AFI ONLINE CINEMA TO BEGIN PRESENTING CLASSIC SERIALS VIA INTERNET
- Republic Pictures' 1949 classic, KING OF THE ROCKET MEN, to kick-off
AFI's new focus on the popular serials of the 1930s and 40s -
LOS ANGELES - The American Film Institute's (AFI) groundbreaking OnLine
Cinema - the Internet's first movie theater - has begun presenting weekly
installments of the classic 1949 serial, KING OF THE ROCKET MEN, from
Republic Pictures, kicking-off a new online program aimed at bringing the
public many of the highly-popular 1930's and 1940's serials. Since its
historic launch on January 22, AFI OnLine Cinema has been visited by a
global audience of more than 150,000 people from over 70 countries.
Each Monday at noon (PST) for the next 12 weeks, AFI will launch a
different chapter of KING OF THE ROCKET MEN, each ending with a
suspense-filled cliffhanger. Following the 12 installments of KING OF THE
ROCKET MEN, AFI plans to continue to present other classic serials of that
era on an ongoing basis. AFI OnLine Cinema has presented Harold Lloyd's
HIGH AND DIZZY (1920), Charlie Chaplin's THE RINK (1916), Buster Keaton's
THE BOAT (1921), Disney's ALICE THE WHALER (1927) and Fleischer's animated
film MODELING (1921). All continue to remain accessible for viewing on AFI
OnLine Cinema.
AFI's Internet premiere of the KING OF THE ROCKET MEN serial will take place
on July 1st. AFI OnLine Cinema is located at <www.afionline.org/cinema>.
"By now including serials and animated short films, AFI's OnLine Cinema is
greatly expanding its offerings to the global audience which is
increasingly searching for entertainment via the World Wide Web," said AFI
Director and CEO Jean Picker Firstenberg. "AFI OnLine Cinema was developed
because it goes to the heart of
AFI's mission to advance and preserve the moving image and present this art
form to the public. The fact that so many people from across the globe are
coming to the AFI site to experience the OnLine Cinema once again
demonstrates the powerful influence and worldwide interest in American
moving images."
"Our library offers a rich heritage of timeless Hollywood classics," said
Robert Sigman, president and CEO of Republic Pictures. "We have long
supported the preservation of film and are proud to be involved in AFI's
ongoing and determined efforts. KING OF THE ROCKET MEN is one of Republic
Pictures' all-time favorite cliffhanger serials that includes 12
unbelievable and truly unforgettable futuristic episodes. We are excited
with AFI's efforts in bringing this classic series to the Internet
community."
Breaking further ground, AFI OnLine Cinema uses a sophisticated new
technology developed by VDOnet that enables viewers to watch films in real
time, eliminating time-consuming downloading delays normally experienced
when viewing moving images on the Internet.
In 1995, AFI created the popular AFI OnLine on the Internet's World Wide
Web to provide global access to AFI's rich resources in film, television
and new media. Located at <www.afionline.org>, AFI OnLine provides an
international authority source for all aspects of the moving image arts, a
one-stop guide for anyone interested in this art form. One of the most
valuable assets on the AFI Web site is CineMedia, the Internet's largest
film and media directory with links to more than 13,000 sites worldwide.
The American Film Institute is dedicated to advancing and preserving the
art of film, television and other forms of the moving image. AFI's
programs promote innovation and excellence through teaching, presenting,
preserving and redefining this art form.
Republic Pictures is the marketing and distribution division of Republic
Entertainment Inc., which is a subsidiary of the Spelling Entertainment
group Inc. [NYSE: SP], a leading producer and distributor of television,
film and interactive entertainment. In addition to Republic, the Spelling
Entertainment Group comprises Spelling Television, Spelling Films,
Worldvision Enterprises, Big Ticket Television, Virgin Interactive
Entertainment and Hamilton Projects. Through the combined libraries of
Spelling Television, Spelling Films, Worldvision, Republic and Big Ticket
Television, the Company controls 20,000 hours of programming. Viacom Inc.
[AMEX: VIA and VIAB] owns approximately 75% of Spelling's common stock.
VDOnet Corp., based in Palo Alto, Calif., has developed and markets
technology and products enabling Internet video broadcasting (VDOLive) and
video telephony (VDOPhone) on the Internet and over regular telephone
lines and private networks. Today, VDOLive is being used by hundreds of
companies as well as CBS News, PBS, Preview Media, corporate intranet users
and many others. VDOnet was founded in 1995 and today has offices in the
United States, Israel and Japan. VDOnet's URL is <www.vdo.net>.
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