International Video Entertainment

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

International Video Entertainment was formed in 1984 by Noel C. Bloom as a subsidiary of his NCB Entertainment Group, along with Caballero Control Corporation. Its brands included ThrillerVideo (a label for horror movies; many of these were hosted by Elvira, Mistress of the Dark), Adventure Video (a sublabel for the action genre; these were hosted by actress Sybil Danning), U.S.A. Home Video (a general purpose sublabel, up until 1987), Family Home Entertainment (a family-oriented sublabel), Monterey Home Video (a sublabel operated by Scott Mansfield, until 1987, when it joined Fries Home Video and eventually became independent afterwards), U.S.A. Sports Video (sports label), The Video Late Show and King Bee Video (both nostalgia-based labels) and RadioVision Video (music label, a partnership with Radio Vision International).

In 1987, Bloom sold his IVE company to Carolco Pictures, while Bloom launched Celebrity Home Entertainment on its own, with Monterey leaving IVE and joining Fries. Also that year, the company bought out its assets and titles of Vista Home Video, which was owned by The Vista Organization. In 1988, IVE merged with Lieberman to form LIVE Entertainment with FHE and IVE becoming subsidiaries of LIVE. Carolco would set up its own label Carolco Home Video in 1990, with IVE distributing. IVE would later change its name to LIVE Home Video in 1990.



1st Logo (February 25, 1985-August 10, 1989)

Visuals: On a white background, black lines begin to draw a rectangle, and then crisscross to form a grid. Below the grid, the words "INTERNATIONAL VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT" in black are "typed" in, letter-by-letter. After the words make their appearance, "™" appears in the bottom right corner of the grid and the letters "IVE", in a tall, thin, italic font, zoom in from one of the lower-left squares of the grid, nearly covering it. The "IVE" also has a static-like drop shadow positioned to the left side.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A synth theme with rhythmical clapping, a ticking sound as the text appears, a cash register/typewriter bell when "™" appears and a whining sound that sounds somewhat like that of the second Family Home Entertainment when IVE appears.

Audio Variants:

  • The ThrillerVideo series uses the opening and closing theme.
  • The Sybil Danning's Adventure Video series from U.S.A. Home Video and Rest in Pieces use the end music.
  • At the end of When the Wind Blows, it's silent.
  • Breaker Morant cuts off the jingle at the start of the videogram as the whine sounds.

Availability: At the time, a majority of titles that IVE released were B-movies, with higher-quality releases (mostly Carolco flicks) being issued later on.

  • From 1986 to 1987, this logo was used in tandem with U.S.A.'s logo, appearing at the end of film releases such as on the Sybil Danning Adventure Video tapes with the U.S.A. logo at the beginning (TV releases by U.S.A. Home Video will instead use the U.S.A. logo at the end). Until then, it appeared exclusively on ThrillerVideo tapes, where it is believed to have debuted.
  • Notable releases with this logo include Angel Heart, Extreme Prejudice, When the Wind Blows, Maid to Order, Free Ride, Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (as well as a reprint of the first film), The Outing, Nightflyers, and The Puppetoon Movie.
  • This also appears on tapes from ThrillerVideo, mainly the ones hosted by Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, and on music-related releases from their RadioVision Video label.
  • Tapes with this logo tend to use white labels with the IVE logo in a corner and spaced out, though the logo has been seen on tapes with the next logo's associated label, including Trading Hearts, Pass the Ammo, Dudes, Rambo: First Blood Part II, and Breaker Morant.
  • Also appears at the end of later U.S.A. Home Video tapes such as Red Skelton's Christmas Dinner and The Andersonville Trial.
  • It appears at the end of some late '80s FHE re-releases, such as The Great Bear Scare and Strawberry Shortcake Meets the Berrykins.
  • It also appears at the end of the 1989 release of Dudes, with the 2nd logo appearing at the start.

2nd Logo (October 6, 1988-May 6, 1991)

Visuals: Fading from black, a stone grey background made from a grid of squares imprinted with 5-pointed stars is seen, scrolling to the left. Then, the "IVE" text from before, but now in a light blue-sky blue gradient effect with embellished edges, swoops in from the left, while a denim-colored marble rectangle with shining, beveled edges swoops in from the right, and the 2 settle in the center with the slate behind the text. Everything keeps moving until the logo fades out, with the edges of the "IVE" shining from bottom to top.

Variants:

  • A shorter version appears on Rambo III.
  • Another shorter version with the finished product shining exists.

Technique: Stock graphics and CGI.

Audio:

  • October 6, 1988-February 9, 1989: A six-note synthesized tune, followed by two pairs of synthesized drumbeats and an orchestral hit. A warbling synth flourish plays behind the whole thing. This is stock music, but the source is unknown. On Rambo III, the music is shortened and can be heard at both the start of the tape and at the end.
  • December 8, 1988-May 6, 1991: A stock fanfare from the "Sound Ideas CD Mix I Broadcast Music Library" called "Powerful Imposing Logo", which sounds more orchestral in nature and includes warbling toward the end. It is composed by Jerrold Lambert. It debuted at the start of Howling IV: The Original Nightmare and at the end of Iron Eagle II and The Year My Voice Broke.
  • Sometimes, there is no music in the logo at all.

Availability: A bit wider in distribution than the previous one.

  • This sometimes turns up on older full-screen TV prints of films from Carolco or Vestron Pictures, such as Cat Chaser, Maid to Order, Iron Eagle II (the regular IVE logo makes an appearance at the end on the 2002 Artisan DVD), and Howling IV: The Original Nightmare.
  • Notable releases with this logo include Red Heat, Rambo III, Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out, Pascali's Island, Breaker Morant, the uncut version of Prom Night III: The Last Kiss, DeepStar Six, Rooftops, Millennium, The Brain, Dudes, Rented Lips, Hostile Takeover, First Blood, Ground Zero, and Weekend at Bernie's, among others.
  • Also appears on a 1989 reprint of Rambo: First Blood Part II. On the Artisan DVD of Johnny Handsome, the silent variant makes an appearance at the end.
  • The labels on tapes with this logo are similar to those used on the previous logo, except the IVE logo's smaller and spaced closer together.
  • The last tape to use this logo was Martians Go Home, released on September 27, 1990.
  • The original music can be heard on Rambo III, Howling IV: The Original Nightmare, Red Heat, The Brain, Pascali's Island, Cry from the Mountain, and Rented Lips, and was also used into the Live Home Video days on LaserDisc on releases such as Jacob's Ladder, Total Recall and Narrow Margin.
  • This logo appeared (with the Carolco Home Video and still Live Home Video logos following) on the 2000 Canadian Alliance Atlantis VHS of Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
  • The silent variant was also spotted on some printings of Maniac Cop 2 and the LaserDisc of Moon 44.
  • This logo makes appearances on the Avid Home Entertainment reprint of the 1986 action film The Patriot and the Canadian VHS of Warlock.

3rd Logo (June 21-August 30, 1990)

Visuals: On a blood red background, the "IVE" logo is seen to center left, but with a white outline and a registered trademark symbol on the bottom right corner of it. To the right, the white text "INTERNATIONAL VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT INC." is seen a stack formation. On top, "Exclusively Distributed By" appears in a white wide font, while below, a byline reading "A LIVE Entertainment Company" is seen, with "LIVE" in its corporate font.

Variant: On Music Box, the logo is slightly bigger and on a black background.

Technique: A still, digital graphic with cross-dissolve transitions.

Audio: None.

Availability: This follows the Carolco Home Video logo on Music Box, Mountains of the Moon, and The Doors (including the 1998 Alliance Video/2000 Alliance Atlantis VHS of The Doors, which are sourced from the Carolco Home Video VHS).

U.S.A. Home Video
Family Home Entertainment
International Video Entertainment
Live Entertainment
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