Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - (Page 6) NEWS BRIEFS I NEW LINE PUTS OUT ITS LAST DVD RELEASE New Line Home Entertainment has officially shut down, and its remaining releases for the year will be brought to DVD by Warner Home Video. The division shut down with a Father’s Day promotion involving such catalog titles as The Mask, Rush Hour and the “Austin Powers” trilogy. Its last new release was Be Kind, Rewind, the Jack Black comedy that grossed an unimpressive $11.2 million at the box office. Ironically, the film is about a buffoonish video store clerk who accidentally erases the store’s stockpile of ancient VHS cassettes. – Thomas K. Arnold www.homemediamagazine.com Image Gets More Levity The supplier has amended its deal with Levity Productions for another seven titles By Erik Gruenwedel SUPPLIER Comedy has been no laughing matter for Image Entertainment Inc.’s bottom line. The Chatsworth, Calif.-based distributor, which scored pay dirt in recent years releasing blue-collar comedy DVDs from Ron White, Larry the Cable Guy and Jeff Foxworthy, July 14 said it had amended an output deal with Levity Productions to include another seven titles. Levity Productions is part of Levity Entertainment Group, which recently merged with Triage Entertainment. Key among the new stand-up DVDs is Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas Special, filmed live last month at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee. Dunham is no stranger to Image, which previously released his Arguing With Myself and Spark of Insan- PEOPLE I GRAFFEO AT POINTROLL Former Universal Studios Home Entertainment EVP of marketing Ken Graffeo, Hollywood’s point man for the doomed HD DVD camp, has resurfaced as COO of PointRoll, a Gannett Co. (USA Today) subsidiary that provides “rich media” solutions and counts 65% of the Fortune 100 as clients. Graffeo, a former Graffeo video retailer, will be responsible for the company’s overall growth strategy, strategic marketing and operational effectiveness. PointRoll powers more than 70% of online rich media campaigns and in 2007 served more than 70 billion impressions. – Thomas K. Arnold I ANCHOR BAY TO RELEASE ‘THE VISITOR’ Anchor Bay Entertainment and Overture Films will bow the critically acclaimed and award-winning The Visitor on DVD and Blu-ray Disc Oct. 7 (prebook Sept. 4). Starring Richard Jenkins (“Six Feet Under,” North Country), the drama looks at the sad state of the life of a college professor who has lost his wife and his will to live. When he returns from a conference to find a young couple squatting in his apartment, his life is turned upside down, and possibly for the better. “With so much talk about the lack of quality independent films in the market, we’re glad the upcoming DVD and Blu-ray release will continue to propel the positive buzz among both critics and audiences,” said Bill Clark, president of Anchor Bay Entertainment. Special features include a featurette, a theatrical trailer and a “Playing the Djembe” video. – Chris Tribbey ity — each DVD shipping more than 1 million units, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. “Our relationship with Levity has played an integral role in Image amassing one of the most impressive libraries of standup comedy performance,” said David Borshell, president of Image Entertainment. “We look forward to bringing quality comedic content to the marketplace and are especially pleased to maintain our position as the exclusive distributor of Jeff Dunham’s creative projects.” Titles previously released as part of the original agreement include John Witherspoon’s You Got to Coordinate, John Pinette’s I’m Starvin’, Gabriel Iglesias’ Hot and Fluffy, Daniel Tosh’s Completely Serious and Steve Byrne’s Happy Hour. China: DVD Piracy Not Olympic Sport By Erik Gruenwedel LEGAL With less than four weeks remaining until the opening of 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games, China is apparently clamping down on the availability of pirated DVD movies throughout the capital city. Officials say they will institute 24-hour patrols over a 100-day period looking for street vendors, businesses and storefronts hawking bootlegged theatrical releases of such blockbusters as Iron Man and Kung Fu Panda, among others, according to a report in China Press and Publishing Journal. “Strike hard against all kinds of pirate copies violating rights and against illegal publishing activi- I BLOCKBUSTER HIRES WARNER DIGITAL EXECUTIVE Blockbuster Inc. has named Jeffrey Calman to the newly created position of VP studio relations and new media, based in Los Angeles. A 20-year veteran with Warner Bros., Calman was most recently EVP for video on demand Calman and electronic sellthrough with Warner Home Video. “Jeff’s extensive background in all aspects of the acquisition and distribution of entertainment content, his understanding of new media technology, studio-side experience and business acumen should greatly contribute to our efforts to position Blockbuster as a leading provider of digital content,” said Joyce Woodward, SVP of film at Blockbuster. – Erik Gruenwedel ties,” the report said. “Go all out to create a healthy cultural market environment for the Beijing Olympic Games.” The Beijing Games run from Aug. 8-27. TRENDS IN SPECIAL INTEREST RELEASES ON DVD MID-YEAR COMPARISONS: 2004–2008* A number of total DVD releases are in the catch-all special interest category, which generates relatively few unit sales per title. The category is also a follower. In the early days of DVD, the bulk of releases were new theatrical and theatrical catalog. Only when the market reached a certain level of maturity did the big release numbers for special interest start to roll in. The special interest growth years (in part, fueled by the VHS to DVD conversion) are behind us. At mid-year we’re down 30.2% in title count from the same period last year, and down 33% from the peak year of 2006. — Ralph Tribbey 2,500 1,847 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 1,340 1,513 2,257 2,167 * 26-week comparisons ending June 30 for each year I RELEASE ACTIVITY FOR DVD Titles in Release Through Week Ended July 11, 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total Net DVD Titles Announced and/or In Release Through Dec. 31, 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87,691+224 88,412+294 I RELEASE ACTIVITY FOR BLU-RAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . As of Week Ended July 11 Released 587 Scheduled 97 Filmed illegally in theaters with a hidden video camera and then burned to a disc, the pirated DVDs sell for as little as $1.50. China ranks among the worst offenders in protecting intellectual copyrights such a DVDs, books and music. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) says that U.S. studios lose about $1.2 billion annually to pirated DVDs in the Asia/Pacific region. Reports say nearly 90% of all packaged media sold in China is pirated. Last year, that region’s MPAA office investigated more than 32,000 cases of piracy and conducted more than 13,000 in cooperation with local officials. The raids netted more than 31 million illegal DVDs, 40 factory disc replication lines and 6,400 DVD disc burners. An MPAA representative was not immediately available for comment. I CITY LIGHTS DIGITAL UPS SENIOR TO VP City Lights Digital has promoted Chachi Senior to VP of digital production. He will oversee the entire digital division of the company and supervise digital projects. The Emmy-nominated Senior has created such digital series for brands and netChachi works as Kohler’s “The Bold Look of Kohler.” City Lights Digital began in 2006 and has since signed more than 40 deals, and will produce more than 300 digital clips in 2008. – Billy Gil 6 Home Media Magazine July 20–26, 2008 http://www.homemediamagazine.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 Home Media Magazine - June 20-26, 2008 Contents News TV DVD Commentary Horror/Halloween Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - June 20-26, 2008 (Page Cover1) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - June 20-26, 2008 (Page Cover2) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - June 20-26, 2008 (Page 1) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - June 20-26, 2008 (Page 2) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - June 20-26, 2008 (Page 3) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Home Media Magazine - June 20-26, 2008 (Page 4) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Contents (Page 5) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - News (Page 6) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - News (Page 7) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - News (Page 8) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - News (Page 9) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - News (Page 10) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - News (Page 11) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - News (Page 12) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - TV DVD (Page 13) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Commentary (Page 14) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Commentary (Page 15) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Commentary (Page 16) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Commentary (Page 17) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Horror/Halloween (Page 18) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Horror/Halloween (Page 19) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Horror/Halloween (Page 20) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Horror/Halloween (Page 21) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Horror/Halloween (Page 22) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Horror/Halloween (Page 23) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Horror/Halloween (Page 24) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Horror/Halloween (Page 25) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Reviews (Page 26) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Reviews (Page 27) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Reviews (Page 28) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Reviews (Page 29) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Reviews (Page 30) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Reviews (Page 31) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 32) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Pipeline (Page 33) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 34) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Top 20 DVD Sellers (Page 35) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 36) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts (Page 37) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 38) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 39) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Just Announced (Page 40) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover3) Home Media Magazine - July 20-26, 2008 - Just Announced (Page Cover4)
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.