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Columbia/Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Written and compiled by Matt Williams and Kris Starring
Logo captures by Eric S. and others
Editions by Shadeed A. Kelly, Wisp2007, Logophile, V of Doom, and mr3urious
Video captures courtesy of vhsguy2007, ThatLogoDude, Eric S., ColumbiaPictures58, herbnspices, Win2000Pro, and others
Background: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the VHS, DVD, and UMD distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in 1978 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, being renamed as RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video in 1982, Columbia TriStar Home Video in 1991, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment in 1999 before the name was official until 2001 and finally to its with the actual name in 2004. It is responsible for the distribution of the Sony Pictures library for home entertainment, mainly releases from Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures, but also releases product from Sony Pictures Classics, Screen Gems, Triumph Films, Destination Films, Revolution Studios, its television library, and selected miscellaneous output from independent companies. Since June 21, 2007, SPHE now handles the former Sony BMG kids label, Sony Wonder.
Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment
(1978-1982)
Nickname: "The Sunburst"
Logo: The same as the Columbia Pictures "sunburst" logo, but there is a video freeze at the end, with "Columbia Pictures" blacked out:
written in white, in Cooper Black font, is chyroned in below.
Variant: There is a version in which the text reads "Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment" (in red) in the Souvenir font just like the movie logo, and there is no freeze.
FX: Same as the Sunburst logo.
Cheesy Factor: Same as the Sunburst, though the freeze looks cheesy, and the font in the 1st variation looks out of place. Plus, if you look real closely on the first variation while in slow-mo, when the company name appears, you can briefly see "Columbia Pictures".
Music/Sounds: Same as the Sunburst.
Availability: Has rare written all over it. Columbia TriStar Home Video kept this logo on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, surprisingly. You can also find this logo on the original home video releases of Born Free, Breakout, The New Centurions, The Deep, and Fun with Dick and Jane.
Scare Factor: Low.
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RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
1st Logo
(1982-1987)
Nickname: "RCA Columbia Box"
Logo: On a black BG, a white-bordered box appears. In it are two black rounded rectangles, with the first bearing the "RCA" logo in red, and the second having the Columbia Pictures print logo in a semicircle-like border with "Columbia Pictures" below. "HOME VIDEO" is at the bottom of the white border, in black.
Variants:
FX: The "swinging border" on the first variation.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Videos from this company have long been out of print, with most videos being re-released by Columbia TriStar (with the same RCA/Columbia-style packaging!). However, this logo has been spotted as late as the 1987 release of Armed Response starring David Carradine and Lee Van Cleef. Releases that had the standard logo include non-Columbia releases (Tri-Star, New Line, Crown International, TV shows) such as Rubik the Amazing Cube, and Alone in the Dark, while Columbia releases went straight to the movie. Releases that had the space BG and swinging border include Ghostbusters, to name a few.
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo
(1985-1991)
Logo: On a black BG, we see a rotating cube, featuring the same logo as stated above on each side (either 1, 3, or 4 sides). The main difference to the logo, however, is that the border is now silvery, with "HOME VIDEO" etched in silver. A white sparkle appears on the side as it rotates.
FX: The rotating cube, the white sparkle.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: This logo is slightly easier to come across, seeing that it is more recent; however, this logo was only used in the United States and Canada. Again, Columbia releases go straight to the movie until 1989. Also, from 1985 to 1987, this logo was restricted to the coming attractions part of the releases. Releases that had this logo include The Adventures of Milo and Otis, Hairspray (1988 version), Fast Getaway, and many, many more. One of the last releases to include this logo was TMNT II: The Secret of the Ooze, and the logo fades out earlier than usual.
Scare Factor: None.
3rd Logo
(1985-1992)
Nickname: "The International Spinning Cube"
Logo: On a black background, a 3D cube comes up from the screen. It has the RCA logo (in red) at the top and "INTERNATIONAL VIDEO" at the bottom. Then the Columbia Pictures print logo in blue and white swoops up from the bottom. The cube spins once and settles down, facing the viewers.
Variant: On some Australian tapes, the whole thing takes place on a pale marble background. When the logo has finished animating, it "ripples" out and the whole thing fades to black.
FX: Everything. Pretty neat 3D animation for 1985!
Music/Sounds: A 1980s-sounding synthesized fanfare, complete with a couple whooshes.
Availability: Sadly, only used on video releases outside the USA and Canada.
Scare Factor: Low; the cube spinning could get to some.
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Columbia TriStar Home Video/Entertainment
1st Logo
(1991-1992)
Nicknames: "Part I: The Boxes Cometh", "Split Rectangle"
Logo: On a black BG, we see a split rectangle. On the left side, we see the '80s Torch Lady (print version), and on the right, the TriStar "Pegasus Over Pyramid" logo (print version too, but minus the "PICTURES" at the bottom). Above, we see the words "COLUMBIA TRISTAR", one above the other, and at the bottom, we see "HOME VIDEO".
FX: None; this is a still logo.
Music/Sounds: None. Although, on foreign releases, a short guitar/base note was heard.
Availability: Pretty rare; this is the very first logo featuring a box motif, which would eventually develop into the familiar and hated Columbia TriStar Home Video and Columbia TriStar Television logos. Also, this is a placeholder logo, a logo that is used on a show or video when the new one isn't quite ready yet. Among the releases with this logo are From Here to Eternity, Men at Work (plastering the RCA/Columbia logo on some prints), Hook, Troll 2, Spellcaster, Boyz in the Hood, Bugsy and American Blue Note. On re-releases of RCA/Columbia videos (Most notably New Line releases with the same packaging and even trailers!), this logo plasters over the original RCA/Columbia logo!
Scare Factor: None for the silent version.
2nd Logo
(1992-1993)
Nicknames: "Part II: The Boxes Take Form", "The First Box Logo"
Logo: On a white BG, we see two boxes. On the left is one featuring a newly-done Torch Lady, and on the right is a newly-done Pegasus on a Columbia-like cloud background. Above the boxes are the words "COLUMBIA TRISTAR", with each word positioned over its respective logo. "HOME VIDEO" is seen below.
FX: None; this is a still logo.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Again, pretty rare; this is another placeholder logo, but this time they've actually designed the new logos. If I'm not mistaken, this is the first appearance of the new "Sony Logos" for each company. Titles with this logo include Storyville, Deep Cover, A League of Their Own, Curse IV: The Ultimate Sacrifice, Mo' Money, Mr. Saturday Night, Year of the Comet, Single White Female and the early John Wayne film Two-Fisted Law, starring Tim McCoy.
Scare Factor: None.
3rd Logo
(1993-2002)
Nicknames: "Part III: Will This Logo Ever Die?!", "Sliding Boxes", "Blue BG Boxes"
Logo: We see a screen full of clouds forming,tossing about. Then, "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" zooms out from above, and "HOME VIDEO" shrinks out from below as we see the clouds zoom out, as part of a golden-bordered box on a blue-black gradient background. The box then splits apart to reveal the Torch Lady on the left, and the Pegasus on the right, as the wording takes its position.
Variants:
The Clip On: Starting in late 1993/early 1994, the boxes would then slide away, the CTHV text would fade out, the blue background would fade out to the moving clouds and one of the following phrases would swing in from the bottom of the screen:
FX: The zooming out effects; nice CGI for the time.
Cheesy Factor: It seems a bit dated, and the Pegasus looks like it was pasted on top of the Columbia logo, as the cloud backgrounds are the same. TriStar used a different, darker cloud BG, which is why.
Music/Sounds: A rather simple synth theme. Sometimes would follow a male announcer announcing the clip on.
Availability: Very, very common, even today, when DVD is prolific. Seen on almost all videotapes from Columbia TriStar Home Video, even on a few DVDs from the company. The version with the abridged version can be found on National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1.
Scare Factor: None.
4th Logo
(1995-1996)
Nickname: "Take Hollywood Home!"
Logo: On a wispy brown background we see the logos for Columbia and TriStar slide in from the center of the screen, exactly like the 1996 CTT logo.
FX: The sliding boxes.
Music/Sounds: A loud, booming chorus singing "TAKE HOLLYWOOD HOOOOOOOOOME!!!!!".
Availability: Rare, used only on some tapes released by the short-lived Columbia TriStar Family Collection.
Scare Factor: Medium to high; it all depends on what you think of that sudden chorus.
5th Logo
(1996-1997)
Logo: On a brownish BG, we see a row of gold Torch Lady and Pegasus boxes at an angle (all are print logos). The Columbia and TriStar boxes then rise out of two of the boxes in the center as the row of boxes tilts to face the screen. The "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" and "HOME VIDEO" lines fade in above and below the logo, respectively.
The Clip On: Many times, the boxes would then slide away, the CTHV text would fade out, and one of the following phrases, in script, would zoom in from the center of the logo.
Variant: There is a shorter version that doesn't feature a clip on.
FX: Simple but nice animation.
Cheesy Factor: Again just like the 3rd CTHV logo, the Pegasus looks like he's pasted on the Columbia logo, but the cloud is shorter and a bit darker.
Music/Sounds: Same as logo 4.
Availability: C-T used this logo in 1996 to 1997 and as a result this was probably used on most releases. I'm not sure if it was alternated with the blue BG logo, so as always, keep your eye out. The best source for this logo would be the company's EARLIEST DVD releases. A hint: it appeared on the VHS releases of The Cable Guy and High School High.
Scare Factor: Same as logo 4.
6th Logo
(1997-2000) 
Nicknames: "The Filmstrip", "The C-T Filmstrip"
Logo: On an ethereal blue background, we see filmstrips crisscrossing the screen, with each frame in each filmstrip featuring the C-T box logo. We see a filmstrip in the center of the screen and then pan towards it, seeing the boxes in each frame and the endings of their respective movie animations playing out within them. As the final frame reaches the screen, the background turns white with several blue or light blue areas in each corner and the "COLUMBIA TRISTAR HOME VIDEO" text fades in.
The Clip On: Many times, the boxes would then slide away, the CTHV text would fade out, and one of the following phrases, in script, would zoom in from the center of the logo:
FX: Great CGI. And if you thought this one was good, the next one is even more mind-blowing.
Music/Sounds: No music. Although, after the debacle that was "Take Hollywood Home!" this seems to be a good thing. However, international versions carry a generic hip hop-like jingle.
Availability: During the beginning of its existence, it was pretty easy to spot. Around 1998, it began being used along with the blue BG logo.
Scare Factor: None.
7th Logo
(1999-2001)
Nicknames: "C-T DVD", "The Boxes of Splendor"
Logo: On a screen filled with clouds, the words "COLUMBIA" and "TRISTAR", handsomely done in shining silver text, tumble onto the screen, "COLUMBIA" coming from the right and "TRISTAR" coming from the left. The clouds clear, revealing a nice backdrop of clouds and two white, glowing boxes. As the light in the boxes die down, we zoom towards the Columbia torch lady in the left box, and see the Pegasus stretch his wings in the white box, as the wings cross over to the Columbia box. The words "COLUMBIA" and "TRISTAR" position themselves under the boxes, and "DVD" (or "HOME VIDEO" for VHS releases) zooms out from the top, at warp speed, landing below the C-T text.
Variants:
FX: Mind-blowing CGI, and has become a favorite of those who've seen it.
Cheesy Factor: The Pegasus' cloud is the same as the Columbia Pictures cloud, but it's backwards and shorter from the Columbia logo which doesn't look that professional.
Music/Sounds: Whooshing sounds as the Columbia TriStar logos move into position. An ethereal humming noise as the boxes animate, and a phaser sound as the "DVD" text moves into place.
Availability: It's seen on most DVD releases of the time; prior to this, they used the blue BG logo. The "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" variation can be seen on the Love Stinks (1999) VHS.
Scare Factor: Low; the "DVD" zooming out will probably get to more than a few.
8th Logo
(2001-2005)
Nickname: " Ultra Majestic Torch Lady-Pegasus Combo"
Logo: Over the usual cloud background, we pan past an extreme close up of the Torch Lady's legs and feet (covered in the robe of course), then dissolves into a pan of the TriStar Pegasus unfolding his wings. The pan then quickly dissolves into a shot from the center of the Pegasus unfolding his wings, albeit in a close-up fashion, and then a dissolve to the Torch Lady zooming out. The logo then dissolves to reveal the Torch Lady and Pegasus side-by-side on a cloud background, with "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" slightly sliding in with "HOME ENTERTAINMENT", in a smaller font, fading in letter-by-letter.
Variant: On VHS prints of Stuart Little, there is a promo for Little Secrets that features this logo minus "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" below.
FX: Of course, that isn't the entire logo. Throughout the animation, the logos are artistically stylized, with mosaic and pixelization effects being used throught the logo and a scrolling Matrix-like wall of typography appearing throughout. Also, the designers of the logo, Montgomery/Cobb, retouched the face of the Torch Lady and the wings of the Pegasus to make them look more realistic. The dissolves are done gradually, almost like wipes, and the logo seems to be divided up into five sections during the animation, before coming together as an actual logo at the end. The logo looks quite nice and artistic as a result.
Music/Sounds: There were two variants:
Availability: No longer current, but still common on VHS and DVD releases released from the era. Some of them are still in print.
Scare Factor: None; it's a popular logo that finally put one version of the hated Boxes to rest. Nice fanfare and great logo concept make this a winner. If only C-T could have adapted it for television somehow...
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Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
(2005- )
Nickname: "The Shining Bars"
Logo: Over a set of purple clouds, we see a bright light with rays shooting outward which start to create some lens flares. A set of white lines of light appear and zoom out to solidify into the Shining Bars, Sony Pictures Entertainment's logo, which give off rays of light. As this happens, the background turns black. The rays die down and we see "SONY PICTURES" in the Sony font appear below the Bars, a line is drawn underneath that, and "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" appears underneath.
FX: Just great CGI.
Music/Sounds: Two drumbeats, followed by an uplifting-sounding horn/string arrangement.
Availability: Can be found on all DVD's (and even UMD's for the Sony PSP) released by the company from 2005 onward. The print SPHE logo goes back to November 2004, and those early SPHE releases still have the 2001 CTHE logo. The animated SPHE logo made its debut on the PSP UMD of Spider-Man 2 in the Spring of 2005. The first DVD to have this logo was Are We There Yet?
Scare Factor: Low; it's just good CGI animation.
Logo captures by Eric S. and others
Editions by Shadeed A. Kelly, Wisp2007, Logophile, V of Doom, and mr3urious
Video captures courtesy of vhsguy2007, ThatLogoDude, Eric S., ColumbiaPictures58, herbnspices, Win2000Pro, and others
Background: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the VHS, DVD, and UMD distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in 1978 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, being renamed as RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video in 1982, Columbia TriStar Home Video in 1991, Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment in 1999 before the name was official until 2001 and finally to its with the actual name in 2004. It is responsible for the distribution of the Sony Pictures library for home entertainment, mainly releases from Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures, but also releases product from Sony Pictures Classics, Screen Gems, Triumph Films, Destination Films, Revolution Studios, its television library, and selected miscellaneous output from independent companies. Since June 21, 2007, SPHE now handles the former Sony BMG kids label, Sony Wonder.
Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment
(1978-1982)
Nickname: "The Sunburst"
Logo: The same as the Columbia Pictures "sunburst" logo, but there is a video freeze at the end, with "Columbia Pictures" blacked out:
COLUMBIA PICTURES
HOME ENTERTAINMENT
PRESENTS
written in white, in Cooper Black font, is chyroned in below.
Variant: There is a version in which the text reads "Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment" (in red) in the Souvenir font just like the movie logo, and there is no freeze.
FX: Same as the Sunburst logo.
Cheesy Factor: Same as the Sunburst, though the freeze looks cheesy, and the font in the 1st variation looks out of place. Plus, if you look real closely on the first variation while in slow-mo, when the company name appears, you can briefly see "Columbia Pictures".
Music/Sounds: Same as the Sunburst.
Availability: Has rare written all over it. Columbia TriStar Home Video kept this logo on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, surprisingly. You can also find this logo on the original home video releases of Born Free, Breakout, The New Centurions, The Deep, and Fun with Dick and Jane.
Scare Factor: Low.
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RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video
1st Logo
(1982-1987)
Nickname: "RCA Columbia Box"
Logo: On a black BG, a white-bordered box appears. In it are two black rounded rectangles, with the first bearing the "RCA" logo in red, and the second having the Columbia Pictures print logo in a semicircle-like border with "Columbia Pictures" below. "HOME VIDEO" is at the bottom of the white border, in black.
Variants:
- Sometimes the RCA and Columbia logos flip in on a space background, then the white border "swings in" to surround it.
- On tapes outside of the USA and Canada, "INTERNATIONAL VIDEO" takes the place of "HOME VIDEO", and on PAL tapes in Germany (at least), the logo is against a light blue background rather than a black-colored background, after its warning screen is finished scrolling
FX: The "swinging border" on the first variation.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Videos from this company have long been out of print, with most videos being re-released by Columbia TriStar (with the same RCA/Columbia-style packaging!). However, this logo has been spotted as late as the 1987 release of Armed Response starring David Carradine and Lee Van Cleef. Releases that had the standard logo include non-Columbia releases (Tri-Star, New Line, Crown International, TV shows) such as Rubik the Amazing Cube, and Alone in the Dark, while Columbia releases went straight to the movie. Releases that had the space BG and swinging border include Ghostbusters, to name a few.
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo
(1985-1991)
Nicknames: "The Cube", "The Spinning Cube"
Logo: On a black BG, we see a rotating cube, featuring the same logo as stated above on each side (either 1, 3, or 4 sides). The main difference to the logo, however, is that the border is now silvery, with "HOME VIDEO" etched in silver. A white sparkle appears on the side as it rotates.
FX: The rotating cube, the white sparkle.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: This logo is slightly easier to come across, seeing that it is more recent; however, this logo was only used in the United States and Canada. Again, Columbia releases go straight to the movie until 1989. Also, from 1985 to 1987, this logo was restricted to the coming attractions part of the releases. Releases that had this logo include The Adventures of Milo and Otis, Hairspray (1988 version), Fast Getaway, and many, many more. One of the last releases to include this logo was TMNT II: The Secret of the Ooze, and the logo fades out earlier than usual.
Scare Factor: None.
3rd Logo
(1985-1992)
Nickname: "The International Spinning Cube"
Logo: On a black background, a 3D cube comes up from the screen. It has the RCA logo (in red) at the top and "INTERNATIONAL VIDEO" at the bottom. Then the Columbia Pictures print logo in blue and white swoops up from the bottom. The cube spins once and settles down, facing the viewers.
Variant: On some Australian tapes, the whole thing takes place on a pale marble background. When the logo has finished animating, it "ripples" out and the whole thing fades to black.
FX: Everything. Pretty neat 3D animation for 1985!
Music/Sounds: A 1980s-sounding synthesized fanfare, complete with a couple whooshes.
Availability: Sadly, only used on video releases outside the USA and Canada.
Scare Factor: Low; the cube spinning could get to some.
_______________________________________________________________
Columbia TriStar Home Video/Entertainment
1st Logo
(1991-1992)
Nicknames: "Part I: The Boxes Cometh", "Split Rectangle"
Logo: On a black BG, we see a split rectangle. On the left side, we see the '80s Torch Lady (print version), and on the right, the TriStar "Pegasus Over Pyramid" logo (print version too, but minus the "PICTURES" at the bottom). Above, we see the words "COLUMBIA TRISTAR", one above the other, and at the bottom, we see "HOME VIDEO".
FX: None; this is a still logo.
Music/Sounds: None. Although, on foreign releases, a short guitar/base note was heard.
Availability: Pretty rare; this is the very first logo featuring a box motif, which would eventually develop into the familiar and hated Columbia TriStar Home Video and Columbia TriStar Television logos. Also, this is a placeholder logo, a logo that is used on a show or video when the new one isn't quite ready yet. Among the releases with this logo are From Here to Eternity, Men at Work (plastering the RCA/Columbia logo on some prints), Hook, Troll 2, Spellcaster, Boyz in the Hood, Bugsy and American Blue Note. On re-releases of RCA/Columbia videos (Most notably New Line releases with the same packaging and even trailers!), this logo plasters over the original RCA/Columbia logo!
Scare Factor: None for the silent version.
2nd Logo
(1992-1993)
Nicknames: "Part II: The Boxes Take Form", "The First Box Logo"
Logo: On a white BG, we see two boxes. On the left is one featuring a newly-done Torch Lady, and on the right is a newly-done Pegasus on a Columbia-like cloud background. Above the boxes are the words "COLUMBIA TRISTAR", with each word positioned over its respective logo. "HOME VIDEO" is seen below.
FX: None; this is a still logo.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Again, pretty rare; this is another placeholder logo, but this time they've actually designed the new logos. If I'm not mistaken, this is the first appearance of the new "Sony Logos" for each company. Titles with this logo include Storyville, Deep Cover, A League of Their Own, Curse IV: The Ultimate Sacrifice, Mo' Money, Mr. Saturday Night, Year of the Comet, Single White Female and the early John Wayne film Two-Fisted Law, starring Tim McCoy.
Scare Factor: None.
3rd Logo
(1993-2002)
Nicknames: "Part III: Will This Logo Ever Die?!", "Sliding Boxes", "Blue BG Boxes"
Logo: We see a screen full of clouds forming,tossing about. Then, "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" zooms out from above, and "HOME VIDEO" shrinks out from below as we see the clouds zoom out, as part of a golden-bordered box on a blue-black gradient background. The box then splits apart to reveal the Torch Lady on the left, and the Pegasus on the right, as the wording takes its position.
Variants:
- Some New Line Home Video releases distributed by C-T have a Sony Pictures Entertainment byline on the bottom.
- A still logo was found on early Columbia TriStar Home Video releases on DVD.
- There is also an abridged version for some New Line Home Video releases.
The Clip On: Starting in late 1993/early 1994, the boxes would then slide away, the CTHV text would fade out, the blue background would fade out to the moving clouds and one of the following phrases would swing in from the bottom of the screen:
- Coming Soon to Home Video
- Coming Soon to a Theater Near You
- Now Available on Home Video
- Now Available
FX: The zooming out effects; nice CGI for the time.
Cheesy Factor: It seems a bit dated, and the Pegasus looks like it was pasted on top of the Columbia logo, as the cloud backgrounds are the same. TriStar used a different, darker cloud BG, which is why.
Music/Sounds: A rather simple synth theme. Sometimes would follow a male announcer announcing the clip on.
Availability: Very, very common, even today, when DVD is prolific. Seen on almost all videotapes from Columbia TriStar Home Video, even on a few DVDs from the company. The version with the abridged version can be found on National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1.
Scare Factor: None.
4th Logo
(1995-1996)
Nickname: "Take Hollywood Home!"
FX: The sliding boxes.
Music/Sounds: A loud, booming chorus singing "TAKE HOLLYWOOD HOOOOOOOOOME!!!!!".
Availability: Rare, used only on some tapes released by the short-lived Columbia TriStar Family Collection.
Scare Factor: Medium to high; it all depends on what you think of that sudden chorus.
5th Logo
(1996-1997)
Logo: On a brownish BG, we see a row of gold Torch Lady and Pegasus boxes at an angle (all are print logos). The Columbia and TriStar boxes then rise out of two of the boxes in the center as the row of boxes tilts to face the screen. The "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" and "HOME VIDEO" lines fade in above and below the logo, respectively.
The Clip On: Many times, the boxes would then slide away, the CTHV text would fade out, and one of the following phrases, in script, would zoom in from the center of the logo.
- Coming Soon to Home Video
- Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You
- Now Available on Home Video
- Now Available
Variant: There is a shorter version that doesn't feature a clip on.
FX: Simple but nice animation.
Cheesy Factor: Again just like the 3rd CTHV logo, the Pegasus looks like he's pasted on the Columbia logo, but the cloud is shorter and a bit darker.
Music/Sounds: Same as logo 4.
Availability: C-T used this logo in 1996 to 1997 and as a result this was probably used on most releases. I'm not sure if it was alternated with the blue BG logo, so as always, keep your eye out. The best source for this logo would be the company's EARLIEST DVD releases. A hint: it appeared on the VHS releases of The Cable Guy and High School High.
Scare Factor: Same as logo 4.
6th Logo
(1997-2000)
Nicknames: "The Filmstrip", "The C-T Filmstrip"
Logo: On an ethereal blue background, we see filmstrips crisscrossing the screen, with each frame in each filmstrip featuring the C-T box logo. We see a filmstrip in the center of the screen and then pan towards it, seeing the boxes in each frame and the endings of their respective movie animations playing out within them. As the final frame reaches the screen, the background turns white with several blue or light blue areas in each corner and the "COLUMBIA TRISTAR HOME VIDEO" text fades in.
The Clip On: Many times, the boxes would then slide away, the CTHV text would fade out, and one of the following phrases, in script, would zoom in from the center of the logo:
- Coming Soon to Home Video
- Coming Soon to a Theater Near You
- Now Available on Home Video
- Now Available
FX: Great CGI. And if you thought this one was good, the next one is even more mind-blowing.
Music/Sounds: No music. Although, after the debacle that was "Take Hollywood Home!" this seems to be a good thing. However, international versions carry a generic hip hop-like jingle.
Availability: During the beginning of its existence, it was pretty easy to spot. Around 1998, it began being used along with the blue BG logo.
Scare Factor: None.
7th Logo
(1999-2001)
Nicknames: "C-T DVD", "The Boxes of Splendor"
Logo: On a screen filled with clouds, the words "COLUMBIA" and "TRISTAR", handsomely done in shining silver text, tumble onto the screen, "COLUMBIA" coming from the right and "TRISTAR" coming from the left. The clouds clear, revealing a nice backdrop of clouds and two white, glowing boxes. As the light in the boxes die down, we zoom towards the Columbia torch lady in the left box, and see the Pegasus stretch his wings in the white box, as the wings cross over to the Columbia box. The words "COLUMBIA" and "TRISTAR" position themselves under the boxes, and "DVD" (or "HOME VIDEO" for VHS releases) zooms out from the top, at warp speed, landing below the C-T text.
Variants:
- C-T has adapted this logo for VHS releases; however, this has only been seen on Stuart Little and Blue Streak so far, guess what logo they're STILL using on VHS?
- There is another variant that has "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" in place of "HOME VIDEO". It was only seen on Love Stinks.
FX: Mind-blowing CGI, and has become a favorite of those who've seen it.
Cheesy Factor: The Pegasus' cloud is the same as the Columbia Pictures cloud, but it's backwards and shorter from the Columbia logo which doesn't look that professional.
Music/Sounds: Whooshing sounds as the Columbia TriStar logos move into position. An ethereal humming noise as the boxes animate, and a phaser sound as the "DVD" text moves into place.
Availability: It's seen on most DVD releases of the time; prior to this, they used the blue BG logo. The "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" variation can be seen on the Love Stinks (1999) VHS.
Scare Factor: Low; the "DVD" zooming out will probably get to more than a few.
8th Logo
(2001-2005)
Nickname: " Ultra Majestic Torch Lady-Pegasus Combo"
Logo: Over the usual cloud background, we pan past an extreme close up of the Torch Lady's legs and feet (covered in the robe of course), then dissolves into a pan of the TriStar Pegasus unfolding his wings. The pan then quickly dissolves into a shot from the center of the Pegasus unfolding his wings, albeit in a close-up fashion, and then a dissolve to the Torch Lady zooming out. The logo then dissolves to reveal the Torch Lady and Pegasus side-by-side on a cloud background, with "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" slightly sliding in with "HOME ENTERTAINMENT", in a smaller font, fading in letter-by-letter.
Variant: On VHS prints of Stuart Little, there is a promo for Little Secrets that features this logo minus "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" below.
FX: Of course, that isn't the entire logo. Throughout the animation, the logos are artistically stylized, with mosaic and pixelization effects being used throught the logo and a scrolling Matrix-like wall of typography appearing throughout. Also, the designers of the logo, Montgomery/Cobb, retouched the face of the Torch Lady and the wings of the Pegasus to make them look more realistic. The dissolves are done gradually, almost like wipes, and the logo seems to be divided up into five sections during the animation, before coming together as an actual logo at the end. The logo looks quite nice and artistic as a result.
Music/Sounds: There were two variants:
- VHS (and early DVDs): Composed by Machine Head of Venice, California, a wonderful synthesized fanfare that is very majestic, fitting the majestic feel of the logo. Also, it would be interesting to note that the logo is one of the longest, clocking in at nearly 20 seconds!
- DVD: An acoustic guitar tune combined with bells, strings, and a small chorus. The animation appears to play slightly quicker here.
Availability: No longer current, but still common on VHS and DVD releases released from the era. Some of them are still in print.
Scare Factor: None; it's a popular logo that finally put one version of the hated Boxes to rest. Nice fanfare and great logo concept make this a winner. If only C-T could have adapted it for television somehow...
_______________________________________________________________
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
(2005- )
Nickname: "The Shining Bars"
Logo: Over a set of purple clouds, we see a bright light with rays shooting outward which start to create some lens flares. A set of white lines of light appear and zoom out to solidify into the Shining Bars, Sony Pictures Entertainment's logo, which give off rays of light. As this happens, the background turns black. The rays die down and we see "SONY PICTURES" in the Sony font appear below the Bars, a line is drawn underneath that, and "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" appears underneath.
FX: Just great CGI.
Music/Sounds: Two drumbeats, followed by an uplifting-sounding horn/string arrangement.
Availability: Can be found on all DVD's (and even UMD's for the Sony PSP) released by the company from 2005 onward. The print SPHE logo goes back to November 2004, and those early SPHE releases still have the 2001 CTHE logo. The animated SPHE logo made its debut on the PSP UMD of Spider-Man 2 in the Spring of 2005. The first DVD to have this logo was Are We There Yet?
Scare Factor: Low; it's just good CGI animation.
Shadeed329 |
Latest page update: made by Shadeed329
, Nov 22 2008, 7:07 PM EST
(about this update
About This Update
CTHE VHS prints of "Stuart Little" carries a promo for "Little Secrets" that has the CTHE logo minus "Home Entertainment".
- Shadeed329
27 words added 3 words deleted 1 image added 1 image deleted view changes - complete history) |
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Keyword tags:
Columbia Pictures Home Video
Columbia-TriStar Home Video
RCA/Columbia Pictures HV
Sony Corporation
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures HE
More Info: links to this page
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | |
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| Logophile | 1st RCA/Columbia logo | 3 | Nov 21 2008, 11:24 AM EST by rubycalico | |
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Thread started: Sep 8 2008, 12:38 PM EDT
Watch
Are you sure about the availability of the first RCA/Columbia logo? I have an old VHS of the TriStar movie The Evil That Men Do with Charles Bronson. There was no RCA/Columbia logo; it just went straight tp the Tristar logo
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| rubycalico | On Adventures of Milo and Otis | 4 | Nov 19 2008, 7:07 PM EST by rubycalico | |
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Thread started: Jun 24 2008, 2:50 PM EDT
Watch
I had a DVD and a VHS of Adventures of Milo and Otis. The DVD had the blue background CTHV logo and the VHS has the 4th logo.
Did I have a later copy or what? |
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| Shadeed329 | About the 2001 CTHE logo | 0 | Sep 29 2008, 11:17 AM EDT by Shadeed329 | |
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Thread started: Sep 29 2008, 11:17 AM EDT
Watch
Look very closely when observing the Torch Lady and Pegasus. When you see the legs and toga of the Torch Lady, notice that the letters "O", "L", "U", "M", "B", "I", and "A" are being shown spelling one by one at a time. This would also happen to the TriStar Pegasus when the camera zooms out on him. And also make sure you get the letters spelling out "COLUMBIA TRISTAR HOME ENTERTAINMENT" at the end.
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| Logophile | CTHV Blue Background with Sony byline | 0 | Sep 8 2008, 12:40 PM EDT by Logophile | |
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Thread started: Sep 8 2008, 12:40 PM EDT
Watch
Does anyone know where I can find the Columbia Tristar Home Video logo with the Sony Pictures byline? I've looked through several New Line Home Video tapes, but I can't find it.
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