Thorn EMI Video

1st Logo
(1979-1981)

Nicknames: "The Thorn"

Logo: On a black background, we see the Thorn EMI print logo. The whole thing is in black and white.

FX: None, it's a still logo.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: A pretty tough find; however, you can find this on the original home video print of The Cruel Sea.

Scare factor: None. This is very boring.



2nd Logo
(1981-1985)

Nicknames: "The Thorn", "Three-Pointed Star"

Logo: Against a black background, a blue circle of light zooms up into the screen, spins around, and turns rainbow, then splits into two light circles which spin and shrink into a shape that looks like an upside down "T" with pointed ends, most likely representing a thorn. A white box with a blue aura is drawn around the shape, and it backs away. As this happens, a white box with the words "THORN EMI" appears under that box (which has since turned blue), and when that backs away a white box surrounds that, the bottom of which contains the word "VIDEO."

FX: The circles of light spinning and splitting, then turning into the logo. Also, the "drawing" effects and boxes being added on.

Music/Sounds: A light, synthesized tune that ends in the beating of a drum.

Availability: Appears on Ready, Steady, Go!: Volume One, the first few collections of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids and Danger Mouse. Thorn EMI also distributed titles from Thames Video and Orion.

Scare Factor: Low.
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Thorn EMI/HBO Video

(1985-1986)

Logo: Against two "walls" of purple lights, the words "THORN" and "EMI" fly from the top and bottom of the screen towards the top. A purple "HBO" logo appears, and we see it "O" first (through the hole). It joins a white rectangle that has appeared in the middle of the logo. The word "VIDEO" drops from the bottom of the rectangle, the "O" in the "HBO" logo gets the circle in its hole, and two white "comets" streak past the top and bottom of the logo, leaving two white lines. The background then turns purple.
FX: "Flying" words.

Music/Sounds: Same as Thorn EMI #2.

Availability: Appears on later collections of Ready, Steady, Go, the first release of First Blood Part II, and the last few editions of the cartoon series mentioned above. Also distributed HBO's original product, as well as Thames, Orion, and the first movies produced by Carolco.

Scare Factor: Same as Thorn EMI #2.
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HBO/Cannon Video

(1986-1987)

Logo: Similar to the Thorn EMI HBO Logo (wall of lights, comets, blue background, the logo itself is similar), but there's a lot more action. A wall of blue lights opens, much like in the above Thorn EMI HBO logo. Against these walls, a chromey-looking HBO logo slides down one, and the word "CANNON" likewise chromey, slides down the other. When they meet in the center, a glowing white star takes them in, and the walls rotate to face us as the camera pans in. When we pan in, two comets streak on two of the lights making up the wall, and when they pass, we see a white HBO logo and a white box containing the word "CANNON" rotating from the bottom to face us. The logos zoom back, with HBO zooming back to become smaller than the white box containing "CANNON", as "VIDEO" zooms out with "Telepictures"-like shadows. Two comets streak above and below the logo to form lines, like in the Thorn-EMI logo.

FX: Too many to mention, but everything!

Music/Sounds: Again, the Thorn EMI music.

Availability: By far the rarest of all HBO-related video logos, this can be a tough find. Distributed HBO, Hemdale, Orion, and the first films by Carolco.

Scare Factor: Again, same as Thorn EMI logo 2.
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HBO Video

1st Logo
(1987-1988)

Logo: On a blue BG, we see the HBO logo, and the word "VIDEO", in thin lettering, below. Two lines are seen above and below the logo.

FX: Absolutely no animation whatsoever.

Music/Sounds: Same with the music.

Availability: This was a "placeholder" logo, used when the "master" logo is not in use, but again, distributed Thames, Hemdale, and Orion as well as HBO product, although Orion would shortly launch its own video label.

Scare Factor: None.



2nd Logo
(1988-1993)

Nickname: "The Spheres"

Logo: On a black bg, we see tons of red spheres, packed tightly together. As we zoom out, the spheres fade into a red HBO logo, with a blue "VIDEO"(in that same font described above, below. When they move into place, purple bars move to their positions above and below the logo. When the logo is formed, a spotlight is shown below the logo.

FX: The CGI used to compose most of the animation in the logo

Cheesy Factor: Rather primitive, but still cool.

Music/Sounds: A warbly, bass-filled synth tune.

Availability: Distributed Thames, Hemdale, and Weintraub Entertainment material, but towards the end of its run, began to concentrate mainly on HBO-produced materials.

Scare Factor: Low.



3rd Logo
(1993-2003)
Logo: Against a shimmering red curtain, we see the words


in silver with spotlights shining across it. Then, a teal-colored ball with a white director's slate/clapperboard printed on it comes in from the left side of the screen, flying toward the "O" in "PRESENTATION". The camera pans toward the ball as it bounces on the right side of the "O" and passes through it. It then flies off to the bottom left of the screen, revealing a silver HBO logo. It zooms slowly toward the camera as "HOME VIDEO" (in white) fades in below.

FX: The spotlights and ball.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic horn/string fanfare

Availability: Seen on HBO VHS's and DVD's of the period.

Scare Factor: Minimal to low.



4th Logo
(2003-)

Logo: Against a white background, we see a distant shot of a man from below walking in. As the camera pans backward, the man appears to pull out a remote and press a button. Then, an array of gray clouds and wavy gray lines shoot out towards the screen, revealing a gray, 2D HBO Video print logo (as seen in the 2nd logo). A lens flare shines on the logo, which dies down as the camera pans upward. The logo slowly zooms in (not unlike the "V of Doom").

FX: The clouds and lines revealing the logo.

Music/Sounds: A zapping sound when the man presses the remote button, followed shortly by a calm piano/synth fanfare.

Availability: Currently seen on many DVD releases by HBO.

Scare Factor: Low.