DVD 25th Anniversry, Part IV

So, what does the DVD release pie, in terms of genre/types of product, look like after 25 years and over 260,000 unique releases?

It is not what you might have expected back in 1997 when the first titles arrived.   The format was studio-centric and focused on movies, both new and from their vast film libraries that had been built up since the 1930s.   New Theatrical (those films released theatrically from 1997, the launch year of the format, to the present day) would be a driving factor and a giant revenue stream for the “Hollywood” studios.  

That is all true.  But, after 25 years of release activity this prized group of DVD products accounts for only 4.4 percent of all of the releases.   Of course, their revenue contribution has been many times that number.

The Theatrical Catalog category (pre-1997 films, which is the cutoff point for the two groups) is almost three-times that number with 12.6 percent.   17 percent of all the DVDs released over 25 years are theatrical movies, which means that 83 percent of the releases have been something else.

 

25 Years Of DVD Releases By Category

 

 

* CH 3.61%. R 3.29%, A 2.78%, MOW 2.09%, D 2.05%, FI 2.00%, AD 1.49%, MA 1.33%, S 0.85%, SH 0.83%, CO 0.57%, Mini 0.46%, TS 0.26%, K 0.22%, CC 0.20%, SS 0.16% and ST 0.14%

 

Special Interest is the big catch-all that has also churned out an equal share with 17 percent of all of the releases.   That makes since, how do you teach something, such as, knitting, or cooking, or how to do this or that on VHS?   Rewind, fast-forward, stop, rewind, frustrating and difficult to work with, DVD, with chapter markers and the ability to pause, go-back or forward easily solved all of that and opened up a massive market for “Special Interest.”  A category that has not been a “studio” thing.

Another important market that has emerged as a direct result of VHS — and home viewing — and then DVD, was the category of “Direct to Video,” which has generated roughly 29,000 movies of this ilk over the 25 years of the format’s existence.   That’s 11 percent of all the titles released.   Some great, some good, some pretty dreadful, but a vibrant market none-the-less.

Foreign Language imports account for 8.5 percent (over 22,000 films) of the pie.   DVD was perfect for this … subtitles, language options, commentary all in one package.   Try doing that with VHS.

There were two big, and perhaps unexpected, categories that have emerged as major sources of DVD product offerings.  Sports (both instruction and events) has generated almost 26,000 titles with amounts to a 9.9 percent share of the pie.   A huge chunk of this is manufactured-on-demand events (games), especially at the high school level (college, not quite as vibrant as a result of NCAA and college/university branding and restrictions).  

Sports may not be a huge number in terms of each unique event/SKU in terms of revenues — a playoff game, a semi-final, a championship, etc. — but during certain weeks of the year the SKU-count can reach into the hundreds.   No one could have anticipated the popularity of this category when DVD was launched in 1997.   Fans, parents, relatives … all want in on the action; a keepsake.

Television is the other big surprise, which was a tough, tough sell in the days of VHS (because of volume considerations) TV programming found a market with DVD.   Almost 17,000 programs, in various forms (single episodes, complete seasons, entire series) have found a home on DVD … that’s 6.4 percent of the release pie.

A category that came on strong in the beginning and that has faded over time is that of Music/Opera.   The new-release flow has dropped to a trickle in recent years, not sure quite the reason, but over the 25-year history of DVD this category has accounted for over 20,000 titles (concerts, music video collections, operas, etc.) or 7.9 percent of the pie.

All of these groups account for 78 percent of the total, which means that a big chunk is still out there, but in smaller and smaller slices of the overall release pie.  

22 percent comes from the eclectic marketplace composed of Children’s (3.6 percent), Religion (3.3 percent), Anime (2.8 percent), MOWs (made-for-TV movies, 2 percent), Documentaries (another 2 percent), Adult-themed (1.5 percent), Magic (a spin-off of Special Interest because there have been so many — 3,500 titles or 1.3 percent of the release pie), Silent Films (just under one percent) … and Short Films, Stand-Up Comedy, Mini Series, Theatrical Serials, Karaoke, Cartoon Collections (theatrical), Silent Short Films and Stage Production all combine for 2.8 percent of the remaining portion of the pie (in very small percentage slices).

25 years and over 261,000 titles later and you get a very diverse — a very tasty — pie; a wonderful marketplace of products that shows no signs of slowing down.

New DVD • Blu-ray • 4K Ultra HD Activity For The Period Ending April 01, 2022

 

New DVD Additions 

All Channel Films (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released Wee Man and Crew in Going to Hell

 

All Time Movie Classics (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released First Man Into Space

 

Buck Cody (MOD)

03/22/22 — Released Master Key (13-chapter serial) (2 disc set) and Queen of the Jungle (12-chapter serial) (2 disc set)

03/29/22 — Released Oklahoma Frontier, Racket Squad (42 episodes) (6 disc set) and Raiders of the Border

 

CMI Education/PESI Publishing

03/29/22 — Released Breakthrough DBT Techniques for the Uncontrollable Child: Help Parents Go From Escalating Emotions to the Balance of Acceptance and Change (2 disc set), Mastering the Unified Protocol: A Transdiagnostic Approach to Emotional Disorders (2 disc set) and Rewire the Anxious Brain: Neuroscience-Informed Treatment of Anxiety, Panic and Worry (2 disc set)

 

CasablancaDVDs/truth3152 (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released Murder of Dr. Harrigan, Mystery of Mr X, Tarzan and His Mate and Tarzan the Ape Man

 

Cinedigm - NFL Productions

03/29/22 — Released Los Angeles Rams: Super Bowl LVI Champions

 

EWTN

03/22/22 — Released EWTN Live: Jim Bertrand speaking of the Shroud, Women of Grace: Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB - Guidance for the Soul, Women of Grace: Susan Brinkmann - Mary: Queen of Militants and World Over with Raymond Navarro: Michael Bociurkiw

03/29/22 — Released EWTN Live: Fr. Carlos Martins, CC relics and saints, Journey Home: Emily Woodham - Former Anglican and World Over with Raymond Navarro: Walid Phares

 

Elvis DVD Collector & Movie Store (MOD)

04/05/22 — Sets Dismembered, Night Ambush, Phantom of the Rue Morgue, See the Man Run, Twisted Sex, Volume 26 and Wintertime

 

Film Collector (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released 13th Letter, Kiss the Boys Goodbye, Priorities on Parade, South Sea Sinner and Yes Sir, That's My Baby

 

Gemini Entertainment (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released Vegan Mashup: The Complete Series (3 disc set)

 

Great Finds (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released Before Dawn, Blonde Alibi, Enter Arsene Lupin, Green Hell, Little Tough Guys in Society, Madame Spy, Man Who Lost Himself, Man Who Wouldn't Die,  Menace, Never A Dull Moment, Rio and Shadowed

 

Hallmark Entertainment

03/29/22 — Released Good Witch: The Complete Series (16 disc set) and Martha's Vineyard Mystery: 3-Movie Collection (3 film set: A Beautiful Place to Die, Riddled with Deceit, Ships in the Night)

 

High Flier Films

03/29/22 — Released Dragon Knight

 

Icarus Films

05/10/22 — Sets Lady Chatterley’s Lover (French)

 

Just for the Hell of It (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released Amazing World of Psychic Phenomena and Night Games

 

Kitty Media

03/29/22 — Released Ringetsu: Complete

 

Lionsgate Home Entertainment

03/29/22 — Released Pursuit and Requin

04/05/22 — Sets Desperate Riders

04/12/22 — Sets WarHunt

 

Lost Maples Productions (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released Pro Bono Watchman

 

MVD Entertainment Group

06/21/22 — Sets Monday Morning

 

Paramount Home Entertainment

06/14/22 — Sets Billions: Season Six (4 disc set)

 

Random Media (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released 8 Winds

04/19/22 — Sets This Good Earth

04/26/22 — Sets Laws of the Universe: The Age of Elohim (Japanese) (ARR of 189 days; box office: $15,718)

 

Rare & Collectible DVDs (MOD)

03/08/22 — Released Dreamer of Oz, Miracle Down Under (aka: Bushfire Moon) and Wild Horses

03/29/22 — Released Love with a Perfect Stranger

 

Shout! Factory

03/29/22 — Released On the 3rd Day (Spanish)

04/05/22 — Sets Ice Demon (Russian)

05/03/22 — Sets Dinosaur World (Mandarin)

 

Smart Mark Video (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released H2O Wrestling: Bloody Floors - Williamstown, NJ and F1rst Wrestling: Blood, Sweat and Beers 2 - Minneapolis, MN

 

Sony Pictures Home Ent.

03/29/22 — Released Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America (ARR of 74 days; box office: $234,217)

04/05/22 — Sets Parallel Mothers (Spanish) (ARR of 102 days; box office: $2,206,023)

05/10/22 — Sets Uncharted (with Digital Copy) (ARR of 81 days; box office: $133,551,450)

 

Strikeback Studios

03/29/22 — Released Legend of Hell's Gate

 

The DVD HQ (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released Hello, Sister!, Katie Did It, We're in the Money and We're Rich Again

 

The High School Sports Network (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released 2022 PIAA 3A Boys Basketball Championship, 2022 PIAA 3A Girls Basketball Championship, 2022 PIAA 6A Boys Basketball Championship and 2022 PIAA 6A Girls Basketball Championship

 

The Teaching Company, LLC

03/29/22 — Released After the Plague (4 disc set), Einstein’s Legacy: Modern Physics All Around You (2 disc set), How to Play Violin (2 disc set) and Secret World of Espionage (2 disc set)

 

The Video Beat (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released Out of It

 

Uncork’d Entertainment (MOD)

03/08/22 — Released After the Pandemic and Time Now

03/29/22 — Released Exorcist: Vengeance

 

Universal Pictures Home Ent.  

03/29/22 — Released Young Rock: Season One (2 disc set)

 

Warner Bros. Home Ent.

05/10/22 — Sets Dog (ARR of 81 days; box office: $57,906,179)

 

Wedge Films, LLC (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released Zack Hample vs. the World

 

 

 

 

 

New Blu-ray Additions 

 

Altered Innocence

03/29/22 — Released Hypnosis (Russian)

 

Arrow Video

06/28/22 — Sets True Romance

 

Asuka the Disc Dog (aka: Fred the Blu-ray Dog) (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released Aeronauts: The Complete Series, Animorphs: The Compete Series, Backstrom: The Compete Series, Bel*Air - Season 1, Beyblade Burst (2 disc set), Beyblade Burst Evolution (2 disc set), Beyblade Burst Rise, Beyblade Burst Surge, Beyblade Burst Turbo (2 disc set), Beyblade: Metal Fury, Beyblade: Metal Fusion, Beyblade: Metal Masters, Beyblade: Shogun Steel, Carole & Tuesday: The Compete Series, Clifford The Big Red Dog: The Complete Series (2 disc set), Cool World, Digimon Adventure (2020), Digimon Adventure 02: Season 2, Digimon Adventure: Season 1, Digimon Data Squad: Season 5, Digimon Frontier: Season 4, Digimon Fusion: Season 6, Digimon Tamers: Season 3, Digimon: The Movie, Duchess: The Complete Series , Gene Autry Show: The Complete Series (3 disc set), Godzilla Singular Point: The Complete Series, Hardy Boys: Season 1, Hell House LLC Trilogy (3 film set: Hell House LLC, Hell House LLC 2: The Abaddon Hotel, Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire), Hoops: The Complete Series, I Am Not Okay With This: The Complete Series, Kiddy Grade: The Complete Series, Liberator: The Complete Series, MacGruber - Season 1, Munich: The Edge of War, Nancy Drew - Season 3, New Adventures of The Lone Ranger, Norsemen: The Complete Series, Osmosis: The Compete Series, Parallels - Season 1, Scenes From A Marriage, Secret City: The Complete Series, Shadow Raiders, Studio Ghibli Collection (Japanese) (4 disc set), Tenchi Universe, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Thermae Romae Novae - Season 1, TigerSharks - 10 Episode Compilation and Toast of London: The Complete Series

 

Big World Pictures

03/29/22 — Released I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians (Romanian)

 

Cinedigm - NFL Productions

03/29/22 — Released Los Angeles Rams: Super Bowl LVI Champions

 

Circle Collective

03/29/22 — Released Two Films by Aaron Katz (2 film set: Quiet City, Dance Party USA)

 

ClassicTVShop (MOD)

03/22/22 — Released Space Academy: The Complete Series and Tarzan: Lord of the Jungle - The Complete Series (2 disc set)

 

Code Red Entertainment

03/29/22 — Released Dagmar's Hot Pants, Inc.

 

Culture Shock Releasing

03/29/22 — Released American Scream

 

Deaf Crocodile Films

03/29/22 — Released Delta Space Mission (Romanian)

 

Dekanalog

03/29/22 — Released Two Lottery Tickets (Romanian) (2 disc set)

 

Factory 25

03/29/22 — Released Ham on Rye

 

Fun City Editions

03/29/22 — Released Bilitis

 

FUNimation

03/29/22 — Released Day I Became A God: Complete Season (2 disc set) (with Digital Copy), My Hero Academia: Season 5 - Part 1 (2 Blu-ray/2 DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy), One Piece: Season 11 Voyage 7 (2 Blu-ray/2 DVD Combo Pack) and Otherside Picnic - The Complete Season (2 disc set) (with Digital Copy)

 

Gemini Entertainment (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released Vegan Mashup: The Complete Series (3 disc set)

 

Gravitas Ventures (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released Schemers

 

Gunpowder & Sky

03/29/22 — Released Tragedy Girls

 

Kani

03/29/22 — Released Cain and Abel (Tagalog)

 

Kino Lorber

03/29/22 — Released Devil Strikes at Night (German), Edgar G. Ulmer Sci-Fi Collection (3 film set: The Man from Planet X, Beyond the Time Barrier, The Amazing Transparent Man) and Shakedown

 

Lionsgate Home Entertainment

03/29/22 — Released Pursuit (with Digital Copy) and Requin (with Digital Copy)

 

MVD Entertainment Group

06/21/22 — Sets Monday Morning

 

Movies R U.S.A. (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released Avengers Infinity War, Better Nate Than Ever, Castle Falls, Contractor, Deep Water, Discovery, Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow, Fistful of Vengeance, Moonfall, Raised by Wolves: Season 2, Tales from the Loop: Season 1 and Tender Bar

04/26/22 — Sets Uncharted

05/10/22 — Sets Lost City

05/17/22 — Sets Morbius

 

Saturn’s Core

03/29/22 — Released Double Feature (2 film set: Red Spirit Lake, We Await)

 

Sentai Filmworks

03/29/22 — Released Haikyu: Season 4 (3 disc set) and Ingress: The Complete Series (2 disc set)

 

Severin Films

03/29/22 — Released Forbidden Door (Indonesian)

 

Shout! Factory

03/29/22 — Released On the 3rd Day (Spanish)

 

Sony Pictures Home Ent.

03/29/22 — Released Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America

05/10/22 — Sets Uncharted (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)

 

Universal Pictures Home Ent.  

03/29/22 — Released Young Rock: Season One (2 disc set)

 

Vinegar Syndrome

03/29/22 — Released Beware! Children at Play and Sister, Sister

 

Warner Bros. Home Ent.

05/10/22 — Sets Dog (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)

 

Wedge Films, LLC (MOD)

03/29/22 — Released Zack Hample vs. the World

 

Yellow Veil Pictures

03/29/22 — Released Blood on Her Name

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New 4K Ultra HD Additions  

 

Arrow Video

06/28/22 — Sets True Romance

 

Paramount Home Entertainment

05/17/22 — Sets Beverly Hills Cop 2: 35th Anniversary Edition (with Digital Copy)

 

Sony Pictures Home Ent.

05/10/22 — Sets Uncharted (4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)

 

Icarus Films Prepares The DVD Release Of Director Marc Allégret’s Landmark Presentation Of Lady Chatterley's Lover For Delivery On May 10

Back in February of last year, Icarus Films, working with Les Films du Panthéon, brought to the DVD marketplace a restored presentation of French filmmaker Marc Allégret’s 1927 travel documentary/adventure titled Travels in the Congo.  A fascinating work, a cinematic document … a moment in time.

When you read of Allégret and his rich history of filmmaking, Travels in the Congo simply whets your appetite for more of his film works.   Icarus Films has answered that craving with news this past week that director Marc Allégret’s 1955 film adaptation of D. H. Lawrence’s 1928 novel, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, will be arriving on DVD on May 10.

This was the first film adaptation of Lawrence’s controversial novel — its contents (in complete form) were banned from being published in the United States in 1929 — and Allégret’s film production became the subject of a Supreme Court case when the court ruled in June of 1959 that attempts to ban his film from being exhibited in New York City were a violation of First Amendment rights. 

Other film versions have since followed, but this one was the first, the landmark film adaptation of D. H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

Famed French actress Danielle Darrieux, who lived to be the ripe old age of 100, plays the role of Constance Reid (aka: Lady Chatterley), with Erno Crisa (who made a career of appearing in “sword and sandal” films in the 1960s) playing the part of Constance’s lover, game keeper Oliver Mellors.   Rounding out the cast is Leo Genn as Sir Clifford Chatterley.

This landmark presentation of Lady Chatterley’s Lover is presented in French with English subtitles.