MPI Home Video

Background
MPI Home Video was founded in 1976, but they had no logo until 1984. MPI stands for "Maljack Productions, Inc." It is a subsidiary of MPI Media Group. It is headquartered in Orland Park, Illinois, which is 25 miles southwest of Chicago.

1st Logo (1984-1987)


Nickname: "Silver MPI"

Logo: On a black background, we see a silver "MPI" in a stylized font zooming in. Once it stops zooming, the bottom part of the background turns orange (kind of like the background used in CBS' "Great Moments" IDs). "MPI" then "shines" with the outlining and "pings".

FX/SFX: The zooming in and shining of the words.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Can be seen on The Honeymooners "Lost Episodes" VHS tapes.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1987-1992)


Logo: On a black background, a white rectangle appears and the intense blue gradient letters "MPI" slide out of it, glowing white. After they stop glowing, the words HOME VIDEO in white and sandwiched between two lines fade in, and a blue haze forms behind the words (similar to the 2004 Nelvana logo).

FX/SFX: The glowing of the words, the haze.

Music/Sounds: A gentle synth/woodwind theme.

Availability: Common on early Dark Shadows VHS releases and ABC News documentary videos.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (1992-1999)


Nickname: "The 20th Century Fox Rip-off"

Logo: We see the MPI HOME VIDEO logo (the same one from above, but with "MPI" in white with an aquamarine outline, "HOME VIDEO" in yellow and the two lines blue) an upper left angle. It rotates to face us and shines. The whole thing takes place on a light gray background.

FX/SFX: The rotating and shining.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Found on mostly on Dark Shadows VHS releases (original and 1991-92 versions). Also on mid-1990s VHS releases of The Prisoner.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (1998?-200?)
Nicknames: "The Blue Filmstrip", "Since 1976"

Logo: On a black background, we see "MPI", in white, zooming out. Then the background turns white, with "MPI HOME VIDEO" in black (think the 1989 Worldvision logo). A blue filmstrip rolls out. After the "MPI" and filmstrip become still, "Since 1976" appears on the filmstrip.

Variant: On the 1998 DVD of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, the text "20th Year" appears on the filmstrip.

FX/SFX: The animation in the logo.

Music/Sounds: A trumpet portion with two notes, then six more notes, then a piano portion, and ends with one more trumpet note.

Availability: Found on the original DVD of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, among other releases. It can also be found on current reruns of The Doris Day Show and the lost episodes of The Honeymooners, plastering any Viacom or Worldvision logos that may have been on either show in the past.

Editor's Note: None.

5th Logo (2000s-)
Nickname: "Blue MPI", "The MPI of Boredom"

Logo: On a black background, we see the 2nd logo in ocean blue colors. The words "HOME VIDEO" in the Microgramma font appear below the letters, sandwiched by two lines.

FX/SFX: The fading in and out of the logo.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Can be seen on newer Blu-Ray releases, such as Baraka.

Editor's Note: None.