PRESS RELEASES
VCI Celebrates Silver Anniversary
Robert A. Blair, President of VCI Entertainment, is proud to announce the company will celebrate its 25th anniversary on May 21, 2001, making VCI the oldest independent prerecorded home video studio in the industry with an accumulated library of over 2,500 titles. Founded in 1976 as Video Communications Inc./VCI, a decision was recently reached by company heads to drop “Home Video” in favor of VCI “Entertainment.” This change of name accurately reflects the expansion of the company into the Digital Video Disc (DVD) medium and the anticipated adoption of newer technologies on the horizon; and now, VCI Entertainment is here to dazzle viewers for decades to come.
While continuing to market its programs on VHS cassette, and traditional mediums such as Television, Cable Television and Satellite Television, VCI has been hard at work restoring film elements for release on the new DVD format. Each DVD release is made with the hope and promise of providing a sharper cleaner image of programs to viewers, as they were originally presented.
Dedicated to restoring and releasing rare, out-of-print and obscure films, the VCI library is stocked with classic feature films, serials, documentaries and special interest programs. As an advocate for film preservation, VCI’s critical mission has been reflected most recently in two critically acclaimed western neo-classic DVD releases -- The Shooting and Ride in the Whirlwind. Both titles starring Jack Nicholson, were restored under the direct supervision of cult-director Monte Hellman and have garnered VCI some of its highest praise from DVD critics and collectors alike. VCI is also fortunate to have in its library another critic’s favorite, and perhaps one of the most popular of all holiday films, the 1951 classic A Christmas Carol, starring Alastair Sim. Incidentally, A Christmas Carol will celebrate its 50th Anniversary this year and VCI is planning a major promotion to launch a special 50th Anniversary Edition of on VHS and DVD. Over the last few years, VCI has quietly become one of the leading archives and video sources for a staple from Hollywood’s golden years, the chapter serial or classic cliffhanger.
Recent DVD special editions of The Phantom, Buck Rogers, Adventures of Red Ryder, Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe, and the soon to be released Jungle Girl, are prime examples of VCI’s love for these action-packed Saturday matinee wonders. VCI Entertainment, a division of Blair and Associates, Ltd., has over the years been an innovative contributor to the film industry.
Mr. Bill Blair, company CEO and founder states, “we have many surprises in store in the years to come, in all areas of home video. As in the past being first in many facets of the home video industry, VCI shall continue to lead and contribute with innovative ideas.” True to form, in 1985, CEO Bill Blair and associates were the first to produce a feature-length movie made directly for the home video market, premiering the graphically violent horror opus Blood Cult, directed by Christopher Lewis, the son of Loretta Young.
VCI has been responsible for a total of eight made-for-home video feature films, a category that has become a major factor of the home video market.
When asked on what the future holds, President Robert A. Blair stated, “Because DVD has been an overwhelming hit with consumers, we see a growing transition of our packaged goods output to the DVD medium. And one day very soon, we will be able to utilize some of the next generation technologies, like Streaming Video via the Internet and/or full digital Video On Demand, to help reach our growing customer base of classic movie buffs.”
Programs are available on VHS and DVD format wherever videos are rented or sold. They may also be ordered directly from VCI by calling 1-800-331-4077, or by browsing through the recently redesigned and expanded web site: www.vcihomevideo.com, with full e-commerce capability and more than 1500 items currently active.
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