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IRON MAN CASTS THE FIRST STONE
PACIFIC TURNS THE TIDE…
…AND INBETWEENERS GOES ON
PROFESSOR'S ETERNALLY GRATEFUL
SAW HACKS AWAY
BVA CELEBRATES ITS 30TH
ALSO IDENTIFIES THE HD HIBERNATION
DRAGON TRAINING AT THE ZOO…
…AND A SCOOBY SLEEPOVER TOO
EXPO REPORT
ANCHOR BAY'S HAVING A BLAST
SERBIAN SHOCKER DUE IN JANUARY
AFM REPORT
CLEAR VISION APPOINTS
'TACHES ABOUND AT MAJORS
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
RELEASE OF THE WEEK – RHOD GILBERT
AT THE MOVIES
TWEET OF THE WEEK
SITE OF THE WEEK
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
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 It was a good week for… The BVA, celebrating 30 years at its AGM…
It was a bad week for… Television companies and the likes, as TV on DVD proved resilient in the face of numerous threats from competing formats We've said it before, but many retailers believed that Iron Man 2, released last week, was the title that would kick off the autumn and winter rush and it appears to have done just that. No official word, but it's said to have shifted just under 500,000 units in its first seven days, with a healthy split of around a third towards Blu-ray. Note this week too the arrival of Disney's Beauty And The Beast, effectively a Blu-ray exclusive (albeit in both BD and DVD-style packaging and with BD and DVD versions), which looks like it should go beyond the 100,000 mark in its first week, with precious little discounting too… Also this week, over in the TV market, it's HBO's The Pacific that's, er, making waves. The most expensive TV production ever has had a suitably big start, by the end of day two (Tuesday), sales stood at 68,000 units, and it is, the company says, on target to be the year's biggest TV title, breaking the 100,000 week one sales barrier. HBO's marketing director Ian Fullerton said: "We’re delighted with the result at HBO. We always knew this would be a big release and it’s great to see it doing so well across every sector of the market The gifting potential on The Pacific is huge (its companion piece Band Of Brothers is a continual top seller every Christmas), so we can’t wait to see where we’ll end up at the end of the year. At its current rate, The Pacific has the potential to be one of the biggest new release TV DVD titles ever." The big question is, will it beat a programme that is at the opposite end of the scale in terms of budget, but is currently celebrating too after shifting more than 100,000 in its first week, again helping kickstart the Q4 season. 4DVD's Karla Berry said: "We're delighted with the week one sales of more than 100,000 units and confident that The Inbetweeners will be a strong seller this Christmas." After Inbetweeners came from nowhere last year with its second series, we reckon it's too close to call as to which one will end up tops at the end of December. Friendly rivalry aside, the unlikely pair of The Inbetweeners and The Pacific have helped the TV market. And at a time when online streaming and downloads – both legal via the likes of BBC's iPlayer and 4OD and the scourge of illegal streaming and piracy – it's good to see the sector performing so well. As HBO's Ian Fullerton said: "Looking back over the year, we’ve seen some great results in the TV sector. True Blood, Vampire Diaries, Glee, The Inbetweeners and this week’s Family Guy release are just a few of the TV shows that have really delivered over the past 11 months. The market conditions are tough but it’s very heartening to see a vibrant and healthy TV market."  Lionsgate was celebrating this week after a hugely impressive outing for Saw 3D, the latest instalment in the hugely successful horror franchise. It was all the threes, as the 3D film took £3.3 million from 383 screens, an opening weekend that was 30 per cent higher than any of the previous films. It was the biggest opening weekend for an 18 certificate horror film ever, beating a record held for a decade by Scary Movie. What's more, it was the sixth highest opening ever for any 18 certificate film. Retailers were able to cash in early on the film thanks to a joint horror promotion run by Elevation across Lionsgate and Optimum titles; like this summer's Expendables drafting campaign, it was backed with TV advertising and in-store point of sale. Lionsgate's Marie-Claire Benson said: "It’s great to see Saw 3D smashing even more records, and we will strive for that upturn in performance to be converted to home entertainment sales accordingly. This success will also benefit our current Halloween retail activity, thanks to the joint marketing efforts of the theatrical and home entertainment teams.” To BAFTA where the BVA marked its 30th anniversary at the organisation's AGM. Creative industries minister Ed Vaizey was filmed addressing the council after a three line whip forced him to return to parliament, while Disney general manager and BVA chairman Anthony Peet and media guru David Elstein both gave speeches. The former looked at not only the past 30 years, but also to the future, saying: "Today really is a day for celebration, of the achievements of the BVA and every single one of its members. We've seen our industry grow from something that was considered a luxury at its first launch to something most people wouldn’t dream of living without. We’ve continued to innovate, inspire and deliver strong financial rewards and I’m sure that in 10, 20, 30 years' time, there will be another chairman stood on this spot, saying the same thing to you again on another landmark year. We are far from becoming obsolete as some naysayers may like to predict, we are becoming more and more relevant. Congratulations to the BVA on 30 remarkable years, and congratulations to you all for helping to make it happen." Elstein, formerly boss at the likes of five, proved to be a worthy keynote speaker; he too said the industry needed to continue to innovate. He concluded: "There is more change in prospect, but provided it adds value for the consumer in his or her use of video entertainment, there is everything to gain for the video sector. Ease of access, quality of experience, competitive pricing and incremental changes in hardware and software sophistication are what the consumer needs. It is for the video entertainment industry to deliver them." Minister Ed Vaizey, meanwhile, congratulated the organisation and praised the industry, saying: "This is an impressive milestone and a reminder that the video entertainment industry has gone from strength to strength, keeping pace with rapid changes in technology and the increasing demands of audiences. I’m proud to champion the UK's creative industries, which make such an important cultural and economic contribution and will be a key player in the country’s growth in the digital era." In a filmed segment, he further outlined key areas of government work, in supporting the industry (he affirmed the government's decision to abolish the Film Council), supporting high speed broadband and to protecting rightsholders and fighting copyright theft, particularly on the Internet. But he challenged the industry to offer consumers more choice to alleviate online piracy. "ISPs and rights-holders should work together to provide consumers with accessible content at a reasonable price."  And we'll end our round up of the BVA's activity to congratulate director general Lavinia Carey and the organisation on receiving an Excellence Award from the International Video Federation, presented as a surprise to Carey during the AGM event and thanking the BVA for its efforts for 30 years. We're putting transcripts up from Peet and Elstein's speeches on our website, along with some of the images used (including some hilarious pictures of industry characters in their younger days) and a whole lot more up on our website. www.theraygun.co.uk
Or maybe not, here's more from the BVA, as the organisation unveiled a Yougov poll which indentified a new consumer phenomenon as we enter winter, "high def hibernation". Half of the respondents had invested in some form of home cinema kit, taking in HDTVs, Blu-ray players and the likes. Citing their reasons, in addition to the leap forward in picture and sound quality (27 per cent), one in 10 said they had invested in HD at home because it's cheaper than going out. The BVA's Lavinia Carey said: "Improvements in home entertainment technology over the last few years have increased the appeal of that cinema experience in our own living rooms. With the World Cup earlier this year also giving HDTV a big boost, we expect to see more people than ever staying at home to enjoy HD, 3D and Blu-ray as a way to beat the winter blues." To London Zoo, for a special screening of DreamWorks' How To Train Your Dragon, due on November 15 via Paramount. As well as being treated to the film itself (which looks gorgeous on Blu-ray), the assorted journalists and families present also got the chance to meet author Cressida Cowell, whose series the animated film is based. She told us that she's a big fan of the adaptation – so much so that she's seen it some 20 times. The event was just part of an ongoing campaign from Paramount for the release, which also includes a heavyweight TV campaign targeting housewives and kids via hit family shows including The X Factor and an event spot in Take That: Look Back, Don't Stare. Digital is also a key focus to engage kids, alongside activity packs distributed to more than 115,000 primary school children. More from the Zoo, as The Raygun spent Saturday night having a sleepover at the venue courtesy of Warner and agency Romley Davies for the launch of its latest feature length Scooby-Doo outing Camp Scare. The Raygun and our junior correspondent were there alongside assorted journalists and competition winners, got to have a go on the touring Mystery Mansion, a night-time trip around the zoo and a screening of the new release. An excellent event, it also helped the release garner some strong publicity, the competition featured in the Sun newspaper.  Fitness now, and Anchor Bay has revealed some of its plans for its forthcoming newest 10 Minute Solution release this week, the next title in the bestselling range, Blast Off Body Fat!, is due on December 27. The company is sitting on one of the hottest properties this sector has seen for some time, it's currently the number one selling fitness brand with sales of 500,000 units. And that's without TV support, something that Anchor Bay is planning for the next release, with slots on the likes of ITV during Coronation Street, Daybreak and Loose Women, and across Living, Channel 4, Five, ITV2 and E4. What's more, Anchor Bay has impressive PR plans, which include getting two UK celebrities, Coronation Street's Tina O'Brien and Loose Women's Carol McGiffin to act as ambassadors for the brand, extolling the benefits of the release via interviews in national press and women's magazines, and smartly speaking to two of the title's target markets. Blast Off Body Fat! is, of course, the next in a series that has included Blast Off Belly Fat!, released by Anchor Bay and not Acorn, as stated in last week's newsletter. Acorn imprint Acacia's Belly Blitz, which stars Suzanne Bowen, who presented Blast Off Belly Fat, is due on December 27. Revolver has confirmed its release plans for one of the year's most controversial movies, A Serbian Film. It has already received much attention, thanks to its shocking content, certification problems with the BBFC and the likes, but the company has stated that the film will receive a theatrical release on December 10, ahead of its DVD and Blu-ray bow on January 3 2011. The company is planning a deluxe collector's edition for the film, with creative packaging, a 12-page booklet, downloads of the film's soundtrack and other exclusive UK extras, which will be revealed shortly. The film itself follows a retired Serbian adult film star, who gets drawn into an increasingly vicious and sadistic world. We watched it this week, and there's no denying its powerful and brutal film. Revolver's Mike Hewitt said: "After a lot of controversy regarding certain festival screenings in the UK over the last few months, we are very pleased to finally be able to bring to the UK one of the most shocking and controversial films of recent years. There is no doubting this film covers some very dark subject matter, but we feel it is a very important independent film from a group of extremely talented Serbian filmmakers with a unique artistic vision. Brilliantly made with a stunning soundtrack, terrific performances and an almost David Fincher-like feel to the visuals, A Serbian Film is one film that will most certainly be talked about for years to come and is an absolute must-see for all fans of extreme and political cinema."  Among the deals at AFM this week, Metrodome picked up the UK rights to Kiwi World War 2 horror film The Devil's Rock, which boasts effects by Oscar-winning New Zealand effects company WETA Workshop; Kaleidoscope picked up the Ray Winstone starring action thriller Tracker, while Lionsgate has been busy, reportedly picking up the rights to Lake District set suspense thriller The Holding and the thriller Jack Falls, starring big DVD names such as Tamer Hassan and Jason Flemyng. Arguably the most intriguing deal of the lot was Icon's pact with The Weinstein Company which will see the two companies partnering on producing commercial films with budgets of between $5 and $20 million, with Icon taking the UK rights. The pair had noticed similarities in acquisitions over here and in TWC's US home and, as Icon's Stewart Till noted, fits in with Icon's new "aggressive acquisitions and production strategy. Icon's Hugo Grumbar added: "We both want to make movies that are going to sell internationally and domestically." More next week. On the recruitment front, Clear Vision this week announced that it has appointed Ben Stanley to the position of marketing manager, with a portfolio that includes WWE titles, as well as other Clear Vision brands such as UFC, MBA, Gaiam and Marvel. The former Demon Music Group staffer will report to international sales and marketing director Gil Garagnon, who said: "We are delighted to be bringing Ben into the Marketing team. His experience will be crucial in continuing to grow our business in an ever evolving UK retail landscape." Right, that's it in a busy news week, but before we slope off to spend the next few days watching the eagerly awaited zombie series Walking Dead (due on DVD from eOne next year) and the return of HBO's Eastbound & Down (again due next week) on UK telly screens in 2011, can we just warn you to see a spate of moustaches appearing around the industry in the coming month, as a number of executives grow upper lip facial hair to raise funds for The Prostate Cancer Charity. The Movember initiative will see teams from Fox and Disney, among others, growing taches throughout the month. Fox's team consists of Tom Papps, Rob Spink, Mark Jefferson and Ross Goldsmith under the tutelage of Yasmin Rahman, they are hoping to best last year's total of £2,000. To contribute to their efforts (well, Tom Papps' at any rate), click here. Meanwhile, over in Hammersmith, Disney's Anthony Peet, Martin Bradshaw and Dan Brooks are all growing taches, with Peet promising the "full trucker look…" Sponsor them here  QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"It did not take the failing management of MGM Studio long to blame declining DVD sales for their collapse into Chapter 11 bankruptcy – presumably, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on dud movies wasn’t the problem." David Elstein's line at the BVA AGM drew plenty of laughs. For a full transcript, see our website. RELEASE OF THE WEEK We've said it before, but 4DVD's new Rhod Gilbert release, The Cat That Looked Like Nicholas Lyndhurst, really is one of the best titles of any Q4 product. The company is now pulling together the marketing for the November 15 release, and with Rhod's first release proving to be one of the bestsellers of 2009 (200,000 units), it's an eagerly anticipated title. The campaign will include TV advertising on ITV, Channel 4 and Dave, with press and online ads and outdoor in Cardiff. Gilbert, who has an even higher profile thanks to his own TV show Ask Rhod Gilbert, will also appear on The Graham Norton Show and Loose Women. 4DVD's Pippa Simmons said: "We are really excited about Rhod's second live DVD. His debut was a huge success and this one certainly won't disappoint his fans." AT THE MOVIES Saw 3D dominated, but Entertainment's Burke And Hare took just under £1 million on its bow, the other new entry being The Kids Are All Right, which earned just over £400,000. Interesting to note that Universal's Despicable Me is now up to more than £15 million. One of our favourite stories we've picked up this week revolves a new planned take on Shakespeare… sci-fi. It's been done before – Forbidden Planet, anyone? – but plans are now afoot to have a different vision of the Bard's work, in Henry5, which will feature elements of Henry V and Henry IV. Those involved include Ray Winstone, Michael Caine, Gerard Depardieu and, er Vinnie Jones. His involvement is arguably stranger than that whole sci-fi bit… Spider-Man news of the week, as it is revealed that Martin Sheen is likely to play Uncle Ben, Peter Parker's kindly relative, in the forthcoming reboot (ugh, we still hate that word). It's a sign of the times that our first thought was: "Hang on, he's a bit too young and British." Then we checked and saw it was Martin Sheen, not his British namesake Michael. The AFM project that got the geekier end of film websites (er, actually, that's all of them) all hot under the collar was Under The Skin, from Sexy Beast helmer Jonathan Glazer and starring Scarlett Johansson as an impossibly beautiful alien, sent down to earth for some reason… SITE OF THE WEEK We've been keeping up with the AV Club for a while, it's one of the better US entertainment sites and has a sharp sense of humour. We particularly like its take on DVD (and Blu-ray) commentaries. We've long been fans of its Commentary Tracks Of The Damned, and this week, check its feature on 25 (and a half) gimmicky commentaries. An entertaining read… TWEET OF THE WEEK We loved Paramount's live Twitter interview with the stars of Jackass 3D, over in the UK for the knockabout film's premiere. Follow The Raygun, complete with comments on every event we go to and every film we see, athttp://twitter.com/theraygun TRAILERS OF THE WEEK This one's been getting the fanboys a little hot under the collar… http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/suckerpunch/ An indie kid's dream film http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/restless/ Are they still making these? As long as post-modern irony is around they will… http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/weinstein/scream4/ Kevin Spacey looks luke he's having a whale of a time: http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/casinojack/ To subscribe to The Raygun newsletter, please email info@theraygun.co.uk
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