Home video distributor New Video has been granted the exclusive U.S. retail distribution rights to Scholastic Entertainment's Scholastic Video Collection, a series comprised of award-winning animated stories from Weston Woods including Maurice Sendak’s WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, Kevin Henkes’ CHRYSANTHEMUM and Crockett Johnson’s HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON. The deal marks the first major foray into the children’s video arena for New Video, a leading home entertainment company that serves as the exclusive distributor of A&E Home Video, The History Channel and Docurama.

The National Film Board of Canada has compiled on one DVD, seven short animated films, each created with a different technique. SEVEN TO SEE/SEPT À VOIR!

From an Oscar-nominated animated boy hero to World War II to Plymptoons, July has a little bit of everything in the way of home video releases.

JIMMY NEUTRON

In this Oscar-nominated feature from Nickelodeon Movies, nerdy Jimmy Neutron and his robot dog fight evil, rescue his parents and save Earth. DVD features include, "The Making of Jimmy Neutron" featurette, two music videos, 12 promotional spots, seven DVD-ROM games and two theatrical trailers. Release Date: July 2, 2002. Suggested retail price: DVD $29.99.

Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber may be seen in a lot more homes now that Warner Home Video (WHV) and WEA Corporation have entered into a new sales and distribution arrangement with Big Idea Productions, the company best known for the VEGGIETALES video series. WHV will handle sales operations and WEA Corporation will handle distribution for all new and existing Big Idea Productions videos. WHV and WEA will be responsible for general market sales and distribution functions for VEGGIETALES, 3-2-1 PENGUINS! and the new superhero spoof, LARRYBOY - THE CARTOON ADVENTURES.

4Kids Entertainment is jumping into the home video market with the creation of 4Kids Entertainment Home Video. 4Kids has appointed FUNimation Productions, Ltd. as the exclusive distributor in the U.S. of videos and DVDs for the 4Kids' properties YU-GI-OH!, CUBIX - ROBOTS FOR EVERYONE, CABBAGE PATCH KIDS and TAMA AND FRIENDS. "The home video product today has become an important driver for children's properties and a necessary element in the retail merchandise mix," said Al Kahn, Chairman and CEO of 4Kids Entertainment.

Animation or not? Decide for yourself by picking up the DVD release of WAKING LIFE, one of many notable animation and visual effects related features released this month.

May 7

WAKING LIFE

ResFest, the travelling digital film festival, has collected a selection of 16 of the most popular films from past festivals and released them for the first time on DVD. THE BEST OF RESFEST VOLUME 1, released April 30, 2002, features live-action and animated shorts, including Tommy Pallotta and Bob Sabiston’s SNACK & DRINK, TONGUES & TAXIS by Michael Overbeck, festival favorite PASTA FOR WAR by Zach Schlappi and MAX, a war story told with GI Joe dolls created by Detroit’s AWOL collective.

A group of comic book classics have arrived on home video this week, including BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, X-MEN: EVOLUTION and JUSTICE LEAGUE. The feature-length debut of JUSTICE LEAGUE has DVD Extras including special DVD-ROM features and is available on DVD for a suggested retail price of $19.98. Additionally, the Caped Crusader swoops onto shelves with four new DVDs, BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES -- THE LEGEND BEGINS, BATMAN & MR.

The Special Edition 2-disc DVD release of Osamu Tezuka’s METROPOLIS is now in stores. Based on the classic manga by Osamu Tezuka and directed by Rintaro (X, GALAXY EXPRESS 999), METROPOLIS features a newly subtitled version of the film along with the dubbed version. Other features include: new fold-out packaging with outer sleeve, widescreen and full screen presentations, "The Making of Osamu Tezuka’s Metropolis" and "Interview with Rintaro Katsushiro" featurettes, animation comparisons and more. Suggested retail price: DVD $27.95.

John Goodman and Billy Crystal are back in the studio recording voice-over for "Mike's New Car," an all-new animated short that will be available exclusively on the DVD release of MONSTERS, INC. in stores September 17, 2002. The story of a little girl who invades the monsters' realm and then teaches them a thing or two, is given the grand treatment in a double-DVD set.

Following the record-breaking Season One DVD released last fall, SIMPSONS fans can continue to build their collections with the release of THE SIMPSONS: SEASON TWO DVD Collection on July 9, 2002. In addition to the entire second season of twenty two episodes (1990-1991), the special DVD features include interviews with series creator Matt Groening and producer James L. Brooks, early sketches, the very first Butterfinger commercials featuring Bart as the spokesperson, music videos and more. Suggested retail price: DVD US$49.98.

From a boy whose love is real, even if he is not, to a singing, bell-ringing hunchback, March video releases have something for everyone.

March 5, 2002

A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Special Edition.

TokyoPop, an international distributor of character-based entertainment, has acquired the rights to the Japanese TV series' MARMALADE BOY and BRIGADOON. Both shows will be available on DVD in the U.S. in summer 2002. BRIGADOON is a comedy sci-fi series animated by Japanese animation studio Sunrise, which is responsible for animating the series' GUNDAM WING, COWBOY BEBOP and OUTLAW STAR. MARMALADE BOY tells the story of teenage girl Miki, whose dysfunctional family gets her caught up in strange love triangles and situations.

Due to an unexpectedly strong box office performance, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment has changed the DVD and VHS release date for Osamu Tezuka's METROPOLIS to April 23, 2002. The film was previously scheduled to debut on home video on March 12. METROPOLIS has earned $446,810 in five weeks of limited release. It is currently playing on 13 screens in the U.S. and over the weekend of February 22, 2002 grossed an average of $2,425 per screen.

Hold on to your sorting hats. Warner Home Video has announced the release of HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE on DVD and VHS. A two-disc DVD including additional scenes that have never been seen before, self-guided tours, interviews with the filmmakers and interactive features will be available May 28, 2002. The VHS will also include five minutes of additional footage. 2001 saw one record-breaking DVD release after another and all were effects heavy or animated releases.

Online news and reviews site Animation on DVD, is petitioning Warner Bros. for the restoration and release of classic Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons on DVD. The Website has so far received 2,500 of the 10,000 signatures it is seeking. The petition aims to bring attention to the restoration needs of the entire Warner Bros. classic animation film library, as well as to support the release of the shorts on DVD.

Hopefully, you’ve already picked up your copies of TRON and ATLANTIS that were released on DVD in January. Sequel-mania is the theme of February’s new animation releases. Enough said.

February 5, 2002

ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN 2/THE SECRET OF NIMH 2

India’s Pentamedia Graphics Ltd. will present a slate of animated movies, home videos and series at NATPE 2002 including the new 3D animated feature ALIBABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES. The company is currently in production on SINBAD AND THE SECRET OF COLONIS, the 3D animated sequel to SINBAD: BEYOND THE VEIL OF MISTS.


Read about the making of SINBAD: BEYOND THE VEIL OF MISTS, Pentamedia’s first foray into 3D animation features.

Focusing on its action-packed lineup of anime properties, Central Park Media will release two new DVDs on January 14, 2003: VAMPIRE'S LURE, the first volume in the DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS series; and IMPATIENCE AND LONGING, the continuing adventures of the sword-fighting Utena from REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA. In VAMPIRE'S LURE, an action-packed, supernatural series, a vampire is on the loose, and it's up to dashing supernatural detective Tsuzuki to stop her!

Here are a few of the notable special effects and animated films being released this month:

JEEPERS CREEPERS –- January 8

JEEPERS CREEPERS was a surprise summer hit in 2001. The story of two teenaged siblings running from a flesh-eating monster gets the double-disc treatment from UA/MGM home video. Available on January 8, 2002, the 2-sided DVD features screen-specific audio commentary with director Victor Salva, a 59-minute documentary THE MAKING OF JEEPERS CREEPERS and deleted scenes. Suggested retail price: 2-sided DVD $26.95.