A “lost” Tom Petty documentary, 1983’s Heartbreakers Beach Party, which was also Cameron Crowe‘s directorial debut, has been unearthed from the archives, restored, and is getting a theatrical rerelease on October 17 & 20 at theaters across the country.
The documentary, which surrounded the making and release of the band’s 1982 album Long After Dark, only aired once on MTV. “Heartbreakers Beach Party occupies a special place in my heart,” says Crowe. “Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers leaned into the making of the film with a kind of hilarious music-filled honesty that still feels fresh forty years later. It was also my first experience as a director. Thanks to Adria Petty and the Petty Estate, along with our co-filmmakers Danny Bramson, Phil Savenick, Doug Dowdle and Greg Mariotti, I’m so happy we’re bringing it back in all its reckless glory. The fact that it was yanked from MTV after only one airing at 2:00 a.m. just shows that it was indeed an outlandish feast for fans in all the best ways. Let that sucker blast!”
The restored version of Heartbreakers Beach Party features footage of Petty and the band which didn’t make the original cut. You can watch the trailer below.
Tickets are on sale now and there are a bunch of NYC theaters showing it, including Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan and the Village East. Find a theatre near you here.
