Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - (Page 10) NEWS PEOPLE I DISNEY UPS WORLDWIDE TEAM MEMBERS Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has promoted key personnel in its worldwide team. Julie Sneddon, former SVP/GM of Europe, Middle East and Africa), has been upped to SVP of worldwide sales and distribution, relocating to Burbank, Calif. She’s responsible for growSneddon ing the company’s DVD, Blu-ray Disc and digital distribution as well as overseeing trade marketing and supply chain operations. Cecilia Tosting, former GM for Italy and Spain, has been named GM for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Jerome Le Grand, former deputy GM for the European regional office, becomes GM for Spain. And Stephen Foulser, former VP of marketing and new business development for Europe, Middle East and Africa, moves to GM for Italy. “Over the years, the combined talents of these individuals have proven invaluable and exceeded expectations,” said Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment president Bob Chapek. – Billy Gil www.homemediamagazine.com Gallery Seeks to Turn Debt Into Stock By Erik Gruenwedel RETAIL Movie Gallery and Sopris Capital Advisors, the private equity firm that owns much of the Dothan, Ala.based DVD rental company’s pre-bankruptcy debt, are seeking to convert up to $205 million of first lien debt into common stock. Under the deal, which is expected to close Oct. 6, Sopris would receive Gallery common stock valued at $10 per share, according to a regulatory filing. When Gallery emerged from Chapter 11 protection in May, Sopris converted $72 million of Gallery’s $175 million second lien debt into equity of the restructured company. Gallery also said it would accept financial assignments up to $250 million with lenders associated with the deal in exchange for common stock at $10 per share. An assignment is typically the transfer of a registered security from one owner to another. Edward Woo, analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities in Los Angeles, said with Sopris holding most of Gallery’s debt, it didn’t really make much difference in the allocation of internal finances. “In the future, debt holders would get more protection and equity holders would get greater upside [with stock valuation],” Woo said. “I do think that [Sopris] wanted to reduce its debt load for business purposes, which included reducing interest expenses associated with the debt.” Gallery stock closed Sept. 10 up one cent at $5 per share. The Edge of Love Image Picks Up More ‘A’-List Titles By Erik Gruenwedel SUPPLIER Image Entertainment acquired non-theatrical North American rights to the comedy $5 a Day and the romantic thriller The Edge of Love at the Toronto International Film Festival. Release dates for the titles were not disclosed. The titles continue an ongoing distribution agreement with CT1 Holdings, which is parent of ThinkFilm and Capitol Films and headed by financier and producer David Bergstein. Bergstein’s BTP Acquisitions Co. earlier this year withdrew its intent to purchase Image, which had resulted in litigation (since resolved) between the two companies. Bill Bromiley, chief acquisitions officer with Image, spearheaded the recent acquisition. In $5 a Day, Christopher Walken plays a thrifty con-man partnered with his son (Alessandro Nivola) who just got out of jail after doing time for one of his father’s earlier crimes. Other cast members include Sharon Stone, Amanda Peet, Peter Coyote and Dean Cain. Set against the backdrop of World War II, The Edge of Love explores the bohemian underworld of war-torn London and the intimate complexities of two young couples played by Keira Knightley (the “Pirate of the Caribbean” franchise), Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy and Matthew Rhys. Sharman MacDonald (Knightley’s mother) penned the screenplay, based in part on the real-life love letters of poet Dylan Thomas, played by Rhys. Lionsgate will release the film theatrically in the first quarter of 2009. Image has enjoyed success by distributing similarly lesser-known movies featuring A-list stars, such as Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, starring Ethan Hawke and Marisa Tomei. DVD releases helped Image report net income of $1.7 million in the most recent quarter. Separately, Image acquired the global rights to k. d. lang with the BBC Concert Orchestra: Live in London. It is slated to street on DVD and Blu-ray Feb. 3, 2009. DVD-TRADING SITE PEERFLIX HAS BEEN SOLD By Chris Tribbey Lab for 3-D Experimentation Launched at USC Tech. Center Chris Tribbey he University of Southern California’s Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) is launching a stereoscopic 3-D content lab, hoping to give companies working with glasses-assisted 3-D technology a mutual and neutral place to experiment. “Given the substantial interest in stereoscopic 3-D in the theater and beyond, we believe there needs to be a neutral and central place for the various interested groups in order to ensure that the content and device development processes are interacting and fully aware of each other,” said David Wertheimer, CEO and executive director of the ETC. The ETC Stereoscopic 3-D Working Group will focus on issues with getting 3-D conveniently into the home. “[It’s an] ideal forum for experimenting with all the latest technological innovations,” said Walt Disney T I VETERAN EXECUTIVE DEPARTS CIRCUIT CITY Philip Dunn, SVP, treasurer and chief accounting officer at Circuit City Stores, is leaving the consumer electronics retailer, effective Oct. 18. Michelle Mosier, who joined Circuit City in 2003 as director of financial recording and was promoted to VP in 2005, and assumed the title of controller in 2007, will replace Dunn. Dunn has been the Richmond, Va.-based retailer’s principal accounting officer since 1996, after joining the company in 1984. – Erik Gruenwedel I CDSA TAPS WALLACE FOR ANTIPIRACY EFFORTS The Content Delivery and Storage Association (CDSA) has named Peter Wallace director of antipiracy and compliance programs for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Headquartered in London, Wallace brings experience evaluating and designing security systems for music labels, games publishers, distribution services and media Wallace manufacturers. Additionally Wallace is a director of Global Intelligence Group, a supply chain security provider, as well as Portcullis Consultants Ltd., which operates the antipiracy and compliance programs for CDSA in the same regions. – Billy Gil he Washington Post has confirmed that Internet media holding company LiveUniverse has purchased former DVD-swapping site Peerflix. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Peerflix stopped its DVD trading services earlier in April and instead became a movie media network. “While we have made considerable investments in our marketplace platform over the past four years, unfortunately the escalating costs of operating the marketplace do not make that business viable at this juncture,” the site’s owners wrote to their members when the decision was made to get out of the DVD swapping business. “As we move out of the DVD marketplace business, we are focusing our energy and resources on building the Peerflix Media Network which is now the Web’s fastest growing vertical movie network.” T Studios CTO Arthur Hair. Chuck Dages, EVP of emerging technologies for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group and chairman of the ETC, added that studios can view yet-to-be-released content “using existing and emerging stereoscopic 3-D displays, formats and technologies.” 3-D GROUP HOLDS FIRST MEETING By Chris Tribbey T he 3D@Home Consortium held its first meeting Aug. 14. Meeting quarterly, the consortium’s members include Philips, Samsung, Sony, Turner Broadcasting Systems, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and more than a dozen other hardware, software and content companies. The consortiums next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 2 in Los Angeles. For more information visit www.3Dathome.org. DIGITAL COPY BY PRODUCT CATEGORY 2007/2008 DVD RELEASE TRENDS* Just 79 DVD titles with digital copy have either been released or are set for release as of Sept. 9, but Fox’s bold move to rework 20 films from its library with digital copy Sept. 23 seems to signal that the studios might be getting serious about this feature. Sony has also been experimenting with DVDs with the digital copy option built right in as a menu option and not a separate disc. Still, there are problems, namely compatibility with the various on-the-go formats. — Ralph Tribbey DVD Title Release Category New Theatrical (1997-current) Direct-to-Video Feature Films Theatrical Catalog (pre-1997) TV Series Programming (single disc) Total 2007 2 2008 57 10 9 1 77 Total 59 10 9 1 79 * Includes titles announced but not yet released as of Sept. 9, 2008 I RELEASE ACTIVITY FOR DVD Titles in Release Through Week Ended Sept. 5, 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total Net DVD Titles Announced and/or In Release Through Dec. 31, 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89,860+244 90,652+212 I RELEASE ACTIVITY FOR BLU-RAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . As of Week Ended Sept. 5 Released 697 Scheduled 190 Home Media Magazine September 14–20, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://www.3Dathome.org
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 Contents News TV DVD Cine Mercado Reviews Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 (Page Cover1) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 (Page Cover2) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 (Page 1) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 (Page 2) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 (Page 3) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 (Page 4) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 (Page 5) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 (Page 6) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 (Page 7) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 (Page 8) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Contents (Page 9) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - News (Page 10) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - News (Page 11) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - News (Page 12) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - News (Page 13) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - News (Page 14) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - News (Page 15) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - TV DVD (Page 16) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - TV DVD (Page 17) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Cine Mercado (Page 18) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Cine Mercado (Page 19) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Reviews (Page 20) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Reviews (Page 21) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Reviews (Page 22) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Reviews (Page 23) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Reviews (Page 24) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Reviews (Page 25) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 26) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 27) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 28) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 29) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 30) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 31) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 32) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 33) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 34) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 35) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 36) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover3) Home Media Magazine - September 14-20, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover4)
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