Sony Theatres

Background

Sony Theatres was a cinema chain operated by Sony Corporation of America, formed in 1994 as a rename of Loews Theatres (which was owned by Columbia Pictures Entertainment at the time). In 1996, the chain reverted back to the Loews name, and two years later, merged with Cineplex Odeon to form Loews Cineplex Entertainment.

(August 1994-1997)

Logo: On a gray background imprinted with "SONY THEATRES", "SONY THEATRES" scrolls past the screen, then a red "SONY THEATRES"-branded rectangle with a white outline moves up to the center, and the background shines diagonally to the right. A montage of clips from various movies throughout the years lasts throughout much of the trailer. Screens displaying "Hungry?", "Be Courteous", and "No Smoking" result in mentions of a concession stand, not talking during the movie, and not smoking. Near the end, Sony Theatres' gift certificates are promoted.

Films featured in the trailer, in order of appearance (list not complete):

The Producers
Strait-Jacket
Stir Crazy
Baby the Rain Must Fall
Family Business
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
A League of Their Own
A Few Good Men
The Caine Mutiny
Postcards from the Edge
The Way We Were
Before I Hang
Fort Apache the Bronx
Ghostbusters
Modern Romance
On the Waterfront
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
When Harry Met Sally...
National Lampoon's Animal House
Hellcats of the Navy
Avalon
There's a Girl in My Soup
Touch of Evil
The Cheap Detective
Duck Soup
Young Frankenstein
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
The Big Picture
Alvarez Kelly
Lawrence of Arabia
The Return of the Pink Panther
From Here to Eternity
Lost Horizon (1937)
Christine
Starman
Jason and the Argonauts
Road to Rio
Gilda
Holiday
Beat the Devil
Roxanne
Tootsie
Used Cars
Bugsy
Cat Ballou
Murder by Death

The trailer ends with the formed "SONY THEATRES" logo from the beginning.

Technique: Mostly footage from various movies from the Sony Pictures library (although some films from other studios are included as well), plus some CGI animation and graphics. Produced by Cinema Concepts.

Music/Sounds: It starts with a drumroll, and then an announcer says "Welcome to Sony Theatres". Multiple clips from the movies listed above are heard. (The Producers: Leo Bloom and Max Bialystock (Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel): "Come in!" "Come in!" "Come in!" "Come in!") A 50s piano tune plays in the background, followed by the announcer saying "...where you can always see the stars." (Stir Crazy: Harry Monroe (Richard Pryor): "That's right, that's right, we mad!") Then, applause is heard, followed by the sounds of Slimer from Ghostbusters eating. A whistling tune plays during the "Hungry?" segment, with the announcer saying "Feeling hungry?" (Modern Romance: Robert Cole (Albert Brooks): "I'll have a mushroom omelet, cooked with very little butter.") (On The Waterfront: Father Pete Barry (Karl Malden): "I'm just a potato eater.") (Unknown: "Come in!") The announcer says "There's something for everyone at our concession stand." (When Harry Met Sally...: Sally Albright and a customer (Meg Ryan and Estelle Reiner): "YES! YES! YES!" "I'll have what she's having.") Various sound effects from the clips play over an orchestral piece. The library ghost from Ghostbusters shushes, then the announcer says "Please be courteous." (Unknown: "I won't shush!") (Unknown: (babbling)) (Unknown: "You!") (Unknown: "Shut up!") The announcer says: "Thank you for not talking during the movie." (Unknown: "Mind if I smoke?") More sound effects and screaming are heard. (Unknown: "I see you! I want that knocked off!") (Unknown: "What are you driving at?") The announcer says "Sorry, but smoking is not permitted." Another orchestral tune plays as the announcer says "You can share the magic of the movies with our Sony Theatres gift certificates. Please ask our staff for details." Then, a new jingle based on the 1985 Loews jingle, but with many differences is heard. It is a synth-pop theme with a chorus singing "Thank you for coming to Sony, sit back and enjoy the show! Thank you!" (Murder by Death: Sam Diamond (Peter Falk): "I have to go to the can again! I don't wanna miss nothin'!") At the end, some synth notes over a bass drone are heard.

Availability: Extinct. Seen at Sony-branded theatres during the mid-1990s.

◄	Loews Theatres

Sony Theatres

Loews Theatres

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