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MORE TRIBUTES TO IAN MILES
SOLO FLYING ON EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL…
…AND HITS ON PHYSICAL TOO
MIDWEEK CHART UPDATE
GOTTI GOT GAME
HALLOWEEN MONTH KICKS OFF
CLOCK STRIKES FOR EONE
SCALA BOOK LAUNCH
FANS GO GAGA FOR STAR
BODYGUARD LOOKS AFTER BUSINESS…
…AND COULD LIFT TV SALES
ELVIS ENTERS THE BUILDING
MYERS RETURNS. AGAIN
WATERWORLD FLOATS ONTO BLU-RAY
BLACKPOOL RELEASE TOWERS ABOVE
FACT STRIKES AGAIN
TWEET OF THE WEEK
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
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Tributes have come flooding in to Abbey founder and industry stalwart Ian Miles, who, as reported here last week, tragically died following an illness. Among those comes a moving note from Abbey itself, the company formed by him and Anne Miles, his wife and business partner for many years. The statement said: "Ian has been one of the driving forces in the world of music and children's entertainment for nearly 50 years. After successfully running a company selling excess stock for music labels such as EMI, Decca, Pie, CBS and RCA, Ian bought two record factories and set up his own company called Multiple Sounds Distribution. This company was catapulted to success following an agreement between Ian and Richard Branson to manufacture and distribute Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells. Ian subsequently started one of Britain’s most successful music labels, Warwick Records, in the early 70’s selling millions of albums from artists such as Howard Keel, Tammy Wynette and Bert Weedon. They were pioneers of the music industry and established music labels for both Woolworths and Boots. Warwick Records was also innovative in being the first company to release an exercise album with ITV’s fitness guru Lizzie Webb. In 1989 Ian and Anne changed directions and brought all their experience and expertise to children's home entertainment by founding Abbey Home Entertainment (AHE). Abbey became producers of top quality children’s programmes with Tempo Video and later both production and distribution with Abbey Home Media. Abbey were the first company to take children’s classic books from authors such as Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton and Michael Bond and produce them on video. Abbey were also the first to sell book and cassette gift packs for children. Ian, Anne and Abbey had huge success with the Ninja Turtles, My Little Pony, Transformers, Paddington Bear, Peter Rabbit, Horrid Henry, Sooty, In The Night Garden, Mr Men, Fireman Sam, Bob The Builder and many, many more. In addition to the commercial business Ian and Abbey have also supported many charitable initiatives including, most recently, releasing a compilation DVD that raised more than £40,000 for BBC’s Children In Need. Ian leaves behind his beloved wife Anne, daughter Francesca, son in law Patrick and grandchildren Sam and Livvie along with his work family at Abbey who will all miss him dearly. A memorial for Ian in London is being planned for October. Rest In Peace Ian and God Bless You.” We’ll have more tributes from friends and colleagues and the full statement from Abbey up on our website shortly, please feel free to contribute by emailing The Raygun at the usual address…
The industry has been flying Solo for the past few weeks, as the latest instalment in the Star Wars saga, the prequel looking at the early life of the character who would end up being played by Harrison Ford was released first as a digital exclusive, then on assorted physical SKUs. The former, aided by Disney’s clout, has got off to a strong start, as outlined by Adrian Zak from Virgin Media, who said: “Solo: A Star Wars Story got off to a solid start on the Virgin Media Store, benefitting from strong on platform support, an all-important early EST window and some stellar bonus features on the digital version.”
Its physical start was, as one retailer noted this week, “pretty much where we expected it to be”, and was, after its first two days, outselling the rest of the top 40 combined. Its chart placing will see it matching every other Star Wars release of the 21st century, according to the Official Charts Company’s midweek bulletin. The total for the first two days, 139,000, is below that of previous outings, but, as noted elsewhere, Solo has not had the theatrical impact of its predecessors. It heads up a raft of new entries into the top 10 and beyond. The latest outing for The Walking Dead, its eighth, covered here last week, it’s in at number four, ahead of the 11th, and penultimate, series of The Big Bang Theory at seven, Gotti at eight and, on the back of a new Blu-ray SKU, Hocus Pocus at number nine. Outside the 10, DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow is at number 11, two Marvel-related titles re-entered thanks to new 4K versions, with Avengers Assemble and Age Of Ultron at numbers 18 and 20 respectively. Other newbies included Unforgotten Series 3 at 19, The Complete Seventh Series of Homeland at 24, The Negotiator at number 27, The Breadwinner at 27, the fifth outing for Hawaii Five O at number 29, Mary Poppins getting a new lease of life at 30 and (phew!) Thomas & Friends: Here Comes The Steam at number 31.
Back to number eight, and Gotti was released as an EST title on the same day as one of the crime clan was released from jail with the John Travolta-starring title looking at Teflon Don and his entourage. It came hot on the heels of its much talked about US release and Lionsgate held propel it into the upper echelons of the charts. Commenting on the release, the company’s Kirsten Sweeney said: “Following on from last week when Gotti smashed the EST chart week 1 record for a DTV by selling upwards of 4k copies, the midweek physical numbers are going from strength to strength with little drop off. The PR campaign repositioning the film as the definitive story of an iconic mobster, and accessed devoted true crime enthusiasts through a tailored competition and features with Real Crime magazine. A two-page interview with star John Travolta ran in the Metro last week, and co-star Kelly Preston spoke to the Telegraph and Times. Print features were drafted to syndicate and position the Gotti story and film in the true-crime world with Readers Digest, Loaded and many more. Many competitions were placed with Bauer having over 30k entries across their sites and some big social media pick up with the leading movie podcasts. The release is benefitting from a channel sponsorship on Blaze, as well as targeted Facebook and digital showcasing the gritty Mafia elements of the biopic.”
If it’s nearly October, then it's nearly time for Halloween and the festivities around the event are kicking off in earnest. As well as a slew of releases lined up, taking in everything from children’s fare through to far more grown-up outings, retailers are also lining up promotions and activities in stores too. Chief among these, and looking rather good in store, is Fopp’s Halloween promotion. It takes in not just selected horror titles, but also has special sections taking in specialist imprints such as Arrow Video and Shameless. Commenting on the promotion, the retailer’s Zak Lewis Kilburn said: “Halloween is a key time of year for Fopp, horror is one of our key areas of growth all year round and this year we've gone all out. Splitting into Cult (incorporating Arrow Video), Classic and Modern, with a focus on simple pricing: £5 DVD and £6 Blu-ray. We've also secured a Shameless label promo, including blu-ray for the first time, which has already delivered over 1,500 units sales in a week and a half! Spooktacular!”
Over on the theatrical side of the business, it’s been a relatively quiet time for eOne recently, but the distributor is back with a bang and sitting at the number one slot in the UK box office chart with its release of The House With A Clock In Its Walls. It’s an impressive feat in these franchise- and superhero-heavy family film times and bodes well for the home entertainment release. eOne’s Jeff Suter said: “We're delighted with the success of The House With A Clock In Its Walls over the last few weeks. The film was created by Amblin - the masters of classic family entertainment. They have a history that includes the likes of E.T., The Goonies and The BFG - and they have created a a magical adventure that the whole family can enjoy. The film has a fantastic cast, led by Jack Black and Cate Banchett, they have great chemistry on screen and director Eli Roth has also brought his unique blend of storytelling to this film. We're already putting plans in place for its home entertainment release and are expecting great things for it in Q1.”
To the Scala in Kings Cross, for the launch of the book Scala Cinema 1978-1993. The weighty tome, penned by former head of the BFI’s video arm and chief programmer at the seminal screen in north London, Jane Giles, is dedicated to the groundbreaking repertory site that was owned by Palace, looking g at the films that screened there and the people that frequented it. Its reign as London’s finest cinema dovetailed neatly with the rise and rise of the video industry; many of the films that aired there have become the mainstay of boutique labels and imprints in recent years. That was highlighted by the guest list there – we saw, among others, everyone from former Palace staffers to current imprints such as Arrow Video and Powerhouse’s Indicator series, Nucleus Films, as well as the BFI’s video arm, and indies such as New Wave Films. Among the treats on offer were the trailer experts from Nucleus’ clips and trailer reels, live bands and loads more. Former Palace chief and Scala co-owner Stephen Woolley, in a piece in the Guardian this week, said: "It’s hard to picture the cultural landscape of the London cinema scene in the 60s and 70s for a budding teenage cinephile. At the flick of a switch, almost all of the films we showed are now available to download, but when the Scala began as a repertory cinema in earnest in 1979, such accessibility to this visual treasure trove was unimaginable. The demise of the Scala cinema was inevitable in the face of today’s access to so many movies, perfectly preserved and in so many different formats, and its rebirth impossible and arguably unnecessary – other than in the pop-up Scalarama version that now seems to be an annual event. More importantly, those guilty pleasures have become mainstream entertainment. Thirty-five years ago, Three Billboards, Call Me By Your Name and The Shape of Water would have been regarded as cult films – Scala classics. The truth is though, for most people in Britain, movies were just the flicks.”
To London’s Leicester Square for the hugely high profile premiere of A Star Is Born, the latest take on a timeless tale, given a very contemporary feel by star-director-producer and all-round multi-hyphenate Bradley Cooper alongside a revelatory performance from Lady Gaga. The premiere added further to the acres of publicity the film has garnered, with it developing even further momentum ahead of its theatrical bow next week on the back of the front page coverage achieved by its stars at the event and accompanying press tour. The film itself is picking up rave reviews too, and with the soundtrack due out at the same time as its cinema release, this one could well have the legs to keep going right through until its arrival as a home entertainment release. And don’t just take our word for it, here’s a line from The Guardian’s five-star review: "Cooper directs and co-stars in this outrageously watchable and colossally enjoyable new version, supercharged with dilithium crystals of pure melodrama. He appears opposite a sensationally good Lady Gaga, whose ability to be part ordinary person, part extraterrestrial celebrity empress functions at the highest level at all times.” And, furthermore, as the Hollywood Reporter said: "This is a durable tale of romance, heady fame and crushing tragedy, retold for a new generation with heart and grit.A punchy trailer and a number of potential breakout original music elements, with vocals recorded live during filming, should steer this Warner October release to strong returns, along with the curiosity of Gaga's extensive fan base to see the pop superstar stretching her acting limbs."
The homegrown television phenomenon of 2018 arrives on physical formats on Monday October 1 as Bodyguard, the new outing from Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio is released by ITV via Spirit (it’s one of those industry anomalies that sees it airing on the BBC, but released through ITV Studios Global Entertainment). It’s rare that a series captures the public imagination in this way, with the finale, which aired on Sunday night, earning blanket front page coverage across the national press on Monday morning. Its viewing figures made it the biggest BBC drama for a decade and the biggest across all channels since 2011. At its peak, the finale drew 11 million viewers, with its 10.4 million average equating to a near 50 per cent share. The first episode is the single biggest ever episode on BBC iPlayer too. All of which has not only shown a potential for linear television, but it could also become a standard bearer for a physical release too. As Charlotte Moore, director BBC Content noted: "The finale of Bodyguard gripped the nation and has got everyone talking with a staggering peak audience of 11m on BBC One in a display of masterful storytelling from Jed Mercurio; while episode one is already the biggest ever episode on iPlayer and still growing.” Simon Heath, ceo and creative director of World Productions noted: “At a time when we’re told that linear TV is dying, it’s been thrilling to see the number of viewers flocking to watch Bodyguard live. We’re so grateful for all their support.”
Meanwhile, Bodyguard’s success isn’t just good for ITV’s release – many pundits have this week been saying it shows that episodic television, where you have to wait a week to watch the next instalment, is not dead, as binge-watching svod fans would have you believe, and what’s more it shows that the TV model as we know it is far from dead. The potential for home entertainment is good too, while Bodyguard has already had a positive effect on Line Of Duty sales. As Acorn md Stuart Shaw said: ““I am delighted for the Bodyguard’s success, not only for the positive message it sends about the state of the UK TV business, but also for the good people at ITV Studios Home Entertainment who I hope have a stonking week when the DVD comes out on Monday. The success of the Bodyguard has also had a halo effect on our own Line of Duty given that the extremely talented Jed Mercurio wrote them both. We have seen a solid uptick in sales over the last few weeks for Line of Duty SKUs and the fact that they have started shooting series five along with the noise coming from the set will hopefully maintain this. Only today we heard that Stephen Graham will be in S5 – it just gets better and better.”
Also out on Monday is a film that we here at The Raygun rate as certainly the best documentary of 2018, and possibly the year’s finest overall too. Released in selected UK cinemas back in August and now making its way onto DVD from October 1 through Dogwoof/Universal The King is directed by two-time Sundance Grand Jury winner Eugene Jarecki. An Elvis doc with a difference, the film follows Jarecki as he takes the King’s 1963 Rolls-Royce on a musical spin across America - from Memphis to New York, Las Vegas, and beyond. Commenting on the release, Dogwoof's head of home ent Daniel Green said: "Having worked with Eugene on The House I Live In back in 2012, we're delighted to continue our relationship with one of America's greatest working documentarians. Eugene has amassed a superb roll-call of talent for the film - including Alec Baldwin, Rosanne Cash, Chuck D, Emmylou Harris, Ethan Hawke, Van Jones and Mike Myers - and The King goes far beyond a standard hagiography, exploring Elvis' legacy from the height of his fame right through to the present day. Our DVD release is supported by key music press print ads as well as a highly-targeted online campaign."
We've mentioned it before, but Monday October 1 also sees more Halloween action in the form of arguably the finest seasonal outing of its kind, not least in its name, as a new 4K Blu-ray SKU of Halloween, John Carpenter’s seminal slasher flick, arrives courtesy of Lionsgate. It’s part of a fevered bout of Carpenter-related activity, again as outlined here recently, and arrives ahead of the newly rebooted addition to the franchise. Commenting on the release, Lionsgate’s Kirsten Sweeney said: “Horror fans will get a chance to revisit Haddonfield this October as John Carpenter’s classic horror film is released for the first time on 4K UHD. The release is being supported with a strong PR campaign focused on the horror and collectors markets, as well as targeted media campaign, which utilizes the iconic imagery of the film to ensure it’s at the forefront of consumers’ minds going into the Autumn. Our 4K release will feature five lobby-style artcards, which will only be available in the UK market.”
Arrow Video took to social media this week to unveil a small but perfectly formed brace of titles due in December this year. And in a sign of the label's growing reputation among studios licensing product to the specialist genre imprint, it will be releasing Waterworld, now more than 20 years old and the most expensive film of its day, on Blu-ray for the first time. The Kevin Costner epic, whose cult status has grown since the mauling it received on release, will be available with all the kind of features one would expect from a title released under the Arrow Video banner. A limited edition two-disc version includes three different versions of the epic tale. It is being joined by Elvira: Mistress Of The Dark, a cult camp classic, as outlined by the label’s Mike Hewitt. He said: “We’re incredibly pleased to reveal our final Arrow Video releases for 2018 with two strongly-anticipated cult films. Initially teased as part of an April Fool’s Day Social Media post, we can now reveal that December will see the release of Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, and a beautiful two-disc release of 90s cult favourite Waterworld, featuring three separate cuts of the film. Our release of Elvira (one of our most requested titles) is from a brand new 4k scan of the original interpositive and includes newly revised extras, whilst Waterworld comes in a deluxe package, with stunning new artwork from Paul Shipper, a restoration of the original film from a 4k scan, the much sought-after US TV cut with an extra 40 minutes, and the extended European “Ulysses” cut. Plus, there are, of course, enough bonus features to drown in. These two great releases are the perfect Christmas presents for all your cult-fan friends and family.”
With Strictly Come Dancing seemingly endless creating headlines, BBC this week took the opportunity to unveil a key gifting title for Q4 under the franchise’s umbrella. Recent Strictly spin-offs have proved lucrative during the run-up to Christmas, the latest, Bruno’s Bellissimo Blackpool, featuring judge Bruno Tonioli, is now up for pre-order. The exclusive-to-home-entertainment release feature Bruno looking at the greatest moments that took place during the series’ legendary Blackpool shows. Commenting on the release, he said: “This new DVD is a personal tour of my all-time favourite routines and the most magical Strictly moments ever created within the ornate walls of Blackpool Tower Ballroom. From absolutely stunning performances to some of the silliest dances we’ve ever seen, you’ll be very entertained!”
FACT continues to keep up the good fight against illegal streamers, particularly businesses who are getting around copyright regulations. Latest is a licensed premises operator in Tyne and Wear. Mark Clenell of The Wheatsheaf, in Houghton le Spring, was fined and ordered to pay costs totalling more than £6,000 for illegally showing Sky Sports football matches. Stephen Gerrard, prosecuting manager, FACT said “These cases should send a clear warning to pub owners and licensees who show Sky broadcasts without a commercial subscription. If convicted, fines for this offence are unlimited and you may have to pay substantial legal costs, as well as putting yourself at risk of having your licence suspended or revoked. George Lawson, head of commercial piracy at Sky, said: “It’s important to us that businesses are aware of the consequences of showing Sky Sports illegally – it is a serious issue that is damaging to the pub industry, and those licensees who choose to televise content in this way should be aware that they are at high risk of being caught and face substantial penalties. We actively visit thousands of pubs every season to monitor the games they are showing and continue to support FACT’s work to protect hardworking Sky customers who are unfairly losing business due to this illegal activity”.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“They don’t give me credit for what I’ve done. Honestly when I die I’m going to get buried somewhere else. I’m going on 74 and I’m still working after all these years. It always sounds like I’m blowing my own trumpet but I’m sitting here with 275,000 followers on Twitter. I have made 27 DVDs and I’ve been coming to Middlesbrough for 40 years.My last DVD outsold U2. If I hadn’t have four wives and seven kids I would be very very wealthy!”
Roy Chubby Brown after hearing he wasn't allowed to perform at a refurbished council-run venue in his hometown of Middlesbrough. This year is the first without a Chubby DVD since his cancer scare a decade ago.
AT THE MOVIES
Mel Gibson is keeping himself busy, for not only is he returning to the Second World War, scene of his most recent directorial outing in the shape of Hacksaw Ridge (this time he’s heading to sea in the Navy-based Destroyer, due to start filming next year), but his project beyond that is being lined up too. And it’s big remake news – for he’s set to take on a new version of the Sam Peckinpah Western classic The Wild Bunch. Gibson could be a good fit for this brutal tale, given his proclivity to highlight just how thoroughly unpleasant – and violent – people can be. He’s collaborating with Bryan Bagby on the script. The Wild Bunch celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2019, its theme – the decline of the Wild West as seen through an ageing group of gunfighters, seems apt for the director, who’s no spring chicken himself…
Another week, another cast member added to Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which has an ever-expanding roster of talent. This latest addition, however, is tinged with sadness. For veteran star Bruce Dern is joining the ensemble tale of the fag-end of the 1960s, replacing the sadly departed Burt Reynolds…
Aah, Hollywood, we love your never-ending quest to trawl through your back catalogue and find things to remake and rejig. Alongside The Wild Bunch comes news of a new musical version of Almost Famous, the rock flick about rock chicks, following a young wannabe Rolling Stone reporter on tour with a fictional band. Cameron Crowe himself is working on the song-based adaptation of his own film, loosely based around his own experiences. And in more music-based themes, Zoe Kravitz, daughter of rocker Lenny, has joined the cast of the forthcoming TV adaptation of High Fidelity…
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Follow us on www.twitter.com/theraygun
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
Netflix plays its Cards right…
Back with a bang…
Been a while since an Orson Welles doc…
Clear to see it’s due on October 19…
Phoenix nights ahead…
Holmes run…
More from the LFF…
THE OBLIGATORY GDPR BIT
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