Link to Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2003
40th ANNIVERSARY OF KEY EVENTS IN THE EVOLUTION
OF THE WHO CELEBRATED WITH MAJOR DVD RELEASE
PIONEER ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE
LONG-AWAITED DVD OF ACCLAIMED ROCK FILM
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
Digitally Restored And Re-Mastered - The Ultimate Celluloid
Celebration Of The Who
Blasts On to Special Edition DVD For The First Time - September 30th
2003
Double-Disc DVD includes bonus disc of a brand-new production
WON'T GET FILMED AGAIN!
The Definitive Companion To The Definitive Who Film
Includes Rare Interviews, Never-Before-Seen Footage, Multiple Camera
Angles And Much More
LONG BEACH, CA. - On September 30, 2003 Pioneer Entertainment will
release the long-awaited DVD Edition of one of the most acclaimed rock
films of all-time - THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT - the celluloid celebration
of The Who that received its theatrical premiere nearly 25 years ago.
The timing of the release of Pioneer Entertainment's Special Edition
DVD has been carefully chosen to commemorate a major anniversary in
the history of the legendary band. October 2003 sees the 40th
anniversary of two key events in the evolution of The Who - one of the
most acclaimed and influential rock bands of all time.
It was in October 1963 that the members of the fledgling band made
their first-ever recording - beginning the recording career that
propelled the band to the highest echelon of rock music alongside
their contemporaries The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
It was also the month when the band first performed songs composed by
band member, Pete Townshend - the key factor that distinguished the
group from the plethora of other aspiring groups on the British music
scene. Up till this point the musicians who became The Who had been
covering songs by other artists. Once they started performing
original material by Pete Townshend - their destiny was assured.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of these crucial turning-points in
the evolution of the band - Pioneer Entertainment will release the
first-ever DVD Edition of the acclaimed 1979 film which Who fans
regard as the definitive celebration of their heroes - and which film
critics and rock mavens of all stripes have long hailed as one of the
best rock 'n' roll films of all time.
RESTORATION OF THE ORIGINAL FILM
As befits such a momentous release - the DVD is a state-of-the-art
presentation. Over a two-year period - and sparing no expense -
extensive efforts were undertaken to carefully restore the film to
match the director's original theatrical version of the film -
including its full length and its original theatrical aspect ratio.
(Sequences deleted from earlier VHS versions of the film have been
fully restored.) The film was digitally re-mastered in Hi-Definition
and an intensive color correction, re-framing, dirt and
scratch-removal process was utilized to make the original film look as
good, if not better, than during its original theatrical release in
1979.
Certain to exhilarate Who fans - the film has been re-mixed to Dolby
Digital 5.1 and DTS - with the band's full approval. In addition, for
the first time-ever, the original multi-track recordings specially
created for the original film were used to re-mix three of The Who's
most iconic songs - "Baba O'Riley," "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Who
Are You." Other tracks were re-mixed using the best existing sources
to ensure that the DVD presents the Who's music at maximum fidelity.
These new re-mixes were specially engineered in London by long-time
Who associates Jon Astley and Andy McPherson.
The DVD also features a brand-new, specially-recorded, full-length
commentary track with the film's director Jeff Stein - moderated by
rock historian Martin Lewis. Other features include English-language
subtitles - enabling fans to decipher all the dialogue and song
lyrics! - and optional on-screen background notes offering historical
facts about The Who and their music.
Pioneer worked closely with The Who to ensure that the restoration met
with the band's full approval and consulted extensively with original
director Jeff Stein.
KEY SEGMENTS ON THE BONUS DISC - WON'T GET FILMED AGAIN!
Complementing the original film - the Special Edition DVD release of
The Kids Are Alright features a second disc - presenting a
specially-created, brand-new production titled Won't Get Filmed Again!
- an expansive companion to the original film. It features nearly
five hours of rare material that will be a joy for Who fans of all
ages and levels of fandom.
The material presented in Won't Get Filmed Again! ranges from
exclusive brand-new, in-depth interviews with key participants such as
Roger Daltrey and director Jeff Stein - to interactive features
offering a virtual tour of The Who's London and trivia games - to
ultra-rare features which allow the hardcore Who fan to focus on over
100 minutes of audio and video live performance footage of the
individual band members. There are also features that document the
renovation of the film and allow viewers to literally see and hear the
'miracle cure' of the restoration process. All the titles of the
segments are playfully drawn from Who song titles.
PACKAGING AND BOOKLET
The Double-Disc Special Edition DVD comes complete with a 30-page
collectible booklet featuring a new in-depth introduction by director
Jeff Stein and new notes by leading 'Who-ologist' - Brian Cady.
Included are numerous photographs of the band - including many
previously unpublished images. The cover and booklet design is by
Richard Evans - who created the artwork for the original film
soundtrack album. The cover features the iconic 1968 image of The Who
sleeping under the British flag atop Grant's Tomb. (The group had
been expelled from its New York hotel the previous night after one of
Keith Moon's destruction sprees - and allegedly fell asleep during the
photo-session!)
TWO DVD EDITIONS OF THE FILM
There are two DVD editions of the film. The double-disc Special
Edition DVD of The Kids Are Alright - including the Won't Get Filmed
Again! bonus disc - is priced at $29.98. The single-disc Deluxe
Edition DVD is priced at $22.98. (The Single-Disc Deluxe Edition
features the fully-restored original film - together with the
Director's Commentary Track, English-language subtitles and on-screen
notes.)
CREATIVE TEAM BEHIND THE DVD SPECIAL EDITION
Recognizing that passion for The Who was of paramount importance to
creating a DVD Edition that matched the excellence of the original
film, Pioneer Entertainment entrusted production of the DVD to a team
who shared Jeff Stein's devotion to The Who.
BACKGROUND TO THE WHO'S 40th ANNIVERSARY
The Who did not spring into the world as a fully-formed band on one
specific day in time. Like most rock bands, the group evolved over a
period of several years until it reached the critical mass that became
The Who. However - rock historians agree that two of the most crucial
turning points in the band's evolution were when the group first went
beyond performing cover songs - and decided to perform Pete
Townshend's compositions. And when the group first made the
transition from local dancehalls and ballrooms to the recording
studio.
Both of these key moments took place on a Sunday evening in October
1963 in the London suburb of Cricklewood. It was on that night 40
years ago that Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle
assembled in the front-room home studio of a TV composer named Barry
Gray (musical director for the cult British TV puppet show
"Thunderbirds" - and subsequently two "Dr. Who" movies) and in a few
hours work - created the musical fusion that was to become The Who.
On that night, Pete Townshend presented the band with his first two
compositions. One was called "It Was You." The second song was
titled "Please Don't Send Me Home." Both songs were recorded - in
very primitive fashion - and the transition from local dance band
playing cover versions of American R&B tunes to self-sufficient
creative group began. (Also recorded that night was a version of the
Chuck Berry song "Come On" - which had been covered a few months
earlier by the Rolling Stones as their first single - reaching #21 in
the UK single charts in June 1963.)
At the end of that October evening, the band - then still called The
Detours - emerged into the North-West London night with a new sense of
purpose. They had discovered their own built-in songwriter. And they
had committed their musical talents to recording tape for the first
time. Their destiny was assured. Just four months later they
changed their name to The Who - and within a few weeks added Keith
Moon to the lineup. The four teenage boys were now set. The 'kids'
were alright.
PIONEER ENTERTAINMENT
Pioneer Entertainment (USA) Inc. (
www.pioneer-ent.com) is a
full-service producer and distributor of entertainment software
including film, music, animation and television shows on VHS and DVD.
Its parent company, Pioneer Corporation, is a leader in optical disc
technology and a preeminent manufacturer of high-performance audio,
video, computer and cable television equipment for the home, car and
business markets. Pioneer Corporation focuses on four core business
domains including DVD, display technologies, Digital Network
Entertainment and components. Founded in 1938 in Tokyo, Pioneer
Corporation and its affiliates employ more than 34,000 people
worldwide. Its shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE: PIO).
MEDIA CONTACT:
BENDER/HELPER IMPACT
pamela_grant@bhimpact.com sarah_gumina@bhimpact.com
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
Price: $29.98 (Double-Disc Special Edition), $22.98 (Single-Disc
Deluxe Edition)
Street Date: 9/30/03
Running Time: 109 minutes
Catalog Number: 12103 (Special Edition)
12116 (Deluxe Edition)
Rating: NR
Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS
Language: English
