Home Media Magazine - May 25 - 31, 2008 - (Page 10)

NEWS www.homemediamagazine.com Cannes 2008 Proves Fertile For Indie Distributors By Billy Gil 8 Wheels and Some Soul Brotha’ Music hile a report from The Los Angeles Times said few hyped-up films had been acquired at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival by the major studios as of May 19, independent studios and distributors are still making their usual rounds. Image Entertainment acquired from HanWay Films Ltd. the U.S. home video, broadcast, digital and nontheatrical rights to Battle for Haditha, based on the true story of a U.S. Marine convoy’s retaliation against Iraqi insurgents, and featuring a cast of nonactor ex-Marines who served in Iraq. Image also acquired, from The Last Word LLC, North American distribution rights to romantic comedy The Last Word, starring Winona Ryder, Wes Bentley and Ray Romano. The film was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the festival. Image’s third W Fashion Victims Cannes acquisition was The Chosen One, written by and starring Rob Schneider. Image, represented by managing director of Image Entertainment U.K. Wendy Rutland, acquired all U.S. distribution rights to the comedy from Q Black Media. Arts Alliance America scored a coup at the festival when actor and director Sean Penn, president of the Cannes Jury, held a special presidential jury screening of The Third Wave, a documentary directed by Alison Thompson about four volunteers trying to help in the aftermath of the 2004 Asian tsunami disaster. The screening marked the film’s international debut. “The Third Wave is truly a must-see for ourselves, our children and everyone we know, for anyone who has two good legs and a dollar in their pocket,” Penn said in a statement. “It inspires the very best in us, just when we need that most. It comes as close to answering our purpose in life as any film in recent memory.” The film was executive produced by Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) and Joe Amodei, president of Arts Alliance America. “The film came to Morgan and I earlier this year, and we were both blown away,” Amodei said. “Even though it was not a finished project and needed funding to complete, I knew that Arts Alliance America had to finance it so the world would experience what these volunteers went through. As a result, its message is extraordinary.” Indican Pictures made several acquisitions, including all North American distribution rights for urban roller skating documentary 8 Wheels and Some Soul Brotha’ Music, and futuristic war film Black Pearl. Indican also acquired the North American rights to animated comedy The Chosen One (not to be confused with Image’s The Chosen One), featuring the voices of Tim Curry, Traci Lords, Debra Wilson, Lance Henriksen, Chris Sarandon, Danielle Fishel and Laura Prepon. TLA Releasing’s Cannes acquisitions include North American rights to Gutterballs (for its horror label Danger After Dark), acquired from Francebased DC Medias. TLA also acquired North American and U.K. rights to Japanese erotic thriller Man, Woman, and The Wall (for its new Ricochet label), streeting DVD July 29. The film was acquired from Los Angeles-based Eleven Arts Inc. Ariztical Entertainment picked up three international gay-themed films at Cannes: Fashion Victims, Cheerleader Queens and Haunting Me. Cinema Epoch (distributed through Koch Entertainment) acquired the DVD rights to Polish thrillers The Underneath and The Palimpsest, Korean horror film The Circle, horror thriller Yellow Fangs, and Japanese fantasy film Story of Sorrow and Sadness. MERCHANDISING Unlocking the Suncoast Code Best Buy National Treasure 2 Disney; SRP $29.99, $34.99 SE & BD Target $15.99 $24.99 two-DVD set $29.99 Blu-ray Wal-Mart $14.96 $24.96 two-DVD set $24.96 Blu-ray Suncoast $19.99 $27.99 two-DVD set $26.99 Blu-ray Amazon.com $14.99 $22.99 two-DVD set $23.95 Blu-ray $14.99 $22.99 two-DVD set $29.99 Blu-ray Diary of the Dead Genius/Weinstein SRP $24.95 $17.99 $19.99 w/The Zen of Zombie book $19.99 $19.96 $24.96 w/McMahon DVD $29.86 Blu-ray* $19.99 $19.99 w/limited-edition tin packaging $17.99 Wrestlemania XXIV WWE SRP $39.95, $49.95 BD $22.99 $29.99 Blu-ray Available via Amazon.com $22.99 $29.95 Blu-ray Strange Wilderness Paramount SRP $29.99 $19.99 $19.99 $19.96 $21.99 $19.99 * Online Only By John Latchem he Suncoast Motion Picture Co. location in a Westminster, Calif., mall is inundating shoppers with deals piled upon deals on releases both new and old. First off, consumers reserving copies of future releases get a $2 coupon when they eventually pick up the title. New releases were offered at $15.99 with the purchase of another movie at $14.99 and up. Many titles also offered rebates to further discount the sticker price. For example the two-DVD National Treasure: Book of Secrets set would be $20.99 after rebate, and the Blu-ray of the film would be $19.99. If that weren’t enough, the store offered a free DVD with purchase of another DVD over $10, and a buy-two-get-one-free sale that applied to $16.99-and-under DVDs. A separate display also offered a buy-two-get-one-free deal on select Lionsgate titles. Used DVDs were offered at $7.99 each or three for $20, while used HD DVDs were offered for around $20 each. T 10 Home Media Magazine May 25–31, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com http://Amazon.com http://Amazon.com

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Home Media Magazine - May 25 - 31, 2008 Contents News Hardware Commentary TV DVD Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced

Home Media Magazine - May 25 - 31, 2008

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