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FUNERAL DETAILS FOR INDUSTRY STALWART…
…AS MORE TRIBUTES PAID TO SIMON HELLER
FORMER WARNER VISION COLLEAGUES REMEMBER…
…AND FIRST INDEPENDENT STAFFER RECALLS FRIEND
BASE AND OTHERS PAY TRIBUTE TO HEDY LAMARR WINNERS…
…LIONSGATE, DOGWOOF AND UNIVERSAL INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN…
…COMMENTS FROM COLLEAGUES AND ASSOCIATES…
…RISING STAR PRAISED
ARROW CELEBRATES J-HORROR PACKAGE IN STYLE…
…AND UNVEILS JANUARY SLATE
EUREKA’S HORRIBLE COVERAGE IS NO BAD THING…
AS COMPANY LOOKS AHEAD TO DECEMBER…
…AND INTO THE NEW YEAR
GODZILLA MINUS ONE MINUS COLOR IS A PLUS
SIGNATURE HEADS TO THE CAVERN
BLOODBATH FOR NUCLEUS
SALES GRU FOR DESPICABLE ME 4…
LIONSGATE HEADS TO BORDERLANDS
KNEECAP DATE DATE
GLOWING REPORT
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
If you can't read this newsletter or see the ads, please click here.
It was a good week for… vinyl, now back in WHSmith as the revival continues to go every further into the mainstream… Let’s just hope more retailers start welcoming back disc-based entertainment…
It was a bad week for… Retailers, via the British Retail Consortium, weren’t overly happy with the budget…
We’ve been watching… Finally seeing Godzilla Minus One in its Minus Color form was an absolute treat…
One of the more depressing elements of writing and publishing the Raygun (for almost 15 years now), has been having to relay details of former industry friends and colleagues who have died. And yet conversely, this can also be heartening, as it brings old names and faces back into frame and renews connections with people who have moved on elsewhere and left the business. This is perhaps even more pertinent in the case of someone like Simon Heller, the former CM Lintas, First Independent, Warner Vision, BVA (and more) executive, whose untimely passing we reported in our last newsletter. In the intervening time, there’s been messages, emails, a few more tributes we’re printing below, and lots of lovely comments on a LinkedIn post. The comments and warm words about a popular industry figure have been moving, touching and show this industry at its best. Funeral details have been revealed, with a gathering to celebrate Simon Heller’s life taking place after the service. The service is on Tuesday November 12 at 10:45am at Tunbridge Wells Crematorium, Benhall Mill Rd, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5JJ. The gathering afterwards takes place at the The Bottle House Inn, Coldharbour Rd, Penshurst, Tonbridge TN11 8ET. Please message Olivia Heller on 07419 331165 via Whatsapp to help gauge numbers. There is a further tribute page for Simon at https://simonheller.muchloved.com, where you can also make donations in Simon’s memory to The Woodland Trust.
Some former Warner Vision colleagues emailed us to pay tribute to Simon Heller, with former sales chief Adrian Ball (also ex-PolyGram), said: “I had the pleasure of working with Simon at Warner Vision for a number of years. He was a great person to know both personally and professionally – bright, intelligent, funny with a knowledge of the industry second to none. I have many fond memories with him of industry awards, Q4 presentations and dinners(!), customer meetings and the occasional trip/junket – and despite his somewhat baffling allegiance to West Ham United, I did and do regard him as a friend even though we both moved out of the industry and lost touch in recent years. Safe journey mate.” Another former Warner Vision executive Ray Still said: “I was charged with setting up Warner Vision International to be ready for the impact of DVD which was close. One of my first appointments was Simon – I didn’t know him but had heard good things and he agreed to run the Warner Vision UK office. It was a very good decision for both of us… He was smart, enthusiastic, had a great sense of humour and was obviously a talented marketing and sales leader. We marketed South Park – Warner Home Video had not released the series so we took the opportunity to contract with Comedy Central. Simon drove the UK business and it was huge, giving all in the UK office our first big hit. The first episode was entitled Cartman Gets An Anal Probe – it had to be a winner and the office was rocking, even down to South Park silk boxer shorts. Simon was able to release the first music DVDS authored in the UK including Madonna, Eric Clapton and Fleetwood Mac which was very exciting. Being in a position with specific audiovisual offices in key territories, artists were attracted to Warner Vision and a great deal was driven by the UK. It was just a very exciting time and pleasing for Simon and his team, He joined me at Universal when I moved but nothing matched the halcyon years that a small team of people shared in Portman Square. One of the truly outstanding achievements was the Live Aid DVD in collaboration with Bob Geldof launched in the UK again by Simon, it was a project that went on to become the biggest grossing worldwide music DVD ever. I am so pleased I was able to work with such a lovely man and his interaction with all was rather special.”
A former First Independent colleague, Nick Adams, also penned some words about his former colleague, saying: “Working for Simon as theatrical marketing manager at First Independent was a joy and a privilege and, as was seemingly the case with so many others that knew him, that professional relationship soon turned into a friendship. Film premieres and launch parties alongside him at The Cube Bar in Swiss Cottage and The Empire Shepherds Bush are some of my fondest industry memories, and one line in particular spoken by him has been something of a mantra for me to this day: ‘we all make mistakes, just don’t make the same mistake twice’. Being invited to join him at various gigs once he moved onto Warner Vision resulted in some memorable nights out, and years later it was great to work alongside him once again as part of a very small team put together by Tim Grohne, to help release a number of animated indie titles (if only more fans of Maya The Bee had followed her from the small screen to the big one). Thinking of Simon now, what immediately springs to mind is his professionalism, determination, the justifiable pride he took in his work, and his great sense of humour - in my mind’s eye there was always a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. My thoughts go out to his family, having lost such a husband and father far, far too soon.”
Other comments over on LinkedIn include some familiar names, both currently in the industry and former staffers, taking in hmv and Anchor Bay’s Rod Smith; former Sainbury’s category manager for entertainment, now at Currys, Matt Newman; former timecode editor Anna-Louise Dearden; former play.com, wuaki and Rakuten executive Simon Homent (now at Samsung); Banana Split’s Laura Sefton; Dazzler’s Graham Davidson; former Virgin, EUK, Woolworths and Universal staffer Steven McGunigel; infantry stalwart and legend Johnny Fewings; former BVA market researcher and Screen Digest and IHS analyst Helen Davis; Creative Partnership’s Chris Warrington and Lionsgate’s Marie-Claire Benson, who said: “I remember Simon so fondly from my first involvements with the BVA long ago, he was so generous with his knowledge and expertise on the industry and it was clear he absolutely loved his work. My thoughts go out to all his family, friends and past colleagues.”
The BASE Awards are now disappearing in the rear view mirror, but the trade body has talked more about the inaugural Hedy Lamarr awards, given to inspiring women leaders and rising stars in the industry. Run in conjunction with sister organisation the Digital Entertainment Group International *DEGI) and alongside the US counterpart DEG and its Women In Technology Award, it honoured Lionsgate’s Marie-Claire Benson, Dogwoof’s Anna Godas and Universal’s Helen Parker, with Universal’s Johanna Beaven scooping the Rising Star award. DEG and assorted individuals have paid tribute to the winners and although we had some comments a few weeks back, it’s worth noting the further tributes which we’re running here. President and CEO of DEG Amy Jo Smith said: “Hedy Lamarr was a Hollywood legend who is best known for her roles in film classics including Samson and Delilah and Tortilla Flat, but she was also a lifelong inventor whose innovative work included pioneering ‘frequency hopping’, which became the foundation for spread spectrum technology. DEG has been privileged to present the Hedy Lamarr Award for Innovation in Entertainment Technology to female leaders in the U.S. since 2017 and we are extremely proud to see the recognition of Hedy’s off-camera legacy now expand in her European homeland through the DEGI Hedy Lamarr Leadership Awards.”
On to the individual Hedy Lamarr award winners, Marie-Claire Benson, EVP, head of Motion Picture Group, Lionsgate UK said: “I’m truly honoured to receive the DEGI Hedy Lamarr Award for Inspirational Women in Entertainment. Being recognised alongside two powerhouse women, Anna Godas and Helen Parker and in connection with Hedy Lamarr—an icon of innovation, courage, and resilience—is humbling. I’m inspired by many incredible women in this industry and am surrounded by colleagues at Lionsgate UK who motivate me to do my best every day. Thank you to British Association for Screen Entertainment (BASE) for a wonderful evening celebrating achievements across the Home Entertainment industry, and congratulations to Lionsgate on your multiple awards.” Ron Schwartz, Lionsgate’s president of global licensing and distribution, Motion Picture Group, said: “We are thrilled to see the industry recognise Marie-Claire with this much deserved honour. Marie-Claire has been a true agent of change throughout her career. And as a mentor and valued colleague, she is a highly regarded, inspirational leader. Congratulations, MC!” Elizabeth Karlsen, BAFTA winning Producer and Founder of Number 9 Films, said: “I’m delighted to see Marie-Claire, or MC as she is known to those like me who have had the pleasure or working with her, rightly honoured with this prestigious award. MC has played a meaningful role in the industry bringing her intelligence, commercial skills and distinctive good taste to Lionsgate, which has reaped the rewards of all of these strong personal attributes. But, what makes her a joy to work with is her straightforward, fair and friendly approach to it all. Congratulations MC!”
Over at Dogwoof, CEO and Hedy Lamarr award-winner Anna Godas said: “It was a real honour to receive such a wonderful award. I'm so grateful to BASE for recognising women in the industry in such a special way.” Alex Gibney, Academy award & Emmy award winning film director & producer, said: “I can’t think of a more deserving recipient of the Hedy Lamarr award than Anna Godas. Like Hedy, she combines the allure of cinema with rigorous science to perfect the art of motion picture distribution. Anna has a discerning eye for provocative and artful movies and the hard-nosed determination to find the best way to get them seen. And as a producer, she knows how to push projects forward, against all odds, supporting directors even while hiding the hard work of doing so behind her lilting laugh.” Sally Aitken, Emmy nominated director, writer and showrunner wrote: “Dearest Anna,Well, as they say in Australia – ‘Nah Yeah!’ (which naturally, means yes). Australians are perverse. Of course, YES, it is completely fitting that this wonderful, inaugural award named after the entertainment industry’s most surprising and enlightened member, Hedy Lamarr, goes to you. Hedy was brilliant, beautiful, bold and inspiring. So too dear Anna are you. Like Hedy, you are also a role model for women. And a champion of excellence. Your contribution to the global field of high calibre storytelling is unsurpassed. And, just like the inventor of WIFI, your own radar for story and creative talent, is far reaching, resists interference and operates (usually) at high speed. I’m so thrilled for you and so proud to work together.”
And at Universal, the EVP and MD of the Universal Pictures Content Group Helen Parker said: “I was very touched and proud to receive this award.” Peter Kujawski, Chairman of Focus Features, said: “I thank my lucky stars every day that I get to work with a rock star like Helen who is smarter than me, cooler than me, more strategic than me, a better leader than me, has better taste than me, and yet is generous enough of spirit to never remind me of these things. She is only ever interested in lifting everyone around her up to become our best selves, and she has truly enriched our industry and our culture at large as a result.” Johnny Fewings of Virgin, Polygram, Universal said: “I’ve worked with a lot of people in my 50 years, Helen is head and shoulders above all of them.”
NBC Universal Marketing Manager Johanna Beaven was selected as the first Hedy Lamarr Rising Star winner from a shortlist of six nominees and will receive coaching from an industry stalwart Monica Chadha, who said: “Many many congratulations to all the nominees and to Johanna Beaven for being the inaugural recipient of this important award. To the extent that we achieve success through people before technology or numbers, I couldn’t be more proud to give back to an industry that has given me so much. BASE and DEGI are to be commended on building the leadership bench in the home entertainment sector and potentially changing the career trajectory of human lives.” Beaven said: “It’s amazing to have this award introduced to the BASE Awards. It feels so special to be recognised and an honour to have received it amongst such fantastic women. I’d like to thank BASE and all the judges - it’s definitely a career highlight, myself and everyone in my team at Universal Pictures is so thrilled.” All those shortlisted for the Rising Star award will take part in a trial phase of the new BASE & DEGI Industry Mentor Programme.
Liz Bales, BASE and DEGI CEO, said: “The BASE and DEGI Industry Mentor Programme will foster individual professional growth by connecting emerging talent with expert industry professionals to the mutual benefit of each. Beginning in January 2025, the programme will run as a six-month trial for the five shortlisted nominees of the inaugural BASE Awards 2024 Hedy Lamarr Rising Star Award.”
To the New Cross Inn on Wednesday night, All Hallow’s Eve eve, as it were, a stone’s throw from Millwall Football Club, for a night hosted by Arrow Video to mark the launch of its J-Horror Rising box set, a collection of, as the title suggests, Japanese horror films (seven in all) from the turn of the millennium heyday for horror from the Land of the Rising Sun. And what a night it was, we’re still processing some of the nutty sights we saw, as outlined here by the company’s Louise Buckler. She said: “On Halloween eve, the best and brightest of horror and cult journalists, influencers and the film industry descended on New Cross Inn to celebrate our new Blu-ray release of J-HORROR RISING. While drinks flowed, Sniffany & The Nits kicked off proceedings with some kooky and spooky punk and the delectable horror cabaret - hosted by wicked witch Nat Funni – kept party goers transfixed. The cabaret featured Ms Averi in all her balloon popping, skin stapling glory and Baby Lame found themselves a new hubby between some lip-syncing chaos. We then had Perfect Day Records spinning tracks until the last ones standing peeled off into the night. The event also saw the debut of Arrow Video’s first ever hot sauce. Made in collaboration with Manchester based Lou’s Brews (https://lousbrews.co.uk/) our Cursed Condiment proved super popular - with some guest even taking sips on the dance floor. Huge thanks to everyone that attended. J-HORROR RISING is out now on Blu-ray, digital and streaming on ARROW-Player.com now!”
Sticking with Arrow, the event came on the back of its latest announcement of forthcoming titles. And given his time as a video rental store staffer and his taste in exploitation and outré cinema, it’s somewhat surprising that Arrow Video has not yet released a Quentin Tarantino-directed film (it did give the QT-penned True Romance, although as we’re sure you all know, the film was helmed by Tony Scott). All this will change in January as the company unveiled its releases for the first month of 2025 and leading the pack in another varied slate is Inglorious Basterds. Released in limited edition 4K and Blu-ray SKUs, which, the company said, are “packed with explosive extras, new interviews, video essays and archival featurettes”, the package also includes “limited edition Operation Kino packaging, a 60-page Films & Filmmakers collector’s book, double-sided fold-out poster, replica Nation’s Pride Premiere programme booklet, beermat, art cards, strudel recipe card, and reversible sleeve”. Also due in January from Arrow announced, as ever, on the last Friday of the month, is another 90s classic in the shape of The Usual Suspects; the Jennifer Lopez-starring serial killer chiller The Cell; an all-star cast (Cate Blanchett, Greg Kinnear, Katie Holmes, Keanu Reeves, Hilary Swank and Giovanni Ribisi) in clairvoyant tale in The Gift; and anthology tale Rampo Noir, as four directors take on the works of “Japan’s celebrated master of the macabre”, Edogawa Rampo. And even more esoteric and rounding off its January, there’s Incubus, the Esperanto-scripted, once-thought-lost, cult classic, starring a young William Shatner, in a package that looks at the making of and mystique behind this genuine and wholly unique film. Commenting on the January slate, Arrow’s Louise Buckler said: “We are kicking 2025 off with a bang with a bumper crop of titles. There’s something for everyone and our long-anticipated release of INGLORIOUS BASTERDS and brand new 4K restoration of THE CELL seems to be the two titles people are already clamouring for. Our slate sees a great start to the year ahead and we can’t wait to show you what other gems we have lined up for next year…”
There’s an old adage saying there is such thing as bad publicity (as long as they spell your name right, is the addendum to that), and that was certainly the case for Eureka which received an unexpected boost for its forthcoming release under the banner of Horrible History. The collection of “our historical epics from one of the most celebrated and prolific filmmakers in Hong Kong”, Chang Cheh, also known as the Godfather of Hong Kong cinema, us due in December. The Guardian’s resident comedy writer Stuart Heritage noticed that it had a similar title to BBC children’s very funny historical series Horrible Histories and managed to eke out almost 800 words on how the two titles are similar. Sample: “Great news, parents! In just a few short weeks, a new Horrible History DVD will be released. Imagine the look of absolute delight on the faces of your children as they giddily unwrap their present and realise that their favourite CBBC show has created new material. And then imagine the growing look of horror on their faces as they scan the cover of the DVD case and see that the main image is a clenched fist and some spiked knuckledusters. And then their violent disappointment as they slowly put two and two together and realise that instead of buying them Horrible Histories (a DVD of sophisticated yet child-friendly historical parody sketches from most of the people behind Ghosts), you have actually bought them Horrible History (the new limited edition four-DVD boxset of violent, decades-old kung fu movies by the Chinese director Chang Cheh).” It really is a stretch but Eureka won’t be annoyed, as 800 words on a title like this in a national newspaper is no mean feat, and at least it finished with the following pay-off line: “A violent kung fu box set is wildly different to an educational comedy show for children. Giving it an almost identical name seems like a recipe for Christmas disaster. Although – title aside – it does look pretty awesome, so maybe I’ll buy it for my kids and keep it for myself.” You can see it here…
Meanwhile, and staying with Eureka, we have a double whammy from the imprint, as we’ve got two months’ worth of announcements from the company, offering up first December then January. Here’s national accounts manager Marcus Garwood who said: “We complete our 2024 slate this December with an animation and some historical epics for you to enjoy over your mulled wine and mince pies. Tearing open the wrapping paper first on a film by legendary Walt Disney animator Don Bluth (An American Tail, The Land Before Time) we present the sweeping fantasy epic The Secret of NIMH. Adapted from Robert C O’Brien’s popular children’s book Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH and featuring the voice acting talents of Oscar-nominated Elizabeth Hartman, Shannen Doherty and Derek Jacobi, our Masters of Cinema Series is honoured to present this touchstone of American animation on Blu-ray. The release will be packaged in a limited edition O-card slipcase featuring original poster artwork. Disc extras include Beyond Your Wildest Dreams – a new on-camera appreciation of the film with animation expert and fan Stacey Abbott, Courage of the Heart – a new video essay by children’s media expert Catherine Lester on motherhood. A collector’s booklet featuring new writing on Don Bluth and The Secret of NIMH by Peter C. Kunze, author of Staging a Comeback: Broadway, Hollywood, and the Disney Renaissance is also included. Delving into the selection box now with a set comprising four films from Shaw Brothers Studio veteran Chang Cheh. Entitled Horrible History [see above] this set brings together four of Chang Cheh's best historical epics, namely Marco Polo, The Pirate, Boxer Rebellion and Four Riders. The release will be packaged in a limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju). Discs extras include Rewriting History – a new video essay on Chang Cheh’s historical films by Jonathan Clements, author of A Brief History of China and National Defence – a new interview with Hong Kong cinema scholar Wayne Wong on Boxer Rebellion. The set is completed with a limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on all four films in this set by writer and critic James Oliver.”
Into January and releases from Eureka due at the start of 2025 and national accounts manager Marcus Garwood continued, saying: “We open up our 2025 release schedule with a duo of releases for our Masters Of Cinema Series. First up we present the director duo of Johnnie To (Running Out Of Time) and Wai Ka-fai (Mad Detective) with their 2003 crime thriller Running On Karma. With a distinctly Buddhist flare the film stars Andy Lau (Casino Raiders, Infernal Affairs) as Big, a once devoutly religious man, who turned away from his vocation as a Buddhist monk when he could no longer bear the weight of his unusual gift: the ability to see people’s past lives and predict the impact of karma upon their present and future. Our Masters of Cinema series is proud to present the film on Blu-ray. A film by Kiyoshi Kurosawa (of Pulse, Creepy and Tokyo Sonata fame) is up next as we present an absolutely unmissable 4K UHD format upgrade on his unsettling 1997 gem Cure. Released to critical acclaim in both the East and the West, this nerve-shredding thriller charts the hunt for a depraved serial killer in a bleak and decaying Tokyo. The resultant film stands alongside the likes of The Silence of the Lambs and Seven. This 4K UHD will be available initially as a limited edition, featuring brand new O-Card slipcase artwork by Time Tomorrow. The release will also contain a collector’s booklet featuring essays by Tom Mes.”
To the Soho Screening Rooms, aka Mr Young’s, for a screening of Godzilla Minus One Minus Color, the new black and white take on the film, which is due for a theatrical release this Friday (November 1), ahead of the eagerly anticipated home entertainment release (it lands at the start of December in a number of SKUs, including a special limited edition featuring this fresh look at one of the most successful Godzilla films ever. And it really is a blast, adding extra weight and depth to what is already considered a classic creature feature from the Godzilla originators at Toho. What’s more, it gives another reason to boost its not already considerable box office in the UK, where it has taken more than £2 million in receipts, as well as flagging the home entertainment release. As one reviewer, Barry Hertz on the US Globe and Mail noted: “The aesthetic trick also plays nicely into the themes of Minus One, given that the film rewinds the franchise’s kaiju mythos back to the very beginning.”
Also out and about this week was Signature, which headed up to Liverpool to help launch its biopic Midas Man, which landed on Prime this week. The company’s Kristin Ryan said: “This week saw the team in Liverpool to launch and celebrate Midas Man, our brilliant biopic of legendary music manager Brian Epstein who was key in the Beatles’ success. Midas Man features a truly stand out performance from Jacob Lloyd Fortune (Queen's Gambit) in the lead role. Our packed press junket at the legendary Cavern Club with 10 talent present was followed by an at capacity UK Gala screening at Liverpool's FACT attended by Mersey legends including Pete Best, Freda Kelly and Mike McCartney.Our post screening gig featured Mark Kermode's skiffle band the Dodge Brothers (who also played the Cavern earlier), Lennon and Cilla tributes and a brilliant impromptu set by the four actors who portrayed the Beatles in the film plus lead actor Jacob guest singing. It was a truly brilliant event. The film's publicity campaign has been exceptional with interviews with BBC Breakfast, ITV Evening News, Sky News, BBC Radio 4 Front Row, RTE Arena, ITV Granada, BBC Northwest, and The Times. The film launched on Prime Wednesday and is now the #1 film in the UK.”
Out this week from our friends at Nucleus Film is a Blu-ray version of a film that was nearly lost, but recovered thanks to the efforts of Nucleus and one of its figureheads, Marc Morris. Bloodbath At The House Of Death is one of a very British tradition of TV comics moving over to the world of film, this one featuring Kenny Everett. It had all but disappeared until Morris’ efforts managed to track down a surviving negative to release on DVD at the end of the Noughties. The story behind its rediscovery is charted here by another old chum of ours, Phelim O’Neill, whose physical media coverage in The Guardian was, in our opinion, unparalleled at the time. On its new Blu-ray release, Morris said: “This release features a new 4K scan, an audio commentary, a Vincent Price on the UK trailer reel, and Barry Cryer’s last on-camera interview, filmed just weeks before he sadly passed away. And we’ve gone further this time than since our original DVD release, we’ve included a bonus Blu-ray of two previously unseen (since the early 1980s) Kenny Everett shows, which were originally released on rental home video only as they were too strong for TV. One is a sort of Stand-Up comedy affair set in a seedy Soho nightclub (spot the guest stars in the audience) and the second show is more akin to Kenny’s TV shows, set in a studio with many of his familiar comedy characters.”
This week’s biggie was Despicable Me 4, which landed courtesy of Universal. The company’s Johanna Beaven said: “Despicable Me 4 has been unleashed on DVD and Blu-ray with mega fun, mega mischief, and mega minions! We have a truly despicable campaign spanning activations across Amazon, catch up TV, YouTube, Meta, and interactive placements on Gameloft. The physical release also includes more fun with a host of bonus features including two mini-movies featuring everyone’s favourite minions up to their usual antics. Following the fantastic theatrical run and digital releases, we’re hoping for an excellent result on physical.”
Video game adaptation time and one of Monday November 4’s biggest releases is the game-to-film property Borderlands, released by Lionsgate after its high profile theatrical releases. It boasts an impressive cast, headed up by Cate Blanchett in a full-on action role, and a brace of Steelbook SKUs gives it added appeal to game geeks and fans. Comment on the release came from the company’s Kirsten Sweeney, who said: “ Monday sees the packaged release of Borderlands - the star-studded sci-fi will be available to bring home on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD as well as two collectible Steelbooks. We're supporting the release with a multi-channel media push that will set the title up perfectly as we enter the Seasonal gifting window.”
Just announced for later in November is one of the runaway hits of the year in the shape of Kneecap, the biopic about the Belfast hip-hop trio that has helped them become rap superstars in the UK, US and beyond. The film, due from Curzon, has taken more than £2 million at UK cinemas. Curzon’s Damian Spandley said: “Congratulations to the filmmakers, the Curzon team and Wildcard, our Irish partners on the release, for their outstanding efforts in making Kneecap the biggest Irish language theatrical release across the UK and Ireland ever, and the highest grossing Irish film since The Banshees Of Inisherin. Still in cinemas, we are now out on PVOD and PEST in all the usual places. Ireland and Great Britain had their own specific theatrical poster designs, so on 25 November we are planning twin versions of the DVD and blu-ray, adapting the two posters to match their theatrical territories. In addition, we are releasing a special limited edition blu-ray in partnership with HMV, with yet another design, featuring balaclava artwork, a poster, stickers and, of course, Kneecap rolling papers!”
I Saw The TV Glow is one of the year’s most unique and unusual films, landing on these shores courtesy of current favourite production house of the day, A24, which is now an instantly recognisable brand even on these shores. And its digital release has seen Sony Picture capitalise on that recognition and awareness of the A24 brand with a paid campaign across three A24 titles – I Saw The TV Glow, Janet Planet and Tuesday, under the banner of and decided to elevate them in a multi-platform paid campaign, A24: Film With Feeling. Promoted across “Letterboxd, Meta, PR, retailers, a great DIVA partnership and a Letterboxd CRM campaign that gave away some well sought after merchandise”
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
Landing on Boxing Day…
Remastered and returning to cinemas, also on Boxing Day…
There’s definitely something weird going on here…
Strong recommend on the black and white version…
Another week, another MUBI hit…
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