As we reported, on June 1 Rhino Home Video released THE WORLD OF SID &
MARTY KROFFT, a three-volume set that included one episode from every
Krofft Saturday morning show. Now on July 20 the kooky shows of Sid & Marty
Krofft will once again find their way into American living rooms with the
home video release of individual episodes of H.R. PUFNSTUF, SIGMUND & THE
SEA MONSTERS, LAND OF THE LOST, BUGALOOS, LIDSVILLE, and FAR OUT SPACE
NUTS. While these shows are mostly live-action (the primary exception is

Manga Video will release BLACK JACK in the US on June 29, 1999. Directed by
Osamu Dezaki, this 1993 direct to video release from Japan is based on a
manga by Osamu Tezuka that was first serialized in Japan from 1973-78.
Tezuka is known as the father of animation and comic books in Japan, and
specifically as the creator of such TV series as ASTRO BOY and MARINE BOY,
as well as award-winning shorts such as JUMPING. In BLACK JACK, Dr. Black
Jack, an unlicensed but extremely successful surgeon, is a lone wolf who

TWEETY: TWEET & LOVELY gives US fans of the lovable little canary and his
always-hungry pursuer, Sylvester, 10 of their funniest Warner cartoons.
Included are "Red Riding Hoodwinked," "Fowl Weather," "A Pizza Tweety Pie,"
"Tugboat Granny," "Rebel Without Claws", "Tweety's Circus", "Greedy for
Tweety", "Hawaiian Aye Aye", "Tweet and Lovely", and "Catty Cornered". 66
min. Warner Home Video. US street date: June 22. $14.95. TWEETY: HOME TWEET
HOME includes ten more cartoons featuring Tweety and Sylvester. "Birds

A boxed set of TV shows made by Sid and Marty Krofft in the 1970's collects
episodes from thirteen Krofft programs, including the short programs that
were part of "The Krofft Super Show," and will be released by Rhino Home
Video on May 18 in the USA. These shows are not animated, but their cheesy
"special effects" have a camp appeal for many fans of animation, especially
for the children of the Seventies.


Tape 1 (120 mins.) includes:


H.R. PUFNSTUF - "Book, Flute, & Candle" Episode 12. Jimmy finds Freddie The

Siren Entertainment, an Australian company, has released eight volumes
of THE MILTON THE MONSTER SHOW, available in both VHS PAL and NTSC
formats. In the fall of 1964, THE MUNSTERS and THE ADDAMS FAMILY,
sitcoms about families of monsters, appeared on US TV. Attempting to
cash in on their subsequent success, Hal Seeger Productions produced THE
MILTON THE MONSTER SHOW for ABC's 1965-1966 season. Milton is a giant
Frankenstein monster-type created by Professor Weirdo and Count Kook.
His creators meant Milton to be scary, but he turns out to be a

Released last week in the USA, Pixar's A BUG'S LIFE was the week's best
selling video and DVD title, selling enough copies to already put it at No.
4 on the list of the year's best selling videos, and No. 10 on the list of
the year's best selling DVD's. (There are no plans to release the Pixar
film on laser disc.) It is already ahead of ANTZ and just behind THE
RUGRATS MOVIE, but farther behind MULAN. Other best selling VHS titles for
the week include THE RUGRATS MOVIE, which finished third; SCOOBY-DOO'S

The Cinema Guild has released the animation cult classic, VAMPIRES IN HAVANA! Juan Padron, best known in the US for his QUINOSCOPO shorts, directed the 1985 Cuban film which was released theatrically in the USA in 1987. VAMPIRES IN HAVANA! is a spoof of horror and gangster movies, presented in a style reminiscent of FRITZ THE CAT. It features Professor von Dracula, a vampire scientist who leaves Transylvania for Cuba where he invents "Vampisol," a potion that allows vampires to live in sunlight.

The new Paramount Home Video release of THE RUGRATS MOVIE was the best
selling video in the US for the week ending April 4, 1999. RUGRATS out sold
its nearest rivals, TAE-BO WORKOUT and MIGHTY JOE YOUNG, by about four to
one. However, MULAN, which debuted on video in the US earlier this year,
sold about 38% more copies during its debut week than RUGRATS sold during
its first week. RUGRATS was also released on DVD last week where it debuted
at #2, just behind Buena Vista's THE WATERBOY with Adam Sandler.

The Ottawa International Animation Festival and Canadian Film Institute
have acquired the North American video rights to all Estonian animation
films produced by the studios,Tallinnfilm, Eesti Joonisfilm, and Nukufilm.
The collection includes award winning films by Priit Parn, ("Hotel E,"
"Breakfast on the Grass," and "The Night of the Carrots"); Rao Heidmets
("Hell"); Mati Kutt ("Underground," "Smoked Spout Baked in the Sun"); Janno
Poldma ("Birthday"); Rein Raamat ("Hell"); and many more.

George Pal's first feature film, THE GREAT RUPERT (1950), is being released on DVD by Image Entertainment. The film, which has never been released on home video before, is an Arnold Leibovit Entertainment Presentation, and will be released on May 7 for a retal price of $24.99. It stars the legendary Jimmy Durante, Tom Drake and Terry Moore (Jill from the 1949 film MIGHTY JOE YOUNG); as well as Rupert, a dancing squirrel brought to life using Pal's trademark Puppetoon animation technique. The rarely seen film was transferred from one of the few 35mm nitrate prints in existence.

Walt Disney Home Video is re-releasing 101 DALMATIONS (1961) on video on March 9, for 101 days only. The fully restored, digitally remastered and THX Certified release also features a new 90-second MOUSEWORKS short, STREET CLEANER, featuring another Disney canine star, Pluto. In addition, the video is accompanied by an exclusive offer for a free Dalmation puppy beanbag toy. The video will be available at $26.99 (S.R.P.).

Disney's 36th animated feature, "Mulan," is released on video on February 2 at $26.99. It will receive a simultaneous release in Disney's Spanish-language collection, Disney En Espanol. As a special bonus, the video will feature an exclusive five-minute behind-the-scenes look at Walt Disney Pictures' upcoming animated film, "Tarzan." DreamWorks will release "Antz" on home video on February 9 only four months after its theatrical release at $26.98.

On Friday, January 8, the Walt Disney Company recalled 3.4 million copies

of "The Rescuers" video release due to two objectionable non-consecutive

frames in the 110,000-frame movie. The frames in question feature a

live-action naked torso of a female in a background image inserted as a gag

by a cameraman when the movie was originally filmed in the 1970s. The 1992

home video release of the animated film didn't use the original print and

therefore didn't have the objectionable images. Under ordinary viewing

A.D.V. Films has announced the acquisition of "Queen Emeraldas," a new film from Leiji Matsumoto (creator of the '70s animated series "Space Cruiser Yamato," a.k.a. "Starblazers"). The film features Matsumoto's unique sense of character design utilizing traditional and computer animation. The story takes place in the far future when humanity has expanded into space and colonized the stars. Since pirates ply the space routes preying on the weak and helpless, the rebel Emeraldas sails the Sea of Stars fighting evil using her array of futuristic weapons.

Columbia Tristar Home Video and the Harvey Entertainment Company will
release "Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure," a live-action, feature-length
musical comedy, starring the classic oversized, diapered duck in his first
movie ever. The direct-to-video film, which will be released on March 2,
1999, stars Joseph Bologna, Maureen McCormick, Harvey Korman, David Lander,
and David Leisure. The song-filled film also includes a bonus Baby Huey
cartoon, "Daycare Duckie," packaged with the film. The film is about how

CBS/Fox, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and DIC Entertainment are producing a direct-to-video title based on the life of Martin Luther King Jr., called “Our Friend, Martin.” The one-hour film will combine new animation with live-action archival footage of the late civil rights activist. Several celebrities are lending their voices to the production, including Whoopi Goldberg, Samuel L. Jackson, James Earl Jones, Susan Sarandon, John Travolta, Jaleel White and Oprah Winfrey.

On October 27, Walt Disney Home Video releases "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride," a direct-to-video animated feature sequel to the 1995 blockbuster theatrical feature, "The Lion King." Disney hopes to achieve similar success to that of the film's predecessor, which has made history as both the number one animated movie and best-selling video of all time.

On October 13, Columbia TriStar Home Video released "Buster & Chauncey's Silent Night," a direct-to-video animated musical based on the true story of "Silent Night." The 48-minute film was produced by Buzz Potamkin and is Columbia TriStar's first in-house direct-to-video animated feature. Voice talent, directed by Susan Blu, includes the late Phil Hartman, Tom Arnold and Marie Osmond.

DreamWorks’ animated feature film, “Antz” has grossed over $36 million in the past 10 days since its U.S. theatrical release, topping two weeks’ box office charts. Reeling from this success, DreamWorks is developing a direct-to-video sequel to “Antz.” The film would, like its predecessor, be produced by computer animation studio Pacific Data Images (PDI). It is also being considered for theatrical release. Either way, a studio spokesperson confirmed that if the production is green lit, it would be 18-24 months before its release.

On October 8, McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S. will start distributing a new animated video series starring the company spokes-clown, Ronald McDonald. All three of the productions were produced by Los Angeles-based animation studio, Klasky Csupo. Just in time for Halloween, the first release is a 40-minute video titled “Scared Silly” (directed by John Holmquist), featuring Ronald and friends on a camping trip to a haunted house. It will be available for $3.49 with any purchase.