Elite Entertainment was an American home media distribution company, founded by Vincent Bancalari and Don May, Jr. in 1993. The company specialized in LaserDisc and later,

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

releases of

horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction **Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction ** Korean horror, Korean horror fiction *Horror film, a film genre *Horror comics, comic books focusing on ...

, science fiction, and

cult films A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage ...

, many of which were

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable. Because those rights have expired, ...

titles. Their first release was

George A. Romero George Andrew Romero (; February 4, 1940 – July 16, 2017) was an American-Canadian filmmaker, writer, editor and actor. His ''Night of the Living Dead'' series of films about an imagined zombie apocalypse began with the 1968 film of the ...

's ''

Night of the Living Dead ''Night of the Living Dead'' is a 1968 American independent horror film directed, photographed, and edited by George A. Romero, with a screenplay by John Russo and Romero, and starring Duane Jones and Judith O'Dea. The story follows seven p ...

'' (1968), which they distributed on LaserDisc in 1994.

History

Elite Entertainment formed between Vincent Bancalari and Don May, Jr. in April 1993. Both were working in the video distribution industry, and in conversation lamented the poor transfer of a recent home video release of ''

'' (1968). In January 1994, they managed to secure a distribution rights deal with the filmmakers, and subsequently crafted a series of special features for the release, including audio commentaries recorded in the ensuing months. Elite Entertainment released ''Night of the Living Dead'' on LaserDisc in November 1994 in a 2-disc set. The company continued to release a series of

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal ...

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apo ...

s on LaserDisc throughout the 1990s, including ''

The Evil Dead ''The Evil Dead'' is a 1981 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Sam Raimi, produced by Robert Tapert and executive produced by Raimi, Tapert, and Bruce Campbell, who also starred alongside Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeMan ...

'', ''

Evil Dead 2 ''Evil Dead II'' (also known in publicity materials as ''Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn'') is a 1987 American comedy horror film directed by Sam Raimi. It is considered both a remake and sequel (or "re-quel") to the 1981 film ''The Evil Dead'', and wa ...

'', ''

A Nightmare on Elm Street ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' is a 1984 American Supernatural horror film, supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise), ''A ...

'', '' A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge'', ''

God Told Me To ''God Told Me To'' (released in some theatrical markets as ''Demon'') is a 1976 science fiction horror film written, directed, and produced by Larry Cohen. Like many of Cohen's films, it is shot on location in New York City and incorporates aspe ...

'', '' Invaders from Mars'', ''

Maniac Maniac (from Greek μανιακός, ''maniakos'') is a pejorative for an individual who experiences the mood known as mania. In common usage, it is also an insult for someone involved in reckless behavior. Maniac may also refer to: Film * ' ...

'', and ''

I Spit on Your Grave ''I Spit on Your Grave'' (originally titled ''Day of the Woman'') is a 1978 American rape and revenge horror film edited, written, and directed by Meir Zarchi. The film tells the story of Jennifer Hills (Camille Keaton), a fiction writer based ...

'', among others. Several unrealized releases included ''

Eaten Alive ''Eaten Alive'' (known under various alternate titles, including ''Death Trap'', ''Horror Hotel'', and ''Starlight Slaughter'', and stylized on the poster as ''Eaten Alive!'') is a 1976 American horror film directed by Tobe Hooper, and written ...

'' (originally due for a September 1998 LaserDisc release), as well as a LaserDisc double feature of '' The Boogeyman'' and '' The Devonsville Terror'', originally due for a December 1998 release; the latter two films were subsequently released as a double-feature DVD by

Anchor Bay Entertainment Anchor Bay Entertainment (formerly Video Treasures and Starmaker Entertainment) was an American home entertainment and production company. It was a subsidiary of Starz Inc. Anchor Bay Entertainment marketed and sold feature films, television se ...

. In the late-1990s, the company transitioned to releasing titles on

, including re-releases of several titles they previously released on LaserDisc, including ''I Spit on Your Grave'' in 2002. In 2000, the company released ''

The House on Sorority Row ''The House on Sorority Row'' (also known as ''House of Evil'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1982 American slasher film written and directed by Mark Rosman, produced by John G. Clark, and starring Eileen Davidson and Kathryn McNeil. The plot fol ...

'' for the first time on DVD. By 2000, the company had a total of 15 DVD releases in their catalogue, approximately one-third of which were

titles.

Select releases

References

Sources

*{{cite magazine, magazine= Video Watchdog, page=24, issue=38, date=1997, publisher=Tim & Donna Lucas, location=Cincinnati, Ohio, issn=1070-9991, title=Night of the Living Disc, last=May, first=Don Home video companies of the United States Film distributors of the United States Mass media companies established in 1993 1993 establishments in New Jersey Companies based in Morris County, New Jersey Rockaway, New Jersey