Magic Christian Blu-ray

Blu-ray edition of The Magic Christian

Yesterday, “The Magic Christian” was released for the first time on blu-ray in the U.K. by Fabulous Films. The 1969 film starrs Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr. John Cleese also appears in a cameo, as do many other famous people, including John and Yoko. The film has been out many times over the years on video cassettes and DVD, but this is the first time on blu-ray in Europe. In the USA, “The Magic Christian” was released on Blu-ray in 2013 by Olive Films.

Amazon’s description: This zany British comedy finds a homeless hobo (Ringo Starr) being adopted by the world s richest man, Sir Guy Grand (Peter Sellers). Setting sail on the luxury liner The Magic Christian, Sir Grand sets out to test the limit of human avarice. Wilfred Hyde White plays the drunken captain, Yul Brynner a chanteuse transvestite along with notable star appearances from John Cleese as the director of Sotheby’s, Raquel Welch, Roman Polanski and Richard Attenborough.

Directed by Joseph McGrath from a Terry Southern script, the film clocks in at 88 minutes. This is a PAL release for region B/2 blu-ray players.

While were asleep at the wheel, Ringo’s first non-Beatles film, “Candy” was released on Blu-ray in the USA last May, in a brand new 2K HD restoration.

“Candy”, filmed in 1967 and released in 1968 – out on Blu-ray in 2016.

Candy Christian (Swedish actress Ewa Aulin) is an innocent yet luscious high school student and when fate sends her on a far-out journey of sexual discovery – Candy on her trippy travels, encounters lust and lunacy at the hands of a drunken poet (Richard Burton), a Mexican gardener (Ringo Starr), a patriotic general (Walter Matthau), a mad surgeon (James Coburn), and a mystic guru (Marlon Brando). Can the world’s most stalwart members get their own sweet piece of Candy? Or will a final freaky twist swallow her whole forever? John Astin, Charles Aznavour, John Huston, Elsa Martinelli, Florinda Bolkan, Anita Pallenberg, Enrico Maria Salerno and boxing legend Sugar Ray Robinson co-star in this notoriously sexy ’60s satire, featuring music by The Byrds and Steppenwolf and based on the novel by Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg. Screenplay by Buck Henry and directed by actor Christian Marquand.

It’s funny how film-collecting Beatles fans will still have to collect some films from one country and some from another to keep their collections up-to-date. Not to mention, having to own several blu-ray players or both PAL and NTSC compatible television sets. And no, these aren’t films that will be on Netflix or HBO etc anytime soon, we think.