Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party is Back!

1 Comment
Share Button

It’s been awhile, but we are back…You will see much more activity here as we ramp up various projects in the coming months. This first one was a real surprise. When the amazing Adria Petty reached out to Cameron late last year and said, “we should release the Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party movie”, we were stunned. It only aired once on MTV back in 1983 and would require much work (clearances, remaster, etc.). It’s been a blast for Cameron and myself to put this together with Team Petty. It’s never looked better and there will be some great additional bonus footage of Tom and the Heartbreakers. We hope you make it to theaters and check it out! Here’s all the details.

ACADEMY AWARD WINNING DIRECTOR CAMERON CROWE RELEASES HIS DIRECTORIAL DEBUT TOM PETTY: HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY IN CINEMAS FOR THE FIRST TIME ON OCTOBER 17 AND 20

 FULLY RESTORED WITH 20 MINUTES OF ADDITIONAL UNRELEASED FOOTAGE

 Los Angeles, CA & London, UK – September 10, 2024 — Trafalgar Releasing and the Tom Petty Estate are thrilled to announce the highly anticipated big screen debut of TOM PETTY: HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY. The lost 1983 cult classic documentary, directed by legendary Rolling Stone journalist and Academy Award-winning director Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire), will screen in cinemas worldwide for two special nights only on October 17 and October 20 (on what would have been Tom Petty’s 74thbirthday). Fans will experience Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers like never before with a new introduction from Crowe himself and an all-new 20-minute cut of unreleased outtakes from the acclaimed director.

Heartbreakers Beach Party occupies a special place in my heart,” says Crowe. “Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers leaned into the making of the film with a kind of hilarious music-filled honesty that still feels fresh forty years later. It was also my first experience as a director. Thanks to Adria Petty and the Petty Estate, along with our co-filmmakers Danny Bramson, Phil Savenick, Doug Dowdle and Greg Mariotti, I’m so happy we’re bringing it back in all its reckless glory. The fact that it was yanked from MTV after only one airing at 2:00 a.m. just shows that it was indeed an outlandish feast for fans in all the best ways. Let that sucker blast!”

Tickets for TOM PETTY: HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY are available now at www.TomPettyFilm.com.

This cinematic event marks the first time TOM PETTY: HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY has been seen on the big screen, fully remastered in 4K. Originally airing only once on MTV in February 1983, it was Crowe’s directorial debut and pirated versions have been coveted by fans ever since. Featuring a mix of in-depth interviews, electrifying live performances and unprecedented intimate access to Petty and the band—including Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Stan Lynch, and new addition Howie Epstein—the film’s influence can even be seen in Rob Reiner’s This Is Spinal Tap.

The film, now restored from its 16mm source by Crowe, reveals an era defining look at rock & roll in 1982 when Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers finished, promoted and toured around the groundbreaking album Long After Dark. Often misunderstood, this is the band’s third and final album with legendary rock producer Jimmy Iovine. Alongside the film an expansive reissue, Long After Dark (Deluxe Edition), featuring a collection of rediscovered and unheard songs will be released on October 18.

MTV, a relatively new network at the time, was instrumental in shaping music culture, and this film captures the essence of that era. The film features behind the scenes footage of the iconic apocalyptic western music video for “You Got Lucky,” directed by Jim Lenahan, which was groundbreaking and pioneering for its short film approach and futuristic style.

This is the second “Meet Up” for Tom Petty fans following the successful 2021 Trafalgar release of award-winning and critically acclaimed Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free – The Making of Wildflowers.

“This special cinematic event offers Tom Petty fans a unique opportunity to unite and honor the music that has deeply resonated with countless fans through many decades and generations,” says Kymberli Frueh, Senior Vice President for Programming and Content Acquisitions at Trafalgar Releasing. “The cinema platform offers a way for these fans to connect with one another and hopefully create new memories together.”

Filed under News

Singles Vol 2 from Mondo – First Time on Vinyl!

Comments Off
Share Button

Yep, you heard right! Singles Vol 2 – Blues For a T-shirt will be released on vinyl for the first time in a partnership between Sony Music, Vinyl Films and Mondo this September, 2023. Here’s the details.

This bonus collection features live recordings from Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, plus score tracks by Paul Westerberg, Chris Cornell and Mike McCready, and the “Poncier” recordings of Chris Cornell including an early recording of “Spoon Man.”

Cameron has provided liner notes plus we’ve created a new Citizen Dick flyer for this new release.

TRACKLIST

SIDE A

  1. Touch Me, I’m Dick Performed by Citizen Dick
  2. Would? (live) Performed by Alice In Chains
  3. It Ain’t Like That (live) Performed by Alice In Chains
  4. Birth Ritual (live) Performed by Soundgarden

SIDE B

  1. Missing Performed by Chris Cornell (as Poncier)
  2. Nowhere But You Performed by Chris Cornell (as Poncier)
  3. Spoon Man Performed by Chris Cornell (as Poncier)
  4. Flutter Girl Performed by Chris Cornell (as Poncier)

SIDE C

  1. Dyslexic Heart (acoustic) Performed by Paul Westerberg
  2. Waiting for Somebody (score acoustic) Performed by Paul Westerberg
  3. Overblown (demo) Performed by Mudhoney
  4. Heart and Lungs Performed by Truly
  5. Six Foot Under Performed by Blood Circus

SIDE D

  1. Singles Blues 1 Performed by Mike McCready
  2. Blue Heart Performed by Paul Westerberg
  3. Lost In Emily’s Woods Performed by Paul Westerberg
  4. Ferry Boat #3 Performed by Chris Cornell
  5. Score Piece #4 Performed by Chris Cornell

P.S. Singles Volume 1 is still available directly through Mondo’s website. Get it while supplies last.

 

Filed under News

Vanilla Sky 4K Out Now!

Comments Off
Share Button

We are so happy that Vanilla Sky was released this past week on 4K Blu-ray and digitally through various channels (iTunes, Amazon, etc.). Cameron was able to supervise this new 4K transfer (during the height of the pandemic back in 2021) and we sure hope you like how it looks! The Blu-ray includes all the previous bonus features from the Paramount Presents disc plus a digital copy of the film.

Extra Features:

  • Filmmaker Focus: Cameron Crowe on Vanilla Sky – New interview with Cameron as he discusses the film’s project origins, the picture’s aesthetics, casting and performances, making key scenes, making the Times Square sequence, the film’s reception, and its legacy 20 years later.
  • Alternate ending (complete with commentary by Cameron)
  • 13 Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes (with optional commentary on many of them by Cameron) including:
    • Be Real
    • Two Daughters
    • Career Advice
    • Dog Porno
    • eBooks
    • Great Sex
    • He Gets It All
    • Livin’ the Dream
    • The Pleasure of Sofia
    • Memorial
    • Attention to Detail
    • “Fix Your Face” Jump
    • “L.E.” Informercial
  • 2  “vignettes” “Mask Test” and “Kurt Russell Single Take”
  • Feature Commentary with Cameron Crowe, Nancy Wilson and (special guest) Tom Cruise (from the DVD release)
  • Photo Gallery with Audio Introduction by Photographer Neal Preston
  • Music Video “Afrika Shox” by Leftfield/Afrika Bambaataa
  • Gag Reel
  • “Hitting it Hard” featurette
  • “Prelude To A Dream” featurette
  • International Theatrical Trailer
Filed under News

Almost Famous Anniversary 4K Blu-ray and Standard Blu-ray!

Comments Off
Share Button

We are so excited to announce these releases. We have been working hard on these for the past couple of years and they were unfortunately delayed to due COVID, so we missed our 20th anniversary, but we know they will be worth the wait. Both titles will be released on July 13th.

We have included both cuts of the film, ALL previous extra features, along with the following new special features:

  • Filmmaker Focus—Cameron looks back on making the film, what it means to him and the
  • Casting & Costumes— A journey through the casting process. This includes unearthed costume tests shot by John Toll in stunning 35mm along with never before seen rehearsal and audition footage.
  • Rock School—Cameron, Nancy Wilson, Peter Frampton and the actors take us behind the scenes of becoming the band Stillwater.
  • Extended Scenes— A collection of scene extensions and deleted scenes:
    • Jeff Bebe’s first interview
    • Phoenix Arizona Lobby
    • William visits the Rolling Stone offices
  • Odds & Sods—Our favorite little moments from earlier cuts of the film that aren’t included in any version of the film. I won’t spoil the almost 9 minutes of these fun tiny moments….

The 4K Blu-ray steelbook will have all the extras too and both versions of the film in stunning 4K. Here’s a look at the special artwork created for this release.

Filed under News

Almost famous? San Diego is ready for a defining moment from beloved Padres

Comments Off
Share Button

It’s baseball season! Here’s a great story recently in the LA Times about the long suffering San Diego Padres (plus a good excuse to share a picture of my favorite baseball of all time, Dave Winfield) with commentary by Cameron, Steve Garvey, Tony Gwynn and many more.

Steve Garvey couldn’t help but notice the futuristic metal cubes. They ringed the presidential desk of McDonald’s owner Ray Kroc, who had invited the Dodgers star to his hilltop home in La Jolla in hopes of convincing him to join his San Diego Padres. It was 1982, Time magazine had named the personal computer its Machine of the Year, and to Garvey, the glowing devices and their mystifying connection to the world at large was something out of “Blade Runner,” which captivated audiences that summer.

“They looked like small black-and-white TV screens,” recalled Garvey, so transfixed at the time that he walked around to Kroc’s side of the desk to get a better view. “He told me he was minding the store, checking sales in North America and Europe. He was in his 80s, sitting there in his little golf cap, making the first big move in the history of the Padres organization, and he liked big moves.”

Small screens, big vision. The guy who sold cheeseburgers for 19 cents and fries for a dime understood the monumental value of landing Garvey, the personification of Dodger Blue. Kroc dreamed of being an arch rival in the truest definition.

Read the rest of this post

Filed under News

Fast Times at Ridgemont High Criterion Collection!

Comments Off
Share Button

You heard that right. We’ve been working closely with director Amy Heckerling and Criterion on this release scheduled for May 11th on both DVD and Blu-ray. Here’s a list of extra features.

Special Features:

  • New, restored 4K digital transfer, supervised by director Amy Heckerling, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
  • Audio commentary from 1999 featuring Heckerling and screenwriter Cameron Crowe
  • Television version of the film from the eighties, featuring deleted and alternate scenes
  • New conversation with Heckerling and Crowe, moderated by filmmaker Olivia Wilde
  • Reliving Our “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” a 1999 documentary featuring interviews with cast and crew
  • Audio discussion from 1982 with Heckerling at the American Film Institute
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by film critic Dana Stevens and, for the Blu-ray edition and a new introduction by Crowe

    New cover by F. Ron Miller

Filed under News

Say Anything… Expanded Soundtrack!

Comments Off
Share Button

We are super excited to partner with the one and only Mondo for the Say Anything… Expanded Soundtrack on Vinyl! This has been three years in the making, but we know you’ll think it was worth the time and effort. Preorders for this limited release begin over at the Mondo Shop right now!

Cameron had this to say: “We love Mondo. Their work celebrates the same passionate, fun and fan-centric approach we’ve always tried to bring to our movies and soundtracks,” “Working with Mondo on our vinyl releases and the rarity-filled packages… well, it’s a sonic dream come true.”

Here’s a taste with an exclusive first listen to Nancy’s demo of “Sit Down I Think I Love You”. A cover of the Buffalo Springfield song (written by Stephen Stills) that was not used for the film.

In addition to the original soundtrack, there’s a 2nd LP featuring demos written and recorded for the film including Nancy Wilson’s Joe Lies. There’s also the Smithereens demo for “A Girl Like You”, an amazing live version of Peter Gabriel’s ” In Your Eyes” and a slew of songs featured in the film, but not on the original soundtrack. The LP also includes 16-page booklet with never before seen photos and extensive liner notes with  Cameron, John Cusack, Ione Skye, Lili Taylor, and Nancy Wilson. Here’s the complete tracklisting:

 Side One

1. All For Love – Nancy Wilson

2. Cult of Personality (Live) – Living Colour

3. One Big Rush – Joe Satriani

4. You Want It – Cheap Trick

5. Taste The Pain – Red Hot Chili Peppers

Side Two

1. In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel

2. Stripped (Live) – Depeche Mode

3. Skankin’ To The Beat – Fishbone

4. Within’ Your Reach – The Replacements

5. Keeping The Dream Alive – Freiheit

 Side Three – Bonus Tracks

1. Take Five – Dave Brubeck

2. Toy Box – Soundgarden

3. Back In The Saddle – Aerosmith

4. Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl) – Looking Glass

5. Turn The Other Way – Fishbone

Side Four – Bonus Tracks and Demos

1. A Girl Like You (Demo) – The Smithereens

2. Sit Down I think I Love You (Demo) – Nancy Wilson

3. The Joe Lies Demos – Nancy Wilson

i. He Hurts Me

ii. That Will Never Be Me

iii. He Cries

iv. Man Child

4. In Your Eyes (Live) – Peter Gabriel

Filed under News

Elizabethtown Blu-ray Announced!

Comments Off
Share Button

I know…it’s finally here. Thanks for your patience (and all of your emails over the years asking about it too!). Paramount will be releasing Elizabethtown on Blu-ray as part of their Paramount Presents lineup on February 9, 2021. Cameron and I have worked hard with Paramount to ensure that EVERYTHING is included. Not only all the previous Best Buy exclusive bonus features, but all the requested deleted scenes that were shown at Toronto and Venice including the alternate ending.

Deleted and Extended Scenes Menu

Cameron has also supervised this beautiful new 4K transfer and I think you will be very pleased! Please support this release as we all know physical media is struggling to survive in this new streaming age. Thanks again. We think it was worth the wait.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

  • BRAND NEW 4K MASTER, supervised by writer/director Cameron Crowe
  • Filmmaker Focus: New video interview with Cameron Crowe on Elizabethtown
  • Deleted and Extended Scenes + Introduction by Director Cameron Crowe
  • On The Road To Elizabethtown
  • The Music Of Elizabethtown
  • “Meet the Crew” Featurette
  • “Training Wheels” Featurette
  • Photo Gallery by Neal Preston
  • Trailers and TV Spots
  • AND MORE…

 

Filed under News

  • Almost Famous- Paramount+, AMC+
  • David Crosby: Remember My Name- Starz
  • Elizabethtown- FUBO
  • Say Anything...- Disney+, Hulu, AMC+
  • Vanilla Sky- Paramount+,Showtime
  • We Bought A Zoo- Disney+, Roku