Home Media Magazine - September 16-22, 2007 - (Page 25)

www.homemediamagazine.com PIPELINE Surrounding Baloo is (L-R, rear): Disney animator Andreas Deja, Darleen Carr (“Shanti”), composer Richard Sherman and Chad Stuart (“Flaps”). Disney producer Don Hahn (front) hosted a pre-screening presentation at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., Sept. 6. Photo by: Sthanlee B. Mirador, Shooting Star Talent Recalls ‘Jungle Book’ Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Oct. 2 releases a special edition By Fred Topel isney films really are a family affair, especially for Bruce Reitherman. Reitherman, the voice of The Jungle Book’s Mowgli, recalled his own family time on the film during a special screening and presentation at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. “I had the privilege of doing the voice of Mowgli and also working with my dad [the director] and seeing on a daily basis what the world of filmmaking was like at a big time studio,” he said. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is giving the classic film a two-disc Platinum Edition DVD release Oct. 2 with The Jungle Book: 40th Anniversary Edition ($29.99). Director Wolfgang “Woolie” Reitherman, a World War II pilot, didn’t have an easy time at Disney. “I think the animators always respected me up to a point,” Wolfgang said in an old clip. “With the large D talents that were there, it wasn’t easy to get respect. This was survival as far as I was concerned, and most of the animators were concerned with survival to keep this thing going, this thing called Walt Disney animation. I always believed in Walt. He had a good batting average.” Composer Richard Sherman recalled Walt Disney’s personal involvement in the film, the last one he oversaw before his death. Disney gave the job of voicing Shanti to Darleen Carr because he heard her performing a rough version of one of Sherman’s songs. “We were having this meeting, and the casting folks [said], ‘We’ll have to go listen to some voices and get the right voice for the girl,’” Sherman said. “Walt said, ‘Oh, you’ve got the voice already. You know, that girl. You know, Darleen, get Darleen.’ So that was it.” More stories from the making of The Jungle Book will be on the upcoming DVD (see review, page 20). BRIEFS I WARNER, NHL TEAM UP Warner Home Video and the National Hockey League have signed a multiyear deal to continue their production and distribution partnership of NHL material. Warner will distribute a minimum of six new releases annually for the next five years. NHL projects include team histories, championship seasons, magic moments, player profiles and complete games. Planned titles include Greatest Games in Pittsburgh Penguins History and 2007 Stanley Cup Champions: Anaheim Ducks — Special Edition. Warner will distribute NHL programming on DVD and through electronic sellthrough. – Kyra Kudick an Elinor Lipman novel, stars Hunt, Colin Firth, Bette Midler and Matthew Broderick. Additionally, TLA Releasing acquired North American and U.K. distribution rights for Swedish action-thriller Storm and French Canadian mystery Amnesia: The James Brighton Enigma. TLA has theatrical and nontheatrical rights to Storm, which will street in 2008 through TLA’s Danger After Dark label. The deal for Amnesia gives TLA nontheatrical rights to the gay-themed film, which TLA will release in November. – Billy Gil I THINKFILM, TLA ACQUIRE FILMS AT TORONTO FEST At the 2007 Toronto Film Festival, Thinkfilm acquired all U.S. rights to Then She Found Me, the directorial debut from actress Helen Hunt. TVA Films acquired all Canadian rights. The Killer Films production, adapted from September 16–22, 2007 Home Media Magazine 25 http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://www.wellgousa.com

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Contents News Commentary TV DVD Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced Christian Entertainment Review

Home Media Magazine - September 16-22, 2007

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