For Immediate Release
A New Look - A New Logo - A New Attitude
Plus Two World Premiere Films: John Carpenter's Vampires: Los Muertos starring Jon Bon Jovi and Soul Assassin Starring Skeet Ulrich, And The Restored Version of Akira, The #1 Anime Film Of All-Time
Englewood, Colo., May 6, 2002 - Beginning July 1, the non-stop X-citement ACTION channel (www.actionmoviechannel.com) will re-launch, complete with a new look, a new logo (above), a new attitude, new programming packages and two never-before-seen world premieres - John Carpenter's Vampires: Los Muertos starring rocker Jon Bon Jovi and Soul Assassin starring Skeet Ulrich. In addition, ACTION in July will premiere the restored version of Akira, the #1 Anime film of all-time, plus 3x3 Eyes.
"We want to bring in a brand new audience with this new look and feel," says Stephan Shelanski, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Scheduling. "Younger plus hipper equals our new and very much improved ACTION channel."
EXPANDED PROGRAMMING LINEUP
To kick-off the new look, ACTION will introduce a variety of new programming offerings, starting with "31 Days of Action Figures" (every night at 10:00 p.m.), featuring some of today's biggest action stars including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Jean-Claude Van Damme and many more. Other new monthly programming packages will include "Saturday Action Zone" (an action-packed film every Saturday at 10:00 p.m.), "Animidnight" (Anime every Friday at midnight), "Martial Arts Mayhem" (the best of the best martial arts films) "Dimension X" (featuring sci-fi films), and "Battlefront" (war films).
WORLD PREMIERE MOVIES
Two world premieres will be presented in July - John Carpenter's Vampires: Los Muertos, a sequel to Carpenter's 1998 film. Los Muertos stars Jon Bon Jovi (U-571) as a vampire hunter who travels to Mexico to kill a group of brutal bloodsuckers, and one nasty female vampire. The film co-stars Natasha Gregson Wagner (High Fidelity). Soul Assassin stars Skeet Ulrich (Scream) as a security expert who discovers that his superiors may be on the wrong side of the law. The film co-stars Kristy Swanson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
Other films presented on ACTION in July will include such action hits as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Gone in Sixty Seconds, U-571, Top Gun, Escape From New York, Predator, Jet Li's The Enforcer, and Twelve Monkeys.
The new look and graphics, created in-house at Starz Encore's headquarters have an edgier, hipper feel that complements the films and special attractions programmed for the channel. "Our audience is media savvy," says Che Che Mata, Vice President, On-Air Promotion. "They've grown up with MTV, video games and computers, and they definitely pay attention to style and trends. They're snowboarders, skiers, skateboarders, BMXers, surfers, or just plain kids in the know, and we think the channel will definitely connect with them."
In July, ACTION will also present exclusive interviews with action stars such as Vin Diesel (XXX, The Fast and the Furious), Jet Li (Romeo Must Die, Lethal Weapon 4), skateboard champion Tony Hawk, and others. Action Girl, a series of exciting over-the-top action vignettes featuring a Lara Croft-like character will help jump-start the re-launch.
Starz Encore Group LLC (Starz Encore) is the largest provider of cable and satellite-delivered premium movie channels in the United States, owning 15 domestic channels with approximately 114 million pay units. Starz Encore offers the Starz Super PakSM, with up to 12 digital movie channels, and Starz On DemandSM, the first premium subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service. Starz Encore is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NYSE: L, LMCb), www.starzencore.com.
Contacts: Steve Belgard/Starz Encore Jennifer Vogelmann/MPRM (720) 852-5843 (323) 933-3399 Lisa Melton mPRm Public Relations 5670 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 2500 Los Angeles, CA 90036 phone: (323) 933-3399 x 262 fax: (323) 939-7211 e-mail: lmelton@mprm.com