Virgin Video

Background

Virgin Video was a British home video distributor and former production company. The company was originally founded in 1975 as Virgin Rags Limited, and renamed to Virgin Entertainments (holdings) Limited in 1978. Around this time, the company entered the theatrical market under the name "Virgin Films and Video", which was later split into two separate divisions - Virgin Video, which handled home video distribution, and Virgin Films, which handled theatrical releases. Much of the content produced by both divisions have since gone on to become cult classics in 1980's retrospective. 20th Century Fox's UK division initially distributed their films theatrically before the company started self-distributing them.

By 1983, the company was renamed as Virgin Vision Limited, although they still used both subsidiary names. By the mid-80's, the company operated a distribution joint-venture with Stephen Wooley's Palace and Gold, titled "Palace, Virgin and Gold (Distribution) Ltd." In 1987, in order to increase its global presence, the company launched its U.S. subsidiary, first distributing tapes through Continental Video, then with its own American subsidiary Virgin Vision, Inc.

In July 1989, Virgin was acquired by Jonathan D. Krane's Management Company Entertainment Group from the Virgin Group, and was renamed MCEG Virgin Vision Limited. It also combined M.C.E.G.'s existing American video operations, namely MCEG Home Video and Forum Home Video with its existing Virgin American unit into one company under the name of "MCEG Virgin Home Entertainment". However, this buyout would soon prove to be a failure, and MCEG soon filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 1990. By this point, 85% of the company was sold to GE Capital with the remaining 15% stake was re-acquired by the Virgin Group. but then it later sold the remaining 15% to GE Capital. The company scaled down its operations to video distribution only in the UK, while shutting down operations in other countries, namely the U.S. and Australia.

In March 1991, GE Capital put Virgin Vision up for sale. Virgin soon sold its stake in the company to GE Capital in July 1991, who rebranded the business as Vision Video Ltd. within the same time, with the MCEG Virgin Vision company itself rebranding under the name by July 1992.

Contents

1st Logo (1981-1986)	2nd Logo (1982-1986)	3rd Logo (1986-1992)

1st Logo (1981-1986)

Logo: We see a muscular, shirtless man hitting a vinyl record labeled with the Virgin logo on it, as if it were a gong (like Rank logo). It explodes and as the pieces fly away, sparks appear and white the familiar "Virgin" logo which is stylized for a moment before flashing to its normal corporate font. The text "FILMS and VIDEO", stacked appear on the bottom right of "Virgin", and "presents" fades in underneath. All the text is in white.

Variant: In an extended version we see the man from before about to hit the record again now in gold, but it shakes and he runs away as an airplane comes crashing though it. We pan across the puzzled man as the airplane makes smoke trials that form the normal "Virgin" text which flashes as the stacked text "FILMS PRESENTS" appears below it.

Technique: The man hitting the vinyl record and breaking it into pieces then the sparks appearing from the Virgin logo, the Virgin logo writing itself in and flashing, and the text appearing.

Music/Sounds: Silence, or the opening theme of the movie.

Availability: Depending on the variant:

Normal: Very rare. Appears on some very early pre-cert concert VHS releases from this time period such as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - The Best of OMD.
Extended: Ultra rare. The variant only appears on older international prints of Electric Dreams and is retained on the 1984 UK VHS from the company, although some releases plaster it with the next logo while the US release plasters it with the 1984 MGM/UA Entertainment Co. "Diamond Jubilee" logo.

2nd Logo (1982-1986)

"Virgin VIDEO" variant
"Virgin FILMS" variant

Videos

Logo: Against a black background the word "Virgin" (in red and in the thinner variant of its corporate script font) zooms out from the top left of the screen with a residue-trailing effect and stops in the center of the screen and then flashes. Then the following text "VIDEO" which is in a small plain font zooms out from the bottom right corner of the logo with another residue-trailing effect then it also stops and flashes. It later fades out as a glowing text "Presents" fades in.

Variants:

On some releases like NOW Music and at the end of some like Rupert and the Frog Song, the text "Presents" isn't shown. In addition, the logo stays on-screen longer because of it.
On UB40: Labour of Love when the logo fades out "Presents" is nowhere to be seen.
A variant for theatrical movies where the logo is the same except it reads "FILMS" instead of "VIDEO". The colors are much darker in this version so it makes it look orange than red.
Another theatrical variant reads entirely in white "Virgin FILMS PRESENT".

Technique: The trailing effects with computer graphics.

Music/Sounds: A very deep, distorted electric guitar tune with heavy bass composed and performed by Mick Karn of the English music group Japan. Sometimes the opening theme of the film will play instead.

Availability: Depending on the variant.

VIDEO variant: Extremely rare. It appeared on many pre-cert releases from the company such as old concert music videos such as Genesis: The Mama Tour, the Depeche Mode videos (Live in Hamberg and Some Great Videos), UB40: Labour of Love, Public Image Limited: Videos, U2: Under a Blood Red Sky, the Japan videos (Instant Pictures and Oil on Canvas) and cult films such as Electric Dreams.
FILMS variant: Ultra rare. Because MGM owns the rights to their catalog through the pre-March 31, 1996 PolyGram Filmed Entertainment library, it has fallen to plastering by either the MGM logo, other logos, or being deleted altogether on newer prints. It can only be found on older releases such as 1984 and The Executioner's Song.

Legacy: The music will likely get to people along with its cheap animation and dark coloring. It's a good effort otherwise, however.

3rd Logo (1986-1992)

"Virgin" variant
"Virgin VISION" variant

Videos

Logo: On a black background a set of revolving tri-colored light beams (which are Red, Blue, and Green) shoot out towards the screen and bounced back and forth three times in a backward "Z" formation. As it hits the center various circles wipe in to form the Virgin logo, glowing various colors as it rotates upward. Then a light glows under it and fully turns into white circles forming the logo as its signature red color wipes over the circles. The light then engulfs the background becoming blue followed by white and then mostly blue.

Variants:

In the United States and Canada, a different end result is used with slightly cheaper animation, a blue background and drop shadow on the Virgin logo and "VISION" sandwiched on two red lines.
There is another version exists where the logo is already formed then it shines twice.
A filmed version also exists.

Technique: The light beams and the logo turning upwards, and the coloring which are very nice computer effects from the '80s.

Music/Sounds: A sound of synthesized horn notes accompanied by chimes as the beams bounce around a decent synthesize sound when the logo rises up played over a synth horn and at the end we hear strings when "Virgin" fills red.

Music/Sounds Variant: On some tapes, the jingle ends rather quickly than usual.

Availability: More common than the previous logo.

Seen on VHS releases of films such as Retribution, Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II, Edge of Sanity, Checking Out, How to Get Ahead in Advertising, Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills, The Banker, Fear (1988), The Rosary Murders and Destroyer among others. Also seen on British tapes of Paris by Night, RoboCop, The Terminator, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie among others.
In Canada, some tapes from this company show the Cineplex Odeon Home Video before this logo, even some from MCEG Virgin including Slipstream.
Likewise on some tapes in Argentina the Transmundo Home Video would appear before this logo and MCEG's on PAL tapes.
In the UK you will also see the MCEG logo before this (International) logo on some tapes from 1989 until its rebranding in 1992.
It also appeared on the Canadian VHS of Communion, after the Cineplex Odeon Home Video logo and before the MCEG Virgin logo.
The standard logo also appears on early USA releases through Continental Video before Virgin Vision started.
It also appears on the 1986 UK VHS release of Fraggle Rock: Red Handed & The Invisible Thief as well.

Virgin Video

M.C.E.G. Virgin Home Entertainment
Vision Video Ltd.

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