DEJ Productions
Encyclopedia
DEJ Productions studio distributed 225 films in just eight years, including the Academy Award winning Monster starring Charlize Theron
and the multiple Academy Award winning Crash
which won Best Picture of the Year. DEJ was a film acquisition company which began in 1998, shortly after the introduction of the medium of DVD
. The home video
industry was undergoing a major economic change and DEJ was established to pick-up
low budget films primarily to get exclusive DVD releases for its parent company, Blockbuster Video. DEJ was named after the first initials of three top Blockbuster executives at the time, its Executive Vice President Dean Wilson, its General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Business Development Ed Stead, and its CEO John Antioco. The company released a few of its acquired films theatrically. A notable example was the U.S. rights to the Sylvester Stallone
film, D-Tox, which Universal Studios
declined to distribute in the U.S. DEJ picked up the film and released it under the title Eye See You, a name it also used in the home video release.
Based in Los Angeles, DEJ picked up around three dozen films annually. Its first film acquired was the home video distribution of Still Breathing
starring Brendan Fraser
. It acquired the rights to the biopics of two mass murderers in Dahmer
and Gacy
. DEJ also picked up films such as Party Monster and Grand Theft Parsons
at festivals including the Sundance Film Festival. In the case of a theatrical release such as 2004's My Date With Drew
, Blockbuster stores would promote the film both in its store and on its website. Because DEJ was in the Blockbuster corporate umbrella during a period in which Viacom owned Blockbuster, DEJ could also sell the rights to Viacom's cable networks including Starz or Showtime while obtaining video rights to first run titles airing on the cable channels such as Whoopi Goldberg's
made-for-Showtime film, Good Fences
. In the media industry, this was considered a synergistic business model. One of the founding partners, Dean Wilson, explained DEJ's philosophy on convincing filmmakers of their business model in an interview in 2002. He said, "A lot of filmmakers initially have this belief that they're not a success unless they end up in a theater...They all want to be Spielberg and all want to make tons of money eventually, but I think that in a lot of these early projects, they put everything into it, and I would love to see theatrical release. But I think they're now coming to terms with the fact theatrical release isn't available for everything. We offer up exposure to people, which, when it comes down to it, is really what they want."
Because of some success in the home video marketplace with a few of the picked up films, DEJ ended its exclusive deal with Blockbuster to gain wider release of some of its breakout titles. It began co-financing higher profile films for theatrical release including, Monster and Crash
. DEJ’s first Oscar Award winner was Charlize Theron
in Monster. The following year, the Independent film, Crash, was the winner of several Academy Awards including Best Achievement in Film Editing, Best Writing of an Original Screenplay, and Best Motion Picture of the Year, as well as 41 other awards from various organizations. DEJ’s increasing notoriety led to more involvement in the production side which was a change in its business model. The first result was that the company scaled back the number of productions it was involved with. The second was that the financial risk increased as the push for quality was raised. "As a company that's looking to grow over time, the objective is to find projects that are bigger and better," said DEJ VP of acquisitions Andy Reimer.
With the shift in business came both business practices and ownership change. First Look Studios
combined sales forces with DEJ as First Look began to distribute some of DEJ’s home video product starting in 2001. Four years later, First Look Studios purchased DEJ from Blockbuster for $25 million in 2005. It received DEJ’s entire inventory of 225 films, as well, in exchange for home video revenue sharing with Blockbuster. At the time, First Look CEO Henry Winterstern said. "The acquisition of DEJ marks an important step for First Look Studios… We are moving forward with our mission of building the next fully integrated film production and distribution company."
By 2010, First Look Studios fortunes had eroded and the company was disbanded following bankruptcy. While the DEJ nameplate was largely discontinued by 2006 just after the First Look buyout, its logo can still be seen in video releases as Millennium Entertainment
acquired much of the DEJ and First Look film library in 2010. In 2011, the filmmakers who made the film Animal
for DEJ received a favorable decision concerning the profits made in the 2005 direct-to-video release.
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is a South African actress, film producer and former fashion model.She rose to fame in the late 1990s following her roles in 2 Days in the Valley, Mighty Joe Young, The Devil's Advocate and The Cider House Rules...
and the multiple Academy Award winning Crash
Crash (2004 film)
Crash is a 2004 American drama film co-written, produced, and directed by Paul Haggis. The film is about racial and social tensions in Los Angeles, California. A self-described "passion piece" for Haggis, Crash was inspired by a real life incident in which his Porsche was carjacked outside a video...
which won Best Picture of the Year. DEJ was a film acquisition company which began in 1998, shortly after the introduction of the medium of DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. The home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
industry was undergoing a major economic change and DEJ was established to pick-up
Negative pickup deal
In film production, a negative pickup is a contract entered into by an independent producer and a movie studio wherein the studio agrees to purchase the movie from the producer at a given date and for a fixed sum...
low budget films primarily to get exclusive DVD releases for its parent company, Blockbuster Video. DEJ was named after the first initials of three top Blockbuster executives at the time, its Executive Vice President Dean Wilson, its General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Business Development Ed Stead, and its CEO John Antioco. The company released a few of its acquired films theatrically. A notable example was the U.S. rights to the Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
film, D-Tox, which Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
declined to distribute in the U.S. DEJ picked up the film and released it under the title Eye See You, a name it also used in the home video release.
Based in Los Angeles, DEJ picked up around three dozen films annually. Its first film acquired was the home video distribution of Still Breathing
Still Breathing
Still Breathing is 1997 drama feature film starring Brendan Fraser and Joanna Going. Con artist Rosalyn Willoughby in Hollywood and puppeteer Fletcher McBracken in San Antonio have the same dream, which links them to each other. He travels to L.A. to find her, but at first she resists him...
starring Brendan Fraser
Brendan Fraser
Brendan James Fraser is a Canadian-American film and stage actor. Fraser portrayed Rick O'Connell in the three-part Mummy film series , and is known for his comedic and fantasy film leading roles in major Hollywood films, including Encino Man , George of the Jungle , Dudley Do-Right , Monkeybone ,...
. It acquired the rights to the biopics of two mass murderers in Dahmer
Dahmer (film)
Dahmer is a 2002 American biopic about the American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Jeremy Renner stars in the title role.There are two timelines in the film: The "present" of the film runs in ordinary chronological order covering the period of one-to-two days; the flashbacks go in reverse order, so...
and Gacy
Gacy (film)
Gacy is a 2003 direct-to-video biographical-drama film directed by Clive Saunders and written by Saunders and David Birke. The story revolves around the life of serial killer John Wayne Gacy.-Plot:...
. DEJ also picked up films such as Party Monster and Grand Theft Parsons
Grand Theft Parsons
Grand Theft Parsons is a 2003 film based on the true story of the country musician Gram Parsons , who died of an overdose in 1973...
at festivals including the Sundance Film Festival. In the case of a theatrical release such as 2004's My Date With Drew
My Date with Drew
My Date with Drew is a 2004 documentary film starring Brian Herzlinger. Since he first saw E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial as a child, he has had a crush on its star Drew Barrymore. Now, more than 20 years later, Herzlinger combines his passions for filmmaking and Drew Barrymore to document his quest...
, Blockbuster stores would promote the film both in its store and on its website. Because DEJ was in the Blockbuster corporate umbrella during a period in which Viacom owned Blockbuster, DEJ could also sell the rights to Viacom's cable networks including Starz or Showtime while obtaining video rights to first run titles airing on the cable channels such as Whoopi Goldberg's
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
made-for-Showtime film, Good Fences
Good Fences
Good Fences, starring Whoopi Goldberg , Danny Glover, Ryan Michelle Bathe Ashley Archer and Mo'Nique, is a made-for-TV movie that debuted in 2003. It is about the stresses of prejudice on an upwardly mobile black family in 1970s Connecticut. Danny Glover plays the overworked, stressed husband...
. In the media industry, this was considered a synergistic business model. One of the founding partners, Dean Wilson, explained DEJ's philosophy on convincing filmmakers of their business model in an interview in 2002. He said, "A lot of filmmakers initially have this belief that they're not a success unless they end up in a theater...They all want to be Spielberg and all want to make tons of money eventually, but I think that in a lot of these early projects, they put everything into it, and I would love to see theatrical release. But I think they're now coming to terms with the fact theatrical release isn't available for everything. We offer up exposure to people, which, when it comes down to it, is really what they want."
Because of some success in the home video marketplace with a few of the picked up films, DEJ ended its exclusive deal with Blockbuster to gain wider release of some of its breakout titles. It began co-financing higher profile films for theatrical release including, Monster and Crash
Crash (2004 film)
Crash is a 2004 American drama film co-written, produced, and directed by Paul Haggis. The film is about racial and social tensions in Los Angeles, California. A self-described "passion piece" for Haggis, Crash was inspired by a real life incident in which his Porsche was carjacked outside a video...
. DEJ’s first Oscar Award winner was Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron is a South African actress, film producer and former fashion model.She rose to fame in the late 1990s following her roles in 2 Days in the Valley, Mighty Joe Young, The Devil's Advocate and The Cider House Rules...
in Monster. The following year, the Independent film, Crash, was the winner of several Academy Awards including Best Achievement in Film Editing, Best Writing of an Original Screenplay, and Best Motion Picture of the Year, as well as 41 other awards from various organizations. DEJ’s increasing notoriety led to more involvement in the production side which was a change in its business model. The first result was that the company scaled back the number of productions it was involved with. The second was that the financial risk increased as the push for quality was raised. "As a company that's looking to grow over time, the objective is to find projects that are bigger and better," said DEJ VP of acquisitions Andy Reimer.
With the shift in business came both business practices and ownership change. First Look Studios
First Look Studios
First Look Studios was an independent American film studio that specialized in home video releases of films and TV series. It purchased the Blockbuster subsidiary, DEJ Productions, in 2005...
combined sales forces with DEJ as First Look began to distribute some of DEJ’s home video product starting in 2001. Four years later, First Look Studios purchased DEJ from Blockbuster for $25 million in 2005. It received DEJ’s entire inventory of 225 films, as well, in exchange for home video revenue sharing with Blockbuster. At the time, First Look CEO Henry Winterstern said. "The acquisition of DEJ marks an important step for First Look Studios… We are moving forward with our mission of building the next fully integrated film production and distribution company."
By 2010, First Look Studios fortunes had eroded and the company was disbanded following bankruptcy. While the DEJ nameplate was largely discontinued by 2006 just after the First Look buyout, its logo can still be seen in video releases as Millennium Entertainment
Millennium Entertainment
Led by CEO Bill Lee, Millennium Entertainment is a leading independent supplier that acquires and distributes feature films, television series and specialty programming...
acquired much of the DEJ and First Look film library in 2010. In 2011, the filmmakers who made the film Animal
Animal (2005 film)
Animal is a 2005 direct-to-video film starring Ving Rhames, Terrence Howard, Jim Brown and Chazz Palminteri. It was directed by David J. Burke and written by David C. Johnson. The film's profits were the subject of a lawsuit against the film's distributor, DEJ Productions. The case was still active...
for DEJ received a favorable decision concerning the profits made in the 2005 direct-to-video release.
Productions
- Still BreathingStill BreathingStill Breathing is 1997 drama feature film starring Brendan Fraser and Joanna Going. Con artist Rosalyn Willoughby in Hollywood and puppeteer Fletcher McBracken in San Antonio have the same dream, which links them to each other. He travels to L.A. to find her, but at first she resists him...
(1997) - The Runner (1999)
- The Attic ExpeditionsThe Attic ExpeditionsThe Attic Expeditions, aka Horror in the Attic, is a 2001 horror movie starring Andras Jones and Seth Green, and featuring Alice Cooper and Ted Raimi. The film has been criticized for being "random", "incoherent", "violently confusing", and lacking any plot whatsoever, at any point...
(2001) - Crazy as HellCrazy as HellCrazy as Hell, released in 2002 , is a horror suspense film that follows Dr. Ty Adams , an aggressive and overconfident psychiatrist who is producing a documentary film about a nearby state-run mental hospital. While treating a new patient who claims to be Satan, Dr...
(2002) - DahmerDahmer (film)Dahmer is a 2002 American biopic about the American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Jeremy Renner stars in the title role.There are two timelines in the film: The "present" of the film runs in ordinary chronological order covering the period of one-to-two days; the flashbacks go in reverse order, so...
(2002) - The OutsiderThe Outsider (2002 film)The Outsider is a 2002 Western film starring Tim Daly and Naomi Watts. The film is based on Penelope Williamson's novel. Similar to Angel and the Badman where John Wayne plays a wounded outlaw who is sheltered by a Quaker family.-Plot summary:...
(2002) - Partners In Action (2002)
- D-Tox (aka Eye See You) (2002)
- Wolves of Wall StreetWolves of Wall StreetWolves of Wall Street is a film, released in 2002, directed by David DeCoteau.-Plot summary:On the advice of a bartender familiar with the Wall Street crowd, Jeff applies to the Wolfe Brothers brokerage firm for his dream job as a stock broker. He is forced to abandon his love and values for...
(2002) - The CircuitThe Circuit (2002 film)«The Circuit» - is a 2002 arena-fighting film starring Olivier Gruner -Plot:Years ago, Dirk Longstreet walked away from The Circuit, the merciless underground fight club with no rules, where money changes hands as men are killed. But now gangsters have got his brother, and only one more journey...
(2002) - Snake IslandSnake Island (film)Snake Island is a South African action horror film directed by Wayne Crawford. The film's plot revolves around a group of tourists attempting to survive on a tropical island infested with snakes...
(2002) - Scorched (2002)
- Home RoomHome Room (film)Home Room is an independent film starring Erika Christensen, Busy Philipps and Victor Garber. It premiered in the Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival on 12 April 2002, and made its limited theatrical release on 5 September 2003.- Plot :...
(2002) - The Circuit 2The Circuit 2: The Final Punch (2002 film)The Circuit 2: The Final Punch is a martial arts film starring Olivier Gruner and is the sequel of The Circuit.-Plot:There is an underground fight circuit behind the walls of Ogden State Prison. The secret is about to be blown wide open by Dirk's reporter girlfriend, when she is brutally attacked....
(2002) - Hard Cash (aka Run for the Money)Hard CashHard Cash is an action and adventure film released in 2002.- Cast :* Christian Slater - as Thomas Taylor* Val Kilmer - as FBI Agent Mark C...
(2002) - Monster (2003)
- In HellIn HellIn Hell is a 2003 action thriller film directed by Ringo Lam and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.- Plot :Kyle LeBlanc is an American working overseas in Russia. When he hears his wife being attacked over the phone, Kyle rushes home to find that he's too late. The man who killed his wife is found...
(2003) - Good FencesGood FencesGood Fences, starring Whoopi Goldberg , Danny Glover, Ryan Michelle Bathe Ashley Archer and Mo'Nique, is a made-for-TV movie that debuted in 2003. It is about the stresses of prejudice on an upwardly mobile black family in 1970s Connecticut. Danny Glover plays the overworked, stressed husband...
(2003) - Lost TreasureLost Treasure (film)Lost Treasure is a 2003 action film starring Stephen Baldwin, Nicollette Sheridan and Coby Ryan McLaughlin. It was written by Harris Done and Diane Fine and directed by Jim Wynorski. This movie is about a treasure hunt in a tropical island. The plot involves a treasure supposedly hidden by Columbus...
(2003) - Shark ZoneShark ZoneShark Zone is a 2003 direct to video film. It is the third sequel to the film Shark Attack.-Reception:Critical reception was mostly negative. It currently hols a 2.8 rating on IMDb. On RottenTomatoes it has 23% rating....
(2003) - GacyGacy (film)Gacy is a 2003 direct-to-video biographical-drama film directed by Clive Saunders and written by Saunders and David Birke. The story revolves around the life of serial killer John Wayne Gacy.-Plot:...
(2003) - Party Monster (2003)
- Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial KillerAileen: Life and Death of a Serial KillerAileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer is a 2003 feature-length documentary film about Aileen Wuornos, made by Nick Broomfield as a follow-up to his 1992 film Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer...
(2003) - Gang of RosesGang of RosesGang of Roses is a 2003 Western action drama film written and directed by Jean-Claude La Marre. It starred Monica Calhoun, Lil' Kim, Lisa Raye, Charity Hill, Bobby Brown, Stacy Dash, and Marie Matiko.-Plot:...
(2003) - Killer BuzzFlying VirusFlying Virus is a 2001 American-Brazilian horror film written and directed by Jeff Hare, which starred Gabrielle Anwar and Rutger Hauer...
(2003) - Grand Theft ParsonsGrand Theft ParsonsGrand Theft Parsons is a 2003 film based on the true story of the country musician Gram Parsons , who died of an overdose in 1973...
(2003) - Evil Alien ConquerorsEvil Alien ConquerorsEvil Alien Conquerors is a movie directed by Chris Matheson in 2003, and is a blend of science-fiction and comedy. The film follows two aliens who are sent to Earth to destroy mankind, but when they arrive they are unable to complete their mission...
(2003) - CrashCrash (2004 film)Crash is a 2004 American drama film co-written, produced, and directed by Paul Haggis. The film is about racial and social tensions in Los Angeles, California. A self-described "passion piece" for Haggis, Crash was inspired by a real life incident in which his Porsche was carjacked outside a video...
(2004) - MethodMethod (film)Method is a 2004 thriller film directed by Duncan Roy. The international co-production is a film within a film about a cast and crew who are in Romania to make a film about serial killer, Belle Gunness.-Plot:...
(2004) - Wake of DeathWake of DeathWake of Death is a 2004 American action film directed by French director, Philippe Martinez. Ringo Lam was the original director, but he left the project after a few weeks of filming in Canada...
(2004) - Blessed (2004)
- Nora's Hair SalonNora's Hair SalonNora's Hair Salon is a 2004 independent comedy-drama film, written by Chanel Capra and Jean-Claude La Marre, and directed by Jerry LaMothe. This film stars Jenifer Lewis, Tamala Jones, and Tatyana Ali.-Plot:...
(2004) - The HollowThe Hollow (2004 film)The Hollow is a 2004 teen horror movie, starring Kevin Zegers, Kaley Cuoco, Nick Carter and Stacy Keach. The movie premiered on the ABC Family Channel in October 2004. It tells the story of Ian Cranston , a high school teen who just found out he's the descendant of Ichabod Crane...
(2004) - Ring of DarknessRing of DarknessRing of Darkness is a horror/fantasy movie, released in 2004, directed by David DeCoteau. Although never released into American theaters, the movie was released worldwide, and translated into several languages other than English, such as French, Spanish, Italian and German.-Plot summary:The lead...
(2004) - Post ImpactPost ImpactPost Impact is a 2004 disaster film, written and directed by Christoph Schrewe and stars Dean Cain, Joanna Taylor, Nigel Bennett, and Hanns Zischler.-Synopsis:...
(2004) - My Date with DrewMy Date with DrewMy Date with Drew is a 2004 documentary film starring Brian Herzlinger. Since he first saw E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial as a child, he has had a crush on its star Drew Barrymore. Now, more than 20 years later, Herzlinger combines his passions for filmmaking and Drew Barrymore to document his quest...
(2004) - Employee of the MonthEmployee of the Month (2004 film)Employee of the Month is a 2004 American black comedy starring Matt Dillon and Christina Applegate.-Plot:David Walsh is a bank employee whose day begins badly when he gets fired from his dream job and dumped by his fiancée Sara Goodwin the day after their engagement party is crashed by his best...
(2004) - Dirty LoveDirty LoveDirty Love is a 2005 comedy written by and starring Jenny McCarthy and directed by John Mallory Asher. At the time of filming McCarthy and Asher were married, they divorced the month the film went into wide release...
(2005) - Shooting GalleryShooting Gallery (film)Shooting Gallery is a 2005 film directed by Keoni Waxman starring Freddie Prinze, Jr.. The plot consists of a young hustler who meets his match in a veteran pool player and small-time gangster ....
(2005) - Half LightHalf LightHalf Light is a 2006 Mystery/Horror Film starring Demi Moore and Henry Ian Cusick in the lead role. It was directed by Craig Rosenberg, who also penned the screenplay.The score was composed by Craig's brother, Brett Rosenberg.-Plot:...
(2006) - Peaceful WarriorPeaceful WarriorPeaceful Warrior is a 2006 drama film starring Scott Mechlowicz, Nick Nolte, and Amy Smart. Released on June 2, 2006, it is based on the novel Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman.The film is set in U.C. Berkeley but is shot elsewhere...
(2006) - The Prince and Me 2: The Royal WeddingThe Prince and Me 2: The Royal WeddingThe Prince and Me 2: The Royal Wedding is a 2006 romantic comedy film, directed by Catherine Cyran, which was released direct-to-video. It stars Luke Mably as Prince Edvard, Kam Heskin as Paige Morgan, and Clemency Burton-Hill as Princess Kirsten....
(2006)