Dark Castle Entertainment

Background
Dark Castle Entertainment is an American film production label and a division of Silver Pictures, a production house formerly affiliated with Warner Bros. It was formed in 1998 by Joel Silver, Robert Zemeckis, and Gilbert Adler. Susan Downey was the Vice President of Development until February 2009, a term running congruent to her tenure as a VP of Production at parent company Silver Pictures.

The company name pays homage to William Castle, a horror filmmaker from the 1950s and 1960s. When first formed, the goal was to remake Castle's horror films. After two remakes, it moved on to producing original material, along with remakes of non-Castle films. Starting with RocknRolla, which has since gained a cult following, the company began producing films in genres other than horror. While most of the company's films were initially poorly reviewed by critics, their films Splice and Orphan: First Kill eventually received better reviews.

(October 29, 1999-)
Logo: On a black background, we see thunder panning around what appears to be a gargoyle head. As we zoom out, the statue opens its eyes and mouth and roars. Then we continue zooming out what is revealed to be a castle in front of a yellow full moon with many clouds surrounding it as it turns cartoonish. A box goes around the picture and crops it as the text "DARK CASTLE" in a grungy font (named Attic Antique) appears along with the word "ENTERTAINMENT" in the Copperplate font.

Variants:
 * On the direct-to-DVD films Return to House on Haunted Hill and The Hills Run Red, the text below the name says "HOME ENTERTAINMENT".
 * An alternate version exists, where the logo is more contrasted and the clouds are in.
 * On Suburbicon, the logo is shortened.
 * On The Expecting (the first TV series from the company), the print logo shares the screen with the Platinum Dunes and Propagate Content logos.
 * A print in-credit variant can be found on Orphan: First Kill, On the international release, the logo is smaller than usual and scrolls up with the credits.

Technique: The gradual zooming out and the gargoyle moving.

Music/Sounds: Thunder sounds, a dark, ominous music composition, and the terrifying gargoyle's roar.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * Sometimes, there is no music and only the sound effects are heard.
 * On Seance and Orphan: First Kill, the opening theme is heard without any of the sound effects.
 * On House on Haunted Hill, after the last note of the music composition, it morphs into the opening theme.
 * On Suburbicon and The Expecting, the logo is silent.

Availability: Common.
 * It was first seen on House on Haunted Hill, the first film produced by the company, and can be seen on films such as Thir13en Ghosts, Ghost Ship, Gothika, House of Wax, The Hills Run Red, and Getaway.
 * Also seen at the end of Suburbicon, the company's first film after a four year hiatus and most recently on Seance and Orphan: First Kill.
 * Also seen on The Expecting on Quibi, which is the company's first TV series.

Legacy: Even though it's clearly intentional, the dark atmosphere and especially the gargoyle's design can still startle first-time viewers.