U.S.A. Home Video
Jess Williams
Captures by
Eric S., Logophile, EnormousRat, SubparMario63, GETENT, and zman1997
Editions by
Eric S., Logophile, EnormousRat, GETENT, DannyTheMuppetMan and zman1997
Video captures courtesy of
MachineryNoise, DudeThatLogo, osdatabase, Joseph Sobora (TheRedBaron1985), FanCentralNetwork, laughingduck1000, Sagan Blob, retro VHS trailers, LogicSmash, Peakpasha and Cesar Blanco
Background
U.S.A. Home Video was one of the subsidiaries of Noel C. Bloom's NCB Entertainment Group in 1983, along with Monterey Home Video, an affiliate sublabel with Monterey Media, owned by Scott Mansfield, Caballero Control Corporation, who produced pornography, and Family Home Entertainment, a distributor who was responsible for children's films.
It later launched a sports label U.S.A. Sports Video dedicated to releasing sports titles on videocassette. In 1984, both U.S.A. and FHE were consolidated and merged into International Video Entertainment, with more sublabels joining the studio and the U.S.A. branding continued to be used until 1987, when Carolco Pictures bought out IVE.
Logo (June 1?, 1983-May 7, 1987)
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Visuals: On a black background, white lines draw in all over the screen, creating a white grid that slowly tilts towards the screen. A blue laser suddenly appears from the right side of the screen and scans upwards, writing a blue "U." in a script font. A laser, this time from the top of the screen, then appears and scans to the right, writing an "S." in the same font. A final laser, now from the left, wipes upwards to reveal an "A.", forming "U.S.A." as the grid completes itself. As it finishes tilting, the text "HOME VIDEO" in white fades in below the text, and "EXCLUSIVELY DISTRIBUTED BY F.H.E." appears on the bottom of the screen, as all of the grid lines fade out barring the ones bordering "HOME VIDEO".
Variants:
- The logo, if it appears without the warning screen, sometimes has the logo cut in as the "U." gets drawn.
- Another version has computerized red text: "ALSO FROM (U.S.A. logo) TO BE RE-RELEASED IN NOVEMBER AT A NEW LOW PRICE: $39.95". This variant was used on a VHS promo for a re-release of one of their earlier tapes to be discounted.
- Another version also exists where the logo is in yellow and on a blue background, under the stacked text "Also AVAILABLE from".
Technique: Analog computer animation.
Audio: A blaring synthesized sound plays, which turns into a bass note as three synth tones play for the drawing of "U.S.A.", followed by an echoing synth flute repeating the previous melody, two lower-pitched synth stingers, and a long, fuzzy bass note that finishes the logo. Sometimes, the sound at the beginning will be cut out.
Availability:
- From 1986-1987, this logo was used in tandem with IVE's first logo, appearing at the beginning of such tapes.
- Notable releases include the uncut release of Ms. 45, Silent Night, Deadly Night, Supergirl, and 1984.
- The last releases to use this logo include Eye of the Tiger, One Cooks, the Other Doesn't, In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro, and Carry Me Back.
- It's also retained on the 1998 Artisan release of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, with the Artisan logo immediately following.
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