MGM Home Entertainment/Warning Screens

1st Warning (1979-1981, 1984)
Warning: We see some warning text scrolling up. The word "WARNING" appears in a cream color, while the Warning text is in white. Everything's in capitals.

FX/SFX: The warning text scrolling up.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: On all MGM/CBS releases of the era. This warning also appears on the 1984 CBS/Fox release of S.O.B., but at the end of the movie (MGM/CBS originally released the film in 1982 as part of their label).

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Warning (1981-May 23, 1990, 1991, 1992)
Warning: We see the Warning screen scrolling up. The word "WARNING" is in red with white outline between two white lines; the warning text is in white and now appears in lowercase. The black bars are at the top and bottom of the screen, but faded.

Variants:
 * On classic MGM movies, the warning is in black and white.
 * On laserdiscs and CED Videodiscs, "cassette" is replaced by "videodisc".

FX/SFX: Same as the previous Warning screen.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: On all MGM/CBS and MGM/UA releases from the era. Also seen on Wood Knapp Video releases of United Artists and MGM films, as well as a couple of Nova Home Video and Junior Home Video releases at the time. For an odd reason, this appeared on the original VHS releases of Thelma and Louise and The Man in the Moon, possibly as an editing mistake on MGM's part. Finally, this warning can also be seen on the 1992 reprint VHS of Fiddler on the Roof, because it was a reprint of the 1990 VHS.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Warning (June 13, 1990-2006)
MGM/UA Home Video Warning (1990)MGM/UA Home Video Warning (1997)MGM/UA Home Video Warning (1997) with dot crawl and dark red textMGM/UA Home Video Warning (1997) FrenchMGM/UA Home Video Warning (1997) SpanishMGM DVD Warning (1998)

Warning: We see the word "WARNING" in red, with a drop shadow. Below it is the Warning text, in white and in Helvetica font.

Variants:
 * On promotional tapes (or known as demo tapes or screeners), the text "LICENSED FOR PRIVATE HOME EXHIBITION ONLY" is replaced with "LICENSED FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES ONLY".
 * On earlier MGM DVDs such as the 1997 DVD of GoldenEye, the warning contains more vertical space on the top and bottom, and the text on each paragraph has less spacing. A version with a darker red color for "WARNING" is also present on these DVDs as well.
 * Most MGM DVD releases have an updated version of this warning. A brighter shade of red is used, and the text is in the Johnston font (except for "WARNING", which is set in Arial).
 * On some tapes, the warning is slightly off-center.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: On all MGM releases from the era (with the exception of the 2002 NBC.com exclusive VHS of It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, which had no warning at all; however, the 2003 VHS of that same movie had this warning). Also seen on New Line Home Video releases from 1992 to 1997, as well as HBO DVD releases and some WarnerVision/KidVision releases. The final MGM releases to use this logo are VHS releases distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Editor's Note: None.

Final Note: When Fox acquired MGM's home entertainment rights in 2006, it started using the warnings from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

(Early 2000s?)
Warning: We see the warning text in white on a blue and black background, with the country/region above in pale blue capitals. The text changes to another language.

Variants: The following versions of the screen have been found:
 * UK/Ireland
 * Australia
 * Spain
 * France/Belgium
 * Italy
 * Netherlands/Belgium
 * Portugal
 * Sweden
 * Norway
 * Denmark
 * Finland
 * South Africa
 * Hungary
 * Turkey
 * Romania
 * Greece

FX/SFX: None, unless you count the transitions.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Unknown. Can be found on the Pink Panther Collection DVDs.

Editor's Note: While this ID might be annoying for some due to the many versions that are shown together, it can also be considered interesting by some.

1st Warning (1980-1982)
Warning: We see the Warning screen scrolling up. On a black background, we start with the word "WARNING" appearing in yellow, followed up by white generic text using the same font. Finally, at the end, a white message appears on the bottom, saying:

This prohibition may be enforced by legal action.

FX/SFX: The scroll up of the Warning.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on pre-cert MGM/CBS tapes in the UK.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Warning (1982-1986)
Warning: On a black background we see the following white text fade in:

This video cassette is a genuine first generation copy produced on behalf of and with the approval of

MGM/UA HOME VIDEO

Then it fades out and goes to a warning scroll. On the same black background, we start with the word "WARNING" appearing in yellow, followed up by white generic text using the same font. Finally, at the end, a yellow message appears on the bottom, saying:

This prohibition may be enforced by legal action.

FX/SFX: The warning on the second screen scrolling up.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Scarce. The easiest find is on a mid-1980s UK copy of The Wizard of Oz.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Warning (1986)
Nickname: "The World's Longest Warning Screen"

Warning: On a blue background, the following yellow text is typed in:

This video cassette is a genuine first generation copy produced on behalf of and with the approval of

MGM/UA HOME VIDEO

It then scrolls up very slowly. The same is repeated for the next four blocks of text, however when the last block finishes typing in, the warning fades out.

FX/SFX: The typing in and scrolling up of each block of text.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Rare. Seen on the UK rental release of Cry for the Strangers.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Warning (1986-2001)
Warning: There is yellow text on a blue background. On the first screen, it reads:

This video cassette is a genuine first generation copy produced on behalf of and with the approval of

MGM/UA HOME VIDEO

Then it transitions via flip effect to the next screen with the same blue background. We see "WARNING" at the top with warning text (which has a quote at the beginning) underneath it, also in yellow. Then it flips to another screen with the second portion of the text, and to another with the third and last portion of it. Finally, it flips to the fifth screen, which reads:

Any such unauthorised action could give rise to civil or criminal proceeding."

Variants:
 * Sometimes all the screens are stacked on one another and scroll up.
 * Starting in 1995, the warning is in an Arial font and looks enhanced.

FX/SFX: The flipping of each screen. The scroll up of the text in said variant.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on British MGM/UA tapes of the era. Examples include Thelma and Louise, Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies.

Editor's Note: None.

5th Warning (2000-2005)
See 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Warning Screen for details.

1st Warning (1980-1990)
See PBV/CEL Warning Screen for details.

2nd Warning (1990-2000)
Warning: On a white background, blue Warning text scrolls up in a Courier font and in capitals.

FX/SFX: The text scrolling.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Appears on Australian VHS and DVD releases of the era. Also used by Warner Home Video.

Editor's Note: None.