As the wo
rld celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Shout! Factory will release the film of the same name on Blu-ray on Sept. 26. The film is available for pre-order now.
The 1978 musical features reinterpretations of over 20 classic Beatles songs. Special features on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band include an audio commentary with pop culture historian Russell Dyball, galleries and the original theatrical trailer.
The film synopsis, according to a press release: “The one and only Billy Shears (multi-platinum recording artist Peter Frampton) and his best friends the Hendersons (Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Bee Gees) are four young men from the quaint little town of Heartland. With superstardom calling, this fabulous foursome leaves Heartland—and Billy’s beloved Strawberry Fields (Sandy Farina)—vulnerable to mean Mr. Mustard, who steals Sgt. Pepper’s magical instruments for a fiendish, ‘evil force that would poison young minds, pollute the environment, and subvert the democratic process.’ It’s up to our heroes to save everything they hold dear with the power of music, kindness, and heart.”
Related: BCB’s review of the Sgt. Pepper 50th anniversary reissue
The film also features performances by Aerosmith, George Burns, Steve Martin, Earth, Wind & Fire and more. It originally opened on July 24, 1978, and was conceived and produced by music mogul Robert Stigwood, manager of the Bee Gees, with Peter Frampton‘s manager Dee Anthony serving as executive producer.
The film, upon its release, was not met with many positive reviews. As New York Times critic Janet Maslin pondered in her review: “Is it a film? Is it a record album? Is it a poster, or a T-shirt, or a specially embossed frisbee? Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is the ultimate multimedia mishmash, so diversified that it doesn’t fully exist in any one medium at all. This isn’t a movie, it’s a business deal set to music.”
Related: Bee Gees and Cream manager Robert Stigwood died in 2016
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The movie currently has a 15% positive rating at RottenTomatoes.com.
Watch the trailer from the film.
