Blu-ray, DVD Release: Quadrophenia

By
Laurence
– June 18, 2012Find Others: Blu-ray, DVD, Movie, New Release, NewsGet More: , , ,

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Aug. 28, 2012
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterion

Quadrophenia

Phil Daniels takes Leslie Ash for a spin in Quadrophenia.

The Who’s 1973 rock opera Quadrophenia, a follow-up to their 1969 ground-breaker Tommy (which was made into movie in 1972), goes cinematic in this 1979 British  musical drama film by director Franc Roddam (The Bride).

In the defiant, drug-fueled London of the early 1960s. antihero Jimmy (Phil Daniels, Meantime) is a teenager who’s dissatisfied with family, work, and love. He mainly identifies with the fashionable, pill-popping, scooter-driving mods, a group whose opposition to the motorcycle-riding rockers. Jimmy’s feelings, coupled with the groups’ overpowering intentions, leads to a climactic riot in the streets of Brighton.

Roddam’s rough-edged visuals work and Pete Townshend’s brilliant songs (including “I’ve Had Enough,” “5:15,” and “Love, Reign O’er Me”) work smartly together in this chronicle of youthful rebellion and turmoil.

Co-starring Sting (Dune) and Ray Winstone (Hugo) in early roles, Quadrophenia wasn’t a box office sensation in the U.S. (it rang up better numbers in Europe), but became a cult favorite for rockers and mods, alike.

The DVD and Blu-ray editions contains the following:

  • New high-definition digital restoration of the uncut version, with the original 2.0 stereo soundtrack as well as an all-new 5.1 surround mix, supervised by the Who and presented in DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition
  • New audio commentary featuring director Franc Roddam and director of photography Brian Tufano
  • New interview with Bill Curbishley, the film’s co-producer and the Who’s co-manager
  • New interview with the Who’s sound engineer, Bob Pridden, discussing the new mix, featuring a restoration demonstration.
  • On-set and archival footage
  • Behind-the-scenes photographs
  • A booklet featuring an essay by critic Nick James, a reprinted personal history by original mod Irish Jack, and Pete Townshend’s liner notes from the album.
Buy or Rent Quadrophenia
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About Laurence

Founder and editor Laurence Lerman saw Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest when he was 13 years old and that’s all it took. He has been writing about film and video for more than a quarter of a century for magazines, anthologies, websites and most recently, Video Business magazine, where he served as the Reviews Editor for 15 years.