Customer Reviews

The Rutles 2 - Can't Buy Me Lunch

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

I was a huge Rutles fan, and was greatly anticipating this release. Unfortunately, it consists mostly of clips of the Rutles from the first special (although there are occasional flashes of footage apparently unused from the first special) interspersed with new interviews (Steve Martin, James Taylor, Conan O'Brien, Carrie Fisher, and others). Eric Idle even rips himself off; the show opens with a sight gag -- Idle trying to keep up with an accelerating camera as he narrates -- taken directly from the original program. It all has a cobbled-together feel and offers nothing of substance new for Rutles fans.

This is an uninspired, strained, and literal rehash of the original RUTLES film, devoid of any of the original's wit. While Neil Innes actually improved on the soundtrack to the original with the "Anthology" take-off "Archeology," Eric Idle seems (un)comfortable ripping himself off in the most hackneyed and superficial way. Overall, the normally clever Idle has greatly tarnished the simple charm of one of his finest achievements. It's obvious why Warner Bros. didn't know what to do with it, and as for the celebrity interviews, most are poorly improvised, woefully unfunny and drag on way too long.

It is a sad, sad, tale that I have to tell you, but I'll keep it short.

Back when the Rutles were first conceived, Neil Innes (seen in 'Grail' as the Minstrel) and Eric Idle worked amicably together, creating a sharp and hilarious parody of the Beatles legend. Idle wrote the script, and Innes created the music. The original 'All You Need Is Cash' special placed 65th out of 65 shows the week it was originally shown in 1978, but the fame of the Rutles grew over the years just the same.

Eric Idle did not write, sing or perform any Rutles music, ever. However, Idle, as the 'face' that was most identifiable to Americans (as the narrator and lip-synching Dirk McQuickly), enjoyed whatever credit there was to be had for the Rutles. He enjoyed this for years, until the Rutles album was re-released in the 90s, when the true genius of the team was revealed to all (us hardcore fans already knew) as Neil Innes.

When the 'Archaeology' project was conceived (to much excitement among the former Rutle musicians and producers, even George Harrison), it went through a huge bidding war, with Virgin finally winning and putting its considerable muscle behind the production and marketing of the album. That is, until the month before the album came out. Idle then brought to bear all sorts of legal demands (monetary and otherwise) that pretty much killed the album, as Virgin was now loathe to put lots of money into the promotion of the project. Idle demanded every image of himself be deleted from the package, as well as half the album profits and the odd note on the album cover that 'The Rutles' was the SOLE creation of Idle.

Because of all this, the album was pretty much 'stillborn' at release, and Innes was sent into bankruptcy.

Innes and Idle have NOTHING now but animosity between them.

If you want to read the entire sad tale, see the Internet Archive and do a search on the Rutles.

After all the negative reviews and wondering about why the 'Shangri-La' video or anything of real consequence is contained in this product, I just thought I'd let you know.

This is my first Amazon review because I feel so compelled to add my voice of disappointment, here. It's that bad...

I'm a longtime Beatles, Rutles, Monty Python, and SNL fan. "Rutles 2 - Can't Buy Me Lunch" only needed to be mildly amusing, and I would have been easily satisified...

But this video is a mess.

For all of the supposedly *unused* footage from the first Rutles movie, there seems to be just as much *recycled* footage from the first Rutles movie. Moreover, the unused footage from the first Rutles movie is so similar to footage that *did* appear in the first movie, that it takes effort to even recognize this "unused" footage as as new!

The attempts to lipsynch footage from the first Rutles film with songs recorded in the 1990s for the Rutles "Archaelogy" album was painful to watch. The first Rutles moview was too brilliant to be misused in this way...

The quality of the camera work even seems "low budget": the first Rutles movie had a filmic (artistic!) look to the work. The new footage in this second film sometimes looks like it was done with a consumer-level camcorder. When this new footage is juxtaposed to the old in the film, it feels like an amateurish "hack job" that screams "straight to video"...

There are so many shameless attempts to recycle gags from the first film that it's almost insulting: did they think we wouldn't notice, or something...?

The running gag with the elsewhere with the otherwise talented Jimmy Fallon is so puerile and sloppy that it's exasperating. (Did they even BLOCK the scenes?) It doesn't work the FIRST time, let alone the second, and third, and...

There are some occasionally interesting moments in the interviews with such guest stars as David Bowie, Tom Hanks, et al. But the interviews go on way too long, as if they're just letting the camera run, hoping for funny moments to happen. And you get the sense that these interviews done solely as favors to Lorne Michaels and/or Eric Idle -- not because they were enthusiastic about this sequel -- and this shows in the low energy of their interviews. The "outakes" in the Bonus Features section of the DVD make these stars half-hearted interest in the project all too apparent...

Yes, the music in Rutles 2 is worth hearing. But the best of it was included on the first Rutles audio CD. The rest of it is all on the Rutles' "Archaeology" CD. Buy that CD instead: the "Archaeology" music by itself is weak by comparison to the first Rutles CD, but it is still genuinely listenable music that does produce the occasional smile or laugh.

But smiles and laughs on "Can't Buy Me Lunch" DVD are just too few and fare between.

Rent it just to satisfy your curiosity, if you must. But you won't ever want to watch it again, I dare say...

The ONLY parts of this that are worth watching are the clips from the original. Which leads to the question, why bother making this?

And Tom Hanks demonstrates what a truly bad actor he is - "Look everyone, I'm playing an amusing character!"

Yawn.

I'm a big fan of the first Rutles movie, and I love the music by Neil Innes.
This dvd is a cheap cash-in dvd by mr. Idle. None of the other Rutles were involved. Yes there is some "unseen" footage, but these are outtakes from the original. The new interviews are so so, and Mr Idle, well ...... I got the recycle dvd blues.
No new songs, no new storylines, no real extra's. Ka-ching!

Maybe it would have been a wiser idea to use the leftovers to make a longer "director's cut" of the original movie. As extra's you could have put the first apearance of the Rutles
(Rutland weekend television - BBC), the Saturday night live appearences, the video of "shangri-la", the CNN item on this song on the disc.

A new Rutles movie should have been about the "solo" years", with all the original stars and all new songs by the great mr. Innes.

All you need is cash!!! Get up and go!!

What a disappointment.

Keep your expectations low for this one. It is not a sequel, just a rehash. "Another Look at The Rutles" is what Eric Idle calls it on screen. And that's all it is. It also has a suspicious 2002 copyright date at the end. I thought this was supposed to be a new release, not something that has been sitting around for a few years.

Eric Idle proceeds in the character of the reporter to retell the story of the Rutles using some clips from the original TV show and inserts lots of new interviews with mostly C and D caliber "celebrities" rattling on about the Prefab Four in painfully self-conscious "scripted to look unscripted" moments. There are only a few highlights - Tom Hanks and David Bowie come off best and you'll want to make sure you check out the Special Features and go to additional interviews and watch Hanks' and Bowie's edited stuff. Just great.

The same cannot be said for such bargain basement celebs as Garry Shandling, Conan O'Brien (who on his best day is not funny), Bonnie Raitt, David A. Stewart, and director Mike Nichols. Catherine O'Hara attempts comedy, as does Robin Williams with disastrous results. Steve Martin looks absolutely embarrassed to be on screen.

And how great would it have been to have McCartney or Starr walk through saying they knew the Rutles would never last. So many missed opportunities it just makes me dizzy.

If Eric Idle was intent on doing a "sequel" he should have continued the story into the Rutles' solo years.

The new footage is shot on video so it doesn't match the 16mm film interviews of the original show (they occasionally show the old Mick Jagger segments). And the whole fiasco clocks it at a scant 56 minutes.

You'd think producer Lorne Michaels would have just opened his Saturday Night Live Rolodex and found the world's biggest stars to appear in this. Everybody loves the Rutles and had they been asked I'm sure such A list musicians and entertainers as Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Robert De Niro, Tom Cruise, etc. would have jumped at the chance to be included. Their footage could have been shot on 16mm and then just been added in an "enhanced" version of the original show. The DVD could have offered both the original version and the enhanced version.

Instead we get a rehash marketed and titled as a sequel. In fact, a section of this new program was used as an introduction by Idle on the reissued "All You Need is Cash" DVD a few years ago.

The "new" music playing throughout is actually material from the Rutles' second album, "Archeology" released in the late 1990's as an answer to the Beatles "Anthology" CDs.

I know Rutles fans everywhere (and Python fans) will be curious about this title. I am a huge fan of the Rutles, Python and Idle and I was disappointed with this DVD.

Worth a rental only.

I agree with virtually all of the other reviews posted: "Can't Buy Me Lunch" is totally uninspired. The music is great and I'd reccommend any Rutles fan to buy the "Archeology" CD right now - Use the money you were going to waste on "Can't Buy Me Lunch."

Eric, I'm addressing you personally: By now, you've read the other reviews and I'm sure you would like to make amends somehow. So, how about showing us how the Rutles are doing today? You know, an aging rock band - and nobody was shot and nobody died of cancer. They broke apart and had their solo careers and everybody wanted them to get back together again... you know the story. Just start where you left off with "All You Need is Cash." We all realize that you are all older now, but so are the Rutles. Use the original guys. Give us what we all wanted and never got - the reunion.
You are welcome to use my idea free of charge.
Your pal, Mike Kirchubel

This is just a rehash of the first Rutles DVD, with MAYBE 1 or 2 minutes of new footage. Particularly reprehensible is changing the speed of performances to fit newer recordings to try and trick viewers into thinking they are seeing something new. (The song "Easy Listening" is the one they use.) It's clear that Idle is completely out of ideas, as he relentlessly and desperately beats old jokes into the ground. The addition of the mysteriously-employed-in-showbiz Jimmy Fallon also should be a warning to everyone.

Why Idle felt the need to tell the Rutles story in basically the same way, with basically the same footage, and yet package it as something new is beyond me. Surely he doesn't need grocery money.

This is a beyond cynical cash-in attempt by a guy whose glory days are clearly well behind him. This disc is being sold in a very misleading way. Mr. Idle should cough up refunds.

Too bad there is not an option for 0 Stars.

as a huge beatles ,monty python,bonzo dog band fan,i was hugely dissapointed with the rutles sequel.i have the archaeology c.d and it would have been nice to see neil innes and the other guys on the dvd as they got together for the reunion.i know there is a video for "shangri-la" which should have been included.eric...shame on you!!!....everyone save your money and put it towards tickets for eric's spamalot on broadway ..i hear its wonderful!