The Downfall of Trimark Pictures

[@justindenney-hall5875]

R.I.P. Julian Sands (1958-2023)

[@RawrX32009]

Same

[@WildFungus]

'Do You Want a Hug?' Julian Sands' character : Deathrider in the House of Vampires

[@justindenney-hall5875]

@@WildFungus I've not heard of that one.

[@Matthew6248]

Cannon Films had a epic downfall that needs to be covered

[@jasonblalock4429]

Definitely, great idea!

[@RGF91]

Artisan too

[@poindextertunes]

I just watched a Cannon film and boy was it a stinker lmao LifeForce dir by Tobe Hooper and written by Dan O’bannon On paper thats a dynamic duo but if I had to guess, cocaine was the driving force of the movie 😂 It was so bad haha had great potential tho

[@channelserfer]

Looks like a big, complex story to tell. I'll get to it eventually

[@V3ntilator]

Cannon already have 2 major documentaries. "Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films". "The Go-Go Boys: The Inside Story of Cannon Films" One of them are positive and one of them are negative. Watch both.

[@WonderSparkPuppets1]

I worked in a “mom & pop” video rental store that was bought out by Hollywood Video in 2002 and the transition from a diverse ocean of films to walls of samey popular movies was crazy.

[@juniorjames7076]

Growing up the 1980s, the whole point of going to the local video store for my friends and I was to see weird, obscure/semi-obscure, good but unpopular films! At that time in the mid 1980s renting a newly released to video movie was expensive and not everyone could afford or wanted to. Why rent Back to the Future 3 or Aliens 3 newly released to video for $10 a night when you could rent five '70s Blaxploitation or low-budget Sci-Fantasy or Kung Fu classics for $3.99? I discovered many indie and foreign films on the dollar budget bins of my local video stores. It was a wonderful era for discovering film.

[@juniorjames7076]

@WonderSparkPuppets1 Actually, the film Be Kind Rewind (Mos Def, Jack Black) is basically about thus topic. It's a beautiful funny movie, a love letter to small video stores.

[@BerryBurnstein]

Do you remember carrying the VHS of Shazam with Sinbad

[@shrox5121]

Trimark also had computer video games, I was lead artist on Trimark's first release of a video game, Rainbow Studios "The Hive" in 1994. Rainbow was in Phoenix, AZ, so we worked at night mostly during the city's summer schedule. Lots of fun, I would do it again.

[@RoseanneSeason7]

That's awesome

[@WildFungus]

that was before Bobby Kotick 'took all the fun out of the business of video games' friend. "We can't ever go back to Arizona." - Killface

[@BovineDesigns]

A trampoline ad? Finally an ad that is actually for something cool!

[@wesss9353]

Usually in video ads are scams. Think this guy is legitimate

[@369frequencyandvibration]

I have never seen a trampoline ad on youtube

[@skiptoacceptancemdarlin]

Yes you have. Now.

[@ScottAhearnShipbuilder]

Chairman of the Board? I bet "Board" was spelled B-O-R-E-D

[@dropout818]

Norm MacDonald was a legend for that Conan O'Brien interview 🤣

[@robs1873]

I remember watching that the first night it was on Conan and man he’s funny

[@jasoncallan]

i saw that on cinemax. it was ok. it played with another movie that no one saw at my local theatre & they were only charging 1.50 for a movie ticket then. it barely did any business that week. lol

[@brandonpage7087]

LMFAO, to think that Carrot Top could ever rival or replace Jim Carrey!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@jasoncallan]

@@brandonpage7087 i know that was crazy.

[@TheChrisHype]

I actually saw Star Kid in the theater. First time in my life I was ever the only person in the theater.

[@poindextertunes]

My Dad took me to see Star Kid. We both agreed it was like a kid’s version of The Guyver lol

[@johnpenguinthe3rd13]

I saw Star Kid with my mom when it was released in theaters during January 1998. We were the ONLY ones in that theater. LOL. It was actually pretty fun. Since no one else was in that theater, me and my mom actually spoke to each other as we were commenting on the film while watching it and eating popcorn. We both enjoyed it for what it was. It's NOT the best film, but we liked it. We both gave it a thumbs up. Also, The only film I saw by myself in theaters (where I was the ONLY person in the theater) was the 2005 film "Alone in the Dark" where I was watching the film by myself in the theater... LITERALLY alone in the dark. LMAO. I only went to see Alone in the Dark because I heard it was horrible and I just wanted to experience it and see if it was really that bad and I had time on my hands to do that. How was it? Well, I actually enjoyed it during the first 30 minutes or so.... then after the first 30 minutes or so, the film rapidly falls apart into a pile of crap and gets really terrible. The film felt like the script writer only turned in 1/3rd of the script and forgot to write the remaining 2/3rds of the script and director Uwe Boll just randomly made up the rest of the film as he went along (and he did a terrible job at it. LOL).

[@Offramp-z7p]

OMG, is that the one where the boy has to get help getting his fly open? All these years, and that scene is the first thing I think of when I hear about this movie.

[@keanunelson27-5]

With that quote, “we’re the only ones in theaters.” shows that the movie massively bomb at the box office.

[@xAlexZifko]

​@@johnpenguinthe3rd13hey, at least he published it without getting into a boxing match!

[@Drew791]

I love hearing the history behind all these studios whose logos and quick theme songs are part of my childhood and teenage years. There was nothing like a Friday or Saturday night with the lights turned down and a couple of rented videos as those logos popped up.

[@EastofSouthwest]

This video unlocked a core memory in me with Leprechaun.

[@FigmentForever]

I ran a Mom & Pop video store in Alabama from 1998-2009. They were the best as they let me bring in semi-Indie films such as Donnie Darko, the Before Trilogy, and Asian Horror/Drama. The wall of Tartan Video releases was super popular in our area as no one had these titles, as Hollywood/Budget Video/Blockbuster primarily carried major theatrical releases only & focused on gaming as a side project. We had a solid gaming area with 3 titles of big Xbox/360, PS1/PS2, GameCube/Wii, and even a few Dreamcast titles. I miss that place & the faith they had in me as a freshly graduated HS/Freshman in University. I wish we hadn’t lost the building due to the housing crisis (owners were losing their home & had to sell business to keep home). My physical media library is as big as it is today because of Norman & Nan, and miss spending hours in that place on & off clock

[@juniorjames7076]

Growing up the 1980s, the whole point of going to the local video store for my friends and I was to see weird, obscure/semi-obscure, good but unpopular films! At that time in the mid 1980s renting a newly released to video movie was expensive and not everyone could afford or wanted to. Why rent Back to the Future 2 or Top Gun newly released to video for $10 a night when you could rent five '70s Blaxploitation or low-budget Sci-Fantasy or Kung Fu classics for $3.99? I discovered many indie and foreign films on the dollar budget bins of my local video stores. It was a wonderful era for discovering film.

[@kane5000]

same...from Canada here ..my timeframe as well.. though the pay wasn't the best those video store days were some of funnest times ever .... wouldn't change it for anything ..and so bummed when it was over

[@Kurtsg10]

Do you still have any of those titles?

[@juniorjames7076]

@@FigmentForever Be Kind Rewind (Jack Black, Mos Def 2008) is a really funny, bittersweet film about this topic.

[@FigmentForever]

@@Kurtsg10 I have every single one. When they shuttered the store, I got my pick of any/all I wanted before they auctioned off the entirety of the contents (shelving, movies/games, etc). My physical movie collection just hit 9k this last month 😊

[@WesMoast]

Great video. Every now and then KZbin gets their recommendations right.

[@yuhyuh9939]

Thank you for covering this I have so many vidmark/Trimark tapes

[@jasonblalock4429]

This story feels like a validation of Picard saying "It's possible to commit no mistakes and still lose." Strategically, almost everything Trimark did was a good idea, and they were forward-looking in a way most companies aren't. But they just didn't have the clout and resources to keep their momentum going once the big studios started moving into their markets. If there's one thing I'd armchair quarterback, it's that their "spaghetti at the wall" approach to their first year of theatrical films was probably a bad call. Most of their early films like Star Kid just looked *cheap* and kinda tacky. If they'd cut their production schedule in half and put more resources into the best prospects, they might have pulled it off. But even then, the major studios had already crowded the low/mid-budget market to the point there'd be no guarantee of success.

[@bigfootwalker5399]

Picard just couldn't admit he f*cked up!

[@blackdragon6]

​@@bigfootwalker5399 nah

[@belloq81]

Fascinating history! I really wasn't aware that there was more to the Trimark story than just being the home of the LEPRECHAUN movies!

[@TheKingScrod]

Slight correction: the first retail home videocassette format was actually Cartrivision in 1972, with fully licensed Hollywood films being made available on tape for the first time, and you could even rent Cartrivision tapes, either via mail, or from some Sears (and maybe Montgomery Ward) locations. Of course Cartrivision failed miserably, for the most part gone by 1973, so VHS and BETA were the first to "viable" home video formats.

[@brandonpage7087]

Thanks for this bit of info. Interesting, I never heard of Cartrivision.

[@Code7Unltd]

Betamax only ever failed because Sony's licensing terms were too strict and expensive. Of course, RCA's invention of the 'EP' speed would slightly help VHS later.

[@bobcobb3654]

@@Code7UnltdBetamax failed because the initial blank tapes only recorded an hour of footage as opposed to 2 hours on VHS.

[@juniorjames7076]

Growing up the 1980s, the whole point of going to the local video store for my friends and I was to see weird, obscure/semi-obscure, good but unpopular films! At that time in the mid 1980s renting a newly released to video movie was expensive and not everyone could afford or wanted to. Why rent Back to the Future 2 or Top Gun newly released to video for $10 a night when you could rent five '70s Blaxploitation or low-budget Sci-Fantasy or Kung Fu classics for $3.99? I discovered many indie and foreign films on the dollar budget bins of my local video stores. It was a wonderful era for discovering film.

[@FuzzyDan]

I do miss the eclectic selection my mom-and-pop video store had when I was a kid. Once Blockbuster dominated the market, those titles vanished.

[@juniorjames7076]

Growing up the 1980s, the whole point of going to the local video store for my friends and I was to see weird, obscure/semi-obscure, good but unpopular films! At that time in the mid 1980s renting a newly released to video movie was expensive and not everyone could afford or wanted to. Why rent Back to the Future 2 or Top Gun newly released to video for $10 a night when you could rent five '70s Blaxploitation or low-budget Sci-Fantasy or Kung Fu classics for $3.99? I discovered many indie and foreign films on the dollar budget bins of my local video stores. It was a wonderful era for discovering film.

[@CinephileKyle]

Thanks!

[@thebrood138]

Subscribed after the Touchstone video. Excited to see this pop up in my subscriptions! Excellent video. Keep em coming

[@dashawns2cents]

Same this channel rules

[@orwellianson]

This is a terrific documentary on such an endearing subject. Thank you for this.

[@RoseanneSeason7]

I really miss going to the video store and looking for movies to watch

[@orwellianson]

@@RoseanneSeason7 so do I.

[@waltsapartment-105]

Wow. An incredible amount of research into the home video industry went into this, well beyond simply understanding Trimark's history.

[@themirrorsofmymind]

I was probably between 25 and 28 when I saw Larry Clark's _"kids"_ for the first time on VHS. I remember thinking, *_"The parents who pay little to no attention to their kids would swear up and down that this movie is SO outrageous and exaggerated!"_* I also thought about my PSYCHO cousins, because they were the type to give beer and/or cigarettes to younger kids because they thought it was funny... That scene with those 5 or 6 year old boys imitating the teens (passing a joint) was *ROUGH!*

[@blackdragon6]

I still think it's an exaggerated depiction of teens for shock value.

[@RoseanneSeason7]

The kids soundtrack is so good

[@pillarnexustheancientgladiator]

I heard 'Carrot Top' and said 'aw shit' out loud.

[@matthewprince9705]

Please do Carolco Pictures, New World Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Vestron, Artisan and other smaller companies now owned by Lionsgate too!

[@cartoon49]

Also, Orion pictures.

[@anthonystrocks247]

Magnificent, well-researched video! Just awesome!

[@MartianTerror17]

I'm enjoying your videos so far! Great deep dives into cinema history.

[@DavesArchives]

Awesome video! Would love to see one on New Line Cinema or Cannon!

[@SonCarlosH]

Glad ur back! This is a great retrospective! Truly speaks to behind the scenes account nerd side 🤓 ❤ you should do Full Moon and Dimension Films in the future!

[@Kurtsg10]

I remember Trimark movies- especially watching Warlock, the early Leprechauns and Dead-Alive on VHS. Thank you for this great video history!

[@juliolopez6289]

Stoned Age,Warlock 2,Leprechaun,Sandra Bullock nude in a flick,Return Of The Living Dead 3.I rented a ton of their output from my local mom and pop shop.

[@poindextertunes]

Return of the Living Dead III was a solid movie for what it was. Return of the Living Dead 2 was a dumpster fire only redeemed by the Doctor character who was essentially the comic relief and of course Return of the Living Dead was a god damned masterpiece 🔥 probably the best example of blending comedy/horror. maybe tied with ReAnimator

[@yuhyuh9939]

What’s the name of that Sandra bullock movie

[@juniorjames7076]

@juliolopez6289 I discovered many gems in the dollar bargain bin at my local video stores in the late 80s/early 90s.

[@2ndCOATrequired]

“LIFETIME” warranty on a personal trampoline. Greatness. Xxxx

[@keanunelson27-5]

Channel Surfer should do a video of another independent company that Lionsgate acquired three years later after Trimark Pictures. Artisan Entertainment, which was mentioned in this video.

[@Musicradio77Network]

Back in the day, there was Vestron Video, they put a series of movies on home video from different genres like B Movies, horror, comedy, and mostly family films, the only Vestron release was the original “My Little Pony: The Movie” from 1986. It bombed at the Box Office, and then later released on home video during that time the New York Mets won the World Series which was October 27, 1986. “Dirty Dancing” was another film produced by Vestron Pictures which was their in-house production company at the time.

[@Vampirebear13]

I just found your channel earlier today & this is the 2nd video I have watched. You've gained another subscriber.

[@rholbert1]

Thank you for including the Kohlhouse Video store advertisement from Vincennes, IN. They had a branch store in my hometown when I was a teenager.

[@Offramp-z7p]

It's a long time between your video, but they a really good. Often, yours is the only video on the subjects you cover. Keep up the fine work.

[@JohnnyTong215]

Eve’s Bayou got a Criterion release. I wish the rest of Trimark’s movies got that as well!!!

[@timloss87]

Warlock was kick ass...

[@3xfaster]

4:41 “The Warehouse” was my video store. I think they and some other retailers got in trouble for price fixing non-compete on CD pricing.

[@johnr.7906]

Whore. A movie named Whore.... I don't remember that one, but it was a hit for Trimark.

[@Emulous79]

Imagine if Baise Moi came out back then.

[@spiderjerusalem100]

This was really great, you have a new subscriber! RIP Julian Sands.

[@chadmyron2552]

My video store was “Budget tapes and records”, and the horror section was the stuff of legend! Man I miss those days..

[@xAlexZifko]

A documentary about the massively successful low budget studio "The Asylum" would be great. They make/made most of the schlock sci-fi youd find on Syfy or whatever the hell they renamed the channel

[@brandonpage7087]

Of course, i remember Trimark. Anybody who grew up in the '90s, remembers Trimark. I mostly remember it, for the Leprechaun franchise, but wow, turns out i'd seen many movies, that i had no idea were Trimark films!! Btw, i consider Meet Wally Sparks to be a hugely underrated comedy gem. Anything with Rodney in it, is good, as far as I'm concerned. Would you consider covering the rise & fall of Tristar Pictures?

[@tinterorajr6029]

Very good et well done video !!! Many Thanks !!!!!

[@bob8776]

My buddy’s parents let us rent Warlock from our local little video store when we were about eight or nine. I don’t know what they were thinking. That movie scared the hell out of eight year old me

[@pobbityboppity1110]

Glad KZbin algorithm recommended me this one!

[@deathmetal271]

they also held the home video rights to the first 13 episodes of the DragonBall when it first aired in US syndication in 1995 and why Funimation had to start its dvd release with episode 14 until 2009 five years later than planned when the rights finally lapsed after Trimark renewed them out of nowhere

[@ryanandrew-allen2887]

This channel is great!

[@coreylineberry8557]

TRAMOPOLINE! TRAMBOPLINE!!!

[@LatitudeSky]

Ah thank you. I always wondered where the heck Kidmark came from and why it had that name. They were imfamous for being the first to release Star Blazers on VHS, but the tapes were apparently mastered through a cup of coffee or mud, or both. They didn't find sucess selling those tapes. But it wasn't clear to me why they existed at all. Now I get it. Thanks.

[@whuttheblue6261]

Great video…..keep up the good work!

[@alexandergonzie1200]

I always think of the Leprechaun films when I see the Trimark logo

[@mikevalenzuela3974]

Great video, hope you can cover the rise and fall of Carolco someday

[@kevbonesy]

Incredible video, my type of stuff. Would love a video on the Downfall of Artisan! We covered Artisan and early Lions Gate Films on my podcast Almost Major and it's fascinating to me that Artisan had such a monster hit with Blair Witch Project and still was losing money.

[@channelserfer]

Thank you! Artisan has been requested a few times and is on my list.

[@slyguythreeonetwonine3172]

Movie and Game rental stores were like dying and going to Heaven every single Friday after school. It just made the week worth it as a kid to rent a movie or video game for a weekend. I usually worked hard enough to get a game and a movie. Sometimes that would turn into two games, or two movies depending on what I wanted for the weekend.

[@MrSmith1984]

You could argue that Lionsgate is the end result of combining all the significant Movie Studios outside the Big 7 (Disney, Universal, Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures, Paramount, Netflix & Amazon MGM) into one major studio.

[@oruzmeinn]

Great video I’d be very interested in a video about Vestron, Artisan, or Wizard

[@Darkuni]

Thanks for this! Was great.

[@carrrie_lynnn]

RIP Hometown Video and Tip-Top Video

[@BlackMaleSpirituality]

Another great video on obscure movie studios. You could do videos on Orion Films and Cannon Films. Not to be random or off topic but if you ever want to go back to doing defunct tv channels, can you do a documentary on The WB.

[@Matthew6248]

@@BlackMaleSpirituality for defunct channels, do one on Z Channel and Festival (HBO's short lived spinoff family channel from the 1980s) and over the air Pay Tv networks ONTV and SelecTv

[@RoseanneSeason7]

Great idea. The WB.

[@KadeemG61]

Vidmark, Trimark, Live Entertainment, Artisan Entertainment, all absorbed into Lionsgate.

[@Musicradio77Network]

And don’t forget Vestron Video and eOne, these two are now part of Lionsgate. Hasbro did sold off eOne last year.

[@LapNgo-h9u]

I remember them from the UFC tapes. Me and my buddies used to rent them all the time.

[@NedoflandersArchives]

1:34 Not totally correct. There's earlier examples - Sony's CV2000 goes back to 1965 and Philips produced the N1500 video format in Europe in 1972 - albeit with extortionate price tags.

[@somegamer7958]

That Act of Passion VHS box is hilarious

[@timothyivey5497]

Renting movies wasn't QUITE as easy as checking out books from the library. Renting movies wasn't free.

[@369frequencyandvibration]

Now movies ARE at libraries 😂

[@frankf684]

The process was easy

[@AshNonokPlays]

If Trimark acquired Netflix they'll be an even bigger hit, the company that saw the future.

[@Diegan]

Excellent video!

[@jaybodenhamer2544]

Growing up, I'd always try to sneak a peek behind the "magic curtain" at the local video store 😅

[@raywallacefan7786]

I first heard of Trimark thanks to the SNL VHS cassettes and DVDs in the late 1990s. I had no idea they had such a rich indy history?

[@jdg1279]

Having lived in northern VA for ages, I'm particularly amused that your example for Blockbuster taking over the small chains was their acquisition of Erol's.

[@robs1873]

Great video once again

[@campxbox]

Great video! I never knew Trimark had such a deep history.

[@BabyfaceThompson]

Still pisses me off that on the "Leprechaun" blu-ray they use the newer Lionsgate logo and not the old Trimark one, yet "Leprechaun 2" has the Trimark one.

[@CaedusRising]

love to see stuff like this

[@robbiehughes8382]

dope vid, nicely done

[@tehjamerz]

YOOOOO ROGERS VIDEO They had such a good SNES collection

[@Lexman509]

You would think their release of The Stoned Age would of saved the company. They played it on late night tv all the time. "Every band puts out at least one P*$$* song, so they can find out who the F@66o#& are."

[@LoganHunter82]

And by the power of this video, you gained a subscriber 🥳

[@plus6099]

01:31 - Home Video was not introduced first in Japan in the mid-70ies. Betamax came in 1975, VHS came in 1976 . VCR by Philips and Grundig (the precursor of Video 2000) came in 1971, but not in Japan.

[@STAUNCHTV]

Love this channel! would be cool to see a deep dive into companies like Starmaker, Feature Films for Families or maybe APIX

[@RoboSean]

Decent doc. Felt a little longer, but good structure overall. You kept me interested all the way through. Even had me saying “So THAT’s what happened to them” late in the doc as opposed to way too early. I will stay and watch more. Now, on it find out what happened to Touchtone Pictures…

[@abuferasabdullah]

Amazing writing bro. So convenient 👌🏼

[@de132]

Honestly, that's a respectable start and finish to Trimark Pictures. Cool video! :)

[@GreasyFilms-qc1xo]

Really well done doc.

[@jasoncallan]

this brings back memories & i always wondered why it took forever for warlock to come to theatres because it was heavily advertised in the coming attractions on new world's videos. i finally saw it in a military theatre in ft. bragg.

[@deanruthlessrecords]

The 7-11 directly across the street from me was my main place to rent for years!

[@mrScififan2]

Wonderful video. Educational

[@moviesbye9294]

$50 to buy forever or $10 for one night? Def best to buy!

[@369frequencyandvibration]

Not if you were incredibly underwhelmed.

[@369frequencyandvibration]

Carrot Top got a movie contract ... oh, no!

[@nickhuber8023]

Please do VESTRON VIDEO next

[@haruruben]

Once he said “Carrot Top” I understood where things went wrong

[@roger_something]

Amazing video. 👍

[@p__kingg]

Aww man .. most of these VHS covers are like takin in a big slice of nostalgia pie.... BUT 15:19 takes the cake. I remember that COVER VIVIDLY. and to think it was made by Peter Jackson who is such a world renown director in 2024. I love these time period pieces but KZbin videos about VHS and rentals touch a special part of my memory cuz wed always rent movies. Born in 1980 so i was alive for the inception and destruction of it all.

[@thewkovacs316]

20/20 was one of the best vid stores ever. they had titles you couldnt find anywhere else and let you rent up to 20 vids at a time

[@arielfangirlmendez]

When i was little i remember watching the third leprechaun movie on tape and my dad watch it and the one scene where this woman wishes to be young and beautiful and this monster leprechaun kills her

[@brianacebedo2636]

Chairman of the Board, aka "Box Office Poison".

[@JimmySand9]

"Board" should be spelled B-O-R-E-D. Just ask Courtney Thorne-Smith.

[@xKynOx]

I bought and still have lots of the big box ex rental VHS I used to rent as a kid, I bought them when Super Video closed down :( .

[@kevinkelley3906]

Ahhhhh. I remember all too well. We had 2 new rental stores and the owner had bootlegs that people could get. I don't know if they rented them or borrowed them but yes, Bootleg Betamax!!

[@joeriveracomedy]

I bet kickboxer 2 was scarier than warlock 2

[@bobcobb3654]

One of David Goyer’s first writing jobs.