Home video is said to be a hit-driven business, referring to the box-office titles that bring customers into stores. But it can be a calendar-driven business as well.
February, which is Black History Month, affords video manufacturers and retailers a marketing opportunity to showcase titles with black stars and themes. Several independent video companies demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the black community with programming that celebrates black history and culture.
Xenon Entertainment (800-829-1913), a Santa Monica, Calif., distributor of action and “blaxploitation” films, developed video collections devoted to black heritage and gospel music concerts. Its most recent offerings are “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: A Historical Perspective” and “This House of Power,” which traces the history of the African-American church.
“Seven years ago, we took a look at the competition and realized that the African-American market was not being seriously addressed,” said Xenon vice president Dwight Krizman. “The action category was good for video stores, but we felt an obligation to create the Heritage collection.”
Schlesinger Video Productions in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., developed “Black Americans of Achievement,” a 22-volume collection of video biographies, in response to school and public libraries’ requests for videos featuring black role models. James Baldwin, Harriet Tubman, Thurgood Marshall, Jesse Jackson, Alice Walker and Muhammad Ali are among the subjects profiled.
Two additional videos, “A History of the Civil Rights Movement in America” and “A History of Slavery in America,” were culled from interview and archival footage assembled for that series. Call 800-843-3620.
Chicago-based Facets Video (800-331-6197) distributes free its “African-American Video” supplement, containing vintage all-black-cast films, documentaries, literary adaptations, concerts and children’s programs. The “African-American Video Guide” is also published by Facets for $10.95 plus shipping and handling, and contains critical descriptions of nearly 1,000 fiction and non-fiction titles.
MPI Home Video (800-323-0442), too, has a diverse catalog of black history titles, including Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and “Only the Ball Was White,” a documentary about baseball’s Negro Leagues. Current events and race relations are addressed in the “Nightline” broadcast “Malcolm X: The Man, the Myth, the Movie,” featuring Spike Lee, along with other titles.
Another Chicago-based company, Public Media Video (800-262-8600), features in its history, biography and fine arts catalog the award-winning “Wonderworks” series of book-based family films. This series includes “And the Children Shall Lead,” starring Danny Glover, and “The House of Dies Drear” starring Howard Rollins Jr.
Storytelling traditions from around the world that reflect black heritage are also illustrated in the award-winning Rabbit Ears animated series “American Heroes and Legends” and “We All Have Tales,” available through video stores on the BMG Kidz label for $9.98 each. Among the titles are “John Henry,” narrated by Denzel Washington, “Follow the Drinking Gourd: A Story of the Underground Railroad,” told by Morgan Freeman, and “Koi and the Kola Nuts,” spoken by Whoopi Goldberg.
– Disney Studios never had an animated hit like “Aladdin.” Inspired by its phenomenal critical and commercial success, Walt Disney Home Video will enter a whole new world with the May 22 release of “The Return of Jaffar,” the first Disney animated feature produced exclusively for home video. Gilbert Gottfried once again lends his voice to parrot Iago, with Dan Castellaneta of “The Simpsons” as Robin Williams’ successor to voice the Genie.
– Much ado about n’yucking. Columbia TriStar Home Video commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Three Stooges by lowering the price of its Stooges library to $14.95 for each 60-minute volume, effective March 2. The tapes can be purchased at or ordered through your local video store.
