Shelf Talk: Afi's Back With 100 More Films

AFI FRANCHISE: The American Film Institute (AFI) could be developing its own video franchise, benefiting the nonprofit organization, suppliers, and dealers.
In June, the AFI is rolling out phase two of its popular "100 Years, 100 Films" program that last year prompted soaring rentals and sales of titles on the prestigious list. The AFI is putting together a collection highlighting films from the upcoming "100 Years, 100 Stars" show airing June 15 on CBS.
One feature per screen legend will be chosen, for a total of 50 titles. The second batch of 50 will feature the 50 stars appearing on the CBS show. All 100 are to be selected by AFI historians. At retail, each video will be stickered either "Legendary Performance" or "Star Performance." In-store display materials will be provided by the AFI and distributed to dealers by the Video Software Dealers Assn. (VSDA) or via an 800 number.
"Last year we didn't know if we would do another show," says AFI spokesman Seth Oster, "but CBS called and told us that they had their best Tuesday-night rating since the 1996 Winter Olympics and asked if we could come up with another one."
The 1998 show had 11 million viewers, and 17,000 video stores participated in promoting the titles.
In a repeat performance, the VSDA is sponsoring this year's in-store campaign. Meanwhile, the National Assn. of Video Distributors will run $100,000 worth of advertising in members' trade mailers.
Unlike the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which shuns commercial marketing campaigns (outside the huge revenues collected for the annual Oscar telecast), the AFI has plunged into the lucrative world of marketing using the video industry as the driving force. The plan works for everyone, since studios sell more product, retailers get a promotion during a slow time of year, and the AFI collects a big check from CBS.
The franchise can live on after the year 2000 craze is over because the AFI can put together other lists: the best westerns, musicals, gangster movies, or whatever. After the AFI has suffered years of federal budget cuts, it's encouraging to see it find a solution that manages to benefit several parties' pocketbooks.
KUBRICK COLLECTION: Also in the spirit of collaboration, Columbia TriStar Home Video, MGM Home Entertainment, and Warner Home Video are coming together to promote the movies of legendary director Stanley Kubrick.
The suppliers will jointly release and promote Kubrick's nine-title catalog on VHS and DVD June 29, just two weeks before the director's "Eyes Wide Shut" opens in theaters. Kubrick died March 7.
The collection consists of the MGM titles "The Killing" and "Paths Of Glory"; Warner's "Lolita," "2001: A Space Odyssey," "A Clockwork Orange," "Barry Lyndon," "The Shining," and "Full Metal Jacket"; and Columbia's "Dr. Strangelove; Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb."
The project had been in the works months before Kubrick's death and comes about with the full cooperation of the director-right down to title selection, release date, remastering, and the uniform look of each video box in the collection.
VHS and DVD extras include the documentary "The Making Of The Shining," made by Kubrick's daughter Vivian, and an interview with "2001" co-writer Arthur C. Clarke, which only appears on DVD.
All nine titles will be repackaged and contain a mini-reproduction of the original theatrical poster. The six Warner releases will also include the the original theatrical trailer with the VHS and DVD versions.
A seven-title gift set, excluding the two MGM features, is available for $124.92 on tape and $149.92 on disc. Individual titles retail for $19.98 and $24.98, except for "Barry Lyndon." That two-cassette movie is priced at $24.98 in both formats.