Starmaker Entertainment

Background

Starmaker Entertainment was a budget video distribution company founded in 1989. The company mostly released public domain films, as well as budget releases of New World Pictures' releases, and some television shows.

In 1994, Starmaker Entertainment was acquired by Handleman Co. and merged with Video Treasures, with both companies folding into the newly-formed Anchor Bay Entertainment in 1995. The Starmaker label remained in use until being completely folded by 1998.

In the early-2000's, the Starmaker brand was purchased and is currently owned by the unaffiliated Starmaker II, LLC.

Logo (October 1, 1989-1998)

Visuals: The sequence starts out with a dark blue starry sky background which is almost the same as the 1987 Academy Entertainment logo or 1988 CIC Video warning. A silver/gray octagonal rectangle shifts up. Then "STARMAKER" in a stylized font with a line under it shifts down to on the rectangle. The bottom "V" of the "M" overlaps the line, making it "cut open". The name then shines with pings.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A synth chord, then a repeating series of synth beeps and 3 "pings" in sync with the shining.

Availability:

Can be found on tapes from the period, such as budget versions of the post-1984 New World library, among others, and some tapes of TV shows, most notably Crime Story, Faerie Tale Theatre, and Saturday Night Live. Also seen on budget tapes such as Heathers, Transformations, and Last Train from Gun Hill. Some Starmaker tapes were later re-issued by Video Treasures/Anchor Bay in the late 1990s, but the logo still appears on the tapes. This also makes surprise appearances on the Amazon Prime Video and Tubi prints of The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James. Its first appearance was on The Little Mermaid (specifically the 1975 adaptation by Toei), acquired from G.G. Communications and released to ride on the coattails of the Disney film of the same name.

Starmaker Entertainment

Anchor Bay Entertainment

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