A Hard Day's Night

It was 62 years ago next month that this surprisingly sharp, funny inside view of mid-‘60s Beatlemania opened in American theaters, the same year John, Paul, George and Ringo made their U.S. debut. Writer Alun Owen traveled with the Fab Four to get a better understanding of what was becoming a worldwide phenomenon, offering an intimate look inside the eye of the teen-scream storm that became known as Beatlemania. Director Richard Lester tapped into it, using the Beatles’ charm, humor, hubris and unforced musicality as the group travels to London to appear on a TV show. This is a digital restoration of one of the best rock ’n’ roll movies ever made. — Doug Pullen