Talk:Distributors
Add topicThe ABM Group and Starmaker Entertainment[edit]
I have noticed that prior to 1994, Starmaker Entertainment releases were distributed in Canada by the ABM Group. According to the Audiovisual Identity Database, ABM was eventually sold to Front Row Entertainment around 1994, the same year Starmaker Entertainment was sold to the Handleman Company.
First of all, what did the "ABM" initialism stand for? Second of all, was ABM originally affiliated in any way, shape or form with Starmaker Entertainment, or no? 69.85.235.224 19:23, 26 October 2023 (UTC)
Drive Entertainment[edit]
I’ve noticed that on some copies of Drive Entertainment VHS releases manufactured at Technicolor in Livonia, MI, the catalog number in the printings began with "VTDE", implying that Video Treasures was Drive Entertainment's distributor (at least for their VHS releases) at the time. Did Video Treasures, in some way, handle marketing (in addition to sales/distribution) of Drive Entertainment's VHS releases, or did they handle sales/distribution only? Also, did VT also distribute Drive's audio releases?
2601:4C4:4000:A8C0:C8EB:A985:3678:EA62 01:12, 6 September 2024 (UTC)
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment[edit]
I've attempted to blank the old "Warner Bros. Home Entertainment" page while creating the "Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment" page, as that is what WBHE became in 2022; however, it would not allow me to, because it said that the edit was "harmful". 69.85.235.235 17:16, 3 October 2024 (UTC)
Welcome to the Weird Mysterious Looking Side of the World of the Public Domain[edit]
I've noticed that even many 1970s and '80s movies that are supposedly still under copyright were released on home video on several PD-ish labels between the '80s and 2010s.
Some examples:
- Tunnel Vision
- Adios Amigo (Spanish for "Goodbye Old Friend")
- Mesmerized
An (*) indicates that the label was a division of Video Treasures/Anchor Bay Entertainment.
Both Tunnel Vision and Adios Amigo were released on Burbank Video* in 1989 and 1991/92, respectively. Adios Amigo was also released on D.H.R. sometime in the late '80s (The D.H.R. release was eventually re-issued in the early '90s on Simitar Entertainment, which was a legitimate spin-off from music label K-Tel). Tunnel Vision was also released on Front Row Entertainment and SBR (a subsidiary of Direct Source Special Products). Mesmerized has been released on several labels since the '90s, namely Edde Entertainment, MNTEX Entertainment*, Front Row Entertainment, Gemstone Entertainment (a sub-label of UAV) and East West Entertainment. I have no idea what SBR even stands for. East West also released Adios Amigo on DVD. So did a few other labels, namely Trinity Home Entertainment (I'm not even sure if Trinity's DVD release was licensed, but on the other hand, the 1989 Burbank Video VHS kind of looks like a licensed release since it has a copyright warning on the back which Burbank Video releases normally didn't have; but still I'm not really sure.).
At this point I seriously want to know the mystery status behind these W-E-I-R-D releases.
69.85.235.48 20:02, 29 January 2025 (UTC)
I've discovered last night that "The Deserter", despite having a copyright notice at the beginning, was never registered for copyright. Beforehand, I discovered that several labels have released the movie on VHS, namely Bingo Video and Front Row Entertainment. (The Bingo Video release was eventually re-issued in the early '90s on Burbank Video / Video Treasures and JTC Video) The movie was produced by Dino De Laurentiis and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Likely due to Paramount keeping the distribution rights after the movie's theatrical run was over, its home video division released its own VHS version of the movie in late 1992; this is supposedly better quality than the versions on PD labels. 69.85.235.48 16:49, 30 January 2025 (UTC)