The Beatles' Yellow Submarine Feature Film Restored for May Release on DVD and Blu-ray; Film's Songtrack Album to be Reissued

Once upon a time ... or maybe twice ... there was an unearthly paradise called Pepperland ...

LONDON, March 20, 2012 -- The Beatles' classic 1968 animated feature film, Yellow Submarine, has been digitally restored for DVD and Blu-ray release on May 28 (May 29 in North America). The film's songtrack album will be reissued on CD on the same date.

 

 

Currently out of print, the film has been restored in 4K digital resolution for the first time by Paul Rutan Jr. and his team of specialists at Triage Motion Picture Services and Eque Inc. Due to the delicate nature of the hand-drawn original artwork, no automated software was used in the digital clean-up of the film's restored photochemical elements. This was all done by hand, frame by frame.

Bonus features for the Yellow Submarine DVD and Blu-ray include a short making-of documentary titled "Mod Odyssey" (TRT: 7:30), the film's original theatrical trailer, audio commentary by producer John Coates and art director Heinz Edelmann, several brief interview clips with others involved with the film, storyboard sequences, 29 original pencil drawings and 30 behind-the-scenes photos. Both Digipak packages will include reproductions of animation cels from the film, collectible stickers, and a 16-page booklet with a new essay by Yellow Submarine aficionado John Lasseter (Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios).

Lasseter writes in his essay, "As a fan of animation and as a filmmaker, I tip my hat to the artists of Yellow Submarine, whose revolutionary work helped pave the way for the fantastically diverse world of animation that we all enjoy today."

Directed by George Dunning, and written by Lee Minoff, Al Brodax, Jack Mendelsohn and Erich Segal, Yellow Submarine began its voyage to the screen when Brodax, who had previously produced nearly 40 episodes of ABC's animated Beatles TV series, approached The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein with a unique vision for a full-length animated feature.

Yellow Submarine, based upon a song by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, is a fantastic tale brimming with peace, love, and hope, propelled by Beatles songs, including "Eleanor Rigby," "When I'm Sixty-Four," "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," "All You Need Is Love," and "It's All Too Much." When the film debuted in 1968, it was instantly recognized as a landmark achievement, revolutionizing a genre by integrating the freestyle approach of the era with innovative animation techniques.

Inspired by the generation's new trends in art, the film resides with the dazzling Pop Art styles of Andy Warhol, Martin Sharp, Alan Aldridge and Peter Blake. With art direction and production design by Heinz Edelmann, Yellow Submarine is a classic of animated cinema, featuring the creative work of animation directors Robert Balser and Jack Stokes with a team of animators and technical artists.

"I thought from the very beginning that the film should be a series of interconnected shorts," remembers Edelmann. "The style should vary every five minutes or so to keep the interest going until the end." These styles included melding live-action photography with animation, 3-dimensional sequences and kaleidoscopic "rotoscoping" where film is traced frame by frame into drawings. The entire process took nearly two years, 14 different scripts, 40 animators and 140 technical artists, ultimately producing a groundbreaking triumph of animation.

On April 24, Candlewick Press will release a new, compact hardcover edition of the Yellow Submarine picture book, a read-aloud journey for the whole family. Featuring the lighthearted wit of the film's script alongside original artwork from the movie that has charmed children and adults through several generations, the beautiful, 40-page book will be sold by retailers everywhere and on the Beatles Store (www.thebeatles.com). An interactive digital version of the book is also available as a free download on Apple's iBookstore for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch at www.iTunes.com/TheBeatles.

www.thebeatles.com

Yellow Submarine synopsis:

Once upon a time ... or maybe twice, there was an unearthly paradise called Pepperland, a place where happiness and music reigned supreme. But all that was threatened when the terrible Blue Meanies declared war and sent in their army led by a menacing Flying Glove to destroy all that was good. Enter John, Paul, George and Ringo to save the day! Armed with little more than their humor, songs, and of course, their yellow submarine, The Beatles tackle the rough seas ahead in an effort to bring down the evil forces of bluedom.

Production credits

Running Time: 89 minutes
Director - George Dunning
Producer - Al Brodax
Screen story - Lee Minoff
Screenplay - Lee Minoff, Al Brodax, Jack Mendelsohn, and Erich Segal
Art Director - Heinz Edelmann
Animation directors - Robert Balser and Jack Stokes
Production Executive - John Coates
Music Producer and Supervisor - George Martin

Featuring music by The Beatles

Yellow Submarine [DVD, Blu-ray]

Feature film [TRT: 89:00]
Fully restored in 4K and presented in the original aspect ratio of 1:66-1
Audio options:
English 5.1 DTS
German 5.1 DTS
Italian 5.1 DTS
English Dolby Stereo
Original Mono
Audio Commentary – Heinz Edelmann (Art Director) and John Coates (Producer)
Subtitle languages (feature only):
English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Finnish, Japanese
Extra features:
Mod Odyssey documentary [TRT: 7:30]
Original theatrical trailer [TRT: 3:30]
Storyboard sequences:
- Sea of Monsters (split screen footage) [TRT: 4:20]
- Battle of the Monsters [118 images]
- Pepperland [64 images]
Interviews:
- Paul Angelis (voice of Ringo and Chief Blue Meanie) [TRT: 1:39]
- John Clive (voice of John) [TRT: 2:03]
- David Livesey (key animator) [TRT: 1:11]
- Millicent McMillan (Heinz Edelmann's assistant) [TRT: 1:12]
- Jack Stokes (animation director) [TRT: 3:42]
- Erich Segal (co-writer) [TRT: 1:38]
Original pencil drawings [29 images]
Behind-the-scenes photos [30 images]

Yellow Submarine Songtrack [CD]

1. Yellow Submarine
2. Hey Bulldog
3. Eleanor Rigby
4. Love You To
5. All Together Now
6. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
7. Think For Yourself
8. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
9. With A Little Help From My Friends
10. Baby, You're A Rich Man
11. Only A Northern Song
12. All You Need Is Love
13. When I'm Sixty-Four
14. Nowhere Man
15. It's All Too Much

SOURCE Apple Corps Ltd./EMI Music

The Beatles Love By Cirque Du Soleil Performs Opening Act To Honor Sir Paul McCartney At The 2012 MusiCares Person Of The Year Gala

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 11, 2012 -- Cast members from The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil performed live last night at the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year gala at the Los Angeles Convention Center. All 60 dancers and acrobats from LOVE performed to a specially edited track by Producer Giles Martin, featuring songs from the two-time GRAMMY^® Award-winning LOVE album.

Iconic artist and philanthropist Paul McCartney was honored as the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year at this special event celebrating his exceptional artistic achievements as well as his philanthropic work. The sold-out tribute to McCartney benefits MusiCares' emergency financial assistance and addiction recovery programs. Proceeds from the annual Person of the Year tribute — now in its 22^nd year — provide essential support for MusiCares, which ensures that members of the music community have a place to turn in times of financial, medical and personal need.



Additional performances included multi-GRAMMY^® winning artists and current GRAMMY nominees Tony Bennett, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, and Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas; GRAMMY winning artist Duane Eddy; multi-GRAMMY winning artists Norah Jones, Alicia Keys and James Taylor; two-time GRAMMY winning artists Diana Krall and Neil Young with Crazy Horse; two-time Latin GRAMMY winning artist Sergio Mendes; and current GRAMMY nominee Katy Perry. The evening also featured a special performance by 14-time GRAMMY winning artist and 2012 MusiCares^® Person of the Year Paul McCartney.

LOVE, a Cirque du Soleil creation and co-production with Apple Corps Ltd., celebrates the musical legacy of The Beatles and is presented exclusively at The Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. This joint artistic venture marks the first time that The Beatles company, Apple Corps Ltd., has agreed to a major theatrical partnership. The project was born out of a personal friendship and mutual admiration between the late George Harrison and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte.

Since its June 2006 premiere, LOVE has performed over 2,000 shows for more than 4.3 million people. Recently named "Best Show in Las Vegas" by USA Today, LOVE has been voted "Best Show in Las Vegas" by the Las Vegas Review-Journal for four consecutive years and continues to be a celebrity favorite. In February 2011, The Beatles' GRAMMY Award-winning LOVE album and 'All Together Now' documentary made their digital debuts, exclusively on iTunes.

SOURCE Cirque du Soleil

GRAMMY® Nominees Coldplay and Rihanna to Perform Live Together for the First Time

NOMINEE AND 2012 MUSICARES PERSON OF THE YEAR PAUL MCCARTNEY ALSO SET TO PERFORM ON THE 54TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS®

Music's Biggest Night® — Hosted by Rapper/Actor LL COOL J — Airs Live on CBS Sunday, Feb. 12, 8 ET/PT

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 19, 2012  -- Current GRAMMY^® nominees Coldplay and Rihanna will perform live together for the first time, and nominee and 2012 MusiCares^® Person of the Year Paul McCartney is set to perform as part of the stellar lineup for the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards ( www.grammy.com ).

Music's Biggest Night^® — hosted by two-time GRAMMY winner LL COOL J — takes place live on Sunday, Feb. 12 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in high definition and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The show also will be supported on radio worldwide via Dial Global, and covered online at GRAMMY.com and CBS.com, and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/thegrammys .

Additional performers, presenters and special segments will be announced soon. For GRAMMY coverage, updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy^®'s social networks on Twitter and Facebook: www.twitter.com/thegrammys , www.facebook.com/thegrammys .

Four-time GRAMMY winner Rihanna has four nominations: Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Loud; and two nods in Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "What's My Name?" (with Drake), and "All Of The Lights" (with Kanye West, Kid Cudi & Fergie).

Seven-time GRAMMY-winning group Coldplay is up for three awards: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Paradise," and Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for "Every Teardop Is A Waterfall."

14-time GRAMMY winner and 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year McCartney is nominated for Best Historical Album for Band On The Run (Paul McCartney Archive Collection — Deluxe Edition).

Previously announced performers for the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards include current GRAMMY nominees Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson , Foo Fighters, Bruno Mars , Nicki Minaj, and Taylor Swift . Aldean and Minaj will perform on the GRAMMY telecast for the first time, while Clarkson, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Mars, McCartney, Rihanna, and Swift are returning to the GRAMMY stage. LL COOL J has hosted "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night" since its inception in December 2008, and this is his first time hosting the annual GRAMMY Awards telecast.

The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by John Cossette Productions and AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich is executive producer, Louis J. Horvitz is director, and David Wild and Ken Ehrlich are the writers.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com . For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs' social communities on YouTube, Tumblr, Foursquare, GetGlue, and Instagram.

SOURCE The Recording Academy