Blindman restored
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| Cover of the new release. |
A new, restored edition of one of Ringo’s early stints as an actor is due for release in USA. It’s the 1971 spaghetti western “Blindman”, where Ringo portrays the bandit “Candy”. The movie is due for release on Blu-ray, DVD and digital streaming from Abkco, Allen Klein’s old company. It has been restored in high definition from an original 35mm negative.
Ringo wrote a song based on this movie, also titled “Blindman”. The song was produced by Klaus Voormann and released as the B-side to “Back Off Boogaloo” in 1972.
Releases for the home movie market are not international, they are released on a country by country basis. “Blindman” has already been released on DVD years ago in various other countries: Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain. So the only new thing about this release, is that it is due out in USA and that it has been restored. The USA version will have region code 1 on the DVD.
Release date in USA is 4 November. Note: There is some sex and violence in this movie. The release is preceded by midnight theatrical screenings at IFC Center in New York City on October 7 and 8, and a double feature with Alejandro Jodorowsky’s “El Topo” at the Castro Theater in San Francisco on October 21. And that’s another Apple connection. “El Topo” is also owned by Abkco.
Trailer:
The movie’s websites:
Looks absolutely dreadful, must give that a miss!
I've been a Ringo fan for 36 years now, and I've never seen the movie. A fascinating failure no doubt, but I'll pick it up this time. I do love the title track by Ringo.
You will have more enjoyable days at the dentist than watching this rubbish.
ABKCO should stop arsing about with stuff like this and put out a '1+' style DVD set of the Stones… The recently restored 'Child Of The Moon' clip (by Michael Lindsay-Hogg) shows how good such a compilation could be… Some hope though, eh?
Great example of the junk I've given my attention to solely because it's Beatle-connected… I gave up on Ringo solo stuff at Vertical Man. What is the point? I asked myself. Same with Yoko Ono. I felt relieved to stop following her and delete the bulk of her stuff. Obviously there are solo gems I genuinely couldn't live without, but I'd say half the solo work is throwaway stuff that you forgive only because you know who it is.
Thomas The Tank Engine is better than this utter tripe…
It's actually a good spaghetti western, full of dark humour and action. I liked seeing Ringo in it. People don't like it either because they haven't seen it in 35 years – so they're very informed – or because they're prejudiced. It's Italian and so forth. And we all know that for most Brits, Europe isn't good enough. Thanks for the cover, the only reason I came here, it was not to read the comments of these informed Ringo Starr fans… you should check the film out instead of mouthing off these things.
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Obviously you have a point – but I would like to make a defence of solo Beatles work. To begin with I don't buy into the 'sum greater than their parts' argument. That's truer of bands where different members contribute things the others couldn't (eg the Who). Now in the case of the Beatles you had J, P and later G all competing for songs, vocals and even guitar parts. That's really what made them great – the quality quotient imo. Obviously the solo years have been mixed, but that I would argue is a combination of far less competition for new material and the fact that the Beatles were no longer so original and ground breaking. I mean, after Punk, etc they were always going to be passe.
In the case of Ringo what you have here is the double bind of the Beatles. Would other 60s drummers like…and I'm even struggling to name any right now apart from Moon Ginger Baker of Mitch Mitchell, even be expected to have a viable solo career? Yet equally the status of the Beatles did exactly that: it allowed Ringo to gather loads of songwriters and musicians and forge a solo career to someone who has freely admitted only has a character voice. So good albums like 73's Ringo, or Goodnight Vienna have to be seen as bonuses for die hard fans. Some of the late 70s and early 80s albums I have never heard let alone owned, but I did buy Vertical Man and I thought it was enjoyable. I also made a compulsive purchase of Ringo Rama and really enjoyed that. There's no doubt that he got a good team of musicians and songwriters around him. So maybe he is still one for the fanatics, but he has been gifted the opportunity to make albums and they're certainly enjoyable if one has realistic expectations.
I suppose it's the same with his films; no one should expect too much of his acting skills, but he is capable of memorable cameo performances. I dare anyone to say he was anything other than good in 'That'll be the day'. David Essex was pretty wooden when I saw it again recently!
AWFUL-looking, couldn't even finish watching trailer.