Aretha Franklin Amazing Grace Documentary on DVD

[carlo]

Just a heads up that this excellent concert doc is being released on DVD next week. It seems there is also a Blu-ray version out there but at the moment, it seems the BluRay version will only be released in Europe.

[marv2]

Great news! Thank you Carlo!

[Motown Eddie]

Thanks for the news Carlo. I'm in for Aretha's Amazing Grace when it comes out on DVD.

[alanh]

Looks like we’ll have to wait until Sept 2nd in the UK though.

[PeaceNHarmony]

Any news about additional footage, etc?

[alanh]

From information so far on seller sites, this is a single disc release. The documentary lasts just under 90mins. There’s no information about any additional footage, although a lot was shot and recorded over the two performances. Indeed you would have thought that there should be some good and interesting extras, but maybe they are being held back for a ‘deluxe’ edition[[??).

[carlo]

Very odd indeed, alanh. This earlier article from Billboard mentions that there were plans to include extra footage on the dvd release. Here's hoping that they have included extra footage but perhaps the details have not yet been revealed.

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8504162/aretha-franklin-doc-amazing-grace-extras-home-release

[alanh]

Yes, I saw that article too Carlo. It was written in March so maybe things have changed since then. The key sentence [[if it's to be treated as face value) is: If its producers have their way, the Aretha Franklin concert documentary Amazing Grace will become even more amazing in the future.

Maybe the producers didn't 'have their way', although surely there's every good reason make the DVD release attractive with lots of bonus, as most DVDs are.

What is encouraging is:
With the long-delayed documentary of the late Queen of Soul's recording of her Grammy Award-winning 1972 Amazing Grace gospel album rolling into wide release next month, plans are already afoot to expand the project for a home video release. "There's going to be some great specials," co-producer Tirrell D. Whittley promised Billboard on Monday night -- what would have been Franklin's 77th birthday -- during a premiere screening at the Detroit Film Theatre in her hometown. "There's some great special clips. There's some songs that aren't in the movie. There's 20 hours of footage; Everything couldn't be packed into 87 minutes."

[reese]

I can't wait to have my own copy. When it opened at the Film Forum in NYC last fall, I made a point of catching the train and going to see it. When it finally opened in regular release this year, I saw it every weekend until it left. As you can tell, I really liked it. ;)

[PeaceNHarmony]

It would be unfortunate if no extra footage is included on the dvd. Yet, in keeping with the rather shambolic status of Aretha's career. Still no release of the 'final four' Atlantic lps on CD.