Compiled by Matt Williams and Matthew Anscher


MGM/CBS Home Video

Background: These logos were used to open all MGM/CBS releases.

1st Logo
(1979-1981)

Logo: On a black background, the words MGM and CBS fly from the top and bottom of the screen. Then a group of green lines brings back another copy of the words and then A HOME VIDEO PRESENTATION flies up.

FX: Everything!

Music: A VERY 70s synth.

Availability: Once thought to be extinct. Most releases have been rereleased under MGM/UA. BUT it has been found on the VERY FIRST VHS release of "Jailhouse Rock".

Scare Factor: Medium.



2nd Logo
(1981-1982)

Nickname: "The Metallic CBS/MGM"

Logo/Animation: We see a metallic slash mark on a dark background coming down and is flashing like two times. Afterward, MGM and CBS come to the slash at the same time CBS from the right and MGM from the left. After that, we see in a different shape font that's green the Home Video text dropping.

Cheesy Factor: the fanfare's not that cheesy, but the Home Video text looks pretty tacky all around, and the metallic letters under a black background for a logo looks early 80's as well (hences the 1982 Carolco logo).

Music: Shortened fanfare of the CBS Video logo.

Availability: If you can find very old VHS tapes that were part of MGM/CBS and they have this logo, then good for you, because it's short-lived and rare at the same-time.

Scare Factor: Moderate, because it depend on how you feel about the fanfare.
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CBS Video

Note: They were seen at the end of all MGM/CBS releases.

1st Logo
(1979-1981)

Nicknames: "Abstract V", "</".

Logo: On a black background the CBS Video Logo (</) zooms in from the upper right in a CRAPPY rainbow effect. CBS VIDEO, in blue, zooms up from the bottom, and the </ turns white.

FX: Crappy all around.

Music: Same as MGM/CBS Logo 1.

Availability: Long gone. BUT it has been found on the VERY FIRST VHS release of "Jailhouse Rock".

Scare Factor: Medium.



2nd Logo
(1981-1982)

Nicknames: "Abstract Silver V", "</".

Logo: On the top-right corner of a black screen, five lines are drawn in rays of light, to form a shape resembling the letters CV, shaped like this: </. When that is fully formed, a bar of light forms "CBS" to the left of the logo, then "VIDEO" is formed below the "CBS" and the </ in a similar fashion.

Cheesy Factor/SFX: The "drawing" of the lines, the "bars of light"

Music: A longer, slower variation of the MGM/CBS fanfare. (Which later will be used on the 1983 MGM/UA Video logo)

Availability: At the end of most MGM/CBS releases, look at old mom-and-pop video stores. This was also on early CBS-FOX releases, with the CBS-Fox music.

Scare Factor: Minimal, the music may unnerve some but is much tamer than MGM/CBS.
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MGM/UA Home Video
1st Logo(1982-1983)Logo: TBAFX: TBACheesy Factor: TBAMusic: TBAAvailability: Extremely rare.Scare Factor: TBA


2nd1st Logo
(1983-1993)

Nickname: "The Static Leo Moving", "MGM/UA", "MGM Lion"

Logo/Animation: We see bluish metallic MGM/UA moving (MGM going from right to left, /UA going from left to right). We see a static picture of Leo actually droping slowing. After Leo drops with part of the ribbon, it completes the ribbon logo with flashes/ slowness. After that, the Home Video in blue font magically appears. The logo is basically taken from the alternate logo from MGM and basically added animation that maybe took MGM and UA to complete in like 10 minutes. It's such a lazy job.

Cheesy Factor: decent logo for the time (1983-1988), but once we got into the 1990's, the logo was cheesy. The logo was very cheap because they took it from the very cheap MGM alternate television logo and applied barely enough animation to make it satisfying for maybe 3 years at best.

Music: Basically ripped from the CBS Video logo fanfare.

Availability: Found on many VHS videos from MGM and UA, and the logo lasted for a pretty good amount of time. It lasted for 10 years.

Scare Factor: Moderate, depends on your taste of the fanfare.



3rd Logo
(1993-1998)

Nickname: "The Rollercoaster Filmstrip"

Logo/Animation: The logo starts out with 3-D CGI with the filmstrip, and the filmstrip looks like some thing you would see from Rollercoaster or IMAX. We see Jackie the lion during the filmstrip animation and Leo when the filmstrip animation stops. After Leo roars, we see in blue text of MGM/UA Home video while Leo turns Gold and static.

Music/SFX: A much different fanfare for this home video as it sounds pretty nice. During the fanfare we hear Jackie II's roar, and then Leo's roar.

Cheesy Factor: None

Availability: Pretty common as it can be found on it on VHS release from MGM and UA between 1993- 1998 from such movies such as Pebble and the Penguin.

Scare Factor: Moderate, depends on what you think of the lions roar.
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MGM Home Entertainment

(1998-2005)

Nickname: "Leo the Lion"

Logo/Animation: Just your average Golden Ribbon Leo the Lion with Home Entertainment on the bottom.

Music/SFX: No music,just Leo Roaring as usual.

Cheesy Factor: None, but looks relatively cheap.

Availability: Found only on VHS releases that MGM and United Artists release up until the end of the VHS era.

Scare Factor: Moderate, depends on what you think Leo Roaring.
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MGM DVD

Note: This is a brand name of DVD from MGM Home Entertainment

1st Logo
(1997-2003)

Nickname: "Lion In A Ribbon In An Oval"

Logo: On a red oval, a miniature MGM logo comes up, roaring loudly, and the letters "MGM DVD" come up one by one from the front of the screen. Then the lion zooms out and disappears with a bright flash, and MGM DVD centers on the screen as the red oval fades out.

Music: Six notes as the letters come in, then an orchestral hit at the end.

SFX: The lion roars once. As the logo fades out, the lion's growling can be heard.

Availability: Available on pre-2003 MGM Home Entertainment DVDs.

Scare Factor: Medium to High, as this logo is extremely loud and comes out all of a sudden.



2nd Logo
(2003-)

Nickmane: "CGI MGM DVD"

Logo: On a black background, a flash of light emerges from the screen and circles showing clips from MGM movies flies through us. When the last circle flies at us, it collapes and we see the MGM DVD logo and Leo roars once in it. After that, the logo quickly zooms into us, making everything black.

SFX: Nice CGI

Music: An orchestral score.

Avaliability: Seen very common on MGM movies on DVD.

Scare Factor: Same as Logo 1.