Time Bandits – new transfer & Blu-ray Steelbook out on Monday

Time Bandits is one of my all time favourite films. As a child, who didn’t want the world to begin with ‘lasers, 8 o’clock, day one’? Not to mention your bedroom wall disappearing just at the wrong moment…

The film that established Terry Gilliam as more than just Monty Python’s resident animator, this delightfully inventive children s fantasy is about young Kevin (Craig Warnock) who finds himself travelling through holes in the space-time continuum in the company of half a dozen fractious dwarfs.

Along the way, he encounters Agamemnon (Sean Connery), Robin Hood (John Cleese), Napoleon (Ian Holm) and winds up as a passenger on the Titanic, although not necessarily in that order. But is this just random entertainment laid on for history fan Kevin s benefit, or part of a wider struggle between the forces of good (Ralph Richardson) and evil (David Warner)?

At the time, this was a rare example of a small-budget British film successfully taking on American blockbusters. Now, it’s a much-loved fantasy classic bursting with inspired images and ideas: Gilliam and co-writer Michael Palin (who also appears) are clearly enjoying themselves as much as their audience.

I can’t wait to receive my review copy of this one, and when I do I’ll bring you a full review of it, but in the meantime, cast your eyes over these luxurious extras:

• Limited Edition SteelBookTM packaging
  
• Brand new 2k-resolution restoration of the film from the original camera negative, approved by director and co-writer Terry Gilliam
  
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation
  
• Original Stereo 2.0 and 5.1 Dolby Surround options (uncompressed PCM and DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray)
  
• Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  
• Chasing Time Bandits: A new interview with Terry Gilliam
  
• Writing the Film that Dares Not Speak its Name: A new interview in which Michael Palin discusses co-writing and acting in Time Bandits
  
• The Effects of Time Bandits: A new interview in which Kent Houston, founder of the Peerless Camera Company, discusses Time Bandits optical effects
  
• Playing Evil: A new featurette in which actor David Warner remembers producer George Harrison and playing Evil in Time Bandits
  
• The Costumes of Time Bandits: A new interview with costume designer James Acheson
  
• The Look of Time Bandits: A new interview with production designer Milly Burns
  
• From Script to Screen A new animated featurette in which Milly Burns takes us through her production notebooks, locations photographs and storyboards revealing how twentieth century Morocco was transformed into Ancient Greece
  
• Original Trailer
  
• Restoration Demonstration
  
• Collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic James Oliver