Apple Corps Ltd have announced the much anticipated DVD release of The Beatles’ second feature film ‘Help!’ on November 5th, which will be marketed and distributed by EMI Music.  Directed by Richard Lester, who also directed the band’s debut feature film ‘A Hard Days Night’, ‘Help!’ made its theatrical debut in 1965.

The story follows The Beatles as they become passive recipients of an outside plot that revolves around Ringo’s possession of a sacrificial ring, which he cannot remove from his finger. As a result, he and his bandmates John, Paul and George are chased from London to the Austrian Alps and the Bahamas by religious cult members, a mad scientist & the London police.

In addition to starring the Beatles, ‘Help!’ has a witty script, a great cast of British character actors and features 7 classic Beatles tracks, including:

• ‘Help!’
• ‘You’re Going To Lose That Girl’
• ‘You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away’
• ‘Ticket To Ride’
• ‘I Need You’
• ‘The Night Before’
• ‘Another Girl’

The DVD will be a 2-disc set.

There will be 2 editions of the DVD - a standard digipack and a deluxe boxed set that will contain a reproduction of Richard Lester’s original annotated script, 8 lobby cards and a poster, plus a 60-page book with rarely seen photographs and production notes from the movie.

Both the deluxe book and the standard booklet feature an introduction by Richard Lester and an appreciation by Martin Scorsese.  This one is a “must have” for any serious Beatles collector.

Promoters are taking action after tickets for a rumoured Led Zeppelin comeback gig are being advertised.   Despite no official confirmation from the band, hotel and ticket packages are being sold for upwards of £269 for gigs at London’s O2 Arena.

The company offering the deal has now been reported to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).    Promoter Harvey Goldsmith has issued a statement to warn the fans not to fall victiom to ticket touts:

“There have been at least four events advertised which I suspect either don’t exist or where no tickets are on sale or indeed dates finalized. These are the very people whom our industry has spent over a year trying to convince the DCMS to instigate outlawing.  The media should consider the consequences of giving credibility to those who rip the public off.

There are NO packages or tickets for some the events advertised at all, nor do some of the events even exist. We are concerned that the public will be fleeced. The bottom line is that unless official adverts have appeared for concerts, tickets are not on sale. Do not buy from unauthorized sources.”

Goldsmith is promoting Bruce Springsteen’s date and confirms that tickets are sold out and that there are no packages available at this time.   There is still no official word on whether Led Zeppelin’s rumoured comeback will happen.  So there is still hope!