'Sgt. Pepper' turns 50: Do you remember the wacky movie version?

Ah yes, who could forget "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," that classic work of art in which The Bee Gees and Peter Frampton use a magical weather vane that transforms into Billy Preston to save the town of Heartland from Mean Mr. Mustard and Aerosmith?

Some of you must be very confused right now.

Yes, this summer marks the 50th anniversary of the seminal album by The Beatles, the one I memorized by reading the lyrics printed on the back of the record sleeve, the one that gave us the psychedelic delights of "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" and "A Day in the Life."

But 11 years after John, Paul, George and Ringo unleashed their landmark record, Barry, Robin, Maurice and Peter starred in a bonkers movie of the same name that adapts many of the band's latter-day songs into a train wreck of epic proportions.

Evil robots sing the plaintive "She's Leaving Home." Alice Cooper brainwashes a cult with "Because." The Bee Gees chase after Strawberry Fields (Sandy Farina) in a hot-air balloon. Earth, Wind & Fire put their own spin on "Got to Get You Into My Life."

I swear this film is real.

A new Blu-ray transfer of the 1978 oddity is coming this September courtesy of Shout Factory, but if the prospect of seeing Steve Martin as Dr. Maxwell with his silver hammer is just too tempting, you can rent it now on most digital platforms. I wish I could channel Mr. Kite (played by George Burns!) and say a splendid time is guaranteed by all, but the film is more of an acquired taste (like, say, Track 8, "Within You Without You") than a crowd-pleasing hit.

• Sean Stangland is a Daily Herald multiplatform editor who always preferred the so-called White Album to "Sgt. Pepper." You can follow him on Twitter at @SeanStanglandDH.