Vivendi Entertainment picks up the Tartan Extreme catalog!

Fans of Asian cinema surely lamented the loss of Tartan not too long ago, along with it their Asian Extreme catalog of films. But let us now be cautiously optimistic and hopeful because along with Palisades picking up the rights to the DVD catalog ...

Vivendi Entertainment has acquired the U.S. home video, digital and mobile rights to Palisades Tartan's catalog, marking the first time the library will be available digitally to US audiences. The package includes films from two labels: Asia Extreme and the Palisades Tartan International Art House collection. Asia Extreme highlights horror, thriller and action films from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and all of Asia, including Park Chan-wook's "Old Boy." The Art House collection includes Michael Winterbottom's "9 Songs" and Andrea Arnold's "Red road." Most recently Palisades Tartan released Carlos Reygadas' Spirit Award-nominated film, "Silent Light."

The good in all of this is the catalog will be available again and for the first time, I think, via digital means: VOD, Electronic sell through and internet streaming service. They also do theatrical and home entertainment but with the burgeoning market of VOD fans of Asian cinema may have a new friend out there.

Vivendi has picked up the ball. Let's see how far they can run with it.