Anchor Bay Entertainment (2008-2017)

Background
Anchor Bay Entertainment was a home video and production company originally formed in May 1995, when both Video Treasures and Starmaker were purchased by the Handleman Company and merged into Anchor Bay. It remained a part of Handleman until 2003, when it was sold to IDT Entertainment. In 2006, IDT was purchased by Liberty Media, and IDT became Starz Media (now Starz Distribution) and the next year Anchor Bay was renamed Starz Home Entertainment, only for it to revert back to its original name in 2008. In March 2011, The Weinstein Company purchased 25% of Anchor Bay. In 2016, Lionsgate reached an agreement with Starz to acquire the company for $4.4 billion. A year later, Anchor Bay was folded into Lionsgate's home media division.

1st Logo (1997)
Nicknames: "The Early Sailboat", "The Space Sailboat"

Logo: We see a still framed picture of a navy blue sailboat on a light blue body of water under a yellow sky with blue tinted clouds floating by. Above the frame are the navy blue word:

ANCHOR BAY

appear above the picture, and "ENTERTAINMENT" appears at the bottom, all in a serif font.

Trivia: This had been used as a print logo since May 1995, but this is its earliest-known onscreen appearance.

FX/SFX: None, with the exception of the logo swinging in and out of view which happens on Anchor Bay's Animated Video Treasures tapes.

Music/Sounds: None or the music of the program.

Availability: Appears on Anchor Bay's Animated Video Treasures tapes, in which this logo is intact on DVD.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1998-2006)
Nickname: "The Sailboat"

Logo: We see abstract drawings of a light blue body of water under a yellow sky with blue tinted clouds floating by. A navy blue sailboat in the water moves toward us. When we see the boat at a comfortable distance, the screen fades white with a framed picture of the sailboat on the water in the center of the screen. The company name then appears, taking on the appearance of the print identity seen in the first logo. The words wave in place as if they were seen underwater before taking on a normal appearance.

Variant: A still version of this logo with Starz byline can be seen on the film Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon.

FX/SFX: Simple but effective animation.

Music/Sounds: None usually, but on early VHS releases like Zombie, The Velveteen Rabbit, Paula Abdul Cardio Workout, the Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends VHS release of "Thomas and His Friends Get Along" and the DVD release of Scars of Dracula use a coastal theme consisting of seagulls and waves crashing ashore, combined with some dreamy, "underwater" new-age synth notes.

Availability: Appears on Anchor Bay releases, which include a few video nasties (most of which were originally released on Betamax and VHS by Wizard Video), re-releases of ABC Pictures International/ABC Motion Pictures films, and some pre-1991 Media Home Entertainment titles. Also seen on a few Disney releases on VHS and DVD from the late 1990s, including The Black Hole, The Happiest Millionaire, and The Devil and Max Devlin. It can be seen on Malevolence too. Also seen on a few DiC Entertainment titles in the UK.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (2003-2008)
Nicknames: "The Blue Sailboat", "The Sailboat II"

Logo: On a majorelle blue background, we see a big explosion which showers us with 0's and 1's, accompanied by orange flashes. With a rippling effect, we see the sailboat from the previous logo come toward us, like in the previous logo. It is enclosed in a box, and the words "ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT" fade in.

Variants:


 * For a brief time in 2007, the animation was altered. The sparks were removed, and now the logo zooms onto a white square that wipes in. The company name fades in as usual, and yellow sparkles make the byline "a STARZ company" appear in the extra space below the logo.
 * On Hatchet, a short version in black and white appeared before the movie, while the next logo was used before the previews.

FX/SFX: The animation in the logo.

Music/Sounds: Whooshing noises combined with synth notes. The 2007 version adds chimes at the end.

Availability: Common. This can be seen on many Anchor Bay DVDs, such as Thomas and Friends DVDs from 2003 to 2007.

Editor's Note: None.

Extra Note: From 2007 to 2008, Anchor Bay was rebranded as Starz Home Entertainment, which lasted for only a year. Despite that, all Thomas and Friends DVDs that were released in 2007 with a few exceptions still had this logo 'till 2008, and the next logo was used in tandem with the Starz Home Entertainment name on some releases such as Hatchet.

4th Logo (December 18, 2007-2009)
Nicknames: "The Sailboat III"

Logo: Against a reflecting pool of water, we see a image of a sailboat, with a filmstrip in place of the right mast, against drawings of the sea and sky behind the sailboat. Once again, it is enclosed in a box. While it is zooming out, a black box wipes in and encloses the sailboat. Above the sailboat are the words:

ANCHORBAY ENTERTAINMENT

A second later, the byline "a starz company" fades in below.

Variant: A still version on a black background exists.

FX/SFX: Zooming and wiping effects.

Music/Sounds: The last notes from the previous logo.

Availability: Uncommon, due to its short life span. Can be seen on The Grand, Lower Education, Jimmy and Judy, and The Lather Effect. The still variant can be seen on the ''Wow! Wow! Wubbzy: A Tale Of Tails DVD and all Thomas and Friends DVDs around 2008 (except for Trackside Tunes and Percy Takes the Plunge'').

Editor's Note: None.

5th Logo (2009-2017)
Nicknames: "The CGI Sail", "The Sailboat IV"

Logo: In a stormy part of the sea, we move along a waving sail from various sides, then release and zoom out to see a boat sailing on a calm sea surface, all in blue. The sun is on horizontally. The picture turns into the Anchor Bay logo which resembles an "A" in white/dark blue and 3D-folded, and a lens flare runs over its side. Below, there are the words:

A N C H O R--B A Y ENTERTAINMENT

with the Starz byline underneath.

Variants:


 * Some movies feature a more bluish "A" and the company name tinted yellow. Some films also feature a much shorter version with just the light blink and the A and words appearing.
 * On some DVDs such as Tugger: The Jeep 4x4 Who Wanted to Fly, and Wow! Wow! Wubbzy DVDs, the logo is still.

FX/SFX: The sail, and the light blink.

Music/Sounds: Sail weaving gentle wave sounds. None for the still version.

Availability: Common. Seen on DVD releases such as Stan Helsing, Scream 4, Spy Kids: All the Time in the World, Apollo 18, and The Iron Lady, among others.

Editor's Note: None.

6th Logo (2016-2017)
Nicknames: "Blandchor Bay", "An Anchor Bay Disappointment"

Logo: Same as the current Starz Originals logo, only "STARZ ORIGINALS" is replaced by the previous Anchor Bay Entertainment logo in white, and the Starz byline appears below.

FX/SFX: Same as the Starz Originals logo.

Music/Sounds: Same as the Starz Originals logo.

Availability: Very rare. So far, it was only seen on 47 Meters Down. Since this logo lasted a very short time before Anchor Bay's closure, it's unknown if it was used on other releases.

Editor's Note: Same as the Starz Originals logo.