
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, July 21, 1990                   TAG: 9007210217
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Los Angeles Daily News
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES                                LENGTH: Medium

`NINJA TURTLES' MOVIE HEADED FOR VIDEO

In a move that sets the scene for a hotly competitive Christmas video retail buying season, Live Entertainment Inc. has announced that it will release the box office smash, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie," on videocassette this fall.

Live's Family Home Entertainment label will offer "Turtles" on Oct. 4 at a suggested list price of $24.99. The price reflects a desire to promote the sale of the video heavily, as opposed to relying on rentals.

Pizza Hut Inc. is backing the release with a $20 million marketing campaign, which will include rebate coupons, and television, radio and print advertising. Pizza Hut undertook a similar tie-in last year with the videocassette release of Universal Studios' "Land Before Time."

"This has been talked about for months," Tim Baskerville, publisher of Video Marketing Newsletter, a Hollywood industry publication, said of Monday's announcement." `Turtles' has the potential to be a very big title."

But it's far from alone. Walt Disney Co. has announced plans to release the animated classic "Peter Pan," with a promotional tie-in with RJR Nabisco, Inc.

MGM/UA Communications Co. will release "All Dogs Go to Heaven," the Sullivan/Bluth Studios animated feature, with a promotional tie-in with marketing powerhouse Procter & Gamble Co.

The competition could become even more heated if Disney decides to release "Dick Tracy" on videocassette, as many industry executives are speculating. Disney executives were unavailable for comment.

Doug Lowell, an analyst with the Western Group in Los Angeles, said that "Turtles," which has earned $130 million at the box office to date, has the potential to be a "monster" video hit, along the lines of blockbusters such as "Batman."

"Batman" and "ET: The Extra-Terrestrial" are No. 1 and No. 2 in all-time videocassette sales.

Alexander & Associates, a New York consultant, estimates that 13 million units of "Batman" were shipped last year, though there may have been as many as 4 million returns. The firm estimates that 12.5 million units of "ET" have been shipped, with few returns.

by CNB