Is 'Let It Be film restored' once again a broken promise?

Discuss official releases and re-issues. The only links allowed here are to the Beatles YouTube channel or other band-sanctioned platforms.
Patrick Healy
Posts: 354
Joined: Tue May 18, 2021 7:36 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 13 times

Is 'Let It Be film restored' once again a broken promise?

Post by Patrick Healy »

When the 2019 Get Back press release announced the 'Let It Be' film would be restored following the release of the 'Get Back' film, I was genuinely hopeful.
But four years later nothing is forthcoming. Have they, yet again, announced a restoration of the film, fully restored it (confirmed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg), and then just abandoned it?
If anyone has any information to share about this, positive or negative, I would love to hear about it.
As far as I can tell, the last mention of this was last year. :(
dascottjr
Posts: 234
Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2021 5:43 am
Has thanked: 173 times
Been thanked: 23 times

Re: Is 'Let It Be film restored' once again a broken promise?

Post by dascottjr »

I guess because the project turned into a three-part mini-series, somebody felt that bonus features like the original movie weren't needed. Sure, Jackson edited Get Back so that it would repeat as little of the Let It Be movie as possible, meaning that the original movie would finally officially exist at some point. But why let good sense get in the way, right?
quigatolah
Posts: 111
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2021 9:50 pm
Has thanked: 20 times
Been thanked: 22 times

Re: Is 'Let It Be film restored' once again a broken promise?

Post by quigatolah »

Maybe it was held back because it blatantly disproves the new narrative that the Get Back sessions were a joyous time.
You might not see any more video from that period until they can use AI to produce footage of the Beatles baking cookies and
kissing babies in between songs.

Epstein's "cleaning up" of the boys for public consumption was only a small beginning.
While they were all still alive and together, the corporates could only take that so far.
Today they are just another licensed, sanitized product to be bled into eternity, morphed into whatever will
yield the most profit. The net gain for us is that the deluxe sets have contained so many more outtakes
than we would ever see otherwise.

On a similar note, perhaps the most valuable function of bootlegs going forward will be to depict The Beatles as they actually were.
User avatar
Lord Reith
Posts: 4602
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:22 am
Location: BBC House
Has thanked: 139 times
Been thanked: 3960 times

Re: Is 'Let It Be film restored' once again a broken promise?

Post by Lord Reith »

quigatolah wrote: Sat Feb 11, 2023 2:06 pm Maybe it was held back because it blatantly disproves the new narrative that the Get Back sessions were a joyous time.
Exactly. That is what I have always said. Once the series appeared, the LIB movie was doomed. If they hadn't released in it all those decades beforehand, they're sure not gonna do so now. If they wanted it out it would have come out with the bluray as an extra.
Women there don't treat you mean, in Abilene
User avatar
FilmObscurest
Posts: 38
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2022 6:40 pm
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Is 'Let It Be film restored' once again a broken promise?

Post by FilmObscurest »

Really ticks me off. I refused to watch the Jackson trilogy until it was released alongside the original Let It Be; which I'd never seen. Got tired of waiting so I just said 'screw it' and watched a boot.

I swear, Apple is so money-adverse sometimes.

I'll be the first in line to buy an official Let It Be, though. Heck, I'll even buy two copies. One to watch and one to keep sealed. Y'never know.
Patrick Healy
Posts: 354
Joined: Tue May 18, 2021 7:36 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 13 times

Re: Is 'Let It Be film restored' once again a broken promise?

Post by Patrick Healy »

Lord Reith wrote: Sun Feb 12, 2023 9:45 am
quigatolah wrote: Sat Feb 11, 2023 2:06 pm Maybe it was held back because it blatantly disproves the new narrative that the Get Back sessions were a joyous time.
Exactly. That is what I have always said. Once the series appeared, the LIB movie was doomed. If they hadn't released in it all those decades beforehand, they're sure not gonna do so now. If they wanted it out it would have come out with the bluray as an extra.
But surely they wouldn't have made the announcement if so?
User avatar
Lord Reith
Posts: 4602
Joined: Thu Feb 18, 2021 8:22 am
Location: BBC House
Has thanked: 139 times
Been thanked: 3960 times

Re: Is 'Let It Be film restored' once again a broken promise?

Post by Lord Reith »

Patrick Healy wrote: Sat Feb 25, 2023 5:13 pm But surely they wouldn't have made the announcement if so?
I'm not sure if it was an actual announcement though was it? It was mentioned as "we're going to release it" in a few interviews but never officially declared.

I really HOPE we'll see it unexpectedly this Christmas, but if not then its prospects are looking very grim. I think Paul wants it out, so maybe he'll go into bat for us.
Women there don't treat you mean, in Abilene
Fun 4 None
Posts: 370
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2021 3:29 am
Has thanked: 7 times
Been thanked: 16 times

Re: Is 'Let It Be film restored' once again a broken promise?

Post by Fun 4 None »

It probably got canned because Let it Be was banned from release for decades and also this new Peter Jackson series was infinitely better at telling the story accurately.
User avatar
Mr Bump
Posts: 463
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2022 1:01 pm
Has thanked: 8 times
Been thanked: 73 times

Re: Is 'Let It Be film restored' once again a broken promise?

Post by Mr Bump »

Let It Be was released on laser disc in the 1980s. When Peter Jackson's Get Back came out, one of the revelations was the image quality - all the colours and lighting were clear and superb, leaving the old footage looking really poor.

What state was Let It Be, image wise? I never saw it at a cinema but I would suggest the laser disc edition is the best there is, and it's already out there.
Patrick Healy
Posts: 354
Joined: Tue May 18, 2021 7:36 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 13 times

Re: Is 'Let It Be film restored' once again a broken promise?

Post by Patrick Healy »

Lord Reith wrote: Sat Feb 25, 2023 11:52 pm
Patrick Healy wrote: Sat Feb 25, 2023 5:13 pm But surely they wouldn't have made the announcement if so?
I'm not sure if it was an actual announcement though was it? It was mentioned as "we're going to release it" in a few interviews but never officially declared.

I really HOPE we'll see it unexpectedly this Christmas, but if not then its prospects are looking very grim. I think Paul wants it out, so maybe he'll go into bat for us.
To quote from the press release announcing Get Back's delay to September 2020:
'A fully restored version of the original "Let It Be" film will be made available at a later date.'
Keep in mind that Get Back was at this point just going to be a feature film.
Post Reply