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Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Logo descriptions by Matt Williams and Kris Starring
Logo captures by Eric S., V of Doom, Logophile, and others
Editions by Shadeed A. Kelly, Wisp2007, Logophile, V of Doom, and mr3urious
Video captures courtesy of Eric S., herbnspices, Win2000Pro, ClosingLogosGroup, bigrene2, 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 first established in 1978 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, being renamed as RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (or RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video for international distribution) in 1982 as a joint venture with RCA, 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 current 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, Stage 6 Films, Affirm 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 black and white version of this logo seen on classic Columbia movies and shorts in B&W.
FX/SFX: Same as the "Sunburst" logo.
Cheesy Factor: Same as the Sunburst, except the freeze looks cheesy, and the font looks out of place. Plus, if you look real closely while in slow-mo, when the company name appears, you can briefly see "Columbia Pictures".
Music/Sounds: Same as the film variant.
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, It's My Turn, You Light Up My Life and Fun with Dick and Jane. Surprisingly, this logo also appeared on early to mid '80s video prints of Gerald McBoing-Boing. The black and white version appears on Gilda.
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.
Variant: Sometimes the RCA and Columbia logos flip in on a space background, then the white border "swings in" to surround it.
FX/SFX: 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, Real Genius, Private Resort, and Alone in the Dark, while Columbia releases went straight to the movie. Releases that had the space BG and swinging border include Ghostbusters (only appears on rental copies as sell-through copies have no previews,) 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/SFX: The CGI 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.
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RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video
1st Logo
(1982-1985)
Logo: On a white background, the same box from the 1st RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video logo, but in 2D, fades in. The torch lady and text is in red, except for "INTERNATIONAL VIDEO" below, which is black.
Variant: 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/SFX: The fading in.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Extremely hard to come across.
Scare Factor: None.
2nd 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 PAL 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/SFX: Everything. Pretty neat CGI animation for 1985!
Music/Sounds: A 1980s-sounding synthesized fanfare, complete with a couple whooshes, or a generic theme.
Availability: Rare; only used on video releases outside North America.
Scare Factor: Low; the cube spinning could get to some.
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Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
1st Logo
(1991-1992)
Nicknames: "CT Boxes", "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/SFX: None. Other times, the logo would fade in and fade out.
Music/Sounds: None. Although, on foreign releases, a short guitar/base note was heard.
Availability: Quite 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 some RCA/Columbia videos and most notably New Line releases with the RCA/Columbia print logo, this logo plasters over the original RCA/Columbia logo!
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo
(1992-1993)
Nicknames: "CT Boxes II", "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/SFX: The fade-in and fade-out of the logo.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Again, quite 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: "CT Boxes III", "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 revea
l the Torch Lady on the left, and the Pegasus on the right, as the wording takes its position.
Variants:
Trailer Variants: Rarely, 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/SFX: 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)
Nicknames: "CT Boxes IV", "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/SFX: The sliding boxes.
Music/Sounds: A loud, booming chorus singing "TAKE HOLLYWOOD HOOOOOOOOOME!!!!!".
Availability: Extremely rare; used only on some tapes released by the short-lived Columbia TriStar Family Collection.
Scare Factor: Low to high; it all depends on what you think of that sudden chorus.
5th Logo
(1996-1997)
Nicknames: "CT Boxes V", "Take Hollywood Home! II"
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.
Trailer Variants: 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/SFX: 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 above.
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. The shorter version appeared on Jumanji (there was a promo for Sony TV, followed by a clip on later).
Scare Factor: Same as above.
6th Logo
(1996-1997?)
Nicknames: "CT Boxes VI", "The Sliding Boxes", "The Boxes of Boredom"
Logo: It's basically the same as the 1996 Columbia TriStar Television logo, except "HOME VIDEO" replaces "TELEVISION".
FX/SFX: TBA
Music/Sounds: Same as above.
Availability: Extremely rare; seen on several domestic and international promos of home video releases by CTHV.
Scare Factor: TBA
7th Logo
(1997-2000) 
Nicknames: "CT Boxes VII", "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.
Trailer Variants: 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/SFX: Great CGI. And if you thought this one was good, the next one is even more mind-blowing.
Music/Sounds: None, but on international releases a generic hip hop-like jingle was used.
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.
8th Logo
(1999-2001)
Nicknames: "CT Boxes VIII", "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:
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. Sometimes, there was a more common version with an even louder version.
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 only on the Love Stinks VHS.
Scare Factor: Low; the "DVD" zooming out might probably get to more than a few.
9th Logo
(2001-2004)
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.
Trailer Variants: Rarely, letters would appear on top of the screen, and it, in regualr font, with an announcer, would state the following (on VHS promos, half of the logo is playing in widescreen and the words are on the wide boxes):
FX/SFX: 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 now that the widely hated "Split Boxes" have been put 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
(2004- )
Nicknames: "The Shining Bars", "Ultra Majestic Sony Pictures 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/SFX: Just great CGI.
Music/Sounds: Two drumbeats, followed by an uplifting-sounding horn/string arrangement.
Availability: Can be found on all DVDs (and even UMDs 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., V of Doom, Logophile, and others
Editions by Shadeed A. Kelly, Wisp2007, Logophile, V of Doom, and mr3urious
Video captures courtesy of Eric S., herbnspices, Win2000Pro, ClosingLogosGroup, bigrene2, 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 first established in 1978 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, being renamed as RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (or RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video for international distribution) in 1982 as a joint venture with RCA, 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 current 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, Stage 6 Films, Affirm 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 black and white version of this logo seen on classic Columbia movies and shorts in B&W.
FX/SFX: Same as the "Sunburst" logo.
Cheesy Factor: Same as the Sunburst, except the freeze looks cheesy, and the font looks out of place. Plus, if you look real closely while in slow-mo, when the company name appears, you can briefly see "Columbia Pictures".
Music/Sounds: Same as the film variant.
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, It's My Turn, You Light Up My Life and Fun with Dick and Jane. Surprisingly, this logo also appeared on early to mid '80s video prints of Gerald McBoing-Boing. The black and white version appears on Gilda.
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.
Variant: Sometimes the RCA and Columbia logos flip in on a space background, then the white border "swings in" to surround it.
FX/SFX: 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, Real Genius, Private Resort, and Alone in the Dark, while Columbia releases went straight to the movie. Releases that had the space BG and swinging border include Ghostbusters (only appears on rental copies as sell-through copies have no previews,) 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/SFX: The CGI 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.
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RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video
1st Logo
(1982-1985)
Logo: On a white background, the same box from the 1st RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video logo, but in 2D, fades in. The torch lady and text is in red, except for "INTERNATIONAL VIDEO" below, which is black.
Variant: 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/SFX: The fading in.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Extremely hard to come across.
Scare Factor: None.
2nd 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 PAL 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/SFX: Everything. Pretty neat CGI animation for 1985!
Music/Sounds: A 1980s-sounding synthesized fanfare, complete with a couple whooshes, or a generic theme.
Availability: Rare; only used on video releases outside North America.
Scare Factor: Low; the cube spinning could get to some.
_______________________________________________________________
Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
1st Logo
(1991-1992)
Nicknames: "CT Boxes", "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/SFX: None. Other times, the logo would fade in and fade out.
Music/Sounds: None. Although, on foreign releases, a short guitar/base note was heard.
Availability: Quite 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 some RCA/Columbia videos and most notably New Line releases with the RCA/Columbia print logo, this logo plasters over the original RCA/Columbia logo!
Scare Factor: None.
2nd Logo
(1992-1993)
Nicknames: "CT Boxes II", "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/SFX: The fade-in and fade-out of the logo.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Again, quite 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: "CT Boxes III", "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 revea
l 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.
Trailer Variants: Rarely, 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/SFX: 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
Nicknames: "CT Boxes IV", "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/SFX: The sliding boxes.
Music/Sounds: A loud, booming chorus singing "TAKE HOLLYWOOD HOOOOOOOOOME!!!!!".
Availability: Extremely rare; used only on some tapes released by the short-lived Columbia TriStar Family Collection.
Scare Factor: Low to high; it all depends on what you think of that sudden chorus.
5th Logo
(1996-1997)
Nicknames: "CT Boxes V", "Take Hollywood Home! II"
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. Trailer Variants: 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/SFX: 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 above.
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. The shorter version appeared on Jumanji (there was a promo for Sony TV, followed by a clip on later).
Scare Factor: Same as above.
6th Logo
(1996-1997?)
Nicknames: "CT Boxes VI", "The Sliding Boxes", "The Boxes of Boredom"
Logo: It's basically the same as the 1996 Columbia TriStar Television logo, except "HOME VIDEO" replaces "TELEVISION".
FX/SFX: TBA
Music/Sounds: Same as above.
Availability: Extremely rare; seen on several domestic and international promos of home video releases by CTHV.
Scare Factor: TBA
7th Logo
(1997-2000)
Nicknames: "CT Boxes VII", "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.
Trailer Variants: 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/SFX: Great CGI. And if you thought this one was good, the next one is even more mind-blowing.
Music/Sounds: None, but on international releases a generic hip hop-like jingle was used.
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.
8th Logo
(1999-2001)
Nicknames: "CT Boxes VIII", "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".
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. Sometimes, there was a more common version with an even louder version.
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 only on the Love Stinks VHS.
Scare Factor: Low; the "DVD" zooming out might probably get to more than a few.
9th Logo
(2001-2004)
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.
Trailer Variants: Rarely, letters would appear on top of the screen, and it, in regualr font, with an announcer, would state the following (on VHS promos, half of the logo is playing in widescreen and the words are on the wide boxes):
- Coming Soon To A Theater Near You.
- Now Available on Video and DVD
- Coming Soon To Video and DVD
- Now Available
FX/SFX: 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 now that the widely hated "Split Boxes" have been put 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
(2004- )
Nicknames: "The Shining Bars", "Ultra Majestic Sony Pictures 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/SFX: Just great CGI.
Music/Sounds: Two drumbeats, followed by an uplifting-sounding horn/string arrangement.
Availability: Can be found on all DVDs (and even UMDs 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?.
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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 | CTHV Blue Background with Sony byline | 1 | Sep 7 2009, 10:02 PM EDT by klaskycsupo | ||
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Thread started: Sep 8 2008, 12:40 PM EDT
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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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| Logophile | Columbia pictures Home Entertainment | 1 | Mar 16 2009, 2:37 AM EDT by Shadeed329 | ||
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Thread started: Mar 14 2009, 1:16 PM EDT
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Wasn't there a Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment logo which just says "Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment"? It was there, but now it's not. What happened to it?
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| LotsaHeart | I have the 8th Logo | 2 | Dec 28 2008, 11:52 PM EST by LotsaHeart | ||
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Thread started: Dec 28 2008, 10:52 AM EST
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It's on my copy of "The Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation" on DVD
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