Exhibitor of the Week: Warner Home Video

by MovieMaker Staff | Published March 19, 2007

Warner Brothers has long been a household name. Originally the family distribution and production outfit entertained only those audiences paying to sit in a theater. Now, as part of the Warner Bros. Entertainment empire and the Time Warner family, Warner Home Video (WHV) brings cinematic entertainment right to a movie lover’s front door. As the world’s largest global video distributor, WHV offers 7,000 features, 40,000 television titles and more than 14,000 animated movies to its consumers--many under the Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video, New Line Home Video and MGM brand names.

Starting with James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart and running all the way to Leonardo DiCaprio (both Blood Diamond and The Departed are Warner Home Video releases) and Robert Downey Jr. (A Scanner Darkly), for those looking for a movie to watch in the comfort of home, chances are it will be from Warner Home Video. And thatâ€™s something that will remain true for many years to come, with the Harry Potter series already a WHV staple and box office hits Happy Feet and 300 just itching for a release date.

Sound Off: When Warner Bros. Entertainment began, directors like Howard Hawks and Darryl Zanuck were on the payroll. Today’s studios work differentlyâ€”optioning works from directors of varied acclaim and character. It’s part of the reason why Warner Home Video can bring the works of both independent and blockbuster moviemakers alike to anyone with a working DVD player. The newer system benefits the viewer, but what does it do for the moviemaker? Send us your feedback in our “Comments” section.

--Mallory Potosky