'LIAR LIAR' SEEN AS TRULY BROAD-BASED SELLER

DAN ALAIMO

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. -- The recent Jim Carrey hit movie "Liar Liar" will be released direct to the sell-through market Sept. 30 by Universal Studios Home Video here, said Andrew Kairey, executive vice president.

The comedy earned more than $170 million at the box office and has a very broad-based demographic appeal, he said. Suggested retail price is $22.96, minimum advertised price is $14.95 and the order close date is Aug. 13. It is rated PG-13 and will be released in three versions: pan-and-scan, widescreen and Spanish subtitled.

"This is the biggest film to date where Jim Carrey plays the leading role," said Kairey. Compared with past movies starring Carrey that skewed to a younger audience, " 'Liar Liar' has very broad appeal and family acceptance." As a result, Kairey expects it to do well in supermarkets.

"The title will be supported by a multifaceted marketing campaign that kicks off as early as Sept. 15," he said. The prestreet date campaign includes network, syndicated, cable and spot television in the top 50 markets. Additional ad support will include four-color, two-sided newspaper polybags in the top 10 markets. Radio, outdoor and bus advertising also are part of the campaign, said Kairey.

Following the initial burst of pre- and post-street date ads, the campaign will return during the holiday shopping season, he said. A $3.50 rebate offer will be made to customers who buy "Liar Liar" and one of five other Universal titles: "Apollo 13," "The Nutty Professor," "Casper," "Babe" and the upcoming "Hercules and Xena: The Animated Movie." "Babe," "The Nutty Professor" and "Apollo 13" will be repriced to $14.98 in time for the promotion, said Kairey.

" 'Liar Liar' has tremendous repeatability and it has sustained its box office based on this repeatability with many different demographics," said Kairey.

Although it is being released direct to the sell-through market, the title will also be a strong renter, he said. Past Jim Carrey movies have earned more than a 460% return on investment in their rental lives, said Kairey.