NAVARRE CORPORATION’S BCI ANNOUNCES ITS NEXT DVD RELEASE FROM THE 1980s FILMATION CATALOG “BLACKSTAR”
All 13 Episodes From Original Animated Sci-Fi Series
Available in Two-Disc Set on August 22nd for $19.98
Los Angeles, CA – BCI, a wholly owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation, continues releasing 1980s animation titles from Filmation with the upcoming release of the ground-breaking animated adventure series “Blackstar.” Originally aired in 1981, “Blackstar” follows the fantastic tale of an astronaut sucked through a black hole, who finds himself stranded on a faraway planet, facing enchantment and danger! This two-disc, 13-episode set, from BCI’s Ink & Paint brand, and media company and underlying rights owner, Entertainment Rights Plc (“ER”), will be available on August 22nd at a suggested retail price of $19.98.
“Filmation released an eclectic array of animated titles throughout the ‘80s, and ‘Blackstar’ was one of the more cult-type series adored by fans,” said Jeff Hayne, Director of Acquisitions, BCI. “Mixing sword-and-sorcery elements with science fiction, the show was very popular during its original run in 1981, and its creators at Filmation credit it as a direct precursor to the popular series ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe®.’ We’re fortunate to be able to release the entire ‘Blackstar’ series on DVD for its loyal fan base.”
In “Blackstar,” when his space shuttle is pulled through a black hole, astronaut John Blackstar finds himself crash-landing on the distant planet Sagar. There, he is rescued by the gentle Trobbits, a race small in stature but big in courage. Sagar’s inhabitants are threatened by the brutal tyranny of the Overlord, a dark magician who possesses the Power Sword, one half of the powerful Powerstar. Blackstar soon gains the other half of the weapon, the Star Sword, and allies himself with others — the shape-shifter Klone, the sorceress, Mara, and a dragon named Warlock — to bring freedom and peace to Sagar.
Special features include:
·Interviews with creators Lou Scheimer, Michael Swanigan, Marc Scott Zicree, Michael Reaves, Robert Kline, Robby London and Ted Field.
·“The Magic of Filmation” documentary tracking the history of Filmation, and its quarter-century legacy of popular animated and live-action series
·Full episode audio commentary track for Episode 2 - “Search for the Starsword” featuring producer Lou Scheimer and animator Mike Bennett. Hosted by Andy Mangels.
·Full episode audio commentary track for Episode 13—“The Zombie Master”— featuring creators Michael Reaves, Marc Scott Zicree and Michael Swanigan. Hosted by Andy Mangels
·Image gallery of original “heroes and villains” model sheets and sketches, plus a gallery of presentation artwork and backgrounds uses in the series
·Spanish language tracks for all 13 episodes
·DVD-ROM features – scripts for all 13 episodes, 5 complete storyboards
·Trivia
·Digital restoration
As with the best-selling He-Man® and She-Ra® releases, consulting with BCI on the project and producing the special features, documentaries and most of the extra content is entertainment writer Andy Mangels, http://www.andymangels.com, a best-selling novelist, and author of Animation on DVD—The Ultimate Guide.