Cameron Crowe’s 1983 directorial debut Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party is heading to cinemas for two nights only. Details on this within.
Cameron Crowe, former Rolling Stone journalist, made his directorial debut with the little seen documentary Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party. He would go on to make classics like Say Anything, Jerry Maguire and the autobiographical Almost Famous.
The synopsis for Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party, a documentary Crowe made as his directorial debut in 1983, reads as follows:
In 2024, the long-thought lost 16mm reels of Tom Petty in Cameron Crowe’s first film, “Heartbreakers Beach Party”, were finally found. The classic ‘80s documentary captures Tom Petty and the band in 1982-1983 as they finish, promote, and tour around the “Long After Dark” album (their final with legendary producer Jimmy Iovine). After its initial airing on MTV in 1983, the film was deemed too experimental and abruptly pulled from the air. In more than 40 years since, it has become folklore to fans, musicians and within the entertainment industry – even credited with inspiring scenes in Spinal Tap. The highly anticipated & fully remastered “Heartbreakers Beach Party” is a fun, candid, fast paced, & musically rich ride with America’s greatest rock & roll band, a time capsule of the dawn of the MTV era, and a rare & shining glimpse into Tom Petty’s lasting creative genius.
The theatrical release also features 19 minutes of fully remastered, never before seen archival bonus footage and new commentary from Crowe.
Crowe said in a statement, “Heartbreakers Beach Party occupies a special place in my heart. 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!”
Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party will be in UK cinemas on the 17th and 20th October, courtesy of Trafalgar Releasing. You can find your nearest cinema here.