Alfred Hitchcock's 1927 The Ring restored - watch an exclusive clip...

The genius of Hitchcock is probably beyond doubt, but the BFI's five-month series of screenings and events is throwing up all sorts of surprises anyway. Who knew that Hitchcock made a faithful adaptation of Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock in 1929? Not me, at least.

It's a retrospective that, given the quantity of its protagonist's back catalogue, includes some films you've seen - Rear Window and Vertigo for example (restored in 1996, and incredibly withdrawn from circulation on the director's request until 1983), some you might not have (1976's black comedy and swansong Family Plot) and some you definitely won't have in their new restored state.

Falling into that latter category is the only film for which Hitchcock received sole writing credit: 1927's The Ring, which premieres in its refurbished form at London's Hackney Empire this Friday, 13 June. Those outside of E8 and indeed the UK, can stream the film live, and its new soundtrack by Mercury-nominated jazz musician (better to be nominated than to win, right?) Soweto Kinch, via The Space (where early short films by Ridley Scott, Ken Russell, Lynne Ramsay and others are also available to watch online).

In case the suspense is too much (ha ha), we've a clip from the restored version (without music), in which a problematic a love triangle comprising two boxers and a vampish young lady becomes apparent. Watch it here.

That the BFI tags the film's genre as ‘Sports' should add some sort of vague Olympics-y feel to the proceedings, should you want it.

Rhys Griffiths