Thursday, June 4, 2020

Nicolas Roeg’s seminal ‘Walkabout’ (1971) gets highly anticipated Limited Edition Blu-ray release on 7/27 from Second Sight Films

WALKABOUT (1971) 
Limited edition Blu-ray 

Label: Second Sight Films
Region Code: B
Release Date: July 27th 2020
Rating: Cert: 12 
Duration: 100 Minutes
Audio: English 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.77:1) 
Director: Nicolas Roeg
Cast: Jenny Agutter, Luc Roeg, David Gulpilil

Seminal classic and one of the first Australian New Wave films, Walkabout, from legendary director Nicolas Roeg (The Man Who Fell to Earth, Don’t Look Now) is a coming-of-age story of survival and transcending cultural differences starring lauded actor Jenny Agutter (Call the Midwife, The Railway Children) and the director’s son Luc Roeg.
Although it received mixed reviews on its Cannes premiere in 1971, the film has gone on to become an internationally renowned, cult favourite loved by audiences and critics alike, and now Second Sight Films is giving Walkabout the Limited Edition Blu-ray box set treatment.

Following the suicide of their father, Mary (Agutter) and her younger brother Peter (Luc Roeg) are left stranded in the blistering heat of the vast Australian outback. Facing exhaustion and starvation, their salvation comes when they cross paths with an Aboriginal boy (David Gulpilil – The Leftovers, Cargo) on ‘walkabout’, a ritual in which he must leave his home and learn to survive off the land. He teaches them how to survive in the wilderness, but a clash of cultures leads to terrible and tragic consequences…

The hugely anticipated release is set to arrive this summer and features a host of brand-new special features, including a new audio commentary with child star, Luc Roeg, now an established producer on projects like We Need to Talk about Kevin, and writer and film critic David Thomson. Also included are new interviews with Luc Roeg, Jenny Agutter and producer Si Litvinoff (Clockwork Orange, The Man Who Fell to Earth).


An exciting new interview with renowned director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) recounts his love of Nicolas Roeg and his films, while the late Roeg himself speaks in an archive introduction, and a 2011 BFI Q&A alongside his son and Agutter. The set arrives on July 27th 2020 complete with new artwork, designed by Michael Boland, the source novel by James Vance Marshall, a soft cover first draft script book and a soft cover book with new essays by Sophie Monks Kaufman, Simon Abrams and Daniel Bird.

Special Features:
- Brand new 4K scan and restoration
- A new audio commentary with Luc Roeg and David Thomson
- Producing Walkabout: A new interview with Producer Si Litvinoff
- Luc’s Walkabout: A new interview with Luc Roeg
- Jenny in the Outback: a new interview with Jenny Agutter
- Remembering Roeg: a new interview with Danny Boyle
- 2011 BFI Q&A with Nicolas Roeg, Jenny Agutter and Luc Roeg
- Archive introduction by Nicolas Roeg
- English SDH subtitles for the hearing impaired

Limited Edition Contents:
- Limited Edition Box Set of only 3,000
- Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Michael Boland
- The source novel ‘Walkabout’ with cover artwork exclusive to this release
- Soft cover book featuring facsimile copy of the original 65-page First Draft Script with preface by Daniel Bird
- Soft cover book with new essays by Sophie Monks Kaufman, Simon Abrams and Daniel Bird plus stills and lobby card images