Manson International

Background
Manson International (or Manson Distributing Corporation) was founded in 1953 by Edmund Goldman and Sam Nathanson. Initially a distributor of foreign films for the American market, Manson was later reorganized as a foreign sales company. In 1987, Management Company Entertainment Group bought Manson, renamed the company Novacom towards the end of the '80s, and the company folded in the early '90s. A majority of their titles are now with MGM through Orion.

1st Logo (1970s-Early 1986)
Nicknames: "M", "Golden M", "M and Rainbow Filmstrip"

Logo: On a blue background, we see a white world globe zooming, morphing eventually into an M, and then turns gold, and a rainbow filmstrip is on the "M". "MANSON INTERNATIONAL" zooms in under it.

Technique: The globe zooming-in and turning, the globe forming into a "M", which turns gold and has a rainbow filmstrip on it, and "MANSON INTERNATIONAL" zooming-in.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Very rare. This logo was mainly seen on international releases in countries such as the UK, Australia, Japan, etc. Most current prints of Manson's output remove or plaster this logo, so check older copies or releases from the one off labels. Was seen on the New World Video VHS release of A Taste of Hell and a Comet airing of Screamtime. Remains intact on the Something Weird Video/Image Entertainment and Arrow Video Blu-Ray releases of Blood Feast (1963), the Kino Lorber BD and current streaming prints of Losin' it, the theatrical cut of the Canadian thriller Self Defense (on the Severin Films Blu-Ray of said film, also known as Siege), and the Umbrella Entertainment Blu-Ray release of Hostage (1983) (AKA: Savage Attraction in the US).

Legacy: The animation is fairly rough and choppy, but at least the logo design is nice.

2nd Logo (1985-Late 1980s)


Nicknames: "M II", "Segmented M"

Logo: On a plain black screen, blue lines come in from the sides. The lines slowly zoom out. They form half of an "M" shape, which then splits into two, making the "M" complete. The words "MANSON INTERNATIONAL", also blue, zoom out underneath the "M".

Technique: The lines sliding in and zooming out, the half of an "M" shape splitting in two to form the "M", and "MANSON INTERNATIONAL" zooming in.

Music/Sounds: A synth rock tune. Sometimes, it is silent.

Availability: Like the previous logo, it was more common on releases outside North America, yet some American prints use these foreign masters for video releases, making it a bit easier to find than its predecessor. However, this logo is still rare as it has been plastered with the MGM logo on newer prints. Seen on old video copies of Blood Link, The Video Dead, foreign prints of Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2, Appointment with Fear (including the 1987 IVE release), From a Whisper to a Scream (AKA: The Offspring) and R.O.T.O.R. It is intact on the Drafthouse Releasing DVD & Blu-Ray of Miami Connection, and a overseas MGM HDTV airing of Willy/Milly (AKA: Something Special). It was also spotted on an AT&T U-Verse Screen Pack print of Star Knight. It is unknown if this can be seen on any foreign releases of Anguish; don't expect it on the Japanese VHS release. It also doesn't appear on Warriors of the Wind, which they merely produced as an overseas version of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

Legacy: It's a lot smoother albeit more simple compared to the previous logo.