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ERA HONOURS RETAIL CHAMPIONS
INDUSTRY STALWART CASTALDO AMONG THE WINNERS
NATIONAL CINEMA DAY HAILED A SUCCESS
MUBI LEADS THE WAY AT LFF
SECOND SIGHT ADDS TO SLATE KORINE’S GUMMO CLEANED UP
EUREKA REVEALS NOVEMBER RELEASES…
…ANIME ON A ROLL…
…AS CRUNCHYROLL TOPS 15M SUBSCRIBERS…
…AND SONY EYES MORE SPECIALIST STREAMING
KANTAR JOINS BASE/DEGI
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
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It was a good week for… After a marketing campaign that seems to have stretched out over the summer, Warner's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice finally made it to cinemas – and with more than £7 million got the fifth biggest opening of the year. Meanwhile, keep an eye on Curzon's Kneecap, now at £1.7 million…
It was a bad week for… PR companies, in-house press – can you check your mailing lists and make sure The Raygun is on it? Not naiming names, but we've missed at least two product announcements this week…
We have been watching… The Blu-ray for Elysian's forthcoming The Boy And The Heron looks a treat, we've rushed through Kaos and we've been catching up with Slow Horses too…
To Eastcheap Records – a bar, not an actual record shop, although the venue is festooned with vinyl albums and record shop themed – where ERA, the digital and entertainment retail association, was hosting its second annual summer party and retail champion awards. The gongs are handed out to the great and good of the entertainment business, honouring work in and around the industry that has aided retail and the business in general and, as ERA’s Kim Bayley noted, ““the antidote to music industry awards shows”. There were seven Retail Champions unveiled at the social event, all were, ERA said: "selected by ERA’s Executive Board following a call for nominations from across the entertainment industry”. They were former hmv PR supremo turned BPI communications director Gennaro Castaldo; CEO of Key Production Group Karen Emanuel (“at the forefront of physical music manufacture for a third of a century, with a keen appreciation of the importance of physical retail, a staunchly independent ethic and a commitment to sustainability which together have made her a role model for female entrepreneurs in entertainment”); Neil Lander - Business Development Director, EMEA – DP World (“it’s no exaggeration to say that without Neil Lander there might no longer be a UK distributor of physical music product. It was Neil who, following the demise of Cinram, persuaded logistics giant DP World that there was a viable business in physical music distribution. In the words of one client, 'Neil is a completer-finisher with a can-do attitude who brings a huge amount of energy to the table. He deserves recognition',"); head of events and partnerships at retailer Rough Trade Sam Allison; UK sales manager at Beggars Group Helena Gardiner; Universal Music sales manager Marc Fayd’Herbe; and YouTube Music artist relations manager Maddy Smith. ERA chief Kim Bayley said: “Digital services and retailers are the behind-the-scenes do-ers who drive the success of the entertainment industry, helping deliver literally billions of pounds of revenues which support the UK’s creative economy. It’s therefore entirely appropriate that ERA should honour the do-ers of the music industry more broadly.”
Former hmv turned BPI communications chief Gennaro Castaldo is, of course, a long-standing industry stalwart and long-time champion of physical media and physical retail. During his time at hmv, he helped organise scores of special film and TV-related events, signings, launches and more and, for example, helped popularise DVD to consumer press after its launch more than a quarter of a century ago (The Raygun’s Tim Murray appeared on Barry Norman’s Film Night on Sky in a Castaldo-inspired piece of PR about the growing format in 1999, one of many initiatives he worked on that supported the entire industry as well as the retailer.) Castaldo told The Raygun: “To be honoured with ERA's Champion Award was as humbling as it was surprising - it came completely out of the blue and I am still in a state of disbelief. While I can think of so many more deserving recipients, I will treasure it, not least as it was presented by the wonderful Selina Webb in front of a packed room of industry friends and familiar faces. It reminded me of the privilege and joy that it's been to work in the music and wider home ents industry for the best part of four decades, 27 of those years with hmv, of course, which gave me so many happy memories and great friendships that I cherish to this day. I'd like to profoundly thank Kim, Megan and the ERA board for their generosity, all my brilliant colleagues at the BPI, including our CEO Jo Twist and CSO Sophie Jones, and going back to hmv days, the incomparable Brian McLaughlin for the faith he put in me and then, some years later, Graham Sim, whose Get Closer and My Inspiration brand campaign remains an exceptional experience. I wish hmv and the entire retail community, including so many indie shops, all the very best - it's great to see them all thriving, as it is so many record labels who support their incredible artists in making the music that makes all this possible. One final big thank you – a PR, especially a 'fluff and puff' merchant like me, can't achieve anything without the incredibly dedicated journalists that agree to carry the stories and are happy to tell the tale (or more likely they are doing you a big favour!). So my enduring gratitude goes to all of them - the nationals, the locals and regionals, the online sites, the press agencies, the freelance writers, the BBC and other broadcasters, the podcasts, and so on, and our many industry publications, who do the most amazing job - Music Week, Billboard, Record of the Day, MBW, Music Ally, CMU and so on, but a special mention must go to Tim Murray - the most dedicated writer of them all and the most ardent champion of our home ents industry."
 One of ERA’s big annual events is Record Store Day and the film industry’s similarly themed day of activity, National Cinema Day, took place on the last day of last month, Saturday August 31, at more than 700 theatres around the UK. And the event was a roaring success, with more than 1 million admissions on the day. It is further proof, cross-industry body Cinema First noted, “of the nation’s love for its favourite leisure activity”. Among the films pulling in punters on the day were animated hits such as Despicable Me 4 and Inside Out 2, superhero blockbuster Deadpool And Wolverine, drama It Ends With Us and sci-fi horror Alien: Romulus. The announcement further added: “Early findings from nationwide survey work undertaken by Comscore with those who participated showed that while some were undoubtedly attracted by the special discount pricing of tickets, others also enjoyed the opportunity to watch a number of different films across the day and to bring along friends and family for the unique shared viewing experience that only the Big Screen can offer.” Cinema First Chair Iain Jacob said: “National Cinema Day is intended to celebrate the nation’s love of cinema-going and to say a ‘big thank’ you to audiences, providing a great offer to everybody in the UK. This third edition of the event confirms its status as an established part of the annual cinema calendar, with cinemagoers in their masses now taking up the opportunity to see multiple films on the Big Screen across the day. Thank you to everybody who came and to everyone working in cinemas across the UK for making it such a fun, inclusive and memorable day.”
With some 253 titles (covering features, shorts and more) from 79 countries offered up in 63 countries and almost 40 world premieres, the London Film Festival has unveiled its programme for the 2024 fest, due to take place from October 9-20. As previously announced, the event kicks off with the new Steve McQueen film, Blitz (starring Saoirse Ronan and Stephen Graham, alongside feature debutant Paul Weller) and closes with Pharrell Williams doc shot in LEGO, Piece By Piece. We’ve been poring over the programme and note that, with AppleTV+ backing the opening (Universal has the closing film) just how many of the films are being backed by streamers. And it’s interesting to note that MUBI is leading the way, with no less than seven different films spread across the programme’s different sections, categories and strands (Galas, Special Presentations, Official Competition, Love, Debate, Thrill Laugh, Dare, Cult, Journey, Create and Family, although we didn’t count the shorts, Experimenta and new immersive Expanded section). MUBI’s magnificent seven include the new film from Andrea Arnold, Bird, and another Barry Keoghan starrer Bring Them Down. Netflix boasts four (including Emilia Perez and The Piano Lesson), with Disney+ and Amazon each boasting a pair apiece. Traditional studios and distributors are led by Universal in its different forms and Studiocanal, which each have five films airing, whole long-standing Indies such as the BFI, Dogwoof and Curzon have four, and, alongside familiar names such as Lionsgate, Altitude, Vertigo and the big studios, it’s also good to see newer faces such as Anime Limited, featured here recently, and Black Bear also boasting a film apiece. BFI London Film Festival Director Kristy Matheson said: “Cinematic ideas materialise in many forms, and this year artists have taken us to some giddy highs and poked at our tender underbellies. Troubled histories linger close to the surface alongside optimistic futures, all explored in unique and creative ways. As the seasons change and we head into the Autumn, we invite everyone to come to the BFI London Film Festival to discover and enjoy the whole spectrum of moving image.” BFI chief executive Ben Roberts said: “The real joy of LFF for me is seeing the hard work of so many talented filmmakers come to life and given the prominence and noise that they deserve. I want to thank our brilliant Festival team and everyone involved in bringing these films to our LFF audiences, with extra special thanks to American Express and our other partners and supporters.”
Fresh from its successful screening of forthcoming release The Hitcher at the August bank holiday weekend, Second Sight has been talking about the next titles due from the label, with a brace of additions to its forthcoming slate. First up on October 28 is one of the best horrors of the year, Late Night With The Devil, followed, two weeks later, by legendary found footage horror The Blair Witch Project, which is, somewhat improbably when you’ve been around as long as we have, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Second Sight’s Chris Holden said: “The reaction and preorders for The Blair Witch Project has been fantastic and surpassed what we were expecting. It will be a unique release for one of the most iconic horror films of all time. Working closely with the producers and directors, and remastering from the original Hi8 and 16mm elements, this will be the definitive version as the filmmakers original intended it to be seen. Together with our new feature length documentary and a lot more. Late Night with the Devil is a perfect release for us as we continue to give both older classics and more contemporary productions our full collectors edition treatment. One of the best recent horrors, it earned instant cult status and we had great support from the filmmakers in putting the release together. The 4K also comes with our own newly created Dolby Vision HDR grade approved by the directors.”
 On to our regular coverage of some of the country’s leading boutique labels and since we were last here, Criterion has announced its titles due in November through its ongoing deal with Spirit. So we’ll leave it to the sales company’s Tracy Niland to talk us through its titles for the winter months, which include one of the finest – and scuzziest – films of the 1990s. Niland said: “Criterion’s November treats cover three very different films each of which contributed to film-making as we know it today in their own separate ways. First up on November 4 is Harmony Korine’s Gummo on 4k and Blu-ray – a filthy, dirty, gritty look at life in small-town middle-America through the eyes of two teenagers with little to no parental supervision. Off the back of Korine’s writing Kids for Larry Clark, you know this is going to be an uncomfortable ride. The film follows two youngsters who spend their days roaming around their town, killing people’s pets and then selling them to the local supermarket. There’s extras a-plenty on both Blu-ray and 4k SKUs, including an early Q&A with Korine and Werner Herzog and in contrast his appearance on a Split Screen episode three years later showing the evolution of Korine as a young man and a film-maker and a new up to date interview showing just how far he has come. The 4k has Dolby Vision HDR to make you feel so much grubbier than ever before – once you’ve viewed it, like you potentially will never be clean again! Next up on November 11 is something that will really excite film fans – the granddaddy of all monster movies; the beginning of the longest-running film franchise in history; the original kaiju movie seen in 4k on these shores for the very first time, it’s Ishiro Honda’s 1954 classic Godzilla! It’s hugely anticipated by fans of the genre and released on 4k and Blu-Ray. Packed with wonderfully insightful special features including Terry’s Morse’s 1956 ‘Americanised’ version; commentaries on both versions; interviews with actors, special and photographic effects specialists, composer Akira Ifukube and film critic Tadao Sato; all alongside a wonderful illustrated essay from film historian Greg Pflugfelder describing the fate of the fishing vessel that inspired the film itself. Originally created as a symbol of the destruction caused by the atomic bombs dropped in 1945 and rising up from the release slate like the monster itself, this is really one to add to the collection. Finally on November 18 comes Howard Hawks’ Scarface starring Paul Muni in the titular role on both 4k and Blu-ray. We all know De Palama’s Pacino version but without this classic – would Tony Montana even exist? The OG of the OGs, the story is loosely based on Al Capone and his activities in Chicago just a few years prior. The violence and overall carnage of the film, which was the first to see a gangster using a machine gun, led to Hawks having to re-film the ending to get it past the censors who were by then having to follow the The Hays Code. One of the extras is the original ending that few audiences at the time got to see. The film itself used actual bullets which saw the actors literally dodging death in certain scenes. Among the special features are new conversations about the film and an interview with Lea Jacobs on the film’s innovative use of sound and editing. Personally, as a huge fan of Scarface, I can’t wait to see this on 4k.”
Eureka has unveiled its titles due in November, with a range of different titles on offer for its Masters Of Cinema series and other imprints, as outlined in our usual write-up from Eureka’s national accounts manager Marcus Garwood. He said: “Crimes, spies, swords and a potential sinking ship are the four themes covered in our quad squad of November releases here at Eureka Entertainment. Crime first, as we present Hugo Fregonese's 1954 explosive crime drama Black Tuesday as part of The Masters Of Cinema Series. Written by Sydney Boehm (The Big Heat), Black Tuesday stars one of Hollywood’s most beloved tough guys: Edward G. Robinson (Little Caesar, The Last Gangster, I Am the Law and Key Largo). This key crime picture of the 1950s appears on Blu-ray from an astonishing new restoration. Disc extras include a brand new audio commentary with film noir expert Sergio Angelini, host of the Tipping My Fedora podcast; a brand new interview with film historian Sheldon Hall on director Hugo Fregonese and a brand new video essay by Imogen Sara Smith, author of In Lonely Places: Film Noir Beyond the City. The release is completed with a collector’s booklet featuring new writing on Black Tuesday by critic Barry Forshaw and film writer Craig Ian Mann and a Limited edition o-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Scott Saslow. Next we have a set we have called Super Spies And Secret Lies, which brings together three undercover classics from Shaw Brothers, namely The Golden Buddha, Angel With The Iron Fists and The Singing Thief. Riding the wave of James Bond mania generated by blockbusters of the time such as Dr No and From Russia With Love, the Shaw Brothers began producing tales of intrigue, espionage and grand theft in the mid-1960s. This set brings together three of their best films during this period on Blu-ray for the first time from HD masters supplied by Celestial Pictures. The set is encased in a limited edition o-card slipcase featuring superbly authentic 60s spy movie inspired artwork by Darren Wheeling. Disc extras include a new interview with James Bond expert Llewella Chapman on global Bondmania in the 1960s. There is also a limited edition collector's booklet featuring new writing on all three films by Iain Robert Smith, author of The Hollywood Meme: Transnational Adaptations in World Cinema.
Continuing with Eureka’s November titles, the company’s Marcus Garwood said: “The third of our four releases this month is Patrick Tam's 1980 wuxia revival gem The Sword. Starring Adam Cheng (Zu Warriors From The Magic Mountain), The Sword is a tale of a cursed blade, owned by a legendary swordsman Hua Qian Shu (played by Tien Feng, King Boxer) and follows a young warrior who wishes to test his skill against the legendary swordsman and his sword. He is soon beset with unforeseen troubles. Could this mean that the old master’s sword really might be cursed – and will, perhaps, bring nothing but tragedy to those who seek to wield it? The film is presented encased in a limited edition o-card slipcase featuring stunning new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju). Disc extras include a brand new interview with film critic Andrew Heskins (easternKicks). There is also a limited edition collector’s booklet featuring an archival interview with director Patrick Tam and a new essay by film scholar Dr Leung Wing-fai. The month is rounded off in fine style a we bring 1974's taut crime thriller Juggernaut to Blu-ray for the first time in the UK from a high-definition restoration. Directed by Richard Lester (known for the Beatles movies A Hard Day’s Night and Help!. Juggernaut features an all-star ensemble cast including Richard Harris (The Guns of Navarone), Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs), Omar Sharif (Lawrence of Arabia), Ian Holm (Chariots of Fire), David Hemmings (The Charge of the Light Brigade) and Shirley Knight (The Counterfeit Killer). The film’s plot was inspired by a real-life bomb threat against the Queen Elizabeth 2 on May 17 1972 and delivers one of the most entertaining and suspenseful British films of the decade. Disc extras include a brand new interview with film historian Neil Sinyard, author of The Films Of Richard Lester, a brand new interview with film historian Sheldon Hall on Juggernaut and the disaster film. The release is completed with a limited edition o-card slipcase and limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on Juggernaut by British film scholar Laura Mayne.”
 More forthcoming titles, and Crunchyroll has revealed its titles due from September right through until Christmas, with a raft of releases taking in DVD, Blu-ray and on ubiquitous limited edition Steelbook releases too. The slate kicks off with a brace of releases due in stores this week (September 9, in the shape of Rent-a-Girlfriend – Season 2 (Blu-ray) and The Devil is a Part-Timer! - Season 2 Part 2 (Blu-ray). Next week sees Season 4 of Bungo Stray Dogs arriving on Blu-ray, joined by Ancient Magus' Bride - Season 2 Part 1 (Blu-ray and DVD) and Tomo-chan Is a Girl! - The Complete Season across Blu-ray, DVD and limited edition DVD and Blu-ray. September 23 brings Am I Actually the Strongest? - The Complete Season (Blu-ray); Berserk: The Golden Age Arc - Memorial Edition (Blu-ray); and My Unique Skill Makes Me OP even at Level 1 - The Complete Season (Blu-ray). And September 30 has Bungo Stray Dogs - Season 5 (Blu-ray) and Rent-a-Girlfriend - Season 3 (Blu-ray). In to October and the first Monday of the month, October 7, sees a pair of hmv exclusives of the seasons one and two of Mobile Suit Gundam The Witch From Mercury, both limited and only from the retailer. Trade-wide there’sOne Piece: Collection 34 on DVD and Blu-ray and The Great Cleric: Season 1 (Blu-ray). There’s two SKUs – Blu-ray and DVD – of the October 14 releases, Ranking of Kings: The Treasure Chest of Courage - The Complete Season and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: The Movie - Scarlet Bond. October 21 has Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island - Movie (Blu-ray), Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation - Season 2 Part 1 (Blu-ray and DVD) and My Hero Academia - Season 6 Part 2 across Blu-ray, DVD and limited edition DVD and Bu-ray. The last Monday of October, the 28th, has 86 EIGHTY-SIX - The Complete Season (Blu-ray and DVD); My Hero Academia - Season 5 The Complete Season (Blu-ray and DVD); TRIGUN STAMPEDE - Season 1 (Blu-ray and DVD) and Hell's Paradise - Season 1 (Blu-ray, DVD and limited edition DVD and Blu-ray). Into November and the 4th has Classroom For Heroes (Blu-ray); Ouran High School Host Club - Complete Series (Blu-ray) and VINLAND SAGA - Season 2 Part 2 (Blu-ray. On November 11 there’s Blu-ray and DVD bows for One Piece: Collection 35 (DVD) Wirth, a week after that, GOBLIN SLAYER - Season 2 on the same formats and a further week later, November 25, The Ancient Magus’ Bride - Season 2 Part 2 also across Blu-ray and DVD. Into December and soon the second day of the final month of the year there’s Attack on Titan Season 1 - Steelbook (Blu-ray); DARLING in the FRANXX - The Complete Season (Blu-ray), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc (Blu-ray and DVD); Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc (DVD and Blu-ray), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Train Arc (Blu-ray and DVD); Dragon Ball Z - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) and Dragon Ball Super - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) and PSYCHO-PASS: Providence - Movie (Blu-ray, DVD and limited edition DVD and Blu-ray. On December 9 there’s an Attack on Titan Season 2 - Steelbook (Blu-ray), followed a week later by a Steelbook of the third season of Attack on Titan and, just before Christmas on the 23rd, Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS (Blu-ray, DVD and limited edition (DVD & Blu-ray).
Crunchyroll of course is successfully straddling the worlds of physical media and streaming, with the latest reveal from Crunchyroll of its Blu-ray and DVD slate for the coming months coming just after the Sony-owned organisation announced the latest figures for its streaming. It has now passed the 15 million monthly subscriber mark worldwide, attributing its ongoing success to in a statement, saying: “Central to Crunchyroll's growth has been a focus on connecting fans and creators in celebration of their shared passions.” Rahul Purini, president of Crunchyroll, said: “Today marks an exciting milestone not only for Crunchyroll, but for the entire anime industry. It is proof that the rich stories, characters and experiences that our partners create are resonating deeply with fans at record numbers all over the world. As the number of people excited about anime continues to explode and the breadth of content continues to widen, we believe it has never been a better time to be an anime fan.”
Sony has eschewed the route taken by other major studios in avoiding launching its own streaming service, but the success of Crunchyroll may well end up inspiring the entertainment giant to look at similar, more specialised streaming offerings. That’s the view of Sony Pictures Entertainment chief Tony Vinciquerra, speaking at the BofA Securities 2024 Media, Communications and Entertainment Conference in New York. For while the cost of running an SVOD service has weighed down its big studio rivals, Crunchyroll is one of the few operators to run a profitable subscription service aside from Netflix, the chief executive told the audience. And this means that it is looking at the possibility of more streaming networks. He said: “We’re pretty bullish on that side and would love to do more genre-based targeted, passionate-audience centred streaming services. And we’re working on that right now. But it’s going to take some time for the market to shake out. Eventually, streaming is going to be a profitable business. You can pick who you think are going to be the winners. There will be very passionate audiences that gravitate toward genre-based streaming services as well. History does repeat itself, and it’s really pretty much going the same way as the cable business did 25 years ago.”
 News from BASE and sister organisation DEGI, with long-standing data and insight expert Kantar announcing it has joined both groups as a hybrid member. It will, BASE and DEGI said, bring a wealth of insight and analysis to the pair and their members. Kantar already provides BASE and DEGI with home entertainment research and analysis, while its Worldpanel arm offers up details from the globe’s largest consumer panel. Kantar Worldpanel global strategic insight director (entertainment on demand and comtech) Craig Armer said: “We are delighted to join BASE/DEGI as a hybrid member and have the opportunity to work ever more closely with the leading industry body and its members. Our relationship with BASE/DEGI spans well over a decade and we are excited that our new membership will help us play a key role in this industry's growth story.” BASE and DEGI chief executive Liz Bales said: “Kantar and [its] Worldpanel unit consistently plays a crucial role in BASE/DEGI industry analysis and the Home Entertainment landscape. Renowned for [its] expertise in market research and strategic insights, we are delighted to include [it] in our expanding network of [more than] 80 members and partners. This membership not only strengthens our long-term collaboration with Kantar but also offers valuable insights and supports informed decision-making for the benefit of BASE/DEGI members.” Head of insights at BASE Yasmin Nevard said “It’s brilliant to have Kantar Worldpanel join as a hybrid BASE and DEGI member, as we share [its] comprehensive analysis of the physical consumer for members in September. This comes at a pivotal moment for the home entertainment physical market, where consumers are increasing their engagement and spend across premium physical formats – investing in 4K products, collecting every disc across a franchise, and selling out new releases of cult classics.”
SPOTTED OUT AND ABOUT
We picked up our copy of the programme at the Royal Festival Hall just as the ads started popping up all over London (and beyond too)…
 TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
This has divided the fans…
Wick-a-wick wicked…
Will’s on the road…
Due from MUBI…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZtQH_cwTOw
Due from Bulldog…
And this is from Signature…
THE OBLIGATORY GDPR BIT
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