Simitar Entertainment
History
[edit]In 1984, K-Tel International, who had a successful video presence in Canada and Australia, launched its North American home video division as K-Tel Video. After K-Tel International filed for bankruptcy, two of its founders, Mickey Elfenbien and Philip Kives, left the company and took over the home video division from the company and it became an independent company called Simitar Entertainment.
They bought out Pickwick Records. The company also spawned imprints such as Simitar Motorsports Video for motorsports titles, New Family Movies for family films and Ani-Magine Anime for Japanese anime. Eventually, Simitar went onto its battle against GoodTimes Entertainment, United American Video Corporation and Anchor Bay Entertainment as one of the major budget sell-through distributors.
In 1997, they became the first independent film distributor to release their films on DVD. Simitar Entertainment would eventually go bankrupt and shut down in 2000 after losing a lawsuit filed by Titan Sports (dba World Wrestling Federation; now known as World Wrestling Entertainment) over a 1999 knock-off compilation album entitled Slammin' Wrestling Hits, which contained covers of WWF entrance themes produced without their consent. Most of Simitar's home video library would end up going to Brentwood Communications.
Releases
[edit]1985
[edit]| Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Note(s) |
|---|
1986
[edit]| Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8339 | Remembering Life Volume One From Varied Directions, Inc. Sub-licensed from Active Home Video |
USA | 1984 | 30 min | Edited version (part 1) | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color | 1986 | |
| 8352 | Remembering Life Volume Two From Varied Directions, Inc. Sub-licensed from Active Home Video |
USA | 1984 | 30 min | Edited version (part 2) | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color | 1986 |
1987
[edit]| Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Note(s) |
|---|
1988
[edit]| Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Note(s) |
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1989
[edit]| Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Note(s) |
|---|
1990
[edit]| Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2247 | The Call of the Wild From Intercontinental Releasing Corp. Sub-licensed from Bingo Video |
UK/France/Norway/Italy/Spain/Germany | 1972 | 105 min | 1976 USA theatrical version | PG | Matted 1.85 | 1 | N/A | Color | October 18, 1990 | |
| 2248 | Black Valor From Concorde-New Horizons Sub-licensed from Bingo Video |
Philippines/USA | 1973 | 90 min | TBD | R | Matted 1.85 | 1 | N/A | Color | October 18, 1990 | |
| 2249 | Cat O' Nine Tails Sub-licensed from Bingo Video |
Italy/Spain/West Germany | 1971 | 112 min | USA theatrical version | PG | Matted 2.35 | 1 | N/A | Color | October 18, 1990 | |
| 2250 | Mad Dog Morgan From Weintraub Entertainment Group Sub-licensed from Bingo Video |
Australia | 1976 | 93 min | USA theatrical version | R | Matted 2.39 | 1 | N/A | Color | October 18, 1990 | |
| 2251 | El Condor From Warner Bros. Pictures Sub-licensed from Bingo Video |
USA | 1970 | 102 min | TBD | R | Matted 1.85 | 1 | N/A | Color | October 18, 1990 |
|
| 2252 | Powderkeg From Worldvision Enterprises A Filmways Television production Sub-licensed from Bingo Video |
USA | 1971 | 93 min | TBD | NR | Academy | 1 | N/A | Color | October 18, 1990 | |
| 2253 | Ride to Glory From Paramount Pictures A Dino De Laurentiis production Sub-licensed from Bingo Video |
Italy/USA/Yugoslavia | 1970 | 100 min | 1971 USA theatrical version | PG | Matted 2.39 | 1 | N/A | Color | October 18, 1990 |
|
| 2255 | Mitchell From Warner Bros. Television Sub-licensed from Bingo Video |
USA | 1975 | 90 min | 1980 televised version | R | Matted 1.85 | 1 | N/A | Color | October 18, 1990 |
|
| 2256 | The Opium Connection From Heritage Entertainment Sub-licensed from Bingo Video |
France | 1966 | 90 min | TBD | PG | Matted 1.66 | 1 | N/A | Color | October 18, 1990 | |
| 2257 | The Final Comedown From Concorde-New Horizons Sub-licensed from Bingo Video |
USA | 1972 | 83 min | TBD | R | Matted 1.85 | 1 | N/A | Color | October 18, 1990 | |
| 2258 | Watched Sub-licensed from Bingo Video |
USA | 1974 | 95 min | TBD | R | TBD | 1 | N/A | Color | October 18, 1990 | |
| 2259 | Treasure of the Yankee Zephyr From INI Entertainment Group Sub-licensed from Bingo Video |
Australia/New Zealand/USA/UK | 1981 | 90 min | 1984 USA theatrical version | PG | Matted 2.35 | 1 | N/A | Color | October 18, 1990 | |
| 2260 | Angela Sub-licensed from Bingo Video |
Italy/Canada/USA | 1977 | 90 min | TBD | TBD | Matted 1.85 | 1 | N/A | Color | October 18, 1990 | |
| 2261 | Dan Candy's Law From Orion Pictures Sub-licensed from Bingo Video |
Canada | 1974 | 90 min | TBD | PG | Matted 2.35 | 1 | N/A | Color | October 18, 1990 |
1991
[edit]| Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Note(s) |
|---|
1992
[edit]| Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Note(s) |
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1993
[edit]| Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Note(s) |
|---|
1994
[edit]| Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Note(s) |
|---|
1995
[edit]| Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Note(s) |
|---|
1996
[edit]| Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Note(s) |
|---|
1997
[edit]| Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Format | Note(s) |
|---|
1998
[edit]| Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Format | Note(s) |
|---|
1999
[edit]| Catalog number | Title | Country of origin | Original year | Length | Version | MPAA rating | Film format | Tape count | Tape break placement (if applicable) | Color | Released | Format | Note(s) |
|---|
Duplicators
[edit]Occasionally, Simitar noted the duplicator's initials on the face label.
- Cassette Duplicators Incorporated, West Valley City, UT (CDI)
- Celebrity Duplicating Services, Inc., Canoga Park, CA (always uncredited)
- Cinram International Inc., Huntsville, AL (CIN)
- Downeast Duplicating, Inc., Biddeford, ME (ddi)
- High Speed Video, Malvern, PA (always uncredited)
- Technicolor Video Services, Livonia, MI (always uncredited)
- Osborn Video Productions, Orem, UT (OVP)
- Paragon Media, Inc., Wauconda, IL (PM)
- Precision Tapes Inc., Minneapolis, MN (PT)
- RSB Video, Montreal, QC (always uncredited)
- Vaughn Communications Inc., Minneapolis, MN (VCI)
- VCA-Teletronics, Leonia, NJ (always uncredited)
- West Coast Video Duplicating, Brisbane, CA (always uncredited)
DVD replicators
[edit]- AmericDisc, Bloomingtown, MN
- Nimbus Manufacturing, Provo, UT
- SF Video, Inc., San Francisco, CA
Trivia
[edit]- The label style often depended on where the tape was duplicated. Tapes duplicated at Cassette Duplicators Incorporated and Osborn Video Productions used the exact same label style, while Vaughn tapes used a label with different variations, one with the Simitar logo in the bottom left and one without. High Speed/Technicolor tapes had the "IF YOU EXPERIENCE PICTURE PROBLEMS…" tracking control disclaimer at the top of the label, below the title.