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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 18 2009, 1:26 AM EDT (current) | VofDoom | |
| Sep 18 2009, 1:26 AM EDT | VofDoom | 9 words added, 1 word deleted |
Changes
Key: Additions Deletions
Logo descriptions by V of Doom and Shadeed A. Kelly
Logo capture by Eric S.
Background: Orion Classics was the indie/art-house movie division of Orion Pictures Corp., established in 1983, that acquired independent and foreign films for North American distribution, in addition to producing some arthouse films of its own. Originally, it was headed by Michael Barker, Tom Bernard, and Marcie Bloom (the same people who started United Artists Classics two years ago). As Orion headed into bankruptcy, these three left to head Sony Pictures Classics, the indie/art-house movie arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In the mid-1990s, Metromedia acquired Orion, and merged the classics division into The Samuel Goldwyn Company (later rebranded as G2 Films by MGM). Both Orion and SGC were sold to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1997, with the latter's function of producing and/or distributing independent films being assumed by MGM's United Artists division.
1st Logo
(1983-1996)
Nicknames: "The Constellation", "Starry Sky"
Logo: Same as the movie logo of the era, but "Classics" (in blue in a similar font as above) fades in below.
FX/SFX: Same as the movie logo of the era.
Music/Sounds: Same as the movie logo. On a side note, this logo used a generic theme, plastering other logos, such as the Gaumont logo in My Mother's House. So the Gaumont fanfare (1980-1992) would be used instead. The DVD of My Mother's House does not have this logo with the Gaumont music; instead, it had the 1985 Gaumont logo.
Availability: Rare; this appeared on art-house films released by Orion Classics, such as Boxing Helena, Rhapsody in August, and Slacker, among others, and this logo is occasionally seen on the Showtime Networks. It might have also appeared on reissues of AIP films.
Scare Factor: Low for the original music and low to medium for the Gaumont fanfare variant.
2nd Logo
(1996-1998)
Nicknames: "The CGI Constellation", "CGI Starry Sky"
Logo: Same as the 1996 logo, but "CLASSICS" replaces "PICTURES".
FX/SFX: Same as the 1996 movie logo.
Music/Sounds: Same as the 1996 movie logo.
Availability: Extremely rare. Occasionally seen on the Showtime Networks.
Scare Factor: Same as the 1996 movie logo.
Logo capture by Eric S.
Background: Orion Classics was the indie/art-house movie division of Orion Pictures Corp., established in 1983, that acquired independent and foreign films for North American distribution, in addition to producing some arthouse films of its own. Originally, it was headed by Michael Barker, Tom Bernard, and Marcie Bloom (the same people who started United Artists Classics two years ago). As Orion headed into bankruptcy, these three left to head Sony Pictures Classics, the indie/art-house movie arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In the mid-1990s, Metromedia acquired Orion, and merged the classics division into The Samuel Goldwyn Company (later rebranded as G2 Films by MGM). Both Orion and SGC were sold to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1997, with the latter's function of producing and/or distributing independent films being assumed by MGM's United Artists division.
1st Logo
(1983-1996)
Nicknames: "The Constellation", "Starry Sky"
Logo: Same as the movie logo of the era, but "Classics" (in blue in a similar font as above) fades in below.
FX/SFX: Same as the movie logo of the era.
Music/Sounds: Same as the movie logo. On a side note, this logo used a generic theme, plastering other logos, such as the Gaumont logo in My Mother's House. So the Gaumont fanfare (1980-1992) would be used instead. The DVD of My Mother's House does not have this logo with the Gaumont music; instead, it had the 1985 Gaumont logo.
Availability: Rare; this appeared on art-house films released by Orion Classics, such as Boxing Helena, Rhapsody in August, and Slacker, among others, and this logo is occasionally seen on the Showtime Networks. It might have also appeared on reissues of AIP films.
Scare Factor: Low for the original music and low to medium for the Gaumont fanfare variant.
2nd Logo
(1996-1998)
Nicknames: "The CGI Constellation", "CGI Starry Sky"
Logo: Same as the 1996 logo, but "CLASSICS" replaces "PICTURES".
FX/SFX: Same as the 1996 movie logo.
Music/Sounds: Same as the 1996 movie logo.
Availability: Extremely rare. Occasionally seen on the Showtime Networks.
Scare Factor: Same as the 1996 movie logo.
