LOVEFiLM

Rocky wins over more than a quarter of film fans (28 per cent) in this classic rags-to-riches American dream story pulling no punches to claim the top spot as the nation’s greatest sporting movie.

To celebrate the release of biographical Moneyball starring Brad Pitt on Friday, the boxing legend came out on top in a poll by LOVEFiLM – Europe’s largest subscription service streaming movies and TV episodes over the internet and sending DVDs by post – who asked over 1,000 film fans who should win gold.

Sliding in to take second place (15 per cent) is Cool Runnings with comedy class act John Candy as ex-bobsleigh champion who takes four friends and whips them into the first ever Jamaican Olympic Bobsleigh Team – with slip-ups and scrapes from start to finish line.

Fighting its way into third place is Clint Eastwood-directed Million Dollar Baby with eight per cent of film fans voting for this Academy Award winning movie about an under-appreciated boxing trainer who takes on an amateur female boxer (Hilary Swank).

The third boxing film in our poll and in fourth place with seven per cent of the vote is Scorsese-directed Raging Bull starring a young Robert de Niro as self-destructive fighter Jake La Motta living life against the ropes. The Wrestler slams into joint fourth place (seven per cent) in this Oscar nominated sports flick, which saw Mickey Rourke back to his on-screen best.

Winning Sandra Bullock an Oscar – and blonde hair – is American football tale Blind Side at six with six per cent of the votes. The true tearjerker story was a touchdown with film lovers and critics alike.

Managing seventh place (five per cent) is The Damned United featuring Michael Sheen in all his glory with a portrayal of legendary football gaffer Brian Clough and his infamous 44-day reign at Leeds United.

Joint eighth are two 2010 greats, The Fighter and Invictus with four per cent of the votes each. The former gives an early look at the boxing scene starring Hollywood heavyweights Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale and the latter a biographical account of Nelson Mandela’s quest to unite South Africa and win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Scoring in tenth place (three per cent) is Escape To Victory with a tale of the beautiful game starring real-life greats Bobby Moore and Pelé.

Top Ten Greatest Sporting Movies:
1. Rocky (1976) – 28 per cent
2. Cool Runnings (1993) – 15 per cent
3. Million Dollar Baby (2004) – eight per cent
=4. Raging Bull (1980) – seven per cent
=4. The Wrestler (2008) – seven per cent
6. The Blind Side (2009) – six per cent
7. The Damned United (2009) – five per cent
=8. The Fighter (2001) – four per cent
=8. Invictus (2001) – four per cent
10. Escape To Victory (1981) – three per cent

Other – 13 per cent

Helen Cowley, Editor of LOVEFiLM, commented:
“With the Olympics on their way and the anticipated release of Moneyball this weekend, sport is a hot topic – from living room to locker room. Whether it is football favourites, bobsleighing blunders or boxing Balboas we love to watch sporting heroes cross the finishing line in style.

“Our top ten are all winners to us, as well as some of the other sporting greats that narrowly missed out on a spot. LOVEFiLM’s streaming service now makes it easy for film – and sports – fans to enjoy flicks instantly. So avoid the crowds and cheer on your favourites from the comfort of your living room.”

Warner Bros. has signed a major film distribution agreement with LOVEFiLM it was announced today by Josh Berger, President & Managing Director, Warner Bros. UK, Ireland & Spain and Simon Calver, Chief Executive, LOVEFiLM.

The multi-year, multi-layered pact offers consumers wider choice and more access to Warner Bros. content across a range of options. The deal spans LOVEFiLM’s digital subscription, download to own and pay per view services, as well as Warner Bros.’ branded SVOD service WarnerFilms.

An exclusive second window subscription pay TV deal will see Warner Bros.’ recent and forthcoming film releases added to LOVEFiLM’s Watch Online service through the LOVEFiLM Player, either on the PC or accessible via Sony PlayStation®3, Apple iPad, a growing number of web-enabled TV sets and Blu-ray players, and later this year Microsoft Xbox 360

Movies exclusively available at the start of the deal in December will include The Dark Knight, The Hangover, Gran Torino and Sex and the City 2. And, in the coming months and years, LOVEFiLM customers, who subscribe to streaming as part of their package, will be able to instantly watch a regular flow of Warner Bros.’ recent movies.

Underscoring both companies’ commitment to giving customers a broad-ranging set of options to watch Warner Bros.’ content, the deal continues to make the studio’s film releases available for purchase or rent digitally; via LOVEFiLM’s market-leading DVD and Blu-ray subscription rental service, through which DVDs and Blu-rays will be available by post 60 days after retail release, from 2012; and via Warner Bros.’ branded SVOD channel, WarnerFilms. Scheduled by Warner Bros. and offering a great selection of recent and classic movies from Warner Bros.’ portfolio of titles, WarnerFilms provides 24 hours a day on-demand access to 28 movies at any one time with seven new titles added every week.

Commenting on the agreement, Josh Berger, President and Managing Director, Warner Bros. UK, Ireland and Spain said, “This significant deal with LOVEFiLM and its parent company Amazon takes a 360 degree approach to delivering Warner Bros.’ world class movies across multiple business lines. Now, LOVEFiLM customers will enjoy more ways of enjoying great film content, all with the ease that the service has become known for.”

Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution added: “The establishment of a second pay window with LOVEFiLM is an important evolution in the way films are made available for viewing in the UK in ever-more convenient ways. Importantly, the structure of the deal ensures that our films continue to retain their value to linear and non linear operators following this window and for the long term.”

Simon Calver, CEO of LOVEFiLM, added: “This major deal builds on our partnership with Warner Bros. and gives LOVEFiLM members exclusive access to world-class movies across multiple platforms. We are committed to delivering the best entertainment service possible – giving our members the content they want on the platforms of their choice.”

Hundreds of thousands of film fans are set to tune in and take their place on a virtual red carpet this Wednesday evening as the premiere of the new Twilight film is streamed live over the internet.

LOVEFiLM, the movie subscription service, has partnered with film studio Entertainment One UK to stream The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1 red carpet experience – enabling fans around the world to get up close and personal to the stars of the vampire saga including teenage heartthrobs Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.

The unique event was inspired by last year’s BAFTAs when over 200,000 film fans flocked to LOVEFiLM’s website to watch an 18 second video clip of Pattinson walking down the red carpet.

Helen Cowley, LOVEFiLM editor, comments:
“It is testament to the popularity of The Twilight Saga that a full broadcast operation is in place to simply capture the moment the stars arrive and walk into the premiere. Hundreds of fans will be hoping to get a glimpse of lead actor Robert Pattinson and we’re excited to extend that experience to thousands more around the world who will be able to scream at the stars from the comfort of their own living rooms.”

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 is the next chapter in The Twilight Saga – the worldwide phenomenon inspired by the vampire-novels of US writer Stephanie Meyer. Breaking Dawn Part 1 is directed by Academy Award® winner Bill Condon and stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.

The live streaming will be broadcast for free on the LOVEFiLM website from 1600 hours on Wednesday 16th November. Twilight fans can catch up on the on the previous installment, Eclipse, available to exclusively stream online through the LOVEFiLM Player, either on the PC or accessible via Sony PlayStation®3, Apple iPad and a growing number of web-enabled TV sets and Blu-ray players.

EX-OLYMPIAN RECRUITED FOR LOVEFiLM SPRINT-VERTISING CAMPAIGN

In a marketing first Olympic medallist Jamie Baulch has been signed up to sprint around the capital acting as a human mobile advert.

LOVEFiLM has recruited the former world champion runner for an alternative advertising campaign to highlight its unlimited movie streaming service. LOVEFiLM members can instantly watch thousands of films, from Hollywood blockbusters to critically acclaimed titles, on their living room TVs via the PlayStation 3™ or internet connected devices, as well as on PCs and the iPad®. Later this year, members will also be able to watch films instantly through the Xbox 360.

The former Team GB runner will bolt across London whilst flying branded banners behind him attached to his back, becoming the first mobile human advert for the film delivery service.

As host city for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, London was picked to be the starting point for Baulch, before he goes on to take the LOVEFiLM streaming message to the rest of the UK.

LOVEFiLM, Europe’s largest subscription service – streaming movies and TV episodes over the internet and sending DVDs by post – offers an unlimited package which includes limitless streaming and DVDs for just £9.99 a month.

With the Games less than 270 days away, it would seem that the Olympics are already having an effect on the imaginations of film fans everywhere. The sprint-vertising campaign comes after a quarter of film fans polled by LOVEFiLM voted Forrest Gump their favourite on-screen runner (26 per cent), followed by Run Fat Boy Run’s Dennis in second place (15 per cent) and Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (ten per cent).

Top Ten Film Runners:
1. Tom Hanks – Forrest Gump (26 per cent)
2. Simon Pegg – Run Fatboy Run (15 per cent)
3. Johnny Depp – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (ten per cent)
4. Sylvester Stallone – Rocky Balboa (nine per cent)
5. Ewan McGregor – Trainspotting (seven per cent)
6. Franka Potente – Run Lola Run (six per cent)
7. Harrison Ford – Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (five per cent)
= 7. Matthew Broderick – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (five per cent)
9. Daniel Craig – Casino Royale (three per cent)
10. Carrie Anne Moss – The Matrix (two per cent)

Other – 12 per cent

Jamie Baulch, Olympic medallist and former Team GB athlete, says:
“As a huge film fan it was great to hear from LOVEFiLM and I was flattered they wanted to recruit me as the human ad. It is definitely an unusual way to spend the day and spread the instant streaming message. My marathon run and training this year has certainly paid off!”

Simon Morris, Chief Marketing Officer at LOVEFiLM, comments:
“LOVEFiLM fans can now instantly watch as much as they want, whenever they want, on more platforms than ever. We are pleased to have one of the country’s most recognisable Olympians sprinting in the name of film. Our members and film fans can now enjoy unlimited DVDs and instant movie streaming for under ten pounds – that’s less than the congestion charge from one side of the capital to the other. No wonder we’ve signed up Jamie.’’