Animation World Magazine, Issue 2.8, November 1997

Animation World News:Home Video & Distribution

Don't miss "Animation To Go," our report on the latest animated home videos, in this issue of Animation World Magazine.

DVD is Coming....The much talked-about new home entertainment technology, Digital Video Disk (DVD), will hit the U.S. market starting in November with a major marketing push from hardware manufacturers. Though DVD is touted as the medium that will replace video cassette recorders and players (VCRs), it is up to the content publishers and distributors to generate interest in the technology. Disney recently announced their first slate of titles to be released on DVD, which includes several live-action titles and one animated film, the stop-motion animated feature, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. This title will be available in stores December 2, at $29.99. MGM Home Entertainment will debut two Dr. Seuss animated titles, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and Horton Hears A Who, on a double-feature DVD. Though the films are re-releases of existing titles, MGM's offering maximizes the possibilities available in the new DVD format, with a special interactive Grinch trivia game, and images of pencil sketches of the Grinch and Horton characters from the original animated production directed by Chuck Jones.

Confused by all the talk about DVD? Don't miss our informative report on this and other new technologies, "The Life Cycle of DVD," in this issue of Animation World Magazine.

Manga's October Releases. Manga Entertainment released three Japanese animation home video titles in the U.S. on October 28. Angel Cop-The Collection, is a compilation of six episodes of the Japanese action series. The tape runs at 140-minutes and sells for $24.95 (SRP). Shadow Skill - Part 2 is a 90-minute sequel, a Street Fighter series.

The 30th Anniversary Limited Edition of Walt Disney's
The Jungle Book. © Walt Disney Home Video.

The Jungle Book On Video. Last month, Walt Disney Home Video releaseed the 1967 animated feature film, The Jungle Book on home video. The 30th Anniversary Limited Edition includes The Making of A Musical Masterpiece, a 15-minute mini-documentary on the musical recordings for the film, which includes footage of jazz legend Louis Prima recording the song I Wan'na Be Like You. Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, The Jungle Book, is Disney's 19th animated feature, and the last animated feature film to be supervised by Walt Disney. The 30th Anniversary Limited Edition of The Jungle Book is available on video in U.S. stores from October 14 - January 31, 1998.

Fox Releasing Fourth Aardman Video. Twentieth Century Fox Home Video is releasing a new compilation of films by Aardman Animations, creators of the popular Wallace and Gromit films. Titled Creature Comforts, the compilation became available in U.S. stores on October 21, for $14.98 (SRP). Of course, the video contains Nick Park's classic clay-animated film Creature Comforts, as well as Peter Lord's Adam, Wat's Pig, and Boris Kossemehl's Not Without My Handbag. While all of these films have previously been available in the U.S. on assorted compilations such as The Tournee of Animation, this is the first time that these four films have been packaged together. Fox is promoting Creature Comforts alongside Nick Park's The Wallace and Gromit Gift Set, a $24.98 (SRP) three-volume package featuring A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, and A Close Shave.

Another Video For Casper! Harvey Entertainment, owner and licenser of properties such as Casper and Richie Rich, and Saban Entertainment, producer of animation such as X-Men, have agreed to co-produce a second full-length, live-action, direct-to-video feature based on Harvey Entertainment's Casper character. Tentatively titled Casper Meets Wendy, and slated for a fall 1998 release, the film will include Harvey's classic Wendy the Witch character. This is a sequel to Casper: A Spirited Beginning, which was released this month, and has sold approximately 1.2 million units in the first week of retail sales.

Animation World News is compiled daily for publication in the AWN Daily Flash, the weekly Animation Flash email newsletter, and monthly issues of Animation World Magazine.

Send your newsworthy items, press releases, and reels to:
Email: wendyj@awn.com
Fax: (213) 464-5914
Mail: Animation World Magazine
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