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Avco Embassy
Embassy Pictures Corporation (also and later known as Avco Embassy Pictures as well as Embassy Films Associates) was an American independent film production and distribution studio responsible for such films as ''The Graduate'', '' The Producers'', ''The Fog'', ''The Howling'', ''Escape from New York'', and ''This Is Spinal Tap''. History Founding The company was formed in 1942 by Joseph E. Levine, initially to distribute foreign films in the United States. The company entered film production in 1945, co-producing with Maxwell Finn the documentary ''Gaslight Follies'', a compilation of silent film clips narrated by Ben Grauer. Success Embassy found success in 1956 bringing the Japanese film ''Godzilla'' to the American general public (in a re-edited version), acquiring the rights for $12,000 and spending $400,000 promoting it under the title ''Godzilla, King of the Monsters!'', and earning $1 million in theatrical rentals. They then made a $100,000 deal to bring the French- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
De Laurentiis Entertainment Group
De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG) was an entertainment production company and distribution studio founded by Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis. The company is notable for producing '' Manhunter'', '' Blue Velvet'', the horror films ''Near Dark'' and ''Evil Dead II'', ''King Kong Lives'' (the sequel to De Laurentiis' remake of ''King Kong''), and ''Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'', as well as distributing '' The Transformers: The Movie''. The company's main studios were located in Wilmington, North Carolina, which is now EUE/Screen Gems Studios. The studio's first releases were in 1986. It went bankrupt two years later after '' Million Dollar Mystery'', among other films, failed at the box office. Carolco Pictures acquired DEG in 1989. History In 1983, Dino De Laurentiis produced '' Firestarter'' in Wilmington. The governor of North Carolina, Jim Hunt, claimed that the filming increased economic activity in the state. Hunt used incentives and loans to allow De Lauren ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
This Is Spinal Tap
''This Is Spinal Tap'' (also known as ''This Is Spınal Tap: A Rockumentary by Martin Di Bergi'') is a 1984 American mockumentary film co-written and directed by Rob Reiner (in his feature directorial debut). The film stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer as members of the fictional British heavy metal music, heavy metal band Spinal Tap (band), Spinal Tap, one of England's "loudest bands", with Reiner as Martin "Marty" Di Bergi, a documentary filmmaker who follows them on their American tour. The film satire (film and television), satirizes the behavior and musical pretensions of rock bands and the Hagiography, hagiographic tendencies of Rockumentary, rock documentaries such as ''The Song Remains the Same (film), The Song Remains the Same'' (1976) and ''The Last Waltz'' (1978), and follows the similar ''All You Need Is Cash'' (1978) by the Rutles. Most of its dialogue was improvised and dozens of hours were filmed. ''This Is Spinal Tap'' was released to criti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |