Sony Pictures Home Entertainment/Warning Screens

1st Warning (1979-February 16, 1994, USA only)
Top: First Warning screen Bottom: Second Warning screen Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment Warning (A)CPHE Warning B & W Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment Warning (B)CPHE Warning 2 B & W

Warning: On a blue background, the words

THESE FILMS ARE SOLD FOR HOME USE ONLY.

ANY DUPLICATION, REPRODUCTION, PUBLIC PERFORMANCE, OR COMMERCIAL USE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

scroll up and stop when they are at the screen. The words are in yellow. This fades out and goes to the next screen. On a dark red background is the FBI rectangle (a black rectangle with "FBI" in big letters with the logo on the bottom) and next to it is a white box with "WARNING" in dark red with the text below.

Variant: A black and white version exists on B&W films.

FX/SFX: Scrolling of words on the first screen. The second version is still, but kind of looks like live-action.

Music/Sounds: None.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * On the 1980 VHS/Betamax release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the closing theme of the Special Edition plays over the last two screens, with the music ending after the end of the second warning screen. When the film was issued on Laserdisc in 1981 by CPHE, the same warnings were used, but came after the closing theme had ended. The 1980 release is extremely rare and hard to find, and can be indicated by the appearance of the print version of the Columbia Pictures Starburst.
 * On the 1979 VHS release of Shamus, if you listen closely, you can hear the Columbia Pictures logo music play over the second screen.

Availability: Seen at the end of most Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment and a few RCA/Columbia tapes of the era such as the 1983 release of Hot Stuff. The B&W version appears on Gilda, and made surprise appearances at the end of a few tapes such as The Three Stooges: A Plumbing We Will Go, The Three Stooges: Healthy, Wealthy and Dumb, Oliver!, Pat Benatar in Concert, and a 1991 reissue of 1776. GoodTimes re-releases of early Columbia videocassette releases such as Fast Break and The Owl and the Pussycat feature the warning screens in reverse order at the start of the tape. The second warning screen also appears on the 1991 demo VHS of The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Warning (1982-1987, USA only)
RCA/Columbia WarningRCA-Columbia Pictures Home Video Warning Screen (Variant)

Warning: On a blue background, the following words scroll up and rest when they are on screen:

These films are sold for home use only.

Any duplication, reproduction, public performance or commercial use is  strictly prohibited.

The words are in white. After a few moments, it would fade (or cut) to the next warning.

Variants:
 * Later on in its life, there is a variant with the words already onscreen, but it still cuts to the warning.
 * For the early version of the 3rd Warning mentioned below, it fades to the warning.
 * There is a variant where the background is a lighter shade of blue, and the words are in a different font.
 * A black and white variant of this warning exists. This can be seen on the 1983 VHS of Dr. Strangelove.

FX/SFX: The scrolling of the words, the cut to the warning screen.

Availability: Seen on early RCA/Columbia releases. The first version can be found on Tootsie, The King of Comedy, and Christine. The later version can be seen on Ghostbusters, The Lords of Flatbush and The Evil That Men Do. This along with the next warning screen were first featured on some of the later Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment releases, such as The Batty World of Baseball from 1982. Strangely, this was left intact at the end of a 1993 VHS reissue of St. Elmo's Fire. It also plasters the 1st warning screens on a 1984 reissue of The Three Stooges: An Ache in Every Stake.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Warning (1982-2004, USA only)
RCA-Columbia Warning (1983-2002, A)RCA-Columbia Warning (1983, B)RCA-Columbia Warning (1983, C)RCA-Columbia Warning (1983, D)Columbia TriStar/Sony Warning (1997-2004, DVD)Columbia TriStar/Sony Warning (2002-2005, VHS)

Warning: On top, we see a dodger blue background with "FBI" and the FBI logo next to it. Under it, a blue background with "WARNING" and the warning text is shown.

Variants:
 * On a few early RCA/Columbia releases, the background portion with "FBI" and the FBI logo is orchid-colored.
 * There is an early version of this warning, which has a bit bigger text and a little bit of space between the "WARNING" and the text.
 * There is a variant where the words are in a different font.
 * On DVDs starting in 1997, the top blue part is larger, the font became somewhat more modified, and "FBI" and the seal is larger as well. The seal is also now in color.
 * In 2002, the VHS FBI logo was replaced with a color version. It is similar to the one before, but the top blue part is a bit darker and the font is bolder.
 * On the 1998 VHS of Godzilla, the warning screen's duration is a little more than one second.
 * A black and white variant of this warning exists. This can be seen on the 1983 VHS of Dr. Strangelove.
 * On Baby Bumblebee releases, a female announcer says "Please stay tuned after the program for information about other releases available from Baby Bumblebee."

FX/SFX: None, except for the fade-in from the scrolling text on RCA/Columbia releases.

Availability: On all RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video and Columbia-TriStar Home Video/Entertainment releases of that era, as well as certain Vidmark Entertainment releases from the 1980s, AIP Home Video releases, Interglobal Video releases from the mid-1980s, and Dualstar Video releases, as well as some Baby Bumblebee releases and early HBO DVD releases. The early version is seen on older prints of Tootsie and Christine. The orchid-colored background portion variation can be found on the 1987 release of Armed Response. The 2002 VHS version can be seen on 2002-2005 VHS releases such as Spider-Man, Punch-Drunk Love, Fahrenheit 9/11, Daddy Day Care and Big Fish. Also makes a surprise appearance on the VHS release of The Magic School Bus: Going Batty. It also plasters the 1st warning screen on a 1984 reissue of The Three Stooges: An Ache in Every Stake.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Warning (1994-1997)
Turner FBI

Nicknames: "White FBI", "Odd FBI", "Freaky FBI"

Warning: On a white background, we see the black FBI square with a weird looking FBI logo. To the right of it is the text in black.

FX/SFX: None.

Availability: Seen on releases from Turner Home Entertainment and Columbia TriStar Home Video co-releases with Castle Rock Entertainment such as City Slickers 2: The Legend of Curly's Gold, Forget Paris and Before Sunrise.

Editor's Note: None.

5th Warning (1979-present, Canada only)/(1997-present, USA)
Columbia TriStar Home Video Warning Screen (A)Columbia TriStar Home Video Warning Screen (B)Sony Interpol Warning (English)Sony Interpol Warning (French)

Warning: On a firebrick background, there is a white tube with text reading "WARNING" and two red dots. Below is the text in white. A few moments later, the word "WARNING" turns to "ATTENTION" and the text turns to French.

Variants:
 * Until 2002, the "WARNING" tube was a bit wider and the font was different.
 * There exists an early variant where each warning screen appears for 10 seconds and has a bolder shadow effect.

FX/SFX: The transition from English to French.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on all DVD releases from Columbia Tristar Home Video/Entertainment and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Canadian VHS releases from the early 1980's kept this warning intact. It also appeared on early Lionsgate releases in Canada and early HBO DVD releases in the USA (with the 3rd warning preceding it). It was also, strangely enough, found at the end of certain Cartoon Network DVD releases, such as Adventure Time: The Complete First Season and Regular Show: The Best DVD in the World (at this moment in time). Nowadays, this is no longer used at the beginning of Sony Pictures Blu-ray's in post-2013, being swapped in favor of Universal's new warning, but this is still used at the end. Phase 4 Films, Kaboom! Entertainment (Used from 2004-present), Hemdale Home Video (Used on Canadian releases in 1995, VHS only), Morningstar Entertainment, and Molson Entertainment/Don Cherry DVD and VHS releases also use this warning. This also appears at the end of a Canadian VHS release of The Three Stooges.

Editor's Note: None.

6th Warning (2005-2012)
Sony 2004 Warning

Warning: Same as the other companies' warnings from 2005.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on 2004-2005 Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment releases and all Sony Pictures Home Entertainment releases until 2012 on both VHS (ended in 2007) and DVD only.

Editor's Note: None.

7th Warning (2006-2012)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Warning Screen - Company Bumpers

Warning: Same as the previous one, but a different background is used, and the seal and text are a lot bigger.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on 2006-2012 Sony Pictures Home Entertainment releases on Blu-ray only.

Editor's Note: None.

Final Note : Sony started using the new Universal warning screens in late 2012.

1st Warning (1982-1993)
Warning: On a black background, we see white generic warning text.

Variants: Some releases use a powder blue or red background, as well as a black drop shadow behind the text.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video releases.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Warning (1993-2005)
Warning: On a blue gradient background is yellow generic warning text (with "WARNING" above it) scrolling up.

FX/SFX: The scrolling of the text.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on Columbia TriStar PAL tapes.

Editor's Note: None.

1st Warning (Early-Mid 1980's)
Warning: After the first showing of the RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video logo, we see a slowly scrolling, and rather lengthy, warning text:

Die Ausstattung und das Programm (Bild und Ton) auf dieser Kassette sind urheberrechtlich geschutz. Der Besitz der Kassette berechticht ausschliesslich zur Vorfuhrung im privaten Bereich fur nichtgewerbliche Zwecke. Jede andere Benutzung, wie z.B.offentliche Auf- oder Vorfuhrung, Sendung, Vervielfaltigung jeglicher Art ist untersagt. Ein verstoss gegen dieses Verbot verletzt geltendes Urheberrecht und zieht straf- und/oder zivilrechtlicte Verfolgung nach sich.

Then we see the RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video logo again and then we see shorter warning text reading:

Zu Beginn und am Ende dieser Kassette sehen sie Szenen aus weiteren Video- Filmen von RCA/Columbia Pictures Video. Unser Gesamt-Programm finden Sie bei Ihrem Fachhandler.

Und jetzt: Gute Unterhaltung

Then the RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video logo is shown again and then fades out.

Translation: The equipment and the program (picture and sound) on this cassette are copyrighted. The possession of the cassette is exclusively for private purposes for non-commercial purposes. Any other use, such as public presentation, transmission, reproduction of any kind, is prohibited. A violation of this prohibition violates applicable copyright laws and leads to criminal and/or civil law prosecution. At the beginning and at the end of this cassette, you will see scenes from other films on video from RCA/Columbia Pictures Video. You can find our complete program at your dealer. And now, great entertainment.

Variant: Sometimes, the warning would be preceded by text reading: "Diese Videokassette wurde für und im Auftrag von RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video und mit deren ausdrucklicher Genehmigung von Rank Video Kopierwerk GmBH hergestellt." ("This videocassette was produced for and on behalf of RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video and with the express permission from Rank Video Kopierwerk GmBH.")

FX/SFX: Everything described here.

Music/Sounds: Generic 1980s synth music.

Availability: This can be seen on German releases from RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video, which can be searched for via ebay.de. One video that had this warning was Ghostbusters.

Editor's Note: None.

1st Warning (1980s-1992)
Warning: On a black background, we see a yellow outline of a television set. Inside it is the red word "WARNING" and underneath said word is some yellow text.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Found on RCA/Columbia Pictures/Hoyts releases.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Warning (1992-2004)
Warning: On a black background, red text reading "WARNING" fades in at the top and white text scrolls up. In the middle of the text, we see "IT IS PROHIBITED TO" in red. After it finishes scrolling, "WARNING" fades out.

FX/SFX: The fading of "WARNING" and the scrolling of the text.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Appears on Australian Columbia TriStar videocassettes.

Editor's Note: None.