The Ballad of Tam Lin (Region B)

Ava Gardner stars as a malevolent temptress in Roddy McDowells audacious folk horror the latest addition to our BFI Flipside collection

The 45th release in theBFI Flipsideseries of rediscovered British cinema,The Ballad of Tam Linwas the first and only film directed by the Hollywood actorRoddy McDowall(best known, perhaps, forThe Planet of the Apes).

Loosely based on the traditional Scottish folk ballad, this 1971 rarity stars silver screen icon Ava Gardner (The Killers) as a mysterious and wealthy older woman who uses witchcraft to exercise control over a group of younger hippies and thrill-seekers (played by a sensational cast including Ian McShane (Deadwood), Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous) and Bruce Robinson (Withnail And I). Features music is by folk-rock legends Pentangle, and spectacular cinematography by Academy Award-winner Billy Williams (Women in Love, Gandhi).

Part folk-horror and partBlow-Upstyle Swinging-60s critique, this unique cult film is being made available for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK.

Pre-orderThe Ballad of Tam Linnow and get a limited edition BFI Flipside tote bag! All orders will be shipped on release.

BFI Flipsideis dedicated to rediscovering the margins of British film, reclaiming a space for forgotten movies and filmmakers who would otherwise be in danger of disappearing from our screens forever. It is a home for UK cinematic oddities, offering everything from exploitation documentaries to B-movies, countercultural curios and obscure classics, If it’s weird, British and forgotten, then it’s Flipside.

Extras

Presented in High Definition
Audio commentary by BFI Flipside co-founders William Fowler and Vic Pratt (2021)
Love You and Leave You For Dead(2021, 11 mins): Ian McShane on Tam Lin
An Eerie Tale to Tell(2021, 10 mins): Stephanie Beacham on Tam Lin
Ballad of a B-Movie: Revisiting Tam Lin(2021, 12 mins): interview with Roddy McDowall biographer David Del Valle
Legendary Ladies of the Silver Screen: Ava Gardner(1998, 17 mins): Roddy McDowall remembers Ava Gardner and The Ballad of Tam Lin in this adoring archive introduction
Adventures Along the Way(2022, 32 mins): actress Madeline Smith looks back on being one of the coven
Listening In(2022, 27 mins): Jacqui McShee, lead singer of the seminal British folk group Pentangle, recalls the writing and recording of the films cult soundtrack
Hans Zimmer on Stanley Myers(2021, 20 mins, audio only): the much-loved composer discusses the work of Stanley Myers
Red Red? Red(Jim Weiss, Chris Maudison, John Phillips, 1971, 34 mins): an impressionistic study of a commune in Devon where people dress up, play instruments, make love and take part in strange revolutionary games
Border Country(26 mins): rare short films from the BFI National Archive reveal rural lifestyles at Scotlands edge
Theatrical trailer
**FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet with a new essay on the film by William Fowler, essays by Sam Dunn and Corinna Reicher, a contemporary review by Tom Milne and a short interview with John Philips from 1972