‘Rita, Sue and Bob Too’: Dual Format Edition, BFI screening

❉ One of the most memorable and enduring British films of its era.

Following an acclaimed career in TV drama (much of which was made available in last year’s BFI box set release, Dissent and Disruption: Alan Clarke at the BBC 1969-1989), director Alan Clarke achieved a box-office hit with the much loved raunchy comedy Rita, Sue and Bob Too.

Adapted by Andrea Dunbar from her own play, based on her upbringing on Bradford’s Buttershaw estate, Rita, Sue and Bob Too contrasts bawdy laughs with astute social commentary.

Bradford teenagers Rita (Siobhan Finneran) and Sue (Michelle Holmes) regularly babysit for Bob (George Costigan) and Michelle (Lesley Sharp), whose comfortable suburban lifestyle contrasts with the girls’ bleak life on a council estate. One evening when Bob is taking them home, he smooth-talks the girls into a three-way sexual relationship. At first it is all a bit of fun, but tempers flare once the affair is out in the open.

See the long lost original theatrical trailer here:

30 years on and newly restored by the BFI, the film is released on Blu-ray for the first time in a Dual Format Edition on 22 May 2017. Extras (full details below) include a newly filmed documentary, Having a Ball: The making of Rita, Sue and Bob Too, with extensive cast and crew interviews.

This new BFI release of what has proved to be one of the most memorable and enduring British films of its era, will be celebrated by a 30thAnniversary Screening + Q&A with producer Sandy Lieberson and actors Michelle Holmes, George Costigan and Kulvinder Ghir on Monday 15 May at 6.15pm in NFT1. Tickets are on sale now: www.bfi.org.uk/whatson

Special features

  • New 2K restoration by the BFI from the original Super 16mm camera negative
  • Presented in High Definition and Standard Definition
  • Having A Ball: The making of Rita, Sue and Bob Too  (Jon Robertson, 2017, 69 mins): a newly filmed documentary with extensive cast and crew interviews
  • Textless opening sequence
  • Stills and Collections Gallery
  • Theatrical trailer
  • 36-page illustrated booklet with writing by David Rolinson, Andrea Dunbar and Max Stafford-Clark, and full film credits

❉ ‘Rita, Sue and Bob Too’ (1987) Dual Format Edition – Blu-ray/DVD (Cat. no. BFIB1274) is released on 22 May 2017, RRP: £19.99. English language, with optional hard-of-hearing subtitles / original aspect ratio 1.66:1 // BD50: 1080p, 24fps, PCM 1.0 mono (48kHz/24-bit) / DVD9: PAL, 25fps, Dolby Digital 1.0 mono (192kbps)

❉ BFI releases are available from all good home entertainment retailers or by mail order from the BFI Shop Tel: 020 7815 1350 or online at www.bfi.org.uk/shop

❉ 30th Anniversary Screening + Q&A at BFI Southbank, Mon 15 May: Tickets are on sale now: www.bfi.org.uk/whatson 


❉ News source: BFI Publicity.

❉ We Are Cult is not responsible for the content of this news release.

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