The movie adaptation of the 1968 novel The Last Unicorn in 1982 was one of the films of my childhood that stayed in heavy rotation. And if you’re like me you might have been a little disappointed at the quality of the copy you had until 2007 when a decent quality version was finally released. Now it has been restored and remastered and is about to go out on tour.

The tour kicks off this month on the 20th which coincides with the 74th birthday of the author, Peter S. Beagle. And if you live in the San Francisco area you can celebrate both the author’s birthday and the remastering of the movie with a special kick off party before the movie heads out on tour.

Here is the official press release from the San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum:

THE PREMIERE OF THE LAST UNICORN SCREENING TOUR – SATURDAY APRIL 20TH IN SAN FRANCISCO

IN COOPERATION WITH THE CASTRO THEATER AND THE CARTOON ART MUSEUM

The Last Unicorn: Screening and Birthday Celebration
Cartoon Art Museum/Castro Theatre Event:
Saturday, April 20th, 2013 from 12:00pm to 3:00pm
With a VIP evening reception at the Cartoon Art Museum 6:00pm to 8:00pm

San Francisco, CA: The Cartoon Art Museum is proud to host the premiere screening of Peter S. Beagle’s nationwide theatrical re-release tour for The Last Unicorn — and his 74th birthday celebration! Throw on your best Schmendrick the Magician or Amalthea outfit and join us at The Castro Theatre for a screening of the uncut edition of the animated movie The Last Unicorn, a question and answer session with author and screenwriter Peter S. Beagle, an amazing raffle, pop-up shop, and limited book signing! Following the screening at the Castro Theatre, the Cartoon Art Museum will open its doors from 6:00pm to 8:00pm for an intimate reading and chat with Mr. Beagle, an exclusive auction, and continued signings. Costumes are encouraged!

This is the kickoff event in a two-year screening tour that will see Peter S. Beagle and The Last Unicorn coming to hundreds of local movie theaters in the United States and Canada. To get details on the tour, email contact@conlanpress.com.

Tickets for the VIP portion at the Cartoon Art Museum are $25 and may be purchased through: https://guestlistapp.com/events/154704. All VIP tickets include admission to the Castro Theater’s matinee screening. Tickets for just the Castro screenning are $8.50 and may be purchased through the Castro Theater. They don’t have a web page set up for this event yet, but you can call them at 415-621-6120.

Each ticket comes with one raffle entry, a 35mm film frame from an original 1982 theatrical print of the movie, and membership in The Last Unicorn Tour (including discounts on exclusive tour merchandise and other benefits).

Our exciting raffle items, generously supplied by Conlan Press, are:

• Third Prize: Signed regular edition Last Unicorn graphic novel (value: $25). (Two winners)

• Second Prize: Signed Last Unicorn trade paperback and Blu-ray/DVD combo (value: $36) (Two winners)

• First Prize: Signed deluxe Last Unicorn graphic novel (value: $50). (One winner)

Items for the VIP auction include:

• A complete 35mm frame set of all 17 characters from the film, in signed glassine envelopes, plus an official Certificate of Authenticity.

• A signed “printer proof” limited edition of 7 Original Character Concept Design Art Prints from The Last Unicorn, by lead animator Tsuguyuki Kubo.

• An original penciled page from The Last Unicorn graphic novel.

This event is generously sponsored by The Castro Theater, with proceeds benefiting The Cartoon Art Museum and Peter S. Beagle Tour.

About Peter S. Beagle and The Last Unicorn

According to Neil Gaiman, Peter S. Beagle is “the gold standard for fantasy.” Arguably America’s greatest living fantasist, Peter’s extraordinary body of work has been enchanting audiences since he published his first book, A Fine and Private Place, while still only 20 years old. His most famous novel, The Last Unicorn, has sold more than six million copies in 25 languages since its original publication in 1968, and the 1982 animated film version (for which Peter wrote the screenplay) has tens of millions of fans around the world. Peter is also a gifted singer and songwriter, and wrote the screenplays for the original 1978 animated film version of The Lord of the Rings and “Sarek,” a fan-favorite episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Born in New York City and raised in the Bronx, he now lives in Oakland, California.

It sounds really fun and I’m bummed I live on the opposite side of the country. :( Hopefully you westies out there can make it!