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PHIL CRACE RIP
INDUSTRY PAYS TRIBUTE TO PIONEER
“THE SHOCK HAS BEEN FELT EVERYWHERE”
“A FUN GUY WHO WILL BE SADLY MISSED”
ONE OF THE LAST OF A BYGONE ERA…
…WHO MOVED FROM VHS TO DVD
BASE AWARDS OPEN ON MAY 3…
…NEW HIDDEN GEM GONG ANNOUNCED
WHAT TIME IS SCREENING?
A RIGHTEOUS REVEAL
TRIOS AND DUOS FROM EUREKA
INDICATOR WITH TITLES THE WORLD FORGOT
MORE VINTAGE FARE FROM STUDIOCANAL…
…WITH BRITCOM FAVOURITES IN CLASSIC TITLES
ACORN’S BRILLIANT FRIEND
SHUDDER GOES BEHIND THE DOOR
MODERN TALKING
AT THE MOVIES
TWEET OF THE WEEK
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
And once more, we’re sad to kick off The Raygun newsletter with some tragic news, this time it’s the death of Phil Crace, an industry stalwart and a true pioneer with a lengthy career stretching back to the VHS era. Crace, in partnership with Ron Gale at numerous companies, was one of the kind of entrepreneurs who laid the foundations of the business as it is today, working the film markets, spotting commercial potential in titles and developing a rapport with both the big rental behemoths and independent dealers alike, using nimble marketing and smart ideas to not only get their titles in to stores but also making them rent. He helped develop the erotic thriller market that has proved so lucrative over the years – and is making another comeback this decade and is much admired by even latter-day film enthusiasts – accentuating the soft-focus cover imagery and selling the saucy elements. What’s more, he was a genuinely lovely person too, witty, genuine and always with a story to tell. He was also part of the video industry West Ham mafia, a long time Hammers fan and always ready to take the mickey out of his own team’s plight but, more often than not, other teams’ miserable results. He is one of the kind of people who made the industry a success. Tributes have been paid from around the industry and we’re running some here.
Phil Crace’s long-time business partner Ron Gale said: “Wow, Phil Crace. My friend, business partner, golf partner, brother and truly an all round great person. I first met Phil in April 1982 ( 40 years ) during one of the first MIP TV shows in Cannes. He was working for TCX in those days. I was recruiting a sales force for VideoForm and instinctively I knew that Phil would be a great asset to that team. It was about one year in that Phil departed VideoForm to start his own video company. We then started our own video distribution company in 1985. We were a decent force within the industry and released some pretty decent movies ( some not so ) but we continued together throughout the 80s 90s and into the early 2000’s with some great success. The sale of Cineplex to name just one. Throughout my 20 years as Phil’s business partner I genuinely could not have wished for a better person to share the successes – and sometimes failures – with. Throughout my 40 years with Phil we had some amazing events that will stay with me always. Phil, was extremely kind, caring, sensitive but above all he was as genuine as they come. The world that we created among his close friends and family is a much sadder place without my dear, dear friend Phil.”
Another friend and sometime associate of Phil Crace’s, John Morrissey, formerly at Columbia TriStar (later Sony Pictures) and now at Powerhouse, said: “This week has seen a massive loss to the Home Entertainment industry. Phil Crace was one of its larger than life characters, and was loved worldwide. Since the announcement on Tuesday of this week, messages have already been received from as far away as Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, and of course many parts of the US, where Phil had spent a great deal of time. Such was the amazing reach he had, he touched so many hearts all around the World. The shock has been felt everywhere. I've known Phil for over 30 years, he was a complete joy to be around, we would spend many an hour talking film and music, both subjects in which he had incredible knowledge. He was a true gentleman, amazing work ethic, a very caring individual who would do anything for you. He will leave a massive void in my life, one of life's true gentleman, i will miss him deeply, may he rest in peace.”
Former S Gold and Sons staffer and latterly md at Lasgo, Garry Elwood also paid tribute. He said: “I first met Phil went I joined Golds and we immediately hit it off. We had the same sense of humour, the same goals (sell tons of videos) and a love of football and golf - although Phil was a staunch West Ham Iron and I was a south London Addick and we kept that fun camaraderie going forever. I recall a great day when we sponsored the ball at a Charlton v West Ham match and had a bunch of the video gang at The Valley – Phil, Warren Goldberg, Ian Hall, Alan Jones to name but a few. It included a tour and whilst listening to former keeper Bob Bolder chat to us pre-match pitch side, former Liverpool and then Charlton player Danny Murphy walked by arriving to play. Bob introduced him and Phil's reply was to check our cars for the alloy wheels before we left! He was such a fun guy who will be sadly missed. RIP Phil.”
Aodan Coburn, a long-time associate from his time at Columbia TriStar and Sony Pictures, said: "I've known Phil both professionally and personally for nearly 30 years, during that time I've always been incredibly impressed by his industry knowledge, commercial acumen and willingness to work hard. More importantly though was his character. He was a charming man, understated, considerate of others, a deep thinker, a self-educated intellectual, someone you genuinely enjoyed spending time with ,and listening to the wisdom in his words. He bore his illness with bravery, resolution and of course his usual charm. I am grateful to have had lunch with him a few months ago, but even more grateful to have had him as a friend across the years.He is a great loss to us all.”
Former Video Business and VHE editorial director John Hayward another close friend, said: “My wife Sarah and I were so sad to hear of Phil's passing - we always looked forward to seeing him at a screening or an industry bash. He was great, and very knowledgable, company at the rights markets where he and Ron Gale deployed their acquisition skills, and he was a constant believer and supporter of the trade press to help in the battle for shelf space in the video libraries of the 80s and 90s against the might of the major studios. And, as anyone who knew him will contend, he was a brilliant raconteur with funds of hilarious stories about rivals and Hollywood moguls alike. I could fill pages with Phil's long list of contributions to the independent distribution sector: he began on the top shelf with TCX in the early 80s, but soon branched out as an independent distributor into micro-budget sci-fi and horror with Ron, and releasing endless re-titled 'erotic thrillers' boasting his carefully crafted Third Millennium sleeves in the tradition of Basic Instinct. He wasn't afraid to go back to producers to suggest re-edits in post production of his acquisitions either. Later the duo found time to produce HP Lovecraft theatrical screamie The Unnamable 2, and back on his own Phil prospered with further top shelf and thriller contenders on DVD. The vast majority of the films were straight to video, but were invaluable cash generators in the shops. Throughout it all he stayed faithful to West Ham too. I believe his finest hour came on September 1 1985 when Phil teamed up with Mr Gale to pull off one of the best-planned coups in video history with the surprise arrival The 18 Collection. That was the day that the much-feared Video Recordings Act demanded that all non-certificated tapes had to vanish from shops, thereby depriving dealers of significant revenue from their soft porn but Phil and Ron had been thinking ahead. They quietly pushed 30 titles through the not inexpensive BBFC process in the run-up to the deadline, edited them, encased them in tasteful but sexy covers and presented them to the trade in a big, bright cardboard box. At a stroke it replaced the missing top shelf and earned big bucks for themselves and retailers alike. It was clever, commercial and loads of fun - a lot like Phil really...We'll miss him.”
News from BASE with this year’s awards ceremony now becoming a reality as the organisation is set to open entries on Tuesday May 3. Prospective gong winners who want to be in with a chance of winning need to have expressed an intention to enter by May 27, and then subsequently get their entries in by June 10 ahead of judging and the October event, There’s a comprehensive information pack, containing everything you need to know about the awards and a whole lot more, available at base-awards.org. And remember, you need to be in it to win it…
BASE has also added a further award to the event, with the new gong going under the title of Hidden Gem. This award will, the organisation said, “champion titles that captured the imagination of audiences, irrespective of their sales” and be voted for by people in and around the industry, effectively making it a people’s Choice award. Titles released in the year from the start of April in 2021 to the end of April 2022 will be eligible. Votes can be cast on the website. Comment came from Phoebe Vaneveld-Taylor, project and events manager, BASE, who said: “The BASE Awards are a long-running highlight for our industry, so in this our 42nd year, I’m delighted to advise that entries are officially open. The 2022 Awards promise to be another year of fierce competition, celebrating a year where home entertainment went through a renaissance like no other. The goal for 2022 was to recognize the exceptional and diverse achievements from all throughout our industry, regardless of route to screen. We therefore look forward to receiving your brilliant entries, and cannot wait to celebrate with you all, back at the incredible Camden Roundhouse on October 6.”
To the arches below Waterloo Station in the heart of London, at a venue more normally associated with acid house events (it played host to a cracking party over Easter) for an exclusive screening of Who Killed The KLF, the latest feature film outing from production powerhouse Fulwell 73. The documentary charts the rise and disappearance of pop pranksters The KLF, who went from soundtracking raves at the height of acid housetop to number one in charts around the world, before going out in a blaze of glory – literally -– after burning million pounds. As befits the band (and the production!) the release strategy is far from traditional with the film already out now on digital formats, managed by Trinity, followed up by a theatrical release across Picturehouse sites from May 13, ahead of a TV broadcast in June. As Fulwell Exec Richard Thompson said: “Other than giving the film away for free there was no better way to ‘honour’ Bill and Jimmy than by challenging the usual release windows!” Director Chris Atkins introduced the film, recounting its long journey to the screen and how, after being jailed for tax fraud, edited part of it in prison (“It was great, I didn’t have executive producers to interfere,” he laughed), to a packed room. And the film itself is a cracking look at this most enigmatic of bands, who, as one of the many notable contributors noted, were old men trying to get out of the music business, rather than young ones trying to get into it, as is normally the case.
There’s been a raft of forthcoming title announcements, with Arrow unveiling its titles for the summer month of July and Kevin Lambert from the company has walked us through its forthcoming releases. He said: “We're thrilled to announce a bounty of stunning releases this month, starting with The Righteous, a tale of a retired priest who faces a test of faith when a young man mysteriously appears in need of assistance. Next we have Hell High an oft-overlooked slasher from 1989, the combination of raw horror elements, supernatural horror and viciously sadistic characters make this a standout title in the genre, presented in two variants - trade wide O-card and alternate Arrow Store exclusive O-card - this is one the horror hounds won't want to miss! The second new release title of the month is The Sacred Spirit, an uncanny, unsettling and unexpected combination of Ken Loach, Aki Kaurismaki, and The X-Files, The Sacred Spirit is a provocative, humane, and unsparing vision that marks the arrival of a unique new voice in genre cinema and comes packed with special features including a limited edition second disc containing Director Chema Garcia Ibarra's short films. On the same date we have Dario Argento's Tenebrae, which follows a serial killer who is murdering everyone associated with an American author's latest novel. Presented on both Blu-ray and 4K UHD, the release comes in two luxuriously packaged versions – one featuring newly commissioned artwork and the other, exclusive to the Arrow store, featuring the original poster artwork. Sticking with the giallo theme, our final release for the month is the last (for now) in our Giallo Essentials series. Giallo Essentials: Black Edition features three UK Blu-ray premieres - The Killer Reserved Nine Seats; The Weapon, The Hour, The Motive; and Smile Before Death. These three ramp up the sleaze with everything from familicide to wealthy degenerates being picked off one by one, all topped off by some horny priests and self-flagellating nuns.”
And around the same time Eureka was also announcing its titles for July. As ever, the company’s national accounts manager Marcus Garwood gave us the lowdown. He said: "It’s all trios and duos here at Eureka Entertainment this July (and i'm not talking about chocolate bars). First up it’s a trio of horror tales from the vaults of Universal Pictures, all starring the iconic Boris Karloff. Pulse-pounding crime thriller Night Key, lavishly produced The Climax and The Black Castle are all available together on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK, under the name Universal Terror. The set is encased in a Limited Edition O-card slipcase featuring stunning artwork & also includes A limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Karloff expert Stephen Jacobs (author of Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster) There are only going to be 2,000 units available of this limited edition set, so prompt pre ordering is a must. Next we present a duo of films from critically acclaimed Hong Kong Director Johnnie To, namely Running Out Of Time (Parts 1 and 2). Running Out Of Time is a visually dazzling and nail-bitingly intense action thriller that became one of Hong Kong's biggest box office hits. Told by his doctor that he has only two weeks to live, Cheung Wah (played by Andy Lau, who won the Best Actor award at the 2000 Hong Kong Film Awards for his role) decides to take on the entire police force. After crossing paths with Inspector Ho Sheung Sang (Lan Ching-wan)—a cool, analytical police negotiator—Wah challenges the inspector to figure out his plan and catch him in the next 72 hours. Also included is director To's sequel, Running Out of Time 2. Lan Ching-wan reprises his role as Inspector Ho, this time chasing an elusive thief with a taste for the theatrical. Scanned and restored in 2K and available for the first time on Blu-ray this two-disc limited edition set is wrapped in a slipcase featuring new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju). Disc extras include optional English subtitles (newly revised for this release), Brand new audio commentary tracks on both films by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) amongst many others. The set is completed with A collector’s booklet featuring new writing on both films."
Lastly on the forthcoming title front another key imprint, Powerhouse’s Indicator series, has also announced its July titles and the company’s Sam Dunn has given us his thoughts on the slate for the month. He said: “We're delighted to unveil our plans for UK Blu-ray premiere editions of yet more essential films. We have a great admiration for the work of director Budd Boetticher, so adding his 1951 drama Bullfighter and the Lady to our catalogue is a dream come true, especially as the BBFC has just passed this complete version of the film fully uncut for the first time. Similarly, adding Robert Downey Sr's uncompromising 1969 classic Putney Swope (complete with its fabulous restoration by Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation with a funding from George Lucas), and Frank and Eleanor Perry's caustic 1970 masterpiece Diary of a Mad Housewife – two of the most uncompromising and resonant films of the period – is a real privilege. Last but not least, we're thrilled to be continuing our association with Hammer by offering up a special edition of 1971's Creatures the World Forgot, which comes complete with newly produced extras, three vintage Children's Film Foundation films from director Don Chaffey, and a lavish 80-page book."
Monday releases and Studiocanal is keeping busy with its Vintage Classics releases and the company brings a brace to story on Monday. First up is The Wrong Arm Of The Law, a rip-roaring British comedy starring Peter Sellers. The company’s Alison Arber said: “We are delighted to be releasing another addition to the Vintage Classics collection on Monday with the riotous comedy The Wrong Arm of the Law. Starring the inimitable Peter Sellers, this is classic British comedy at its finest, beautifully restored with new extras – guaranteed to put a smile on your face!”
And alongside Sellers, there are more British comedy legends in another title due on Monday May 2 under the Vintage Classics banner, as Alistair Sim and Margaret Rutherford line-up in Innocents In Paris. Comment on the release came from the company’s Carys Gaskin, who said: “We also have the fantastic comedy Innocents in Paris starring Alastair Sim, Margaret Rutherford and many more as a group of British tourists away on a wild and wonderful weekend in Paris in 1953. Newly restored with special features including a gallery of wonderful black and white stills and set photography preserved by the BFI Archive.”
Another company with a brace of releases is Acorn, which has one more traditional TV title alongside another under its burgeoning Shudder umbrella, offering up another slice of horror for the imprint. g in Takinthe more tradtional Acorn release, and Monday May 2 sees the release of My Brilliant Friend Those Who Leave And Those Who Stay, another outing based on Elena Ferrante’s bestselling Neapolitan novel series, and one acclaimed by the Telegraph as the best TV drama of the past decade. Commenting on the release, Acorn’s Helen Squire said: “Possibly the best series yet as the story propels us towards the final instalment next year. This is one of four series in this highly collectable franchise and receives it disc release following its Sky Atlantic TX.”
Meanwhile, on the Shudder side, there’s another of its original horror releases, The Boy Behind The Door, a cat and mouse style horror thriller set in a house in the middle of nowhere were two kidnapped boys are taken after being seized. Commenting on the release, Acorn’s Helen Squire said: “It’s great to see our Shudder Originals getting more support for the disc releases this quarter with The Boy Behind the Door and April’s Superhost going into supermarkets Asda and Morrisons as well as key retailers Amazon and HMV.”
There's been a release date change on a title featured last week from one label whose wares were carefully laid out and displayed in one of the BFI shop’s tables in our report last week on the organisation’s new store on the Southbank, and that’s Modern Films, so we’re re-running the story for clarity. April 4 saw a flurry of DVD activity from the imprint, with a clutch of titles all out on the same day. These included some truly wonderful films, including I Am A Cliche, the documentary charting the amazing life and tragic death of punk priestess Poly Styrene (one of her band, X-Ray Spex, used to work at 1980s VHS label Virgin Vision, fact fans), as well as a doc about female electronic music pioneers Sisters With Transistors; Werner Herzog’s Family Romance LLC; Luxor starring Andrea Risebrough; the Viggo Mortensen directed Falling, in which he stars as the son of a man suffering from dementia; and another doc about a pioneering woman, Beyond The Visible, which studies trailblazing artist Hilma Af Klint. Next up from the equally trailblazing imprint is acclaimed Irish drama Wildfire, due from Modern Films on DVD on June 6.
AT THE MOVIES
Paddy from Emmerdale, better known to his family as Dominic Brunt, continues to forge a career as a horror maestro and word comes of his next project, which has finished shooting and is now entering post-production. Following hot on the heels of genre fare such as Bait and the still wonderfully named Attack of the Adult Babies, comes Wolf Manor, Set in the titular stately home, it follows a film crew making a vampire movie on location, only for the full moon to arrive and bring with it a different kind of classic horror creature. Brunt said: “Wolf Manor does exactly what it says on the tin. A werewolf film with a rocket up its behind. Buckets of blood, beautiful countryside, a stellar cast and world class prosthetics make Wolf Manor a wild ride and, (we humbly feel), it’s a worthy addition to the werewolf movie canon.” There’s no UK distributor attached yet, you can see more pictures here.
It’s rare for The Raygun to ever mention crypto-currency, but here’s an interesting story from Britflick legend Terry Stone, who’s been involved in more DTV titles than you’ve probably had hot diners. Stone is involved with digital currency FilmCoin and the trailer for the first film to be fully funded by the blockchain-powered film and TV currency has just been released. Tales From The Trap is set within the UK rap scene and tells the true story about county lines drug-dealing gangs in the gritty style that Stone has made his trademark. You can see the trailer here and Stone himself said: FilmCoin is undoubtedly the most exciting project I've been involved with; I'm the First Film Producer in History to be making a slate of films entirely funded via CryptoCurrency and NFTs. The FilmCoin Team are really excited about Tales From The Trap, and it proves you don't need to spend millions to make a really great film!” Two further film projects Requiem For A King: The Rise and Fall of The Shah of Iran and King of Crime are also on the slate.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
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TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
Hands down our trailer of the week…
Would have paid even more to see this lot doing Essex Boys…
This looks good…
We reckon they all deserve to go…
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