Christopher Plummer-Led BARRYMORE to Get 5/7 DVD Release

By: Mar. 19, 2013
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Image Entertainment, Inc. (OTCQB: DISK) just announced the upcoming release of Christopher Plummer's critically heralded cinematic portrayal of Barrymore, available on Blu-rayTM at $39.98, DVD at $29.98, and Digital Download on May 7th. Hot on the heels of Plummer's Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Beginners last year, the octogenarian star of stage and screen delivers his most affecting performance yet. Barrymore was released theatrically by BY Experience and Image Entertainment in New York and Los Angeles in November of 2012. The Los Angeles Times then enthused, "Christopher Plummer is a mischievous delight as the great John Barrymore, intent on a stage comeback." Barrymore was also recently nominated for two PRISM Awards including Performance in a Feature Film.

The screen version of the William Luce play by the same name, Barrymore had its world premiere at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. It was adapted by writer-director Érik Canuel from the 1996 Broadway production for which Plummer won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in 1997. Plummer, 82, has long had a fascination with the title character, and it shows. The Village Voice exclaimed, "Christopher Plummer re-creates his Tony-winning performance as the charming louse in his booze-addled final days. Blessed with a script that is witty, insightful to the workings of the narcissistic Hollywood psyche, and often wonderfully bitchy, the film is also a wistful look at faded dreams and opportunities lost due to both the vagaries of the business and self-sabotage."

Of Plummer's performance, noted critic Rex Reed proclaimed, "It's the role-and the performance-- of a lifetime, and he plays every color, nuance, mood shift and variety of vocal power and body language in his enormous range. The artistry leaves you with your mouth wide open." Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter exclaims, "Christopher Plummer could be back in Oscar contention this fall for his portrayal of legendary actor John Barrymore." And the New York Times' Manohla Dargis succinctly sums it up with, "The performance is the thing."

Special features on the Blu-rayTM and DVD include a behind-the-scenes documentary, Backstage With Barrymore, featuring Helen Mirren, Julie Andrews and Zoe Caldwell.

RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) is a premier independent licensee and distributor of entertainment content and programming in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia with over 5,200 exclusive titles. RLJE is a leader in numerous genres via its owned and distributed brands such as Acorn (British TV), Image (stand-up comedy, feature films), One Village (urban), Acacia (fitness), Slingshot (faith), Athena (educational), Criterion (art films) and Madacy (gift sets). These titles are distributed in multiple formats including DVD, Blu-Ray, digital download, digital streaming, broadcast television (including satellite and cable), theatrical and non-theatrical.

Via its majority-owned subsidiary Agatha Christie Limited, RLJE manages the intellectual property and publishing rights to some of the greatest works of mystery fiction, including stories of the iconic sleuths Miss Marple and Poirot. And through its direct-to-consumer business, RLJE has direct contacts and billings relationships with millions of consumers.

RLJE leverages its management experience to acquire, distribute, and monetize existing and original content for its many distribution channels, including its branded digital subscription channels, and engages a distinct audience with programming that appeals directly to their unique viewing interests. RLJE has proprietary e-commerce web sites for the Acorn and Acacia brands, and owns the recently launched Acorn TV digital subscription service.


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