Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment was a company formed at the height of the home video industry in 1984 by producer Leonard Shapiro and director James Glickenhaus to produce and distribute low-budget horror and action films.
The company known also as SGE or Shapiro Entertainment during the company's earlier years, and whose video unit was known as SGE Home Video would produce 14 films and distribute more than 100 pick-up films in its 12 years of operation. SGE's home video titles were distributed by the Video Sales Organization (VSO) until 1991 when MCA/Universal began to distribute the SGE catalog.
As the home video industry evolved in the mid-1990s, SGE disbanded in 1995. Leonard Shapiro left the company in 1996 to form Rootbeer Films Inc. while James Glickenhaus would join a finance firm started by his father, Glickenhaus & Co.
In 1996, Allan M. Solomon, who served as executive vice president of SGE, along with Elliot Solomon, founded Amsell Entertainment, which bought the remaining assets and film catalog of SGE. Synapse Films, under license from North American Pictures, LLC, acquired the rights to some SGE film titles and scheduled the releases of Frankenhooker and Maniac Cop on Blu-ray in Fall of 2011, as well as Red Scorpion in Summer of 2012 and a new DVD of Basket Case 3: The Progeny in fall 2012. Synapse has also acquired the rights to release a new Blu-ray of McBain. Blu-Rays of Basket Case 2 and Basket Case 3: The Progeny have been released by Synapse as well.
Although SGE would never create a breakout or blockbuster film, cult film fans may recognize some of SGE's works. Films such as Basket Case 2, Frankenhooker, Maniac Cop, McBain, and Red Scorpion were released theatrically and often found a wider audience when released on home video and on cable television. Maniac Cop and Red Scorpion proved successful in the video era, each spawning sequels while SGE also launched a third Basket Case film, Basket Case 3. Red Scorpion was SGE's most widely released theatrical feature on 1,268 screens in the U.S. and bringing in over $4 million at the box office.