From: jittlov@gumby.cs.caltech.edu (Mike Jittlov)
 Subject: Re: WIZARD Pirated on TV Again
 Date: 2 Dec 1992 09:57:13 GMT

 sherman@ecadsr.enet.dec.com (My name is...) writes:

     --WIZARD (aka, "The Wizard of Speed and Time" feature film)
     was reviewed & promoted on ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT, Feb 1990)

 >THAT'S where I got introduced to TWOSAT and decided that I HAD to see
 >it as soon as it came to town.  But ... it never came to town.

 That's probably because the alleged distributor, Shapiro Glickenhaus
 Entertainment (whose president also tried to get a $1,000,000 insurance
 policy on my life, with my e.b.p., and without bothering to ask me) had
 made only three prints of our feature film, for its total North American
 distribution plan.  And SGE lost one print, for a year, without realizing
 it.  (Not a little odd, since they made 1,400 prints of the feature just
 preceding ours - coincidentally, a movie directed by Glickenhaus.)

 Our film showed in Boston for three weeks, by mistake (it was only
 slated for three midnight screenings).  When SGE found out that our
 film was getting lines around the block, and outstanding newspaper
 reviews, and was even Boston's second-highest-grossing movie of the
 week (as reported in Variety) - all with virtually no advertising -
 they pulled our film from the theater, declared theatrical distribution
 was officially over (though it played a few more times, for a few days,
 around the East Coast).

 If you're wondering why...it's been called one of the most complex and
 convoluted distribution nightmares in Hollywood.  Enough to mention,
 that Universal's THE WIZARD (starring Fred Savage) was coming out at
 about the same time.  And SGE was _very_ good friends with MCA/Universal.
 And "MCA" (Music Corp of America) was once referred to, on a 60 MINUTES
 expose, as standing for "Mafia Corporation of America".  I know one
 theater on the East Coast, whose manager was told (not asked) that if
 she wanted BACK TO THE FUTURE II, she'd better book THE WIZARD (MCA's)
 in a few months.  Block-booking is illegal, but so what - MCA has a
 lot of money, and a lot of lawyers.  And last I heard, MCA's acquired
 the entire SGE video library.  This is a really creepy industry (but if
 you want to make movies...).  :p

 >When I saw it in the rental store I snatched it up.  We rented it several
 >times, only because we didn't know where we could buy it.

 SGE only distributed our WIZARD for one month, at a premium price
 of $89.95 (far too high for a film with no stars or publicity),
 and in a video box with a barely readable title.  Despite dozens
 of favorable (and even raving) video reviews, five awards, and a
 lot of mail and calls asking for the video - SGE never re-released
 our film.  They instead dumped their remainders to a liquidator,
 and the last I heard they were in no small financial trouble.

 >Then, my wife spotted it for sale for $8 at a clothing warehouse outlet.

 Can you remember where, and when?  I'm keeping a record of all of
 this (for future generations, I guess), and all of the information
 is weaving into a very interesting pattern.

 ________________________________________ ___._`.*.'_._ ________
  Mike Jittlov - Wizard, etc       .   . +  * .o   o.* `.`. +.
   Hollywood, CA 90026-2714       '   *  . ' ' |\^/|  `. * .  *
 jittlov@gumby.cs.caltech.edu  (: May All Your  \V/  Good Dreams
   <& alt.fan.mike-jittlov>    and Fine Wishes  /_\  Come True:)
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