RLJE Films

Background
Image Entertainment Inc. was founded in 1981 as a LaserDisc distributor and became a major act of the format. Once DVDs dominated the home media market and soon rivaled VHS in the late 1990's, Image re-focused its output distribution to DVDs. They have also released a wide variety of entertainment as a production company, including feature films, TV series, and music programs. In 2012, Image was acquired by RLJ Acquisition, Inc. and was merged with another purchase, Acorn Media. It was a subsidiary of RLJ Entertainment until 2018, when the company was renamed to RLJE Films. AMC Theatres purchased RLJ Acquisition that same year.

1st Logo (1983-1989)
Nicknames: "Discs in the City", "Flying Discs"

Logo: On a sunset background of a city, we see flying discs zooming in on us, with the logo spinning around and zooming in at the same time. The logo rests in place and the background fades to black, leaving the logo in place. The logo reads "image (in a sunset-colored gradient font and the g's tail stretched to the left) ENTERTAINMENT INC".

FX/SFX: The discs and the logo flying.

Music/Sounds: A short synthesized melody that loops 7 times.

Availability: Rare. Seen on releases of the time, mainly adult titles, which are very hard to find.

Editor's Note: This logo may get some with its cheesy effects, and music.

2nd Logo (1989-1998)
Nicknames: "The Laser", "How a LaserDisc Works"

Logo: On a blue background, we see the inside layer of a LaserDisc. A laser suddenly hits it creating a ray of light. The laser travels around the layer and we zoom out to reveal two layers covering the layer, which complete the disc with the Image logo on it. The logo flies out of the disk and rests in the middle with the laser vanishing and the disc leaving the screen. The words "ENTERTAINMENT INC" and the byline "The Finest in Laser Videodiscs" fade in.

Variants:
 * On some releases, the logo fades to a black screen. Depending on the release, "Times New Roman", "Times New Roman" or "THE MUSIC DISC" would appear.
 * In 1996, when Image began expanding to DVD, the byline was changed to read "The Finest in Home Entertainment".
 * On some releases, there is no byline.

FX/SFX: Impressive visual effects on the laser, the disc and the logo.

Music/Sounds: A dramatically ascending majestic fanfare accompanied by the laser's scrapping, followed by a more calming synth choir and some bell notes.

Availability: Uncommon. It can be seen on LaserDiscs and DVD releases of the time. Mainly direct-to-DVD movies produced by them. It's kind of easy to find because all Image Entertainment releases used this logo during its lifespan. So you just have to check DVDs of the time with the Image logo on its cover. Also don't forget to check the copyright year so you make sure the DVD does have this logo. You will probably find one in a Walmart bargain bin.

Editor's Note: This logo has gained a lot of recognition for its synth orchestra and powerful computer animation. Despite putting some people off with the sudden sounds and fanfare, it's still a cool logo and its a favorite of many.

3rd Logo (1998-2009)
Nickname: "The Ring"

Logo: On a black background, a light red gradient ring zooms out, while the word "image" (in a blue gradient, different from the previous logos) appears turning counterclockwise one letter at a time. The word "ENTERTAINMENT" fades in zooming out. The company's web address, www.image-entertainment.com, fades in. The logo then fades out and the ring zooms out to the upper-left corner, disappearing in the background and leaving only the web address remaining.

Variants:
 * There is a trailer version coming up in gray color with no ring.
 * Another colored version without the ring appears on the trailer for My Name is Bruce.

FX/SFX: The ring zooming out, the letters turning, and the logo fading in and out.

Music/Sounds: A soft piece accompanied by a flute and a horn. On most releases, the logo is silent.

Availability: Common. Seen on their DVD releases of the time.

Editor's Note: This logo suffers from basic animation in contrast to the previous logo, looking like it was made in a video editor. The music is beautiful and soothing, however.

4th Logo (2009-2018)
Nickname: "Cubes"

Logo: A spectrum of small cubes suddenly zooms in quickly. A ball of cubes breaks up and a trial of small cubes travels around in a neutron-like way. The words "IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT" (in a different, all-uppercase font than before) appears and turns counterclockwise. The last trial of cubes turns red and they rest on the "I" with a cine of light, leaving one red cube above the "I".

Variant: On some releases, an abridged version is used.

FX/SFX: CGI animation for the entire logo.

Music/Sounds: The cubes whooshing accompanied by a peaceful melody, which is a remix of the previous logo's music. A small note is played when the cube rests. Sometimes, the logo is silent.

Availability: Common. Also seen on 2009-2018 theatrical releases and TV series (since Image has grown into a film production company along with distributing other companies' titles).

Editor's Note: Much better than the previous logo. The music is still beautiful and soothing.

5th Logo (2018-)
Nickname: "The Flash"

Logo: TBA

FX/SFX: Simple CGI animation for the entire logo.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Current. Seen on RLJE's theatrical releases since 2018.

Editor's Note: This is still a nice logo, but it may annoy those who like the previous logos better.