Criterion going Blu in October
MAY 8 | The Criterion Collection will issue titles from its prestigious library in the Blu-ray Disc format beginning in October.
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Teleflora grows Enchanted rebate deal
MARCH 6 | In conjunction with the March 18 release of Walt Disney’s Enchanted on DVD and Blu-ray, floral service Teleflora is creating some sweet-smelling magic of its own. Inspired by the fairy tale film, the company has created “Teleflora’s Enchanted Bouquet.
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Movies Unlimited celebrates 30 years
JAN. 18 | Philadelphia-based Movies Unlimited is marking three decades in business with the publication of its 30th anniversary catalog. The 2008 Movies Unlimited DVD Catalog , an 800-page volume, sells for $9.95 on the retailer’s Web site ( www.moviesunlimited.com ).
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A&E to distribute Major League Soccer DVDs
NOV. 20 | A&E Home Video and the Major League Soccer have signed a multi-year, multi-title agreement wherein A&E will distribute MLS titles to the retail marketplace.
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Packaging mix-up plagues Eyes Wide Shut
OCT. 26 | The packaging for Warner Home Video’s Oct. 23 two-disc special edition re-issue of Stanley Kubrick’s 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut boasts that both the R-rated and unrated international versions of the film are contained in the two-disc set, but only the unrated version is actually offered. The incongruity has prompted a good deal of discussion and posts on cinema-themed online message boards by fans of the late director and his final film.
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The man from Starz
OCT. 15 | Eric Wilkinson has been in the home entertainment business in brand managing and sales positions since 1989. He’s currently director of sales for Starz Home Entertainment, where he’s likely to keep a particularly close eye on the company’s fourth-quarter release The Man From Earth , which he co-produced.
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300 : The art of war
JULY 26 | COMIC-CON: We tracked down 300 director Zack Snyder a few weeks back as he was scouting locations for the upcoming Watchmen and got him on the phone to speak about the DVD of 300 , which Warner is issuing on Blu-ray Disc, HD DVD/Combo and standard formats on July 31. We also managed to sneak in a few questions about the much buzzed-about screen adaptation of Watchmen , Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ famed 1986 graphic novel.
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Harryhausen returns—in color
JULY 26 | COMIC-CON: On the occasion of the release of a 50th Anniversary DVD Edition of the 1957 sci-fi flick 20 Million Miles to Earth , VB spoke to special effects legend Ray Harryhausen, the movie magician behind the rendering of the film’s remarkable stop-motion monster, the Ymir, who crashes down on Earth from Venus and wreaks some serious havoc in The Eternal City, Rome.
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Craven has Eyes for a franchise
JULY 26 | COMIC-CON: VB spoke with legendary horror filmmaker Wes Craven about his latest chiller, The Hills Have Eyes 2 , which was released on DVD last week. Craven penned the screenplay for Hills 2 with his son, Jonathan Craven, making the film’s production a family affair of sorts, albeit a far less ruthless one than the clans in the Hills franchise are forced to endure.
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Teenage Mutant Highlander Eastman
JULY 26 | COMIC-CON: Al ong with an immortal Scotsman and a quartet of anthropomorphic reptiles, comic book artist and producer Kevin Eastman is standing tall this summer as two projects with which he is intimately involved— Highlander: The Search for Vengeance and TMNT (otherwise known as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles )—are making their DVD debuts.
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Shout! Factory expands family programs
JULY 16 | Los Angeles-based Shout! Factory is expanding its library of children’s and family animated content with two new deals.
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Warner celebrates Jazz Singer with 80th anniversary edition
JULY 9 | On Oct. 16, Warner Home Video will debut the DVD of the studio’s 1927 landmark movie The Jazz Singer , which was the first feature-length film to have synchronized dialog and musical sequences.
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Team Baby names Lee Corso spokesman
JUNE 28 | Houston-based children’s sports production company Team Baby Entertainment signed ESPN’s popular College GameDay show star Lee Corso as spokesman for the company’s NCAA-themed DVDs.
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