Agamemnon Films - News
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WARNER HOME VIDEO INKS AGREEMENT WITH AGAMEMNON FILMS TO ACQUIRE PROJECTS FROM THE
ESTATE OF CHARLTON HESTON
Highlight is Easter Release of Acclaimed
Four-Film Documentary Charlton Heston Presents The Bible
Antony and Cleopatra and Mother Lode
to Have Simultaneous Debuts March 29
Burbank, Calif., December 6, 2010 – Warner Home Video (WHV) today announced an agreement with Agamemnon Films to acquire the worldwide home video, video-on-demand, and digital download rights to six Agamemnon projects starring the late Charlton Heston. Heading the list will be the four single DVD releases of the acclaimed four-film documentary Charlton Heston Presents The Bible (CHPTB), hosted by the Oscar-winning actor, which will be released on March 29 to coincide with the Easter Holiday.
The two additional films in the deal, which Heston stars in and directs, will also debut on DVD March 29: Mother Lode, the suspense adventure co-starring Kim Basinger in one of her earlier film roles and Antony and Cleopatra, a big budget adaptation of the Shakespearean drama in which Heston played Marc Antony for the third time.
The announcement was made by Fraser C. Heston, President and CEO of Agamemnon and Jeff Baker, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Theatrical Catalog, Warner Home Video.
Stated Baker, “Charlton Heston was one of the most prominent actors and performers of our generation and his great work is very much evident in this set of new titles which Warner Home Video is proud to be releasing.”
Charlton Heston Presents The Bible, first produced for A & E Television but not available in the mass market since the 1990’s, has become a phenomenon across the entire globe, grossing nearly $75 million worldwide in video and ancillary sales.
Said Fraser Heston, "I'm delighted that our friends at Warner Home Video have decided to release these projects, which were among Dad’s favorites. These films were very close to my father's heart, and I know how thrilled he would be to be able to bring them, in their fully restored versions with the latest DVD technology, to a wide audience. Warner's has produced and distributed many of both my father's films and mine, and it's good to be home."
The documentary’s four parts are Genesis, The Story of Moses, Jesus of Nazareth and The Passion. Filmed entirely on location in the Holy Land, from Beit She'an, Jericho, Jerusalem, the Negev Desert, the Red Sea to the Sea of Galilee, Charlton Heston Presents The Bible combines dramatic readings by Heston of passages from the Old and New Testaments with historical commentaries in the land where these stories took place. Famous for his epic roles in Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments, Heston said of the project, "I'm not a priest or a scholar. I’m a story teller. These are the greatest stories ever told."
Tony Westman directed the Charlton Heston Presents The Bible series. Gwen Field and John Stonach produced, with Fraser C. Heston and Philip D. Fehrle serving as executive producers. Original music was provided by Oscar-winning composer (Barry Lyndon, Bound For Glory) Leonard Rosenman.
Antony and Cleopatra
Shakespeare’s works, Charlton Heston said, are “the measuring stick against which you measure an actor’s work.” Heston made his Broadway debut against that measuring stick, appearing in a supporting role in Antony and Cleopatra. Twenty-five years later, he was one of the world’s biggest stars when he brought his authoritative presence and literary command to the lead role of Marc Antony in this masterful movie adaptation of the Bard’s tale about Rome’s hero and Egypt’s queen (Hildegarde Neil). Heston wrote the adaptation and also directed, opening up the story to its cinematic possibilities with spectacle, pyramids, warfare at sea (with some similarity to Heston’s mighty Ben-Hur) and a clash of armies on land. Peter Snell produced the epic drama.
Mother Lode
It’s Silas McGee’s gold. He just hasn’t found it yet, although he’s searched for his mother lode for more than 30 years in the remote high country of British Columbia. Strangers with a similar bent for gold had best stay away: folks like that may never come out of McGee’s mine alive.
Charlton Heston directs, from a script by Fraser Heston, and plays the double roles of mad recluse Silas and his even stranger twin Ian in this gritty survivalist adventure. Nick Mancuso and Kim Basinger, in one of her earlier film roles, play the duo who end up in McGee’s world after their aircraft develops engine trouble…and who find much greater trouble when they begin to suspect his claim could hold a fortune. Fraser Heston served as producer with Martin Shafer & Andy Scheinman, and Peter Snell teamed up with Heston again as executive producer.
About Warner Home Video
With operations in 90 international territories, Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, a division of the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment.
About Agamemnon Films
Agamemnon Films is a film and digital production company established by Fraser Heston and Charlton Heston in 1981, for the purpose of producing and distributing a wide range of quality films and documentaries to a world-wide audience.
Publicity Contacts
Warner Home Video: Ronnee Sass, 818-977-6439, Janet Keller, 818-977-7831
Carl Samrock Public Relations: Karen Penhale, Marie Remelius 818-260-0777
E-mail requests for materials to karenpenhale@cs-pr.com or marie@cs-pr.com
Art can be downloaded at www.whvdirect.com
Academy Award(s)®, Oscar(s)® , Academy- Award-winning® and Oscar-winning® are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
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HESTON'S AGAMEMNON FILMS ACQUIRES "THE BIBLE"
May 14, 2007
For immediate release:
Agamemnon Films, the production company owned by Charlton Heston and run by producer-director Fraser C. Heston, is pleased to announce it has re-acquired world-wide rights to the four-hour performance-documentary production, "CHARLTON HESTON PRESENTS: THE BIBLE", from GoodTimes Entertainment, which filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy last year.
The project was filmed entirely on location in the Holy Land. It combines dramatic readings by Charlton Heston of passages from the Old and New Testaments, with historical commentaries in the land where these stories took place, together with two millennia of Biblical artwork, and an original score by Leonard Rosenman. "I'm not a priest or a scholar" said Charlton Heston of the ecumenical project. "I'm a story teller. These are the greatest stories ever told."
Produced in association with Jones Programming Partners, Ltd., the film first aired on the A&E Network in the early '90s. "Charlton Heston Presents THE BIBLE" was directed and photographed by Tony Westman, executive-produced by Fraser C. Heston and Philip Fehrle, produced by Gwen Field, & Eduardo Rossoff , with commentaries & Biblical redactions written and performed by Charlton Heston.
Agamemnon's CEO, producer Fraser Heston said, "The four-hour film is one of the most successful productions of its kind, and earned more than fifty million dollars in retail, direct marketing and infomercial sales of VHS, DVDs and companion products. More importantly, it was a labor of love for my father, and he always felt it was one of his most meaningful and personal works. We believe there remains a strong and enthusiastic audience for intelligent, creative Biblical-themed films of this kind, both in America, and around the world. We are delighted to regain this valuable, ever-green title and add it to our library."
Agamemnon also re-acquired rights to a companion hard-cover coffee-table book, Charlton Heston Presents the Bible; Charlton Heston Presents "The Word", 12 hours of additional, new recordings of Charlton reading from The Bible; as well as Charlton Heston's Hollywood, a book of personal reminiscences and photographs, along with other related products, including a spoken-word audio version of the THE BIBLE soundtrack and music, as well as selected readings of the Psalms by Charlton Heston.
Agamemnon Films has embarked on a complete restoration of the project on HD video and the films and companion products will be available for Television, Direct Marketing and international Home Video & DVD distribution by the winter of 2007-2008.
Rave Reviews:Charlton Heston Presents the Bible
---from Amazon.com
"In this incredible production, shot on location in the Holy Land, Oscar-winning actor Charlton Heston (Ben-Hur) recaptures all of the passion, power, drama and sheer beauty of these "greatest stories ever told."
Genesis: Here are the wonders of the Creation and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden, plus the dramatic tales of Cain and Abel, Noah's Ark and the Flood, and the Lord testing Abraham's faith with Isaac.
The Story of Moses: The greatest of all the epic dramas of the Hebrew Bible, the Book of Exodus tells of Moses and his deliverance of the Israelites, the parting of the Red Sea, the Ten Commandments, and the Promised Land.
Jesus of Nazareth: The amazing life and teachings of Jesus include His humble birth in a Bethlehem manger, baptism in the River Jordan, search for Disciples, temptation in the wilderness, Sermon on the Mount, and many miracles.
The Passion: The tragic and triumphant coda to the New Testament follows Jesus through the Last Supper, His betrayal by Judas in Gethsemane, His trial before Pilate and the crowds, His Crucifixion, and His joyous Ascension."
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-- from ChristianBooks.com
Charlton Heston Presents the Bible: "The Story of Moses"
"Academy Award® winning actor Charlton Heston take us through a new exploration of the Bible. Shot on location in the Holy Land, The Story of Moses presents the greatest of all the epic dramas of the Hebrew Bible--the Book of Exodus. Experience the extraordinary life of Moses...his dramatic deliverance of the Israelites...the parting of the Red Sea...the creation of God's sacred law, the Ten Commandments... and the joyful arrival in the Promised Land. This incredible production is more than great literature come to life, it is a walk through history itself. Includes behind-the-scenes documentary. Region coded ALL. Approx. 75 minutes."
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-- from ChristianCinema.com
Charlton Heston Presents the Bible: "The Passion"
"ACADEMY AWARD -winning actor Charlton Heston (Ben-Hur) recaptures all the passion, power, drama, and the sheer beauty of the stories in the Bible, those first storytellers passed on to us, with his own dazzling new exploration of the greatest stories ever told.
Part Four, "The Passion," dramatically presents the tragic and triumphant coda to the New Testament: The Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. You'll be present with Jesus and His disciples at the Last Supper and in Gethsemane, where Judas betrays Christ with a kiss. Witness the drama of His trial before Pilate and the crowds...the struggle of His walk with the cross...the moving power of His Crucifixion...and the joyful triumph of His Ascension."
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---from ChristianBooks.com
Charlton Heston Presents the Word: (Audio CD of readings from the Bible)
"One of the most respected actors of our time, Charlton Heston has had a deep personal connection to the Bible. In this historic collection, Charlton Heston reads and comments upon his favorite Bible stories which his inspiriting and emotional presence brings vividly to life. These timeless tales will enrich and entertain you again and again. And can now be enjoyed by listeners of all generations. Contents include: In the Begining and Exodus The Story of Jacob and Job and the Story of Joseph and Daniel The Fall of Jericho and the Story of King David The Story of King Solomon and Proverbs Women of the Bible and Spreading of the Gospel The Great Prophecies and Visions of the Apocalypse. 6 cassettes. 360 minutes."
info and user comments: Link to:IMDB.com
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Newly Released "Animated Ben Hur"
Fraser
C. Heston, Executive Producer Directed by William R. Kowalchuk.
Produced by John Stronach. Narrated
by and starring Charlton Heston.
This new version of Lew Wallace’s classic 1880 novel, Ben Hur, A tale of the Christ, will star Charlton Heston, who will narrate the story as well as voicing the title role in a reprise of his Oscar-winning performance. “This wonderful story has been told many times in the last hundred years, once as a highly successful stage play and three times as a feature,” said Heston. “Ben Hur is a classic tale of love, forgiveness and redemption, known throughout the world. I’m delighted to be able to bring it to family audiences in this marvelous new format.”
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AGAMEMNON FILMS - August 27, 2004 -
ODYSSEY ACQUIRES TWO HESTON CLASSICS
Odyssey Entertainment Ltd., the U.K.-based distribution and production
company headed by Ralph Kamp, has acquired foreign distribution
rights to two films directed by Charlton Heston: the 1972 Shakespearean
classic ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, produced by Peter Snell, starring
Heston and Hildegard Neil, and MOTHER LODE, written and produced
in 1981 by Fraser C. Heston, starring Charlton Heston, Nick Mancuso
and Academy Award winner Kim Bassinger.
Both films will be digitally re-mastered & restored from
original negatives and sound elements, for DVD, television &
home video release, according to Agamemnon Films president Fraser
C. Heston. "ANTONY was perhaps my father's most personal
project," says the younger Heston, "and the film he
was most proud of bringing to the screen. It was his directorial
debut, had a wonderful cast of British and international stars,
and was also adapted for the screen by my father. It saw a limited
indie theatrical release at the time, and now, thanks to Ralph
Kamp, we have an opportunity to bring it to a new audience, in
new media. I think the film itself has stood the test of time,
and is just as fresh today as when it was filmed."
Charlton Heston confirms, "William Shakespeare was a born
screenwriter. The stage he wrote for was far more fluid than any
we know, but only film can provide the total freedom he yearned
for. ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, the last of his great tragedies, has
been waiting four centuries for a camera. For me as an actor,
Mark Antony has always been the best of the great tragic parts."
MOTHER LODE was one of Kim Basinger's first films, produced by
Fraser Heston and Peter Snell, and also marked an early collaboration
with the Hestons and producers Martin Shafer and Andrew Scheinman,
who later went on to co-found Castle Rock Entertainment. Says
Fraser Heston, "We're delighted to be able to revisit this
dark tale of greed and obsession, which marks one of Kim Bassinger's
earliest and most interesting roles, and my father's second directorial
effort. Like many indie producers, the new media give us a chance
to show off some of our library."
Both films will be represented by Odyssey at the American Film
Market.
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