February 2010

London's Cinema Museum is hosting the Film And Movie Memorabilia Bazaar Fundraising Weekend on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th Feburary 2010, from 10am to 5pm.

You will be able to purchase classic original posters, famous film stills and film equipment. Hundreds of DVDs and books are also on offer.

A 'Bring And Buy' stall is available for visitors to sell their unwanted film goods, and there will be a top prize raffle draw.

Special guests include British film director Michael Winner, actress Fenella Fielding, and former Bond girl Caroline Munro.

The Cinema Museum is a treasure trove of original examples of cinema, ranging from items relating to film production through to film exhibition and the experience of cinema-going. It represents cinema's rich history from the earliest days to the present.

Admission is £5 for one day or £8 for both days.

The Cinema Museum is located at:
The Masters House
2 Dugard Way
Kennington, London
SE11 4TH

January 2010

Erich Segal, the acclaimed writer of the best-selling novel 'Love Story' and its subsequent Oscar-nominated screenplay for the hit 1970 film, died this month.

With Oscar-winning music by Francis Lai and direction by Arthur Hiller, the romantic tearjerker LOVE STORY was the top-earning film of its release year.

French distributor Solaris will release LOVE STORY on 10 February 2010. Theatrical rights are available for most other territories; please contact us for more information.

January 2010

All rights are now available for the 1990 UK comedy DANCIN' THRU THE DARK.

This atmosphere-laden and comic character piece is penned by renowned British playwright Willy Russell (Shirley Valentine, Educating Rita) and was adapted from his play 'Stags And Hens.'

DANCIN' THRU THE DARK has gained cult status, but has never been released on DVD.

Please contact us for more information about this and other titles available through Hollywood Classics.

December 2009

Two titles represented for DVD through Hollywood Classics have been named as part of the Top 20 releases of 2009 by the UK's Uncut Magazine.

ELECTRA GLIDE IN BLUE, released in the UK by Optimum Home Entertainment, is a cult 1973 film starring Robert Blake as a diminutive desert motorcycle cop involved in a murder inquiry.

WISE BLOOD, available in the UK through Second Sight, is a darkly humorous John Huston picture from 1979 starring Brad Dourif and Harry Dean Stanton.

Please contact us for more information about these and other titles available through Hollywood Classics.

November 2009

Three animation/sex comedy titles from Belgians Picha and Boris Szulzinger now have all rights available through Hollywood Classics.

THE BIG BANG (1987) - World War Three is nothing compared to the battle of the sexes! A sci-fi/fantasy film full of double entendre.

SHAME OF THE JUNGLE (1975) - also known as JUNGLE BURGER, this was the first foreign-language animated film to receive an X-rating and consequently wide distribution in the US.

THE MISSING LINK (1980) - the evolution of the human race is explained in humorous fashion, with the lead character befriending dinosaurs in his efforts to survive. This was entered in the 1980 Cannes Film Festival and was later remade in the US as B.C. ROCK.

Please contact us for more information about these and other titles available through Hollywood Classics.

October 2009

Joe Dreier and David Llewellyn-Jones will be attending AFM from 4-11 November 2009, and will be located at:

UK Film Export Office, Malibu Room, 7th Floor Atrium, Loews Hotel Tel: +1 310 458 6700 ext. 2424

Hollywood Classics is representing a large number of Fox and Columbia titles newly available for DVD.

FOX TITLES NEWLY AVAILABLE FOR DVD INCLUDE...

WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER? (1957), Comedy, USA. Dir: Frank Tashlin. Cast: Tony Randall, Jayne Mansfield, Betsy Drake.

DEATH HUNT (1981), Action, USA. Dir: Peter Hunt. Cast: Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin.

8 MILLION WAYS TO DIE (1986), Action, USA. Dir: Hal Ashby. Cast: Jeff Bridges, Rosanna Arquette.

GUNS AT BATASI (1964), War, UK. Dir: John Guillermin. Cast: Richard Attenborough, Flora Robson, Mia Farrow, Jack Hawkins.

BUTCH AND SUNDANCE: THE EARLY YEARS (1979), Western, USA. Dir: Richard Lester. Cast: William Katt, Tom Berenger.

COLUMBIA TITLES NEWLY AVAILABLE FOR DVD INCLUDE...

TWO RODE TOGETHER (1961), Western, USA. Dir: John Ford. Cast: James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Shirley Jones.

HUSBANDS (1970), Drama, USA. Dir: John Cassavetes. Cast: Peter Falk, John Cassavetes, Ben Gazzara.

TIME OF THE GYPSIES (1989), Adventure, UK/Italy/Yugoslavia. Dir: Emir Kusturica. Cast: Davor Dujmovic, Bora Todorovic.

In addition, Hollywood Classics also represents the rights to over 500 independent films. Titles newly available include:

PAPER TIGER (1975), Drama, UK. Dir: Ken Annakin. Cast: David Niven, Toshiro Mifune, Hardy Krüger.

THE LAST GRENADE (1973), Adventure, UK. Dir: Gordon Flemyng. Cast: Stanley Baker, Richard Attenborough.

THE VIRGIN AND THE GYPSY (1970), Drama, UK. Dir: Christopher Miles. Cast: Franco Nero, Honor Blackman.

THE GIRL WHO COULDN'T SAY NO (1969), Comedy, Italy. Dir: Franco Busati. Cast: George Segal, Virna Lisi.

Please contact us if you would like more information about these titles, or if you would like to arrange a meeting at AFM.

September 2009

Hollywood Classics is pleased to announce a new range of titles available for DVD from Twentieth Century Fox. These include:

INFERNO (1980)
Dario Argento's semi-sequel to SUSPIRIA centres around two siblings who are investigating a series of killings in Rome and New York, where they uncover a coven of witches.

Other horror titles include TALES FROM THE CRYPT (1972) starring the fabulous Joan Collins, THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE (1973) with Roddy McDowall, and THE MEPHISTO WALTZ (1971) starring Alan Alda and Jacqueline Bisset.

BLACK WIDOW (1987)
Debra Winger, Theresa Russell and Dennis Hopper star in this dark thriller in which a temptress marries lonely millionaires and murders them to inherit their fortunes. Directed by Bob Rafelson.

Other thrillers newly acquired from Fox include THE TERRORISTS (1975) starring Sean Connery and THE SEVEN UPS (1973) with Roy Scheider.

Newly-acquired westerns include THE BIG TRAIL (1930) with John Wayne, Fritz Lang's RETURN OF FRANK JAMES (1940) and THE OX-BOW INCIDENT (1943) with Henry Fonda.

War films newly acquired include GUNS AT BATASI (1964) starring Richard Attenborough and Mia Farrow, THE THIN RED LINE (1964) and WELCOME HOME, SOLDIER BOYS (1972).

WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER? (1957)
A fabulous film about a TV ad-man who finds fame when he discovers the perfect model for Stay-Put lipstick. This spoof stars the gorgeous Jayne Mansfield as the famous actress with very kissable lips.

Other comedies newly acquired from Fox include the Oscar-winning films BREAKING AWAY (1979) and THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE (1969), and MR HOBBS TAKES A VACATION (1962) with James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara.

This is just a small selection of the many titles newly available for DVD through Hollywood Classics. Please contact us for more information about these and other titles, or for a list of availabilities for your territory.

September 2009

PAPER TIGER, the 1975 British drama starring David Niven, now has all rights available through Hollywood Classics.

Posh Englishman Niven is hired as the tutor to the son of the Japanese ambassador. When he and the boy are kidnapped by terrorists, Niven must live up to the 'action man' image he has created.

Other British films with all rights newly available are Christopher Miles' THE VIRGIN AND THE GYPSY (1970), Ian Sharp's WHO DARES WINS (1982) and Peter Collinson's THE MAN CALLED NOON (1973).

Please contact us for more information about these titles.

August 2009

EL CID (1961) and THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (1964) were produced by Samuel Bronston and directed by the brilliant Anthony Mann in 70mm and, as such, both overflow with rich vistas, towering sets and spectacular battles. The newly-remastered HDs show off the vivid colours and beautiful costumes in a level of detail not seen since the days of their original theatrical releases. A release by Spirit Media distributed by Koch Media on BluRay in Germany, these films are available for licence in other territories through Hollywood Classics.

EL CID stars Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren as star-crossed lovers in a story based on the life of the legendary Spanish hero Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar. Set in the 11th century, El Cid fights to unite Spain and to drive out its Moorish rulers. The magnificent backdrop is shown off by the work of cinematographer Robert Krasker and the action accompanied by an excellent Miklos Rosza musical score.

THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE also stars Sophia Loren, this time with Stephen Boyd, Christopher Plummer, Alec Guinness and James Mason in a look at the beginnings of the fall of the Roman Empire in all of its grandeur, greed and action-packed glory. Again showcasing the cinematography of Robert Krasker, this film benefits from the nuanced film score of Dmitre Tiomkin as well as the authenticity provided by historian Will Durant.

July 2009

Hollywood Classics is pleased to announce that EuroLondon Films, one of our independent licensors, has acquired the worldwide rights for several new titles from Canal+Image:

THE GIRL WHO COULDN'T SAY NO (1968). Directed by Franco Brusati; starring Virna Lisi and George Segal. Two old childhood friends reunite for a trip through Florence.

THE LAST GRENADE (1970). Directed by Gordon Flemyng; starring Stanley Baker, Honor Blackman and Richard Attenborough. This is a tale of a duel to the death between two English mercenaries.

THE MCMASTERS (1970). Directed by Alf Kjellin; starring Burl Ives, Jack Palance and David Carradine. Black Union soldier Benjie is made co-owner of the property formerly owned by his master, but bigotry and violence soon rear their ugly heads.

THE VIRGIN AND THE GYPSY (1970). Directed by Christopher Miles; starring Franco Nero and Joanna Shimkus. Sexual tension abounds in this effective adaptation of the D.H. Lawrence novella.

These titles now have worldwide rights available.

June 2009

Over the last few months, Hollywood Classics has been contacted by several film festivals organising retrospectives requiring rights clearance and print loans. Some of the treats in store for residents in these countries include:

Classic American films from the 50s featuring Marilyn Monroe at the 3rd Chungmuro Film Festival which runs from 24 August – 1 September in South Korea. Titles screening include How To Marry A Millionaire (1953), The Seven Year Itch (1955), Niagara (1953) and, last but not least, Some Like It Hot (1959).

An Alan Rudolph tribute with the director in attendance at the 44th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival which runs 3-11 July in the Czech Republic (www.kviff.com). Three films will be screened – Trouble in Mind (1986), Choose Me (1984) and Love At Large (1990).

The Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival will be screening a selection of horror films from the 80s at the 13th edition which runs from 16-26 July in Bucheon, South Korea (www.pifan.com) Films such as The Lost Boys (1987), Motel Hell (1980) and Friday The 13th (1980) will screen alongside Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) and Child’s Play (1953).

The International Festival of Film Actors “Baltic Pearl” (7-21 September) in Riga, Latvia (www.balticpearl.lv) will be screening films such as My Fair Lady (1964), Singin’ In The Rain (1952), The Public Enemy (1931) and The Roaring Twenties (1939).

The 31st Pia Film Festival in Tokyo, Japan (www.pff.jp) will be holding a Clint Eastwood retrospective screening films from his collaboration with Sergio Leone - For A Few Dollars More (1965), The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1967) and Hang Em High (1968). The festival runs from 17-31 July.

The 27TH Torino Film Festival, 13-21 November (www.torinofilmfest.org) will be organising a tribute to Nicholas Ray. Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Johnny Guitar (1954), Run for Cover (1955), Party Girl (1958), King of Kings (1961), Lusty Men (1952) and 55 Days At Peking (1963) will be screening.

If you are a festival organiser and your plans include films whose rights are owned by Warner Bros, MGM/UA, 20th-Century Fox and Paramount, then Hollywood Classics can clear the rights for you.

June 2009

"The Story that Shocked the World is now the most Controversial Film of the Year" - original film poster

"One of the best performances of Hurt's career" - Roger Ebert

"Hypnotic and haunting" - Rolling Stone

DVD rights are now available for the first time in the UK for SCANDAL - the political drama based on the Profumo scandal of 1963.

SCANDAL was one of the most successful Palace Pictures ever (produced by Stephen Woolley and Nik Powell) and its theme of political corruption remains relevant today. Politics is always a dirty business...

As well as an outstanding cast, SCANDAL features the song "Nothing Has Been Proved," written by the Pet Shop Boys and performed by Dusty Springfield.

1989, 115 mins, UK
Director: Michael Caton-Jones
Cast: John Hurt, Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, Bridget Fonda, Ian McKellen

Please email us for more information about this and other titles available from Hollywood Classics.

June 2009

Beginning with SALÒ and followed by the 'Trilogy of Life' collection comprising ARABIAN NIGHTS, THE CANTERBURY TALES and THE DECAMERON, the BFI has rounded off their recent BluRay offerings with the British classics THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER, SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING and THE BED SITTING ROOM.

Much work has been put into the restoration of these films, making for a collection of impressive BluRay releases. New HD feature masters are available for all titles.

THE DECAMERON (1971) dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini

This is based on the novel 'Decamerone' by Giovanni Boccaccio. Colourful, entertaining and highly erotic, the film tells ten tales of sex and death involving lusty nuns and priests, cuckolded husbands, murdered lovers and grave-robbers.

THE CANTERBURY TALES (1972) dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini

Based on the medieval narrative poem by Geoffrey Chaucer, this covers eight of the twenty-four tales of unbridled fornication. With a comically blasphemous visit to Hell in the closing five minutes, this proved to be one of Pasolini’s bawdiest and most controversial films.

ARABIAN NIGHTS (1974) dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini

This is based on the ancient Arabic anthology 'The Book of One Thousand and One Nights.' Two years in the making and with the locations of Yemen, Ethiopia, Iran and Nepal forming an exotic backdrop, the film presents tales of love and lovemaking in all its myriad forms.

SALÒ, OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM (1975) dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini

Pier Paolo Pasolini’s last and most controversial film has been censored and banned, and has provoked outrage around the world. Even today its extreme imagery retains the power to shock. Based on the novel by the Marquis de Sade, and transposed to the northern Italian town of Salò, the film presents an allegory of the Fascist abuse of power in Mussolini’s Italy.

SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING (1960) dir. Karel Reisz

Adapted from the novel by Alan Sillitoe, this film is set in the industrial streets and factories of Nottingham. A young, handsome, working-class hero spends his days at the factory bench, his evenings in the local pubs, and his nights in the arms of another man’s wife. Featuring a superb jazz score by Johnny Danworth, this is a vibrant and modern British classic of gritty realism which puts a face to a generation of anti-authoritarian and unashamedly amoral youths.

THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG-DISTANCE RUNNER (1962) dir. Tony Richardson

Also from an Alan Sillitoe book, and again set in Nottingham. This film examines a teenager with a bent for petty crime. Caught robbing a bakery, he is confined to a school for delinquent youths where he discovers his talent for long-distance running. When given the chance to redeem himself during an important cross-country meet, tensions build and he stops running short of the finish line to defy the authority of his Establishment captors.

THE BED SITTING ROOM (1969) dir. Richard Lester

Based on the highly-regarded play by Spike Milligan and John Antrobus and set in post-nuclear holocaust England, this vividly-imagined and darkly satirical film boasts great performances by the cream of 60s British comedy including Rita Tushingham, Ralph Richardson, Peter Cook, Harry Secombe, Dudley Moore, Spike Milligan, Michael Horden, Roy Kinnear, Arthur Lowe, Dandy Nichols and Marty Feldman. As a bizarre cast of characters struggle on with their lives against a surrealistic backdrop of broken crockery, old boots and endless piles of ash, the fallout from a 'nuclear misunderstanding' is having some odd effects on the survivors who are prone to the occasional mutation to parrot, cupboard and even a bed sitting room.

All these MGM titles are available for DVD and BluRay licensing through Hollywood Classics. For more information on these or any other titles, please email us.

May 2009

We have several new TV titles available for DVD licensing, including MASADA, CENTENNIAL, IRONSIDE and AMAZING STORIES.

MASADA (1981) - 394 mins

Based on Ernest K. Gann's historical novel "The Antagonists," this mini-series is a dramatisation of the revolt by Jerusalem Jews against Roman oppressors in A.D. 72-73. Starring Peter O'Toole, Barbara Carrere, Timothy West amd Anthony Quayle.

CENTENNIAL (1978) - 12 x 45 mins

This sprawling epic is based on the James Michener book about the economic and cultural growth of Colorado from the mid-1700s to the late 1970s. The all-star cast includes Raymond Burr, Barbara Carrera, Richard Chamberlain, and a young George Clooney as an extra.

IRONSIDE (1967) - 28 x 60 mins, and the 2-hour pilot episode<

Raymond Burr plays the wheelchair-bound Detective Ironside in this cutting-edge police drama from the late 60s.

AMAZING STORIES (1985) - 35 x 30 mins

Steven Spielberg's anthology series includes humour, whimsy and fantasy. We journey through the past, present and future into unexpected places of unlimited imagination.

Please contact us for more information about any of these titles.

April 2009

Hollywood Classics will be attending the 2009 Cannes Film Festival from 13-24 May.

Come and visit us at:
63 La Croisette, 4th Floor, Le Lerina
tel: 04 93 94 00 09

Please contact us if you would like to arrange an appointment.

New titles on offer, with all rights available, include:
THE SILENT TOUCH (1992), directed by Krzysztof Zanusi and starring Max von Sydow.

BUTTERFLY KISS (1995), directed by Michael Winterbottom and starring Amanda Plummer and Saskia Reeves.

ARIA (1987) - ten short films from ten different directos, including Robert Altman, Bruce Beresford and Jean-Luc Goddard.

April 2009

Specialist French distributor Madadayo Films is set to release Hal Ashby’s cult hit HAROLD AND MAUDE in April 2009.

Hal Ashby’s directorial work includes SHAMPOO (1975), starring Warren Beatty, and COMING HOME (1978), which won three Academy Awards.

When first released, HAROLD AND MAUDE received lukewarm reviews and was considered a failure until it became a huge cult hit and gained a huge international following. The plot concerns a morbid and aimless young man (played by Bud Cort) who develops a relationship with a septuagenarian (Ruth Gordon).

HAROLD AND MAUDE is a Paramount film, and is available for theatrical licensing from Hollywood Classics.

January 2008

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE – end of year success!

Park Circus, UK released Frank Capra's perennial Christmas favourite, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE on 14 December 2007 on 2 new 35mm prints and digital cinema.  By the end of the year, the film had made just over £170,000 ($340,000) from 17 film print bookings and 95 digital bookings.  A new trailer and poster were created for the film and the box office success has proved once again the power of digital cinema. All congratulations to our colleagues at Park Circus!

December 2007

Park Circus released the Bond film GOLDFINGER on 31 July 2007 on 136 screens in the UK thanks to digital cinema. The release was sponsored by the BBC and UK Film Council as part of their Summer of British Film so press coverage was high and the results impressive. The film took £34,000 ($68,000) on one day. 

The Bond fan sites reported that the superior quality of the digital image and 5.1 sound were factors that brought fans into the cinema for viewing a familiar title.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC was released on 26 September 2007 on 128 screens, 125 of them digital. Again, the “one-day special” idea worked well and the film took £32,000 ($64,000).

All three of these releases were programmed into a UK multiplex chain, Cineworld, who are willing to experiment with digital cinema on this “one-day special”  idea. When the film works, they will bring it back for a second event.

Hollywood Classics' current digital line-up is as follows:

• Adventures Of Robin Hood, The

• All About Eve

• Apartment, The

• Blow Up

• Casablanca

• Death In Venice

• Dial M for Murder

• Dr. No

• East Of Eden

• Enter The Dragon

• Goldfinger

• Gone With The Wind

• Good, The Bad And The Ugly, The

• Great Escape, The

• Guys And Dolls

• It's A Wonderful Life

• Last Tango In Paris

• Little Foxes, The

• Meet Me In St. Louis

• Mildred Pierce

• Night Of The Hunter, The

• Raging Bull

• Rebel Without A Cause

• Rocky

• Singin' In The Rain

• Some Like It Hot

• Sound Of Music, The

• Spy Who Loved Me, The

• Wild Bunch, The

• Wizard Of Oz, The

The above titles have been encoded for MPEG2 and/or JPEG2000. The MPEG2 encodings are for XDC servers, JPEG2000 encodings are for Doremi and XDC servers.

We can deliver the above in the original version with or without subtitles as well as in German and Italian language versions.

November 2007

More Great Universal films available for DVD

A new collection of classic films from Universal available for the home video and DVD market was launched at AFM in November 2007.

The 30 films that comprise this Universal collection released through Hollywood Classics include classic films starring Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Marlene Dietrich, Gary Cooper and James Stewart and a package of epics directed by Cecil B. De Mille.

STARRING CARY GRANT:

Kiss and Make-Up
Harlan Thompson / 1934
Cary Grant, Helen Mack

Ladies Should Listen
Frank Tuttle / 1934
Cary Grant, Frances Drake

Wings in the Dark
James Flood / 1935
Cary Grant, Myrna Loy

STARRING TONY CURTIS:

The Black Shield of Falworth
Rudolph Maté / 1954
Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh

Flesh and Fury
Joseph Pevney / 1952
Tony Curtis, Jan Sterling

Forty Pounds of Trouble
Norman Jewison / 1963
Tony Curtis, Suzanne Pleshette

The Prince Who Was a Thief
Rudolph Maté / 1951
Tony Curtis, Piper Laurie

Son of Ali Baba
Kurt Neumann / 1952
Tony Curtis, Piper Laurie

STARRING MARLENE DIETRICH:

The Flame of New Orleans
René Clair / 1941
Marlene Dietrich, Bruce Cabot

Pittsburgh
Lewis Seiler / 1942
Marlene Dietrich, Randolph Scott

STARRING GARY COOPER:

The General Died at Dawn
Lewis Milestone / 1936
Gary Cooper, Madeleine Carroll

Souls at Sea
Henry Hathaway / 1937
Gary Cooper, George Raft

EPICS FROM CECIL B. DE MILLE:

Cleopatra
Cecil B. DeMille / 1934
Claudette Colbert, Henry Wilcoxon

The Crusades
Cecil B. DeMille / 1935
Loretta Young, Henry Wilcoxon

The Sign of the Cross
Cecil B. DeMille / 1933
Fredric March, Elissa Landi

Northwest Mounted Police
Cecil B. DeMille / 1940
Gary Cooper, Madeleine Carroll

The Story of Dr Wassell
Cecil B. DeMille / 1944
Gary Cooper, Laraine Day

Unconquered
Cecil B. DeMille / 1947
Gary Cooper, Paulette Goddard

AND MORE GREAT FILMS:

All My Sons
Irving Reis / 1948
Edward G. Robinson, Burt Lancaster

Arabian Nights
John Rawlins / 1942
Sabu, Jon Hall

Destry
George Marshall / 1955
Audie Murphy, Mari Blanchard

Gambit
Ronald Neame / 1966
Michael Caine, Shirley MacLaine

The Invisible Man Returns
Joe May / 1940
Vincent Price, Cedric Hardwicke

The Invisible Woman
A. Edward Sutherland / 1940
Virginia Bruce, John Barrymore

King of Jazz
John Murray Anderson / 1930
John Boles, Bing Crosby

Love Me Tonight
Rouben Mamoulian / 1932
Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald

Man of a Thousand Faces
Joseph Pevney / 1957
James Cagney, Dorothy Malone

Madame X
David Lowell Rich / 1966
Lana Turner, John Forsythe

Pirates of Monterey
Alfred L. Werker / 1947
Maria Montez, Rod Cameron

Sword in the Desert
George Sherman / 1949
Dana Andrews, Märta Torén

For availability details, please contact us stating
what rights and territory are of interest.

February 2007

The Wizard of Oz, released by the BFI on 15 December 2006, has grossed £113,365 to date and has so far been booked by a total of 86 venues around the country. The film was released on both 35mm and high definition digital format.

Given the film's familiarity, the challenge facing the BFI was that of persuading audiences of the value of the big screen/cinema-going experience. This message was strongly picked up and presented in the extensive media coverage which included at least half a dozen features in the News section of both broadsheets and tabloids (announcing the BFI's release and extolling the quality of the digital restoration.)

A stream of 5-star reviews on the opening Friday both reinforced the 'big screen' message and emphasised the film's timeless appeal to children in particular:

'A movie from 1939 that can enchant present-day children as much as any more recent film.' (The Sunday Times)

'Dorothy's Yellow Brick Road is brighter and, well, more yellow than ever thanks to a painstaking overhaul. The detail on this new print is astonishing.' (The Independent)

October 2006

Hollywood Classics announces the release of 46 Universal films available for DVD licensing for the first time. This now brings to 106 the number of available Universal films. Directors who are represented within this new collection are: Billy Wilder, Douglas Sirk, Frank Capra and Ernst Lubitsch.

Trouble In Mind, Fogbound and The Discovery f Heaven are the latest additions to Hollywood Classic’s “all rights” catalogue

Trouble In Mind is set in “Rain City”, a land of opportunities ripe for the picking – and a world of drugs, crime and sex. The City of Hilly Blue (Divine), obscene king of crime, who rules with all-pervading evil. For the beautiful, vulnerable Georgia (Lori Singer), it spelt a new beginning; for her lover Coop (Keith Carradine) it spelt the beginning of the end. As Coop’s life slides into crime his relationship with Georgia crumbles. But when Hawk (Kris Kristofferson) ex-cop with a past, finds Georgia and begins a hesitant seduction, Georgia begs Hawk to save her old lover.

Fogbound. On a narrow road in a spectacular mountain range, a thick and sudden fog has enveloped a van containing Bob (Luke Perry), plus couple Leo (Ben Daniels) and Ann (Orla Brady). As time passes and the mist grows thicker, fissures begin to appear among the trio. The seemingly content marriage of Leo and Ann has major problems that only begin with children and there’s clearly something troubling their best friend Bob that may involve a past indiscretion with Ann.

Their inevitable storytelling and gamesmanship quickly moves from the mischievous to the sinister.

The Discovery of Heaven is based on the novel by Harry Mulisch, one of Netherlands’s greatest writers. 2000 years after Christ was sent to earth to convert humanity, God decides to cancel His contract with mankind and He wants the stone tablets with the ten commandments returned to heaven. A couple are chosen to produce and raise a child who must retrieve the tablets and return them to heaven.

Director Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, Double Jeopardy) brings to life the romance and excitement of turn-of-the-century Vienna in Bride of The Wind, the true story of one of the 20th century's most remarkable women, Alma Mahler, lover to Europe's greatest geniuses.

Every generation has its muse. In ancient Greece, there was Helen of Troy. In the Middle Ages, there was the Mona Lisa. And in turn-of-the-century Vienna, there was Alma: a brilliant, sexy young musician who aroused the passions of Europe¹s greatest artists. Alma seduced lover after lover who changed the world ­ yet, it was she who ultimately changed each of them.

In the midst of Vienna's explosive Golden Age of artistic, musical and scientific exploration, the irrepressible Alma Schindler was involved in tumultuous marriages and affairs with some of the 20th Century's most riveting men including the daring composer Gustav Mahler, the expressionist painter Oskar Kokoschka, the influential modern architect Walter Gropius and the accomplished novelist Franz Werfel.

Starring as Alma, newcomer Sarah Wynter plays opposite two-time Tony Award-winner Jonathan Pryce, who portrays the perfection-obsessed Gustav Mahler, and Vincent Perez, who in a sensual performance as the fiery artist Kokoschka, portrays a man so in love with Alma he could not control his jealousy.

Bride of The Wind was produced in 2001 and has a running time of 99 minutes. It is a UK/German/Austrian production.