Monterey Video

Background
Monterey Video was created in October 1982 as a joint venture between Monterey Media (established in 1979) and Caballero Control Corporation to distribute Deadly Games on videocassette. Most of its library was licensed from the likes of Castle Hill Productions, American National Enterprises, Manson International, Film Ventures International, Wrightwood Entertainment, and Teleworld, Inc., if not outright owned by Monterey. After Caballero's shares in IVE were bought out by Carolco Pictures in 1986, Monterey's releases were distributed by Fries Home Video until around 1993, before the company started distributing its tapes independently. It is currently one of the most successful distributors on the independent circuit.

1st Logo (October 1982-2004)
Visuals: On a dusk sky, it zooms out to reveal a silhouette of the Lone Cypress on its seaside cliff. After the logo stops zooming, the text "monterey home video" appears in a Bauhaus-like font.

Variant: On Deadly Games, and presumably other very early releases, the logo appears more complete, with about a second or two of extra unabridged video at the start. Most releases have that portion partially obscured by a wipe from the FHE/IVE FBI warning screen, or blacked out entirely.

Technique: Motion-controlled animation.

Audio: Just the sound of waves crashing and seagull sounds.

Availability: Appeared on the company's first release, Deadly Games. Other tapes with this logo include the Peter Sellers comedy The Wrong Arm of the Law, The Grateful Dead Movie, and The Grim Reaper (a.k.a. Anthropophagous the Beast).

2nd Logo (2004-2011)


Visuals: On a black background, a rectangular box shows a sky at sundown, shining so brightly it pierces through the edges. As the shining dies down, it zooms out to reveal the ocean with lightly-moving waves, and the Lone Cypress silhouette on the left side as usual. A border surrounds the rectangle, and "monterey video" fades in at the top left corner of it.

Technique: Computer animation.

Audio: A different, quieter-sounding set of waves crashing and seagull sounds.

Availability: Seen on The Grateful Dead Movie DVD.

3rd Logo (2011-)
Visuals: Starting off with a cloudy sky during the afternoon, it zooms out to reveal a filtered picture of the Lone Cypress with the ocean moving below. After it stops, "monterey video" wipes in to the right and, after a few seconds, it fades to dark grey as the text and tree turn to a silhouette. "a uniquely independent studio" also appears below.

Technique: 2D animation made in After Effects.

Audio: Ocean waves and a string fanfare. A drum and cymbal play when the text appears.

Availability: First seen on a 2011 DVD of Looking for Palladin.