This is topic The Screen Gems nightmare (please read) in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Matthew Bailey (Member # 601) on 07-09-2001, 07:53 AM:
I am wondering if there are any Film-Tech members that are employed at
the Screen Gems studios in NC. The reason why I'm asking this
is there are some sites which poke fun at the Sreen Gems "S" logo
and matching music. For example there is a site entitled
"THE SCREEN GEMS NIGHTMARE",and also a site in which the URL
is www.jsf3.homestead.com
Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 07-10-2001, 12:09 AM:
Hey, Matthew,There's a forum on Film-Tech specifically for crap such as this. It's called 'Film-Yak'.
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-10-2001, 01:40 AM:
...and that's exactly where this crap is going.What kind of nutcase would actually be scared by that logo??? Anyone remember that logo with a lion at the end, but the "roar" was from a small kitten? Ooooooooh! 
(Also, please do not post things like "read this" in the title. Why would anyone care, much less want to read about disturbed people who fear a logo?)
Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 07-10-2001, 02:04 AM:
What about the one where the guy would finish typing on a page ang would throw it brfing him and it would land on all the other pages and they would some up like a big tidal wave?THAT was scary.
The only thing that would calm me down after that was knowing that UBU was a good dog.
Posted by Matthew Bailey (Member # 601) on 07-10-2001, 06:03 AM:
I apologize for that.
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 07-10-2001, 06:46 PM:
The Paramount logo scares me. Mountains are evil. But that's not as bad as the Universal logo! Just watch it! They show the peaceful planet Earth, then all of a sudden the "Universal" logo comes flying in from outspace and conquers the planet! I'm frightened.
Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 07-11-2001, 03:15 AM:
I'm afraid of that evil Fox logo! What are those searchlights looking for? I hide behind the Kinoton every time, just in case those evil Murdochs think they can discover me...but they haven't yet...yet...yet...hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahah...etc...yawn...must sleep...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
------------------
"If you think THIS is fantastic...wait until you see the full effect with the HIMP!"
- Chief Inspector Clouseau.
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 07-12-2001, 06:59 AM:
What about MGM's roaring lion??? 
MTM's kitten was cute. 
------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
Posted by Tao Yue (Member # 836) on 07-12-2001, 08:25 AM:
And don't forget Warner Brothers. I'm sure it was fine sixty years ago, when all they had was the shield. Later, though, it became "A Kinney Company," then "A Warner Communications Company," then "A Time Warner Company," and now the ultimate: "An AOL Time Warner Company." Ah! I get scared every time I see AOL appear on the big screen (as if You've Got Mail wasn't enough). What's next? "The Wonderful World of MSN Disney?"
------------------
Tao Yue
MIT '04: Course VI-2, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Projectionist, MIT Lecture Series Committee
Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 07-12-2001, 01:44 PM:
With out a doubt, for me, it's that woman with the tourch that tries to blind you with that radiation burst. I cover my eyes when I see it coming------------------
Greg Mueller
Amateur Astronomer, Machinist, Filmnut
http://www.muellersatomics.com/
Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 07-12-2001, 02:16 PM:
The Fox Searchlights are protecting Hollywood from a Japenese invasion--remember the film "1941"! Speaking of Fox, I have always loved their Fanfare, and the one-time version from "Those Magnificant Men And Their Flying Machines" is the best!What about the commedy shorts--I think that it was the Three Stooges-- where Leo the Lion would sound like a little kitten! On occasion, they also dubbed in other sound effects in place of Leo's roar!
Too bad Paramount does not show Noah's Ark in their logo. Their logo is Mt. Ararat--no?
Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 07-12-2001, 05:07 PM:
I "Boo"'ed when I first saw "A Viacom Company" under the Paramount logo and when the Warner Bros. logo first said "An AOL Time/Warner Company"- heck, I didn't even like it when they added "Time" in the first place! I boo'd really loud when New Line had "A Turner Company" appear under it, and again when it became "A Time Warner Company".
When Sony changed both the Columbia and Tri-Star logos, all I could think was "Huh??" I want the old Tri-Star horse and the old music back, dammit.
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-12-2001, 06:28 PM:
I'm amazed that Disney hasn't changed their logo in such a long time. They've been using that blue screen/white castle for about 20 years!I still remember going to the drive in as a kid...when we saw "Buena Vista" on the screen, we knew the feature was on!
Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 07-12-2001, 06:52 PM:
There is the Pixar variation on the Disney logo with the 3-D castle and the moving shadow as the light arcs overhead.I too miss the original BV logo, it also was my visual cue that the movie was starting when I was a kid...
-Aaron
Posted by Tao Yue (Member # 836) on 07-13-2001, 08:30 AM:
While most of Hollywood was bought out by huge media empires, Disney avoided that fate by becoming a media conglomerate.For that matter, Disney has a history of being independent. They took a chance on three-strip Technicolor after it was first introduced, produced animated features when others were making shorts, and stuck to the 1.75:1 aspect ratio for their flat films when everybody else had standardized on American (1.85) or European (1.66) widescreen.
Of course, Disney wasn't unique in any of these cases. Still, it is interesting to note these and remark that Disney is probably the only independent filmmaker that has survived in its original form from the 1930s? Others got bought out, RKO died, but Disney is still here.
------------------
Tao Yue
MIT '04: Course VI-2, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Projectionist, MIT Lecture Series Committee
Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 07-13-2001, 09:16 PM:
The first Disney movies were distributed by RKO.
I see Di$ney AS a "big evil company" nowadays- most of the things they now own don't even have anything to do with Walt's original intents. When they started their Touchstone division and started putting out 'regular' movies, including R-rated ones, that was the beginning of the end.
Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 07-14-2001, 06:47 AM:
I hate when they change logo's the old Universal logo was nicer with better music and the new UIP logo is pants. 
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 07-14-2001, 06:13 PM:
Please explain this "pants" term. Obviously it is some sort of England-slang. I want to know what it means so I can call all of my American friends "pants" and tell them it is an insult. Then I will impress them because I know a foreign language!
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-14-2001, 06:25 PM:
There's also a cool variation on Disney's logo on "Atlantis."I was hoping after the Pixar version of the logo came out that Disney would adopt that one for all their films. Looks cool.
Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 07-14-2001, 06:52 PM:
Hey 
In Denver they call them Under "pants" ! Now you know.
Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 07-15-2001, 02:26 AM:
I don't know about you guys, but I am scared whenver I rent an MGM released DVD. I am running for the volume knob on my Yamaha receiver when that lion roars. I think it is in the room with me. I AM NOT FAT ENOUGH TO EAT, KITTY!Back to the Screen Gems thing. I tell you the thing that would scare me is if Sony ran the same cheezy logo and music they did for Screen Gems in the 1970s. I seem to remember that crappy yellow background and red swashes on the tail end of game shows and "Barney Miller" episodes. Am I wrong on this? Do I have this confused with some other production company?
Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 07-15-2001, 09:59 AM:
The mgm logo was very impressive when I saw Spinal Tapp last year. The print was Doubly Digital.
Scary Lion Not pants at all.
Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 07-15-2001, 10:50 AM:
How about the old REPUBLIC PICTURES trade mark with the Eagle and that most awesome music.Herbert J. Yates presents a Republic Picture in Truecolor by Consolidated Industries.
Actress Vera Ralston (Herbert J. Yates wife) always seemed to be in every Republic movie!
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Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 07-17-2001, 12:11 AM:
That Rank gong! You just *know* it's going to be loud!
Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 07-17-2001, 01:16 AM:
You got it, Bobby. That logo was also printed on the syndicated show 2" tape cases that we ran back in the late 70's in TV.That logo was the replacement for the animated Screen Gems logo that featured the dancing colored lines.
The Flintstones used both of these logo's.
The yellow/red one really sounded cheaper when they shortened it in 1973.
The best logo from SG is the late 50s one that went on the Three Stooges shorts.
Posted by Matthew Bailey (Member # 601) on 07-18-2001, 07:42 AM:
Does anyone have a 35 millimeter print of the animated yellow/red
Screen Gems logo? If not does anyone have a 16 millimeter
print of it and would consider having it transferred to 35 millimeter
and send it to me for free to run on my Simplex 1014 in flat
aspect ratio or have it transferred to 35 from video?
Another question Does john Pytlak hav a print of this
or someone even the person(s) at the NC Screen Gems studios
have a print of the mentioned red and yellow animated logo footage
to transfer to 35 millimeter? Just think about how loud it
would sound if the mentioned yellow/red logo was redone in THX,
DTS,SDDS,DOLBY DIGITAL,or Dolby analogue,or reprinted in IMAX
format or even 3D. Maybe Sensurround.
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 07-18-2001, 02:26 PM:
While someone may have an existing print of this laying around somewhere, printing this up from 16mm or video would be more expensive than making 5 million projectors out of Lego. It may be short, but it's the setup costs that will ensure this will never happen.Also, even if someone was to waste a day of their life by remixing the sound for that logo, just because it is in THX or DTS or SDDS or whatever does NOT make it "louder".
Posted by Rick Long (Member # 213) on 07-18-2001, 09:43 PM:
Ya wanna talk scary? I was running a b/w print from England back in the late 60's. It had the M.G.M. typical lion thing on the front but with NO SOUND!!!
As the trailers were on machine 1 and this was on machine 2, it kinda led one to beleive one had a sound problem. Banged my head on the damned positive feed knob for the arc lamp while quickly bending down to check the exciter lamp, slit on the film, ect.
Checked it on the rewind bench after change-over and sure enough, nothing on the sound-tack.
Course I really shoulda left a note for the projectionist coming in at 6:00, but then, he was a bit of a prick.
Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 07-19-2001, 02:41 AM:
So if Screen Gems started as Columbia's TV division, how did it end up years later as one of their (now Sony's) movie studios?
I think it's cool how they kept the old logo, they should've kept the music for it too. (I miss that 70's "W" Warner used to use too.)
Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 07-19-2001, 02:21 PM:
Sony probably owns all of the past Columbia Pictures Corporation trademarks, and logos. To bad they couldn't have used a better looking one, eh?Our local PBS affiliates, The North Carolina Center for Public Television, uses a logo that looks very much like the one that we are harping over here. I think it is ugly, too.
I've probably got an old 16mm print with the yellow/red logo on it. I think that the one I have has no sound though.
Some of the Tarzan films I ran on TV had silent MGM logo's. I wondered then if something had happened to the soundtrack... Talk about terrible print quality!
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 07-19-2001, 06:23 PM:
Hey Matthew, I had the Screen Gems logo transferred and printed up in IMAX (complete with Dolby Digital and THX tracks) for you. I just sent it to you (for free, as requested). I just got back from the post office. Go wait by the mailbox, it'll be there soon.
Posted by Rick Long (Member # 213) on 07-19-2001, 08:16 PM:
IMAX? 15-perf from an original 16MM print? Now, I gotta admit, that IS scary!
Posted by Matthew Bailey (Member # 601) on 07-20-2001, 03:35 AM:
I recall the Pink Panther cartoons that had the U&A joined
together on the UA logo. The music was synthesizer & piano
followed by orchestral notes.