Trimark Pictures

Trimark Pictures (also referred to as Trimark) was an American[1] production company that specialized in the production and distribution of television and home video motion pictures.[2] The company was formed in 1984 by Mark Amin as Vidmark Entertainment with Vidmark Inc. (later Trimark Holdings Inc.) established as the holding company.[3] As a small studio, Trimark produced and released theatrical, independent, television and home video motion pictures. The logo features a triangle with a profile of a tiger's head.

Trimark Pictures
FormerlyVidmark Entertainment (1984–1989)
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryFilm
FateMerged with Lionsgate
SuccessorLionsgate Films
(Lionsgate Entertainment)
FoundedAugust 1984 (1984-08) (as Vidmark Entertainment)
June 23, 1989 (1989-06-23) (as Trimark Pictures)
FounderMark Amin
DefunctMarch 12, 2001 (2001-03-12)
HeadquartersSanta Monica, California,
United States
Key people
Mark Amin (Chairman & CEO)
ProductsMotion Pictures
ParentVidmark, Inc. (1985–1995)
Trimark Holdings (1995–2000)
Lionsgate (2000–2001)
DivisionsTrimark Interactive[1]
Trimark Television
Kidmark Entertainment
Trimark Home Video
SubsidiariesCinemaNow (formerly)
Trimark Ultra Sports

Among the company's many releases are Peter Jackson's 1992 film Dead Alive, which they chose to release theatrically due to Jackson's possessing a following.[4] They are well known for releasing films considered to be controversial for the time period, as in the case with the 1999 film Better Than Chocolate, as some newspapers refused to carry advertisements for the film that featured the word "lesbian" as part of a critic blurb.[5]

Background

Vidmark Entertainment was formed in August 1984 and began operating as a domestic home video distributor in early 1985. In 1987, Vidmark began distributing and sub-licensing motion pictures for international distribution.

Vidmark Entertainment first became involved with motion picture production in 1988, when its founders and investors provided financing for the feature Demonwarp. Demonwarp was produced by Richard L. Albert through his advertising company Design Projects, Inc., which was Vidmark's and many other home video and independent film distributors' advertising company.[6] Demonwarp was shot on 35mm film, and starred George Kennedy, but only cost $250,000 to make. Coming from a marketing background, producer Rick Albert convinced Mark Amin that if the film's budget was limited to the minimum baseline sales that Vidmark could make with any film released on videocassette in the United States, then the motion picture would have to be profitable. Since the original investors in Vidmark also invested in and owned the 20/20 Video chain of stores, they could accurately project what the minimum sales would be. The projections proved true, and adding to the robust U.S. home video sales, international sales, cable and free television sales, Demonwarp earned many multiples of its original budget. Mark Amin served as executive producer, and during production of Demonwarp he decided to raise money by a public offering of Vidmark, to form Trimark.

Trimark picked up its first film, Warlock, a 1989 film starring Julian Sands which was a major theatrical hit with fans of such films. Trimark eventually made the sequel Warlock: The Armageddon in 1993. Trimark also saw success in other familiar film series the studio produced and distributed. Leprechaun, released in 1993 starring a young Jennifer Aniston and Warwick Davis as the sinister leprechaun grossed over $10 million during its theatrical run. One theatrical sequel and four direct to video sequels eventually followed. Other Trimark productions included The Dentist, a major hit on HBO, Return of the Living Dead III and Pinocchio's Revenge. Trimark also made the dramatic Eve's Bayou, starring Samuel L. Jackson, which received critical acclaim. Trimark also released the miniseries Storm of the Century on home video.

On December 31, 1991, Vidmark acquired International Broadcast Systems, Ltd. for $1.6 million and renamed the company as Trimark Television. In June 1992, Vidmark, Inc. changed its name to Trimark Holdings, Inc. to reflect Trimark's diversification of its distribution streams. In March 1993, the company formed Trimark Interactive to expand into the emerging market for interactive software and multimedia. Trimark Interactive's assets were sold to Graphix Zone in March 1997.

In 2000, Trimark merged with Lions Gate Entertainment in which Amin became the single largest shareholder. In 2001, Mark Amin founded Sobini Films, and is its CEO.

In late 2017, Lionsgate launched a channel for Roku streaming players using the Vidmark name and a modified variant of their late 1980s logo, with Lionsgate-owned movies, including some from the original Vidmark and Trimark, amongst the selection.[7]

List of distributed movies

Theatrical
Release Date Title Notes
May 12, 1989Going Overboard
September 24, 1989A Fool and His Money
November 17, 1989High Stakes
July 14, 1990Solar Crisis
September 29, 1990Backstreet Dreams
November 2, 1990Frankenstein UnboundCo-prduction, Co-distributor and Co-financer with 20th Century Fox
May 1991Servants of Twilight
June 14, 1991Kickboxer 2theatrical distribution only
October 4, 1991Whore
October 18, 1991Dolly Dearest
November 15, 1991And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird
January 31, 1992Into the Sun
May 20, 1992The PsychicUSA distribution only
January 8, 1993Leprechaun
February 12, 1993Dead AliveUSA distribution only
September 24, 1993Warlock: The Armageddon
October 8, 1993Deadfall
October 29, 1993Return of the Living Dead 3limited release
November 12, 1993Philadelphia Experiment II
January 14, 1994Death Wish V: The Face of Death
February 25, 1994Silent Tongue
April 8, 1994Leprechaun 2
May 13, 1994Trading Mom
October 28, 1994Frank and Jesse
November 23, 1994Love and a .45
December 5, 1994The Stoned Age
December 9, 1994Federal Hill
April 21, 1995Swimming with Sharks
August 11, 1995A Kid in King Arthur's Courtco-production with Walt Disney Pictures
September 8, 1995Separate LivesUSA distribution only
October 6, 1995Kicking and Screaming
October 25, 1995The Doom GenerationUSA distribution only
February 10, 1996Evolverco-production with A Band Apart
August 1996Crimetime
October 18, 1996The Dentist
January 31, 1997Meet Wally Sparks
February 28, 1997Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love
April 25, 1997Nothing PersonalUSA distribution only
May 2, 1997Ripe
May 16, 1997Sprung
July 25, 1997Box of Moonlight
September 10, 1997First Love, Last Rites
November 7, 1997Eve's Bayou
January 16, 1998Star Kid
January 24, 1998The Curve
March 13, 1998Chairman of the Board
April 17, 1998Chinese Box
July 24, 1998Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss
August 21, 1998Carnival of Soulslimited release
September 4, 1998Phoenixproduced by Lakeshore Entertainment
September 11, 1998Cube
September 18, 1998Trance / The Eternalretitled for DVD release
October 7, 1998Slam
December 11, 1998The Dentist 2
December 30, 1998Another Day in Paradise
May 28, 1999Twice Upon a Yesterday
August 13, 1999Better Than Chocolate
September 17, 1999Romance
October 15, 1999Joe the King
February 18, 2000Beautiful People
April 21, 2000The Last September
May 12, 2000Held Up
July 11, 2000History Is Made at Night
October 12, 2000Faust: Love Of The Damned
January 2001Skipped Parts

Direct-to-video
Release Date Title Notes
1988Demonwarp
November 30, 1988Body Beat
February 9, 1990The Sleeping Car
September 15, 1990Spiritsdistribution only; produced by Cinema Group
September 26, 1990Mob Bossproduced by American Independent
April 17, 1991Black Magic Woman
September 27, 1993Thunder in Paradise
November 2, 1994Dangerous Touch
November 9, 1994Hong Kong '97
June 27, 1995Leprechaun 3
March 12, 1996True Crime
September 3, 1996Sometimes They Come Back... Again
February 25, 1997Leprechaun 4: In Space
July 28, 1998A Kid in Aladdin's Palace
April 27, 1999King Cobra
September 7, 1999Sometimes They Come Back... for More
October 12, 1999Warlock III: The End of Innocence
December 27, 1999Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying
March 28, 2000Leprechaun in the Hood
May 23, 2000Cord
March 13, 2001Killer Bud
May 13, 2001Turbulence 3: Heavy Metal
June 26, 2001Blood Surf

References
  1. "MobyGames Profile-Trimark Interactive".
  2. Jeffrey, Don (May 30, 1992). "Vidmark reports strong sales in 3rd qtr, but profits down, a third, are weak". Billboard (p 51). Retrieved 21 April 2014.
  3. Levison, Louise (2013). Filmmakers and Financing: Business Plans for Independents. Focal Press. p. 120. ISBN 9780240820996.
  4. Konow, Peter (2012). Reel Terror: The Scary, Bloody, Gory, Hundred-Year History of Classic Horror Films. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 479. ISBN 9780312668839.
  5. Jenni Olson, Bruce Vilanch (2004). The Queer Movie Poster Book. Chronicle Books. p. 122. ISBN 9780811842617.
  6. "Internet Movie Database".
  7. "Vidmark | Movies & TV | Roku Channel Store". Roku. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
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