Abstract
The branding of video and DVD labels is nothing new; but historically the companies that have practiced this form of promotion have tended to align themselves with specific quarters of the industry, most visibly arising from cult and marginal film markets, or from prestige and art film markets. However, in recent years, there has been a blurring of these categories as both sectors extend their catalogue into what would have historically been understood as others’ territory, while both still seek to position these new additions as canonical titles. Using examples from Arrow Video, The British Film Institute and The Criterion Collection, this chapter explores how distributors have both branded themselves and promoted their respective catalogues, while analysing the converging trajectories of high art and low culture.
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McKenna, M. (2017). Whose Canon is it Anyway?: Subcultural Capital, Cultural Distinction and Value in High Art and Low Culture Film Distribution. In: Wroot, J., Willis, A. (eds) Cult Media. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63679-5_3
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