Guess who’s back!
Oh. Wow.
This is the best news I’ve heard all day.
One of my favorite movies – Becket, the film that drove me to delve deeper into the mysteries of historical Britain and a constant choice on my Top 5 of All Time lists – is being re-released onto the big screen in a re-mastered screening.
I’m beyond excited. This film – with Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton playing some of the best roles they’ve ever taken on – is wonderful. And, it was nominated for a staggering 12 Oscars when it came out, which sort of puts a lot of todays “classics” in a much dimmer light.
From NPR (with corresponding audio clip):
Peter O’Toole, Young and Old, Is Back on Screen
Actor Peter O’Toole is up for an Oscar for his movie role in Venus. But he is also known for his best-actor nod in the 1964 film Becket.
That movie has been restored and is back in theaters. To see both Venus and Becket is to get the rare chance to compare O’Toole then and now, to see what he has gained and what has been lost.
This can only mean one thing – a DVD Release, finally!
First, they announce the Twin Peaks, Season 2. Now, Becket? Everything is coming up Vilhauer!
(Edit: I’ve just found the website for Becket: The Movie. There’s a trailer, and it’s awesome.
From the website:
Generally accepted to be a remarkable and exquisite achievement on the part of everyone involved, “Becket” has been unavailable to the public since the 35mm negatives went missing over 20 years ago. Due to massive popular demand by the public and industry alike, “Becket” is now brought to you by MPI, lovingly and beautifully restored with the help of the Film Foundation and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
So those negatives were missing? Wow – I had always wondered why such a classic movie would be left behind in the DVD era. Now I know.
The reported release date for the DVD: May 15th, 2007. Of course, I’ll believe it when I see it.)