restaurant scene, she's immediately taken away by the members of the cult, unbeknownst to the band.

* BuffySpeak: "Hey, it's a thingie! [[CrowningMomentOfFunny A fiendish thingie]]!"

** Probably most blatant in the "hand dryer ripping off the boys' clothes" scene, particularly [[ShirtlessScene George's shirt...queue the fangirls screaming]].

** Probably most blatant in the "hand dryer ripping off the boys' clothes" scene.

* AsHimself

* CircularDriving: In-movie variation - in the Bahamas, the police chief welcomes the Scotland Yard detective and presents a squad of policemen for inspection - the squad consists of only four men, the last in the row ducking and heading to the front of the row as the other two pass by.

* CoverVersion: ''Dizzy Miss Lizzy'', written by Larry Williams.

* DeadpanSnarker: [[WorldOfSnark Each of ]] Music/TheBeatles.

* HesitantSacrifice: The plot revolves around Ringo being marked as a cult's human sacrifice - after some hair's breadth escapes, the others suggest over his objections that he should 'take one for the team'.

* TheLoad: After a series of events involving Paul getting shrunk, winter sports in the Austrian Alps, and being attacked by Clang, the rest of the group is getting weary of having their lives endangered because of Ringo.

* AffectionateParody: Of the Frachise/JamesBond films.

* EverythingIsLouderWithBagpipes: The Beatles once again run afoul of the pursuing Eastern thug cult at the London riverfront, disguised as a Highland band, with a bagpipe that spews sacrificial red paint.

* LargeHam: John Lennon is the hammiest of The Beatles, but the villains take the cake (Leo McKeren as a Thuggee priest, Victor Spinetti's Mad Scientist...).