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by Robert R. Hieronimus, Ph.D. and Laura E. Cortner (Hieronimus & Co., Inc. Publications)
"It's All in the Mind - Inside The Beatles Yellow Submarine Vol. 2" is more of a companion than a sequel to 2002's "Inside The Beatles Yellow Submarine". It dives deeper into the story of the film (please excuse the nautical pun!). It features sections that were left out of Vol. 1, in addition to talking to artists that weren't contacted for the first book and giving more inside stories of the creation of this groundbreaking film. And, it is even more colorful than Vol. 1, with many pictures in full-color! For me, one of the most interesting sections of this book was the exploration of symbolism in Yellow Submarine. Was it intentional or unconscious? While most of the artists involved said that there was little time to incorporate messages with a hard deadline looming - the interesting case for "chaos theory" is brought up. Also, the film was made at the height of "Swinging London", which had an immense effect on the crew. Reading the section on the "meanings & symbolism" made me think of that scene in the movie, "The DaVinci Code" where professor Langdon is giving a lecture on symbolism. Dr. Bob doing travelling lectures on "symbolism inside Yellow Submarine"? Not THAT I would pay to see! That would be a cool addition to any Beatlefests. The amount of minutiae in the book is mind blowing. I had no idea there was a "Church of Yellow Submarine" movement? And now I know the story of the logo created by the New York Workshop In Non Violence - whose button's the Beatles are wearing at the Sgt. Pepper release party. Of course there is further info on Heinz Edelmann; I LOVED reading more of his "Heinze-site" regarding the film. For instance, his illustration of his preferred ending of the film is shown in full color- perhaps a tad bit "too dark" for the "flower power" generation, but hilarious nonetheless. There are many more subjects covered in the book, too many to list here. But, if you loved 2002's "Inside The Beatles Yellow Submarine", you will not be disappointed by 2021's "It's All In The Mind - Inside The Beatles Yellow Submarine Vol. 2". "Inside The Beatles Yellow Submarine" (Vol 1) cemented Dr. Bob's reputation as the definitive expert on all things Yellow Submarine, and is one of the most important & factual books about the Beatles story. Additionally, Bob's books are a valuable addition to film history itself: the film history of Yellow Submarine once existing in a vast sea of holes, a void where no real or factual information about the film could be found. Where there was once a colorless void, Hieronimus (and Laura Cortner) has brought back the color of truth. Dr. Bob is truly the "Patron Saint of Yellow Submarine"...
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