The crowd couldn't help but sing "we all live in a yellow submarine" at Indiana University Cinema's presentation of “Yellow Submarine” on Thursday evening. IU students received free entry to the film's commemorative 50th Anniversary screening as part of Welcome Week 2018.
The 90 minute musically animated adventure brings viewers into the realm of Pepperland where Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band aka The Beatles, protect the land. George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr use the power of their melodies to defeat the music-hating blue meanies who are trying to destroy Pepperland. Songs like “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “All Together Now” are featured within the film.
“I have seen this movie before and it was very unique and colorful,” said Sam Katuzienski, a senior in the Kelley School of Business. “I’m seeing it again because I wanted to show my friends the film for the first time.”
“Yellow Submarine” first debuted in 1968 and was instantly recognized as an animated cinematic achievement, according to IU Cinema’s website. Pop art style by artists Andy Warhol and Peter Blake were cited as some of the film’s creative inspiration.
“The Beatles are always infinitely popular wherever you go and so the idea of doing a fun musical, animated movie, especially one that just has recently been re-released, re-mastered, and re-mixed, sounds really good and looks really good on our screen,” said Jessica Tagg, IU Cinema assistant director of events, facilities, and guest services.
"Yellow Submarine” was originally filmed on 35 millimeter film which can slowly degrade over time, Tagg said. Transitioning it to 4Kresolution turns the analog film into digital, making it clear and crisp and as Tagg said a “beautiful digital picture.”
The re-master of “Yellow Submarine” was done in time to mark the 50 years since it’s original release, even sporting re-mixing of music at Abbey Road Studios in London, according to an article by Billboard Magazine,. Since July, the film has been screened in cinemas all across North America.
As “Yellow Submarine” came to a close at IU Cinema, the real life Beatles appeared on the picure and asked the audience to sing along with them. The lyrics to the song “All Together Now” bounced across the screen and the audience sang with them until the cinema went dark.
“Literally the craziest thing I have ever seen," said Sara Mantich, a freshman studying Media and Film Production. "First of all I can’t believe I saw it in 4K, I think this is the way to see it. It was like a fever dream. I felt like we were getting hypnotized together.”
IU Cinema will be showing one more screening of “Yellow Submarine” at 4 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are free for children under the age of 12 and $4 for all others.
