Dirk McQuickly & Paul McCartney

Rutle Dirk McQuickly stood side by side with Beatle Paul McCartney at the dedication of George Harrison's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this week.

The shadow of the film The Seventh Python, which had its world premiere a few blocks away at the Egyptian Theatre, hung heavily across the event, as many of the personalities who attended appear or are referenced in the Neil Innes film, from McCartney, who produced Neil Innes' first (and last) hit single (with the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band), I'm The Urban Spaceman, to fellow Rutle McQuickly to Harrison himself, whose friendship, influence and passing are key elements in the film.

By the way, "Rutles" rhymes with "shuttles"

We never expected we’d see a review of a Rutles-related event in which the reviewer has to spell out that “Rutles rhymes with shuttles,” but that’s where we stand when it comes to general knowledge of pop culture and history, and it might as well serve as a reminder as Eric Idle and Neil Innes’ 30th anniversary of their historic (and historically low-rated) All You Need Is Cash Beatles parody TV special wraps its first big bang.

Idle’s Rutlemania! show ended a four-night run in New York City this weekend, after opening with five shows in LA earlier in the month. The multimedia stage production, which featured a Beatles tribute band playing Rutles favorites and acting out scenes under a screen that mashed up the best bits of Idle’s two Rutles mockumentaries, as a great crowd pleaser, and all the more remarkable in that Idle put it all together himself, from idea to onstage introduction in three weeks.

We didn’t see a lot of press about the New York run, despite the involvement of Saturday Night Live’s Lorne Michaels as executive producer with Idle, and the presence of the original Rutles for the kick off of the run in Los Angeles.

But the Washington Post sent along a reviewer-- the guy who explained how "Rutles" is pronounced-- who seemed a bit baffled by the idea of

“…a concert by a band re-creating the music of a fake band that satirized the songs of a real band. Or maybe it's a reenactment by four men of four men farcically reenacting the lives of four other men. Or maybe it's a new genre of rock: heavy meta.”

He was also put off by the fact that the crowd stayed in their seats, while girls in the old Beatlemania days would stand up and scream. He blamed that on the audience being full of “men over 40.

“Including Salman Rushdie. How much leaping and shouting do you think Salman Rushdie does?

“But those facts only partially minimize the weirdness of sitting and listening to a Rutles track like 'Number One,' an imitation of the Beatles circa 1964, and realizing that you're sitting. Because everyone is sitting. Because it would be odd to do anything but sit.”

Rushdie.

Rhymes with "hush me."

Oh well, at least we know what a famous author does for fun after he’s survived a fatwah by the Ayatollah, Bono, a knighthood and getting dumped by Padma Lakshmi.

Rutlemania! may be popping up elsewhere. We’ll keep you posted on that, further Rutles tributes in the coming months, and of course the premiere of The Seventh Python, the Neil Innes musical biopic from our pals at Frozen Pictures.

New news on The Seventh Python premiere

In the LAist's comprehensive report on Monday night's reunion-- and historic first-time performance-- of The Rutles, there's more information about the premiere of The Seventh Python, the Neil Innes biopic from our pals at Frozen Pictures, thats set for June at very same Mods and Rockers Film Festival that brought together Eric Idle, John Halsey, Ricky Fataar and Seventh subject Neil Innes:

"...There was also a preview for the upcoming documentary on Neil Innes, titled The Seventh Python. The documentary will be premiering at this summer's Mods and Rockers Film Festival. Martin Lewis, co-founder and producer of Mods and Rockers has some serious mojo...

"This may be the first and last time all four Rutles performed together, but this is not the last you will see of The Rutles. Neil Innes told LAist that when he returns in June for the Mods and Rockers Fest to premier his documentary, The Seventh Python, he may form a trio with Ricky Fataar (Martin Lewis - seriously, the guy is magic)..."

Looks like more history-making music could be ahead. We'll be there at the Egyptian Theatre. Stay tuned here for details.

The Seventh Python's executive producer Sean Connors & Martin Lewis
at the Rutles reunion bash

Sean Connors (center) & The Rutlemania! dancers

The Seventh Python movie to premiere in June at Mods & Rockers Film Festival in Hollywood

The world premiere of The Seventh Python, the Neil Innes biopic produced by our pals at Frozen Pictures, will take place in June at the American Cinematheque's Mods and Rockers Film Festival at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

The announcement was made tonight by festival founder, host and curator Martin Lewis, as he premiered The Seventh Python trailer (above) before the festival's 30th anniversary screening of The Rutles in All You Need Is Cash at which the four stars of the film, Innes, Eric Idle, Ricky Fataar and John Halsey were united for the first time.

Meet The Rutles:
Martin Lewis (right) introduces John Halsey, Ricky Fataar, Neil Innes & Eric Idle

The trailer can also be viewed here on the new Seventh Python movie website that went into operation tonight.

Lewis said The Seventh Python will open the festival, and that Neil Innes will most likely be on hand for the much-anticipated world premiere.

"I want to see the Neil Innes movie," Eric Idle told the enthusiastic crowd. "Not only is he an untold story, he's an unsold Tory!"

"We're honored to be invited to such a prestigious and acclaimed festival," said Python director Burt Kearns, who wrote and produced the nonfiction musical with Brett Hudson. "Martin Lewis has done tremendous things and made worldwide headlines this week and we're especially grateful that he found the time to be so generous to us and our film. This is the perfect place to introduce this picture and Neil Innes' gifts to the world."

www.TheSeventhPythonMovie.com

EXCLUSIVE!!!! 'THE SEVENTH PYTHON' TRAILER TO PREMIERE TONIGHT AT RUTLES REUNION & SCREENING IN HOLLYWOOD! MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT TO FOLLOW!

Impresario Martin Lewis has promised many a surprise at tonight's screenings of the classic Rutles TV special, All You Need Is Cash at Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre, and we've found out that one of the biggest will be world premiere of the first trailer for The Seventh Python, the musical documentary film about the Rutles' musical mastermind Neil Innes.

There will also be a major announcement regarding The Seventh Python (produced by our pals at Frozen Pictures), but it's embargoed until tonight-- so we'll have it for you a little later.

Innes will be reunited for the very first time with all three fellow Rutles, Ricky Fataar, John Halsey, and of course, the architect of two Rutlemania phenomena three decades apart (not to mention the best Paul McCartney parodist since Noel Gallagher), Eric Idle.


Tonight's 7:30 show is sold out, but there are probably seats left for the 10:30. Click here for information.

And stay tuned here for first Internet posting of the trailer for The Seventh Python.

Rutlemania!

Thirty years on, Rutlemania is real. We got to sit in last night on a well-attended dress rehearsal of the multimedia concert/stage show that takes the audience through the story of the Prefab Four, as written and directed by comedy and Monty Python legend Eric Idle, set to a truly timeless soundtrack by The Seventh Python, Neil Innes.

Rutlemania! provides real laughs and nonstop entertainment, with the Rutles music performed live by Beatles tribute act The Fab Four (play around with that concept if you will), in and around filmed highlights of Idle’s two Rutles mockumentaries, All You Need Is Cash (the one that premiered on NBC thirty years ago this month) and Can’t Buy Me Lunch. It's a fun rush for millions of Rutles fans and a good primer for the uninitiated (even if they don't have the cultural education to know the Beatles story it parodies, let alone its place in music and comedy history).

The comedy bits and surprise (filmed) celebrity cameos generated real laughs, and the music, real cheers. Rutles Ron Nasty and Barry Wom were in the audience and they approved, enthusiastically. (And why not? Of all the Pythons, Idle has worked hardest to keep the brand alive, current and relevant.)


The show begins a five-show run tonight at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre in Hollywood and moves to the Blender Theatre in NYC March 26-29. We’d say Vegas beckons (as does “Rutles on Ice”), with or without the acrobats and clowns.

Rutlemania! is dark Monday night, and for good reason: that's when All You Need Is Cash gets a 30th anniversary showing (two shows, actually, the first is sold out)—and film’s four Rutles will reunite for the very first time-- at the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard as part of impresario and tastemaker Martin Lewis’ Mods & Rockers American Cinematheque film series. Martin has been a busy man this week, a combination of Derek Taylor, Eric Manchester and Leggy Mountbatten rolled into one, and it’s all paying off as the Rutles leaping into the forefront of pop culture (as a look at the front page of today’s LA Times Calendar section will attest).

And stay tuned here for exclusive news about what else will be featured that night at the Egyptian…

Rutles reunion brings Neil Innes to Hollywood!

Neil Innes, subject and star of the new musical documentary feature The Seventh Python from our pals at Frozen Pictures, is coming to Los Angeles! Neil will be joining legendary Eric Idle, erstwhile Beach Boy Ricky Fataar and the dour-faced John Halsey-- AKA Dirk, Nasty, Stig & Barry-- to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood on March 17.


The event is presented by American Cinematheque's Mods & Rockers Film Festival, and will feature a screening of the film, which was written and co-directed by Python and Spamalot genius Idle-- as well as clips from the sequel and other rarities.

All You Need Is Cash premiered on NBC March 22, 1978 to low ratings and instant acclaim.


Click here for updates on The Seventh Python.