Simitar Entertainment

Simitar Entertainment, Inc. was an American media company that sold music, videos, DVDs, and computer software. The company specialized in compilation albums, special interest video, and urban media. Simitar also distributed its own label.

History

In 1985, Mickey Elfenbein, former president and CEO of K-Tel International, and Philip Kives (K-tel founder), after K-Tel just went to bankruptcy in October 1984, started Simitar Entertainment. The first film released by Simitar was the children's film ''Shinbone Alley'', which was retailed at $39.95, and a soundtrack album would be marketed through television commercials. Simitar bought Pickwick Records. Simitar was a long-time leader in budget VHS throughout the 80s and early 90s.

In 1986, Simitar Entertainment had reached a deal with the United States Hot Rod Association to bring and promote its home video title ''Monster Madness''. By 1987, Minnesota-based Wedding Information Services had inked an agreement with Simitar Entertainment, whereas Simitar would release several titles on videocassette to mass merchandise and their video stores. Reach Entertainment produced sports home video programs for Simitar.

In 1991, Simitar scored a hit with the title ''Desert Shield'', a documentary on the Gulf War. On February 25, 1997, Simitar Entertainment had distributed the six-part documentary series ''Hollywood Starlets'', produced by Promotions Plus in cooperation with Orphen Enterprises, which primarily focused on B-movie actresses. By April, 1997 Simitar was the first independent in the U.S. with DVD releases. On May 18, 1998, Simitar licensed the rights to 14 Jackie Chan movies, and several ''Godzilla'' movies to bring it onto DVD release, under license from United Productions of America, then-U.S. holder of the franchise. In 1999, Simitar's revenues rose from $5 million to $40 million in just three years.

On March 9, 1999, Titan Sports, Inc.—the parent company of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF)– and its music licensee, The Cherry River Music Co., sued Simitar Entertainment for copyright infringement relating to ''WWF The Music, Vol. 3'' and won. Subsequently, in 2000, Simitar folded due to problems in the music division; the company's total assets were $19,570,059, with debts of $25,556,878. Simitar auctioned off its assets later that year, including its film library, which sold to Brentwood Communications, Inc. (BCI) for $215,000. Ed Goetz and Greg Glass went to BCI to start a DVD division. In October/November 2003, BCI was purchased by Navarre Corporation. Naverre's assets have since been sold to Speed Commerce in 2012, then to WYNIT Distribution in 2014. Following the bankruptcy of WYNIT in 2017, Sereno Holdings acquired most of the company assets and relaunched Navarre Distribution as "Encore Software", and it is currently this "new" Encore which owns Simitar and the other former BCI labels.

Simitar releases

*''5th Day of Peace, American Bullfighters 1 & 2''
*''Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe''
*''Anima Mundi''
*''Awesome Fire Engines''
*''Awesome Police Cars''
*''Awesome Rides''
*''Awesome Mining''
*''Awesome Airplanes''
*''Awesome Bridges''
*''Awesome Trains''
*''Awesome Big Rigs''
*''Awesome Road Construction''
*''Awesome Building Construction''
*''Awesome Diggers & Dozers''
*''Awesome Ships''
*''Awesome Space''
*''Awesome Junior Dragsters''
*''Awesome Race Cars''
*''Awesome Monster Trucks''
*''Awesome Motorcycles''
*''Awesome A.T.V.'s''
*''Awesome Farm Machinery''
*'' Bleeders''
*''BMX Freestyle''
*''Body Armor''
*''The Boys Club''
*''Canyon Dreams: Tangerine Dream''
*''Canyon Dreams/Desert Vision/True North''
*''Car Funnies''
*''Cartel''
*''Cause of Death''
*''Christopher Crocodile and his Wonderful World''
*''The Christmas Light''
*''The Christmas Brigade''
*''Chronos''
*''Dead & Buried''
*'' The Dude Gang''
*''Fearless Hyena''
*''Frankenhooker''
*''God Told Me To''
*''Godzilla, King of the Monsters!''
*''Godzilla's Revenge''
*'' (Godzilla vs.) Monster Zero''
*'' Godzilla vs. Mothra'' (DVD / VHS)
*'' Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster'' (VHS only)
*'' Grambling's White Tiger''
*'' Greatest Hits (SWV album)''
*''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''
*''I Wanna be a Policeman''
*''Jets''
*''Jack Frost''
*''Jungle Boy''
*''Kamikaze in Colour''
*''Korean War in Colour''
*''Laurel & Hardy Classics''
*''Mind Meld''
*''Mob War''
*''Mr. Superinvisible'' Cat.#7984
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*''Mysteries of the Sphinx''
*''Mysterious Origins of Man''
*''Porsche''
*''The Real Untouchables''
*''Red Scorpion''
*''Rush Week''
*''Search and Destroy''
*''Serial Killers''
*''Sing a Long with Bugs Bunny''
*''Sing a Long with Daffy Duck''
*''Sing a Long with Popeye''
*''Sing a Long with Little Lulu''
*''Spplat Attack''
*''Strike Fighters''
*''Surgeon''
*''Story of a War (Story of Iran-Iraq (1980–1988) war part1–5, P: Ramel Inc./Simitar Entertainment Inc. 1989)'' Story of Iran-Iraq (1980-1988) war part1
*''The Railroad Modeler''
*''Terror of Mechagodzilla''
*''To Kill With Intrigue''
*''Top Gun: The Story Behind The Story''
*'' Two Evil Eyes''
*''Vampires'' (VHS only)
*''Venom''
*''Vitsie Video Sitter''
*''Voodoo''
*''Wings Of Thunder''
*'' Witchcraft (film series)''
*''Werewolf''
*''Wheels of Thunder''
*''Women Unchained''

Bob Hope

*'' The Road to Rio''
*'' The Great Lover''
*'' The Road to Bali''
*''The Seven Little Foys''
*''How to Commit Marriage''
*''The Lemon Drop Kid''
*''Son of Paleface''
*'' Paris Holiday''
*''The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell''

References

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Mass media companies established in 1985
Mass media companies disestablished in 2000
1985 establishments in Minnesota
2000 disestablishments in Minnesota
Home video companies of the United States
Defunct companies based in Minnesota