And now the Movies, folks.....................
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Friday August 22 7:59 AM EDT
Company Press Release
Warner Home Video Takes DVD National
Advanced Movie Format Launched Nationwide
Consumers Everywhere Can Now Purchase Movies on DVD
BURBANK, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Aug. 22, 1997--
``The new DVD format is the best looking, most convenient and most
flexible home video format yet devised.`` (a)
Warner Home Video (WHV), MGM Home Entertainment, New Line Home Video and HBO Home Video are expanding the availability of DVD movie titles into retail outlets nationwide.
Starting Friday, hundreds of movie titles will be available to consumers everywhere on the state-of-the-art home video DVD format.
Major upcoming titles will continue to be released simultaneously on the DVD and VHS format, including ``Selena,'' ``Addicted to Love,'' ``Father's Day,'' ``Wild America,'' ``Austin Powers'' (New Line) and ``Batman & Robin.''
Initially introduced last March, DVD has enjoyed a successful seven-city test in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New York and Washington, D.C. The new format has received sweeping praise, hailed by the Wall Street Journal as ``a superb experience'' (b) and ``a remarkable little disk ... the light of the future'' (c) by The New York Times.
``We are extremely encouraged by the consumer response to this product,'' said Warren Lieberfarb, president, Warner Home Video. ``In just five months, WHV has sold more than 1.2 million discs in seven cities. Clearly, DVD's superb digital picture and audio quality has piqued consumer interest. Now everyone can have access to the DVD experience.''
Stored on a disc the same size as a music CD, DVD provides consumers with exceptional picture and theater-quality Dolby Digital Surround sound. DVD offers the experience of watching movies in multiple screen formats including the original theatrical widescreen version. An interactive, on-screen menu system allows DVD users to switch between multiple language tracks and/or subtitles. Viewers can also choose to watch the original theatrical trailers, as well as explore material about the cast, director and making of the film.
Several September DVD releases feature new audio commentary by the director including: John Singleton for ``Rosewood,'' Marco Brambilla for ``Demolition Man'' and Tony Scott for ``True Romance.'' In addition, cinematographer Haskell Wexler gives his commentary on ``Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?''
October DVD titles have several exciting added features. ``Excalibur'' has a 30-minute featurette, ``The Making of Excalibur'' and a running commentary by director John Boorman. ``The Man Who Would Be King'' includes a ``making of'' featurette by John Huston. Producer Thom Mount gives his commentary on ``Tequila Sunrise,'' and ``The Searchers'' contains a featurette plus two Warner Bros. Presents television specials.
WHV DVD releases are available at leading electronic hardware and software retailers nationwide and carry a suggested retail price of $24.98. For more information on upcoming releases, visit the WHV DVD Web site at dvdwb.com .
B-roll of DVD manufacturing, store traffic and displays, consumer and retailers' interviews and DVD-ROM will be available via satellite:
First Feed Date: Thursday, Aug. 21
First Feed Time: 5 a.m. to 5:15 a.m. ET
Coordinates: C-Band: Galaxy (9)/Transponder 2/Audio 6.2 & 6.8
Second Feed Time: Thursday, Aug. 21
Second Feed Time: 1 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. ET
Coordinates: C-Band: Galaxy (9)/Transponder 1/Audio 6.2 & 6.8
Third Feed Date: Friday, Aug. 22
Third Feed Time: 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET
Coordinates: C-Band: Galaxy (C) 4/Transponder 14/Audio 6.2 & 6.8
DVD Titles (in alphabetical order):
WHV August WHV Titles:
``Murder at 1600'' -- Available Aug. 5 ``The Postman Always Rings Twice'' -- Available Aug. 26 ``Risky Business'' -- Available Aug. 26 ``Under Siege'' -- Available Aug. 26 ``The Witches of Eastwick'' -- Available Aug. 26
September WHV Titles: ``Ace Ventura: Pet Detective'' -- Available Sept. 16 ``Assassins'' -- Available Sept. 30 ``Demolition Man'' -- Available Sept. 30 ``Father's Day'' -- Available Sept. 9 ``Gremlins'' -- Available Sept. 30 ``Police Academy'' -- Available Sept. 30 ``Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'' -- Available Sept. 30 ``Rosewood'' -- Available Sept. 9 ``Selena'' -- Available Sept. 23 ``Tango and Cash'' -- Available Sept. 30 ``True Romance, Director's Cut'' -- Available Sept. 30 ``Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'' -- Available Sept. 30 ``Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' -- Available Sept. 30
October WHV Titles: ``Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls'' -- Available Oct. 28 ``Addicted to Love'' -- Available Oct. 28 ``All the President's Men'' -- Available Oct. 28 ``Batman & Robin'' -- Available Oct. 21 ``The Candidate'' -- Available Oct. 28 ``Dangerous Liasons'' -- Available Oct. 28 ``Excalibur'' -- Available Oct. 28 ``Green Berets'' -- Available Oct. 28 ``Jeremiah Johnson'' -- Available Oct. 28 ``Ladyhawke'' -- Available Oct. 28 ``The Man Who Would Be King'' -- Available Oct. 28 ``Outland'' -- Available Oct. 28 ``Private Benjamin'' -- Available Oct. 28 ``The Searchers'' -- Available Oct. 28 ``Stagecoach'' -- Available Oct. 28 ``Tequila Sunrise'' -- Available Oct. 28 ``Wild America'' -- Available Oct. 21
Current WHV Titles:
``Absolute Power'' ``Arthur'' ``Batman'' ``Batman Forever'' ``Beetlejuice'' ``Blade Runner: The Director's Cut'' ``Blazing Saddles'' ``The Bodyguard'' ``Bonnie and Clyde'' ``The Bridges of Madison County'' ``Caddyshack'' ``Chariots of Fire'' ``Cool Hand Luke'' ``The Color Purple'' ``Disclosure'' ``Driving Miss Daisy'' ``Eraser'' ``Executive Decision'' ``The Exorcist'' ``Forever Young'' ``The Fugitive'' ``The Glimmer Man'' ``GoodFellas'' ``Grumpy Old Men'' ``Interview with the Vampire'' ``JFK: Special Edition Director's Cut'' ``Lethal Weapon'' ``Lethal Weapon 2'' ``Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'' ``Mars Attacks!'' ``Maverick'' ``Michael'' ``My Fellow Americans'' ``Michael Collins'' ``National Lampoon's Vacation'' ``Outbreak'' ``The Pelican Brief'' ``Purple Rain'' ``The Right Stuff'' ``The Road Warrior'' ``Sleepers'' ``Space Jam'' ``Strangers on a Train'' ``A Streetcar Named Desire: The Original Director's Version'' ``10'' ``A Time to Kill'' ``Tin Cup'' ``Twister'' ``Unforgiven'' ``Vegas Vacation'' ``The Wild Bunch: Director's Cut'' ``Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music, Director's Cut''
MGM Home Entertainment:
September MGM Titles: ``Black Stallion'' ``Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' ``Dark Victory'' ``Jezebel'' ``National Velvet'' ``The Philadelphia Story'' ``Rocky II'' ``Rocky IV''
October MGM Titles: ``A Christmas Story'' ``Red River'' ``Thelma & Louise''
Current MGM Titles: ``Adam's Rib'' ``The Birdcage'' ``Blown Away'' ``Brigadoon'' ``Cyborg'' ``Elvis: That's the Way It Is'' ``Forbidden Planet'' ``Get Shorty'' ``GoldenEye'' ``Jailhouse Rock'' ``Midnight Cowboy'' ``Poltergeist'' ``Rainman'' ``Raging Bull'' ``Rob Roy'' ``Rocky'' ``Showboat'' (1951) ``Singin' in the Rain'' ``Species'' ``Viva Las Vegas'' ``The Wizard of Oz'' ``Woman of the Year'' ``Year of Living Dangerously''
New Line Home Video:
September New Line Titles: ``Adventures of Pinocchio'' ``Lawnmower Man''
October New Line Titles: Austin Powers Menace II Society
Current New Line Titles: ``Dumb and Dumber'' ``Island of Dr. Moreau'' ``Long Kiss Goodnight'' ``The Mask'' ``Mortal Kombat'' ``The Player'' ``Rumble in the Bronx'' ``Seven'' ``Shine''
HBO Home Video: September HBO Titles: ``The Best Years of Our Lives'' ``Tom Jones''
October HBO Titles: ``The Bishop's Wife'' ``Wuthering Heights''
November HBO Titles: ``Todd McFarlane's Spawn''
Current HBO Titles: ``Turbulence'' ``Zeus & Roxanne''
(Titles subject to change without notice)
(a) Bruce Schwartz, USA Today (b) Walter S. Mossberg, Wall Street Journal (c) Lawrence B. Johnson, The New York Times
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