FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Shock Your Senses with the Ultimate Rock and Roll Musical of All Time
TOMMY
Starring Oscar®-Nominee Ann-Margaret and The Who’s Lead Singer Roger
Daltrey with Appearances by Music and Film Legends Eric Clapton, Elton
John, Tina Turner and Jack Nicholson
Presented on Blu-ray Disc™ with the Original Quintaphonic Sound on Sept. 7,
2010
Culver City, Calif. (June 29, 2010) – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment invites you to re-live the most
sense-sational rock event ever created on film, Ken Russell’s Tommy, the 1975 film based on The Who’s
album of the same name. In 1975, the theatrical trailer promised that after seeing the film "your senses
will never be the same." Now, 35 years after its original release, get ready to have your senses altered
once again as Tommy comes to Blu-ray Disc for the first time, newly restored and remastered in high
definition. Tommy arrives on Blu-ray Disc on Sept. 7, 2010 for the SLP of $24.95. Digitally restored,
and with a newly re-mastered 5.1 soundtrack in addition to the original 5.0 Quintaphonic track, this BluRay release will bring fans closer than ever to the incredible theatrical experience of Tommy. Get ready
for an “Amazing Journey.”
Special features of this must-have ultimate rock and roll Blu-ray include movieIQ+sync®
featuring Tommy playlist, which allows users to access real-time information on the cast, music,
trivia and more while watching the movie via BD-Live™, as well as a restored soundtrack
utilizing the original theatrical five channel Quinataphonic presentation, plus the original
theatrical trailer.
The Who’s Tommy
The Who’s rock-opera, Tommy, a personal project of Pete Townshend, was first performed in 1969, and
was both critically acclaimed and controversial. The album was eventually to become a major success
and a cultural icon. In 1998, the album’s importance was recognized by the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Exploring themes of pop culture, the cult of personality, religious deification, sexual abuse and spiritual
enlightenment, Tommy was a new form of rock and roll, influenced in part by the political and cultural
changes of the late 60’s. Songs like “Pinball Wizard,” “Tommy, Can You Hear Me,” “Sensation,”
“Amazing Journey” and “Christmas,” were the backbone of the story of Tommy, a “deaf, dumb and blind
kid,” who's psychosomatic symptoms arise from witnessing the murder of his father by his mother’s
lover, and the exhortation by his mother and her lover that Tommy “didn’t see it, didn’t hear it,” and he
won’t say anything to anyone.
Tommy: A Film by Ken Russell
With its focus on the sensual, and its huge fan following, a film adaptation of Tommy was a natural
development. Director Ken Russell (Women in Love, The Devils, The Music Lovers) whose films had
explored similar themes in his own unique style, would bring to Tommy the visual richness, the fleshing
out of the characters with actors Oliver Reed (Women in Love, Oliver) and Ann-Margaret (Oscar
Nominee for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the film, 1976), and the expansion of the backstory with
songs all new to the film. Many of the original album’s songs would remain, but the resulting film would
explore the cinematic experience in a whole new way including a powerful new soundtrack technology to
maximize the audience’s experience of the music.
Based on the existing record industry development of QUADRAPHONIC sound, Tommy would feature
the first and only example of the QUINTAPHONIC soundtrack, a revolutionary format that used five
discrete channels of sound to deliver the music of the film in a “Sound in the Round” manner. In other
words, audio that enveloped the audience from all directions. The combination of The Who’s music, Ken
Russell’s sumptuous visuals and the innovation of the Quintaphonic format result in one of the most
intense experiences in cinematic history.
The lead character in Tommy is played by The Who’s Roger Daltrey, and features Ann-Margaret in her
Oscar-nominated performance as Tommy’s mother, and Oliver Reed as her lover, with performances by
The Who members Keith Moon (as the predatory Uncle Ernie), and Pete Townshend and John
Entiwhistle. Legendary, not-to-be-missed performances by Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, Elton John and
three-time Oscar®-winning actor Jack Nicholson bring Townshend’s musical creations to life.
Synopsis
The classic rock opera is brought energetically to life by an outstanding cast including many major stars
of the rock music industry. Told through the remarkable music of The Who, this is the story of Tommy
(Roger Daltrey), who, when just a boy of six, witnessed the murder of his father by his mother’s lover
(Oliver Reed). Choosing to protect her lover rather than her son, Tommy’s mother (Ann-Margret) tells the
boy to forget what he’s seen and heard, and tell no one. As a result, the traumatized boy retreats into the
shadows of his mind, and, in a semi-catatonic state, he can neither see, hear nor speak. As he becomes a
man, Tommy's condition makes him susceptible to all varieties of abuse. He is also subjected to several
bizarre cures for his ailment, including attempts by The Acid Queen (Tina Turner), the Preacher (Eric
Clapton) and the Specialist (Jack Nicholson). In spite of his handicap, Tommy defeats the Pinball Wizard
(Elton John) and becomes the champ, attaining a devoted following. When he is finally cured, he is
hailed by his fans as a “Messiah.”
Blu-ray Special Features
•
movieIQ+sync featuring Tommy playlist
•
BD-Live
movieIQ is an immersive BD-Live movie watching experience that uses a connected, real-time movie
database. With a movieIQ enabled Blu-ray Disc and an internet connected Blu-ray player, movie fans can
dive into continuously updated filmographies of their favorite directors and stars, and explore relevant
trivia such as production facts, location details, music and soundtrack information, all tied to scenes
within the movie.
movieIQ+sync gives you the full movieIQ experience on your computer or iPhone by linking to your Bluray Disc. Once connected, movieIQ+sync will display all of the great information movieIQ offers on your
computer screen or iPhone instead of onscreen, all while staying synchronized to the movie.
Tommy has a run time of 111 minutes and is rated PG. Artwork and digital clips are available for
download at www.SPHEPublicity.com. Visit Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on the Web at
www.SonyPictures.com/DVD.
"Oscar®” and “Academy Award®" are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Tommy
Catalog #: 34149
UPC Code: 043396341494
Order Date: 8/5/10
SLP: $24.95
The Blu-ray Disc version of Tommy is BD-Live enabled, allowing users to get connected and go beyond
the discs via an Internet-connected Blu-ray player. The Sony Pictures Blu-ray Club rewards consumers in
the U.S. for purchasing and registering BD-Live enabled Sony Blu-ray movies. Members can redeem
accumulated points for cool Sony products, plus enter to win cash and prizes in daily sweepstakes and
more. For details visit
www.sonyrewards.com/bluraywww.sonyrewards.com/bluraywww.sonyrewards.com/bluraywww.sonyrewards.com/
bluray.
SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. SPE is a
subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's
global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and
distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content
creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products,
services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 140 countries. Sony Pictures
Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com
Contacts:
Jason Allen
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
jason_allen@spe.sony.com
Nicole Fitzpatrick
Cohn & Wolfe
nicole.fitzpatrick@cohnwolfe.com
(310) 967-2977
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