Special Studio Intros

[Ben]

We have some fun quote, movie-mash and title games and best title sequences threads going, so here's something along those lines...

Does anyone remember the "special" alterations to movie studio logos that appear on the front of their films?

I'm not talking changes to the logos over time, but little touches added to them to make them specific to their accompanying films.


I think the first one I remember was <I>Cat Ballou</I>, which has the Columbia lady throwing off her togs to reveal a Tex Avery-styled redhead blasting away her six-shooters (all in authentic animation).

Another was the MGM logo, changed in the 1960s to allow Tom the cat to "meow" instead of Leo the lion's roar, on the Chuck Jones Tom & Jerry shorts.

More recently, Universal has played with their world logo, by having it swamped with water for <I>WaterWorld</I>, turn into the moon for <I>Casper</I>, and have ET fly past for the 20th Anniversary reissue of that film.

Last year, I heard the Superman fanfare play over the WB "As Time Goes By" intro on <I>Superman Returns</I>, and one of my favorites was the snow-laiden Fox logo for <I>Edward Scissorhands</I>.


There must be many more. Can you think of any...?

[Jeroen]

- The first Scooby Doo movie.
The Warner Bros logo changed in a similar looking dog tag with initials SD on it.

- MIIB
The Columbia Tristar logos' torch flashed like the neuralizer before fading to black.

[Ben]

Ahh, yes!

A similar trick WB played with their Batman films...changing their sheild into the Bat insignia.

[droosan]

I've always enjoyed the quick little animated car chase that was added to the 20th Century Fox logo for The Cannonball Run.

--------

The Warner Feature Animation logo for The Iron Giant -- a subtle blending of the Looney Tunes concentric circles with the WB shield, accompanied by the Giant's 'reassemble' beep -- is pretty darn slick.

[Ben]

Oooh, yeah...that Iron Giant logo gave me the chills (in a good way).

I remember going to that and not knowing <I>any</I>thing about it (not even having seen the trailer) thanks to WB's amazingly sharp (not) marketing here in the UK.

I went with a friend of mine and we were awestruk by the whole film, of course, but that opening set things up perfectly.


Seeing Droo's name here reminds me of the Tony Randall opening for <I>Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter</I> and <I>Moulin Rouge</I> - both Fox logos that have a little extra touch.

[ShyViolet]

When Shrek came out on VHS for the first time, the DW logo (still the SKG logo then) had little itty-bitty Shrek ears on the D, etc.... Loved it!!

Also, when the Ring came out, I think the DW logo had a "crummy videotape" look to it, etc....


I know more, be back later!!!

[Jeroen]

- The Flintstones movies
Univershell instead of Universal

- Indiana Jones
Using an actual mountain to display the Paramount Logo.

- Futurama ( not really a movie )
30th Century Fox instead of 20th Century Fox

[ShyViolet]

Cool Jeroen!!


I don't know if this counts, but....


For a LONG time (and possibly still once in a while) in the early/mid 90's WB used Bugs Bunny as mascot for ALL WB films--not just animation/cartoons/kids.

They would open the film with the WB logo and Bugs Bunny eating a carrot right next to it!! I think they stopped it in the late 90s though.

Another was the MGM logo, changed in the 1960s to allow Tom the cat to "meow" instead of Leo the lion's roar, on the Chuck Jones Tom & Jerry shorts.

Just a really dumb trivia question:


Does anyone know how many actual lions have been used in that title sequence since the beginning of that logo's use?

I think I read somewhere it was three....?


Here's one of the first lions!

[Randall]

The Man Called Flintstone: The Columbia Pictures lady was replaced by Wilma Flintstone. Sadly, it's not on the DVD version, but it was kept for earlier video releases.

[YCougar]

I know sometimes there are subtle alterations on the WB logo for some movies - I seem to recall the Harry Potter WB logo tends to be kinda silvery to match the title text (if memory serves me correctly). And the WB logo before TMNT was greenish, with fog around it.

I remember being entertained by Tom replacing the MGM lion.

[Ben]

Not sure the Indy Jones movies count, Jeroen, sorry!

They don't actually replace the Paramount logo with a real one, since the logo plays out as standard and then they do a dissolve to the "real" mountain (or the sculpted one on the gong in <I>Doom</I>) that <I>almost</I> matches, but never quite right. If they <I>had</I> replaced the logo with the mountain, that would count.

Still, they are interesting ways to <I>get</I> from the standard logo to the start of the film.


Rand's <I>Flintstone</I> example reminds me of <I>The Mouse That Roared</I>, where the Columbia lady stands until there's a wiggle in her dress and she looks down to see a little mouse running out from under her, causing a scream (if I remember right).