MGM Home Entertainment

MGM Home Entertainment
Home video company
Industry Home video and DVD arm of MGM
Founded 1979 (as MGM Home Video)
Headquarters USA
Products DVD
Blu-ray Disc
Parent Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

MGM Home Entertainment is the home video arm of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

History

The home video division of MGM started in 1979 as MGM Home Video, releasing all the movies and TV shows by MGM. In 1980, MGM joined forces with CBS Video Enterprises, the home video division of the CBS television network, and established MGM/CBS Home Video. In October of that year, they released their first batch of Betamax and VHS tapes: The Wizard of Oz, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Doctor Zhivago, Ben-Hur, That's Entertainment!, Network, Coma, The Dirty Dozen, An American in Paris, The Sunshine Boys, Blowup, Meet Me in St. Louis, A Night at the Opera, Adam's Rib, Jailhouse Rock, Tom and Jerry, The Boys in the Band, Rude Boy, Rio Lobo, The Street Fighter, Electric Light Orchestra In Concert, James Taylor In Concert, The Nutcracker, and Giselle.[1]

The initial printings of all 24 films were packaged in brown leather clamshell cases with gold lettering; they were presented to CBS executives. Later printings of these films, as well as all printings of later releases by MGM/CBS, were packaged in oversized gray book boxes with either the MGM Abstract Lion print logo or CBS Video print logo in the upper right hand corner of the packaging. MGM/CBS also issued some early tapes of Lorimar product; those releases would instead bear the Lorimar print logo where the MGM or CBS Video print logo would normally be.

In 1982, a year after MGM bought and merged with the near-bankrupt United Artists, CBS dropped out of the video partnership with MGM and moved to 20th Century Fox to create CBS/Fox Video. MGM's video division became known as MGM/UA Home Entertainment Group, Inc., more commonly known as MGM/UA Home Video. MGM/UA continued to license pre-1981 UA and pre-1950 WB films (as well as some post-1981 titles) to CBS/Fox (due to an agreement UA had with Fox years earlier dating back to when CBS/Fox Home Video was called Magnetic Video).

In 1986, MGM's pre-May 1986 library (also including the pre-1950 Warner Bros. library, Bugs Bunny: Superstar, the Fleischer Studios/Famous Studios Popeye cartoons, most US rights to the RKO Pictures library, and Gilligan's Island and its animated spin-offs), was acquired by Ted Turner and his company Turner Entertainment Co.. After the library was acquired, MGM/UA signed a deal with Turner to continue distributing the pre-May 1986 MGM and to begin distributing the pre-1950 Warner Bros. libraries for video release (the rest of the library went to Turner Home Entertainment).

In October 1990, after Pathé bought MGM, MGM/UA Home Video struck a deal with Warner Home Video to have them distribute MGM/UA titles exclusively on home video.[2] MGM/UA began distributing the UA library after its contract with CBS/Fox ended. In 1996, Warner made an exclusive deal with Image Entertainment to distribute MGM/UA titles on LaserDisc.[3]

In 1997, MGM/UA began releasing its titles on DVD, just like every other major studio. Some of the films MGM released on DVD were from the Turner catalog, which they were still allowed to keep after Turner merged into Time Warner some time before because of their distribution deal. That same year, MGM acquired Orion Pictures. As a result, Orion Home Video (Orion's home video division) was bought out by MGM/UA, and was retained as an in-name-only division until the acquisition deal was finalized in 1998. In 1998, the company was renamed MGM Home Entertainment.

In March 1999, MGM paid Warner Bros. $225 million to end their distribution agreement in February 2000; the initial deal was to have expired in 2003. As a result of the deal, MGM gave up the home video rights to the MGM/UA films owned by Turner to Warner Home Video.[4]

In 2005, following MGM's acquisition by the Sony-led consortium, the company was under the Sony Pictures Home Entertainment label but not using the MGM Home Entertainment name on any releases, which has distributed the MGM library, though under the MGM label. The deal ended a year later.

In 2006, after MGM ended their distribution agreement with Sony, they announced that they would be signing a new distribution deal with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Originally, DVD releases of MGM/UA and Columbia TriStar co-releases continued to be distributed by SPHE, since Sony then still owned 20% of MGM, whereas Fox has no controlling interest; however, Fox has since released DVD editions of films based on MGM IPs. On April 14, 2011, Fox's deal distributing the MGM library was extended until 2016.[5]

In 2010, parent company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had emerged from bankruptcy. As of 2011, MGM no longer releases or markets its own movies. Instead, MGM now resorts to co-distributing with other studios that handle all distribution and marketing for MGM's projects.[6] Since then, only some of the MGM's most recent movies, such as Skyfall,[7] Carrie,[8] RoboCop,[9] and If I Stay,[10] have all been released on DVD and Blu Ray by its home video output and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Others, such as The Hobbit, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters and G.I. Joe: Retaliation,[11] have been released by the home video output of the co-distributor, in this case Warner Home Video and Paramount Home Media Distribution respectively.

Distribution managements

Here is the list of distributors that managed to distribute MGM/CBS Home Video, MGM/UA Home Video and MGM Home Entertainment titles:

Libraries

Through 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, MGM Home Entertainment handles distribution of:

Licenses

Licensors

References

  1. ↑ Billboard Magazine, 22 Nov 1980
  2. ↑ Robert Harris interview with George Feltenstein TheDigitalBits.com (October 28, 2004)
  3. ↑
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ MGM Re-Ups DVD Deal With Fox Through 2016, deadline.com
  6. ↑ Fritz, Ben (13 December 2011). "MGM film studio remade with a low-profile and a focused strategy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  7. ↑ White, Michael (16 May 2013). "MGM Studio Says Earnings Soar on Films ‘Skyfall,’ ‘Hobbit’". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  8. ↑ Dickson, Evan (3 December 2013). "The ‘Carrie’ Blu-ray Will Have A New Ending (Hopefully Better Than The Theatrical One)". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  9. ↑ "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment present ROBOCOP, arriving on Digital HD May 20 and on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD June 3". 1 May 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  10. ↑ Palmer, Jason (2 February 2015). "Win If I Stay on DVD". Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  11. ↑ Block, Alan Ben (16 May 2013). "MGM Quarterly Results Best Expectations After 'Skyfall,' 'Hobbit'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Fabrikant, Geraldine (18 March 1995). "INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS; Sale of MGM May Not Be Top Priority". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  13. ↑ Cole, Robert J. (16 May 1981). "M-G-M IS REPORTED PURCHASING UNITED ARTISTS FOR $350 MILLION". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  14. ↑ Kehr, Dave (27 March 2008). "Four Stars’ Bright Idea Still Shines 90 Years On". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "AGV PRODUCTIONS, INC. v. METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER, INC.". Leagle.com. Retrieved 2015-03-30.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Fabrikant, Geraldine (19 April 1997). "MGM Owner Said to Offer $300 Million to Buy Orion". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  17. ↑ Yamato, Jen (11 September 2014). "MGM Quietly Revives Orion Pictures". Examiner.com. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Kehr, Dave (27 September 2005). "New DVD's". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  19. ↑ "Metromedia to Sell Film Units To MGM for $573 Million". The New York Times. 29 April 1997. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Eller, Claudia (23 October 1998). "MGM Agrees to Acquire PolyGram Movie Library". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Frankel, Daniel (22 October 1998). "NEWS/ MGM Acquires Lion's Share of PolyGram". E!. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 "COMPANY NEWS; MGM SAYS IT WILL BUY POLYGRAM'S MOVIE LIBRARY". The New York Times. 23 October 1998. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  23. ↑ Macek III, J.C. (9 June 2014). "The Rise Fall and Rise of Marvel Comics on Film Part 2: The Road Out of Development Hell". PopMatters. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  24. ↑ "Interview with David Schmoeller (Puppet Master, Tourist Trap)". Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Patten, Dominic (24 January 2014). "Fox & MGM Sued In Multimillion-Dollar ‘Weekend At Bernie’s’ Profits Suit". Deadline.com. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 McNary, Dave (24 January 2014). "‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ Filmmakers Sue Fox, MGM Over Profits". Variety. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Lowrey, Brandon (15 October 2014). "MGM Tries To Kill 'Weekend At Bernie's' Contract Claims". Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  28. ↑ Berger, Dan (11 April 2014). "Buckaroo Banzai Anniversary Special: Island of Misfit Films – Part 1". Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  29. ↑ "Warner Bros. Teams Up With PolyGram to Co-Finance & Co-Distribute Castle Rock Pictures". 6 January 1998. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  30. ↑ Madigan, Nick (8 December 1997). "Polygram shutters Island Pictures". Variety. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  31. ↑ Newman, Melinda. "Blackwell's Islandlife Has Wide-Ranging Goals". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  32. ↑ Kroon, Richard W. (2014). A/V A to Z: An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Media, Entertainment and Other Audiovisual Terms. McFarland. ISBN 9780786457403.

External links