PolyGram Filmed Entertainment: Difference between revisions

PolyGram Pictures was formed in 1979 by producers Jon Peters and Peter Guber. It was the launched as the film division of the PolyGram Records label. Universal Pictures would handle U.S. distribution for a majority of their films (with the exceptions of ''Wes Craven's Deadly Blessing'', ''Split Image'' and ''Flashdance'' which were distributed by United Artists, Orion Pictures and Paramount Pictures respectively) while Producers Sales Organization would handle distribution outside the US. In 1982, Peters and Guber left PolyGram to form The Guber-Peters Company which would lead to the deactivation of PolyGram Pictures a year later in 1983. Two years later in 1985, MCA Home Video sold the video rights to the PolyGram Pictures library to Vestron Video as a way of cutting losses due to most of these films losing money at the box office. However, the home video rights to ''Deadly Blessing'' would go to Embassy Home Entertainment while the rights to ''Flashdance'' would remain with Paramount. Universal would eventually regain the distribution rights to some of the PolyGram films they distributed, which included ''Endless Love'', ''An American Werewolf in London'' and ''Missing'', among others. Lionsgate holds streaming rights to some PolyGram films such as ''The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper'', ''King of the Mountain'' and ''Six Weeks''.

'''Logo:''' On a black background, we see {{Font color|red|red}} stars going up, then down in a curve (like the 1980 Telepictures Corporation logo), revealing the text:

PolyGram Pictures

In 1986, PolyGram Pictures was relaunched as "PolyGram Filmed Entertainment". The reorganized film unit was based in England and became a European competitor to Hollywood. However, they didn't enter full US distribution or use a logo until 1992. Prior to that, PolyGram often used other US distributors for some of their films such as The Samuel Goldwyn Company (''Wild at Heart'' and ''Fear, Anxiety & Depression'') and New Line Cinema (''Drop Dead Fred'', ''Fools of Fortune'' and ''Chicago Joe and the Showgirl''). Between 1990 and 1995, PolyGram would acquire several production companies such as Working Title Films, Propaganda Films, Interscope Communications, Island Pictures and ITC Entertainment, among others. They also formed 2 other labels as well: Gramercy Pictures in 1992 (which was launched as a joint venture between PolyGram and Universal Pictures. It also acted as an art house label for Universal and a US distributor for PolyGram) and Rogue Pictures in 1997 (which was launched as a low budget label for PolyGram). In 1998, PolyGram was acquired by Seagram & Sons and operated until 1999 when it was shut down and folded into Universal Studios. In 1999, Seagram & Sons sold most of the pre-March 31, 1996 library to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and it was incorporated into their Orion Pictures library. Currently, most of the pre-March 31, 1996 PolyGram film library, including most films from Island Pictures, the entire Atlantic Releasing Corporation library (through Island), and the Epic library (which PolyGram had acquired in 1997), is owned by MGM while Universal owns the rights to some pre-March 31, 1996 films (''Backbeat'', ''Before the Rain'', ''Hate'' (also known as ''La Haine''), ''The Jacksons: An American Dream'', ''Drop Dead Fred'' (in the UK only) and ''Cold Blooded'') and the rest of PolyGram's films until its disestablishment.

*There is a scope variant where the logo is cropped from 1.85 to 2.35 to fit the aspect ratio. This can be spotted on ''Moonlight and Valentino'', ''French Kiss'' (which was a co-production with 20th Century Fox) and the theatrical trailers for ''The Game''.

*The 1999 Universal Studios Home Entertainment United Kingdom DVD of ''Twelve Monkeys'' uses the last half of the fanfare from the 1990 Universal logo, due to an editing mistake.

*Found on most 1992 to 1997 PolyGram films, most notably ''Posse'', ''Romeo is Bleeding'', ''Jason's Lyric'', ''Four Weddings and a Funeral'', ''Dead Man Walking'', ''Kalifornia'' (1997 PolyGram Video DVD and 2000 MGM DVD releases only, the 1994 PolyGram Video VHS release and current prints have this logo removed), ''A Gnome Named Gnorm'' (1994 PolyGram Video VHS release only, plastered by the 2005 Lionsgate Films logo on current prints due to PolyGram only handling that home media release and Lionsgate owning the film through producer Vestron Pictures), ''Fargo'', ''The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert'' (but not on the 1995 PolyGram Video VHS release) and ''Bean'', among others.

'''Trivia:''' This logo was designed by Michael J. Deas, the same person who painted and designed the 1992 Columbia Pictures and 1993 Merv Griffin Enterprises logos. The logo was based off of the sculpture "Speed" by Harriet Whitney Frishmuth, intended as a hood ornament for cars by the Gorham Manufacturing Company. It may also possibly be based off of the ancient Greek statue known as ''The Winged Victory of Samothrace''.

*Can be found on PolyGram Video VHS and DVD releases of films such as ''Barney's Great Adventure'', ''The Big Lebowski'', ''Elizabeth'', ''Clay Pigeons'', ''The Borrowers'', and ''Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels'', among others.

*The earlier version with "FILMS" can be seen on The Game (where the logo debuted), a teaser trailer and a TV spot for ''The Borrowers'' and a trailer for ''Barney's Great Adventure'' which can be found on the Lyrick Studios VHS release of ''Barney: It's Time for Counting!''.

*When Universal Studios Home Entertainment reissued PolyGram Video/USA Home Entertainment DVD releases from 2002 to 2004, they re-released the PolyGram manufactured discs in their original packaging, but edited out almost all references to said company on the cases (however, it would be likely that films from this time frame released in this method would preserve this logo).

*Don't expect to see this on American prints of ''Spice World'' (which was released in the US by Columbia Pictures though PolyGram released it in the UK).