Video buyers guide: July - December 1997

Drug Store News, July 14, 1997 by Allene Symons

Below are highlights of forthcoming titles that may be of special interest to drug chains and may be ordered by retailers from mid-July through the end of 1997:

A&E HOME VIDEO will feature the full two-hour theatrical production of "Jane Eyre" on home video (pre-book Oct. 21, street date Nov. 11).

New titles in A&E's biography series ($19.95 each) include "Mary of Nazareth" (pre-book Aug. 5, street date Aug 26), "John Fitzgerald Kennedy" (prebook Sept. 2, street date Sept 21), "Jerry Lewis" (pre-book Oct. 7, street date Oct. 28), "Mussolini" (pre-book Nov. 4, street date Nov. 25) and "Lincoln" (pre-book Dec. 2 street date Dec. 30).

For more information call Lisa Backus, A&E (distributed by New Video Group), (212) 206-8600.

BMG will feature "The I Screen Test," a direct-to-video musical adventure with stop-action animation' from Xavier Roberts, creator of the Cabbage Patch Kids ($12.98; street date Sept. 30). Also from BMG, "Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie: Mumfie's White Christmas," from the creator of "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends." The animated direct-to-video title, with its theme of friendship and fun, stars Mumfie the little elephant and includes singalong songs ($9.98; fall street date).

For more information call Gene Fink, (212) 930-6765.

Buena Vista Home Video will re-issue a special collector's edition of "Mary Poppins" ($22.99; pre-book July 15, street date Aug. 26), and offers six videos in its Halloween collection at various prices (pre-book July 15, street date Aug. 26). "Sleeping Beauty" will also be re-issued ($26.99, prebook Aug. 5, street date Sept. 16) and "The Jungle Book" will also be taken out of the Disney vault and be re-issued in a 30th anniversary limited edition ($26.99; prebook Sept. 2, street date Oct. 14). This comes with additional programming called "The Making of The Jungle Book" and a free "The Music of The Jungle Book" songbook inside each video package.

The animated made-for-video title "Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas" features vocal stars from the original film, including Angela Lansbury, and introduces new characters voiced by Tim Curry and Bernadette Peters ($26.99; preorder Sept. 30, street date Nov. 11).

Other Disney releases, with prebook dates from mid-July to the end of the year, include "The Love Bug" collection promotion, "Old Yeller" collector's edition, 1997 Christmas Cartoons, 1997 Holiday Hits, and The Great American Legends series promotion. Of the above titles "Sleeping Beauty," "Old Yeller," "The Jungle Book" and "Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas" are among those eligible for the Disney Video Rewards program, in which consumers can earn a free video by mail with the purchase of eight eligible videos, or get two free for 12.

For more information call Mike Aufricht, (818) 295-4908, Kelly Avery, (818) 295-4460, or Dennis Maguire, (818) 295-4900.

Cabin Fever Entertainment is releasing "For Pete's Sake" to celebrate the 7.5th anniversary of "The Little Rascals." The limited edition video (Volume 22) includes a special introduction starring Tommy "Butch" Bond and Pete the Pup. This includes four classic titles "For Pete's Sake," "The Pooch," "Dogs is Dogs," and the never-before-released silent film, "Dog Heaven." ($9.98; street date Aug. 26).

Columbia Tristar is repricing four live-action titles for Halloween, including "Brainscan," "Nightwing," "Johnny Mnemonic" and "Hideaway," ($14.95 each; pre-book July 17, street date Aug. 19). Also from Columbia, three classic western titles, "Blazing Across the Pecos," "Hangman's Knot" (with Donna Reed and Lee Marvin) and "Bonanza Town" ($14.95 each; pre-book July 10, street date Aug. 12).

Hallmark Home Video is highlighting five titles for third- and fourth-quarter release, including the animated Christmas tale of Annabelle the calf, "Annabelle's Wish," featuring Randy Travis. New from Hallmark is the Crayola Kids Adventures label of one-hour live-action dramas based on great literary classics. Initial releases are "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, "The Trojan Horse" and "Gulliver's Travels."

"Crayola Presents Animated Tales" is a new series which will be launched with "The Ugly Duckling," a feature-length animated direct-to-video title. Other releases include "The Adventures of Mouse & Mole" and "Tales of the Tooth Fairies." ($14.98; pre-book Sept. 2 for street date Sept. 30).

"Mrs. Santa Claus" stars Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Claus, who heads to New York City to work her North Pole magic ($14.98; pre-order Sept. 30, street date Oct. 21) and "The Leopard Son," an award-winning film that follows an African leopard cub to his coming of age, narrated by Sir John Gielgud ($14.98; prebook Oct. 7, street date Oct. 28).

For more information call Doug Dohmen, vice president of sales, (213) 634-3000.

LIVE Home Video is relaunching six classic family tales for Halloween, each with stories and songs appropriate for children of all ages. Titles include "Claymation Comedy of Horrors," "Norfin's Castle of Doom," "The Canterville Ghost," "Follow that Goblin," "Lumpkin the Pumpkin" and "The Great Bear Scare" ($9.98 each; pre-book July 29, street date Aug. 19). Its newest Christmas title is "The Littlest Angel" ($12.98) and "Bruno the Kid: The Last Christmas" ($9.98), which will join a half dozen other LIVE Family Home Entertainment Christmas classics (for all Christmas titles pre-book Aug. 12, street date Sept. 2)