Magnetic Video Corporation: Difference between revisions

<u>Background</u>: Magnetic Video Corporation, a home media and audio duplication service established in 1968 by Andre Blay and based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, was the first company to release theatrical films to home media for consumers in 1976, making exclusive deals with United Artists, Avco Embassy, ITC, ABC Video Enterprises, Viacom (now "CBS Corporation"), RBC Films (then an exclusive licensee of several of Charles Chaplin's films), New Line Cinema, Brut Pictures, Bill Burrud Productions, American Film Theatre and 20th Century-Fox. In 1979, the latter purchased Magnetic Video from Blay, reincorporating it as "20th Century-Fox Video" in 1981. It is currently known as "20th Century Fox Home Entertainment". Ironically, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment now owns home media rights to most United Artists and Avco Embassy films due to their distribution of MGM releases until 2020.

[[File:Magnetic Video Corporation (1980).png|thumb|center|1980]]

*Some later prints of releases with the Magnetic Video logo, such as Von Ryan's Express, Notorious, Young Frankenstein and High Anxiety, may have CBS/Fox Video labels, but those are usually in the original Magnetic Video packaging, with a video release year of 1980 on the slipcover.

*Occasionally, as seen on a 1985 pressing of Von Ryan's Express and a 1984 pressing of Take the Money and Run, an earlier Magnetic Video voiceover may be plastered with its post-1980 ("...special video presentation") counterpart on later prints; also, most films featuring Elvis Presley were reprinted starting in early 1979 with the old Viacom voiceover plastered with the "...major motion picture on videocassette" variant thereof, which would make its first new-release appearance a few months later on The African Queen.

*When 20th Century-Fox purchased Magnetic Video, they aimed to recapture audiences that no longer go to the movies, had market strategies which were supposed to help eliminate video pirates, and intended to launch new productions aimed specifically at the video market.

*Several titles, such as Homebodies (1974), Jury of One (1974), Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964), The Ski Bum (1971), Village of the Giants (1965) and Walk Into Hell (1956), were all at one point listed in the Magnetic Video catalog in 1979, but no evidence has come up of them ever being released in 1979, or any other year during Magnetic Video's history. It is doubtful that they ever were. All of these films were produced and/or distributed by Avco Embassy Pictures Corporation, and at least some of them would eventually see a home media release during the 1980s by Embassy Home Entertainment and their Charter Entertainment label.

*On the releases of the films of Charles Chaplin, Voiceover B (an announcer with a bass voice deeper than Voiceover A) said "By special arrangement with the estate of Charles Chaplin, Magnetic Video Corporation is proud to offer the following classic motion picture on videocassette". The music's tempo is approximately 116.3 BPM with 28 beats. All cassettes with this voiceover are in black and white.

*On Milestones of the Century and Men of Destiny, Voiceover C said "By special arrangement with Pathé News, Magnetic Video Corporation is proud to offer the following documentary on videocassette". The music's tempo is approximately 116.3 BPM with 29 beats.