Viewers of the Now and Then music video, an accompaniment to The Beatles‘ last-ever song, are split on the “cheesy” style.
While some found the footage (which splices archival video of George Harrison and John Lennon into scenes with current-day Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney) endearing, others were left calling it a “weird” experience. A post to the r/Beatles subreddit saw fans try and decide whether it’s a “bittersweet” achievement or a “cheesy” exploitation of remastered footage. One user asked: “I genuinely have no idea what the common consensus is about this video. For every comment I see saying it’s cheesy and weird, I see a comment saying it’s bittersweet and emotional.
“For me personally, I’m sort of on the fence. I think Ringo singing is weird (he keeps posing for the camera in a way that’s so performative and not genuine) and it’s weird seeing The Beatles all CGI’d next to each other. However, I think there are some cool, emotional moments; the ending bow is incredibly done and even small moments like when Paul and Ringo sing ‘I miss you’ it cuts to archival footage of George and John; THAT is really effective, I wish I could’ve seen more of stuff like that.”
Fans agree that it feels both bittersweet and unintentionally funny. One wrote: “I personally think it’s kinda bittersweet but at the same time when I see Magical Mystery Tour versions of them just chilling with their older selves it’s really funny to me.
“The first time I watched the video I cried a bit but then I burst out laughing when I think George was shaking his shoulder while taking off his jacket and standing next to the older Beatles members.”
Another added: “I think it’s cheesy, weird, bittersweet, and emotional.” A third wrote: “Some parts genuinely made me laugh when I first saw it, but the ending made me shed a tear.”
Some fans have summarised the video as “deeply moving and also incredibly embarrassing.” One replied: “This. Like, I hate it, but I also cried. It makes me uncomfortable in all sorts of ways, but the first time I saw it I immediately played it again and I’ve watched it many times since. And that final bow is fucking wow. No notes.
“On a very basic level, it made me feel glad that The Beatles existed and sad that they don’t anymore, and then on a deeper level just smashed my brain to smithereens thinking about mortality, the immortality of art and love and the very many forms that love takes. So yeah, hate it, love it and am glad it exists.”
Thoughts on the music video of "Now and Then"?
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Another added: “I think it gets a lot of undeserved hate for being corny, especially because it’s probably Paul and Ringo’s way of wanting to honor George and John.” Though the video was deemed “super cheesy” by one, fans are giving The Beatles a free pass given the longevity of their work.
One wrote: “Super cheesy, but it’s the Beatles. They can do whatever they want.” Another pointed out a rather tacky choice of clothing from Starr, writing: “Ringo wearing his own merch—a shirt that could literally be purchased from his web-store at the time the video was released—is quite possibly the tackiest move in Beatles history. I love the guy but c’mon, Ringo!”
A third summarised: “I mean yeah it’s a bit goofy but in my opinion, that fits The Beatles perfectly. This is the group that made both A Day In The Life and Wild Honey Pie (both great songs), they can do whatever they want no matter how unserious or whatever it may be. I love it.”
