Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International

Background
Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International is the international distribution unit of Sony Pictures Entertainment. The company was formed in 1988 by Columbia Pictures Entertainment to handle international distribution of titles from Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures as well as productions from third parties such as Orion Pictures. The company also distributed local productions being produced by either Columbia or TriStar.

It also operated in Japan until 1992 when the Japanese branch of Sony Pictures began taking over the distribution of SPE titles in that country.

1st Logo (December 21, 1988-December 3, 1993)
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Logo: On a nighttime sky background, we see two boxes fading in and turning, featuring the '80s print logos of Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures with "COLUMBIA PICTURES" in between the Torch Lady and on the TriStar box, it doesn't have the word "PICTURES" under the triangle. As the boxes face the center, the print logos appear in solid white. The sky background later turns into a solid black background with the words "Columbia Tri-Star Films" in white lettering (in the Souvenir font used by Columbia in the 1980s-early 90s) fading in below in between the transition effect. The print logo are used in 1993.

Later Variant: The text was later known as "Columbia TriStar Films" by dropping off the hyphen (-) in August 1991 by Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Variants:
 * An Italian variant also exists with the text on the bottom reading "Columbia Tri-Star Films Italia".
 * A variant with the text on the bottom reading "Columbia Pictures" also exists in some countries such as Brazil and the Philippines.
 * On the Spanish film Las Historias de Puta Mili, there is text above the logo reading "Distribuida Por" (Distributed By), with the text on the bottom reading "Columbia Tri-Star de España" instead of "TriStar". On the trailer for the film, the logo is tinted blue.
 * One version had an and  gradient background with the text "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" and "INTERNATIONAL" with two boxes featuring the 80s Torch Lady print logo and the 80's Pegasus print logo (looking like the 1991 Columbia TriStar Home Video logo) fly in from the left to the middle and the logo shining. It was seen on a video showing Sony Pictures Entertainment's plans for Culver City. It's unknown if this was used on international releases of films and TV shows or if it was just something used for promotional purposes.
 * On the Italian trailer of Casualties of War, the logo plays at warp speed.

Technique: Slit-scan animation.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extremely rare. Was seen on international theatrical releases of films released by Columbia and Tri-Star Pictures, but most current prints of these films might use domestic prints or remove it.
 * The logo first appeared in Compagni di scuola, and made its final appearance in Piccolo grande amore (Pretty Princess).
 * It was seen on a bootleg Italian VHS of Bram Stoker's Dracula, with the logo Columbia Pictures logo preceding it.
 * The print logo appears on the international trailer for Solo.

2nd Logo (October 9, 1992-December 17, 1993)
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Logo: On the black background, we see the text "Distributed by", with "COLUMBIA TRISTAR FILM DISTRIBUTORS INTERNATIONAL" below it in the white lettering (in the Souvenir font used by Columbia in the 1980s-early '90s). Technique: None. Music/Sounds: None. Availability: Ultimately rare.


 * It was seen on the international prints of Fortress (except in Australia & New Zealand, where the film was distributed by Roadshow Film Distributors)
 * It may have possibly appeared in theatrical prints of Robin Hood: Men in Tights (as the DVD and VHS releases do not have it).

3rd Logo (1993-2001)
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Logo: On a cloud background that resembles the one from the 1993 TriStar Pictures logo with a mirror effect, we see the 1992 Michael Deas paintings of the Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures logos in boxes similar to the previous logo, with the text "(DISTRIBUTED BY) COLUMBIA TRISTAR FILMS [country]", often localized, below.

Variants:
 * A later variant features the cloud background from the 1993 Columbia Pictures logo. The background zooms out and we later see the 1992 colorized print logos of both Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures fading in with the text "DISTRIBUTED BY COLUMBIA TRISTAR FILM DISTRIBUTORS INTERNATIONAL, INC." below the boxes, this was seen on English-language prints of Columbia TriStar titles.
 * An in-credit version exists with the print Torch Lady and Pegasus box logos, along with the company name and SPE byline.
 * Another in-credit version has the print Torch and Pegasus box logos with the text "DISTRIBUTED BY COLUMBIA TRISTAR FILM DISTRIBUTORS INTERNATIONAL" and a copyright stamp under the text on the left side of the print logos.
 * On some Italian films, the words "FILMS ITALIA" replace "FILM DISTRIBUTORS INTERNATIONAL, INC" while the "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" text still remains, although it is a different font below the boxes with the same logo and almost similar to the 1988-93 logo.
 * On the international trailer and TV spots of Escape from Absolom, the logo is brightened than usual.
 * On the Italian TV spot of Godzilla (1998), the boxes have both the theatrical versions of the Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures logos in two of the boxes, texts and byline included, and the text that reads "COLUMBIA TRISTAR FILMS ITALIA" is in a different font.
 * On the Brazilian TV spot of O Auto da Compadecida, the logo is entirely seen with a blue background instead of the cloud background.
 * On the Italian TV spot of Secrets & Lies, the logo is seen inside the theaters, while the text "COLUMBIA TRISTAR FILMS ITALIA" fades in.
 * The logo with the black background and the byline also exists, only seen on the trailers and TV spots for Screamers and Solo (1996).

Technique: Fading and zooming effects. The later variant uses CGI animation for the cloud backdrop.

Music/Sounds: Silent, or the music from any given soundtrack.
 * On the DVD and a Spanish dub of Escape from Absolom (aka No Escape in the US and UK), the Savoy Pictures theme plays at the end of the logo.
 * On TV airings and Blu-ray (the latter when you select the Russian dub) prints of Street Fighter, the 1990 Universal Pictures fanfare is heard.

Availability: Ultra rare. Was seen on export theatrical prints of films and various foreign productions produced or released by Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures, but most now either use U.S. domestic prints or have removed or plastered this over.
 * The in-credit logo can be found on Guerra de Canudos.
 * On the theatrical prints (including French VHS and Australian DVD & Blu-ray prints) of Escape from Absolom, the logo has the widescreen version with its original ratio aspect 2.35:1 (which is different than the Region 2 and Region 4 DVDs with 1.78:1, which has the Savoy Pictures logo).
 * Also seen on some international trailers, such as The Indian in the Cupboard, and My Best Friend's Wedding.
 * It was seen on the foreign prints of Street Fighter.
 * It was spotted on Cronica de un desayuno (A Breakfast Chronicle; 2000). For some reason, the logo is still retained on the Mexican VHS of The Swan Princess.

4th Logo (October 22, 1999-April 13, 2003)
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Logo: On a background, we see the text "Distributed by", with "COLUMBIA TRISTAR FILM DISTRIBUTORS INTERNATIONAL" below it in the Bank Gothic MD BT font.

Variants:
 * On an American HBO airing of Spider-Man, the background has a purple gradient to it.
 * A Spanish variant that reads "Distribuida por COLUMBIA TRISTAR FILMS DE ESPAÑA, S.A." exists.
 * A stretched variant of the logo exists.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Can be seen on some films such as Seeing Double, Bats, international prints of Fortress 2: Re-Entry, The Pact of Silence, and a 2007-era HBO airing of Spider-Man. It was also spotted on the international trailers for American Psycho, Simon Sez, and FearDotCom.

5th Logo (2001-2005)
Logo: On a black background, there is a light that gets a little brighter, then the text "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" in Bank Gothic MD BT fades in and zooms out. The light later forms a  line forming "FILM DISTRIBUTORS INTERNATIONAL" in smaller lettering below the line. The logo shines while the entire text zooms in slowly as the light dims inside the line.

Variants:
 * On The Punisher, the logo's text turns and segues to the 2002 Marvel logo. At the end of the credits, the logo is seen with the text "RELEASED BY" above it and the byline "a SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT company" on the bottom, though it doesn't have a silver line.
 * On Suspect Zero, the logo is in warp speed.

Technique: Basic 2D effects.

Music/Sounds: Silent or the film's opening theme.


 * On some American TV airings of The Punisher, the 2004 Lionsgate theme is heard due to sloppy error.

Availability: Very rare in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia, but extremely rare in the U.S. Seen on international theatrical prints of films produced or distributed by Columbia/TriStar/Screen Gems. Like the previous logos, most prints either use U.S. domestic versions, have this removed, or plastered this over. Seen on foreign prints of The Punisher, Suspect Zero and Mindhunters. It is unknown if this logo was seen on international theatrical prints of Feardotcom, as the DVD and VHS releases do not have the logo. It was also reportedly seen on some foreign copies of Toyko Godfathers, but most prints have either the Destination Films, TriStar Pictures, or Sony Pictures Releasing Japan logos. Around 2005, this was phased out and replaced with the Sony Pictures Releasing International logo after the demise of the Columbia TriStar label.