HBO Films

Logo descriptions Eric S., BenIsRandom, Verloren50 and Logophile Photo captures by Eric S., Matthew Mayfield, Verloren50, indycar and Mr.Logo Video captures courtesy of Eric S., EnormousRat, Matthew Mayfield, TheRedBaron1985, BenIsRandom and File Preserver Additional edits by Nathan B., Verloren50 and Miles W.

Background : HBO Films is a film label established by Home Box Office in 1985; it was originally named "HBO Pictures", the studio would eventually merge with the beloved fellow sister label HBO NYC Productions (formally "HBO Showcase") to form its current entity.

(1982?-1985?)
Logo : On a black background, a red light flashes, then an orange "HBO" logo eases in towards the screen as the words "Premiere" and "Films", in a blue cursive font, write themselves in at the same time. As this happens, red lines laser their way in above and below “Premiere Films”. The top line comes from left to right, while the bottom comes from right to left. The HBO logo shines throughout the animation.

FX/SFX : The flashing light, the HBO logo shining, "Premiere Films" and the lines drawing themselves in. Very late 70s-early 80s looking animation.

Music/Sounds : None.

Availability : Very rare. Appeared on HBO prints of Forbidden and Act of Vengeance.

Editor's Note : None.

HBO Films
===1st Logo (1985-1986)=== Nickname : "Marquee of Steel"

Logo : At the end of a promo, we see a chrome-looking HBO Pictures logo. It consists of a golden chrome looking HBO logo with a drop shadow, then we see a silver gradient box with the gold gradient words "PICTURES" in a Futura font, and below it was a silver colored marquee, zooms up. Then the HBO Pictures logo zooms in, and the background turns black and takes closer to the screen.

FX/SFX : The HBO Pictures logo zooming in.

Music/Sounds : The end theme of a promo.

Availability : Seen on HBO's world premiere airings of Apology, Murrow and Act of Vengeance. Check your old tapes! Don't expect to see this on VHS releases, though, as they used the 1st logo.

Editor's Note : None.

===2nd Logo (1986-1988)=== Logo : On a purple and tan gradient background, a camera scrolls up past a clear translucent filmstrip with white “HBO” logos inside. Then one of the HBO logos in 3-D with purple sides eases in. The filmstrip disappears and several white squares, rectangles and lines fly in below and “PICTURES” in red with the "U" and "R" connected fly in front of the squares. The shapes form a 3-D marquee with three other marquees behind it. The marquees light up one by one from back to front of the one with pictures.

FX/SFX : The filmstrip, the marquee forming, the lighting of the marquees. This logo was designed by Pacific Data Images.

Music/Sounds : A synthesized tuner with an electric guitar.

Availability : Extinct. It was seen on original pre-1988 broadcasts of Sword of Gideon, The Quick and the Dead and Florida Straits, but the home video releases by HBO Video and the now-defunct Orion Home Video omit this. Oddly, it's not known if this popped up elsewhere. You might find it on old tapes of HBO programming from the 1980s.

Editor's Note : None.

===3rd Logo (1988-September 9, 1990)=== Logo : On a black background, we see pieces of lettering reflecting the sky. Then the pieces join together and forms the HBO logo in shaded orange (or yellow), with "PICTURES" in dark red with the "U" and the "R" connected. Under it are five blue lines. The logo shines and then five purple bars fade beneath the logo (to represent a pillar illusion).

Variant : Sometimes the bars don't appear at all, and/or the logo appears more three-dimensional and shiny.

FX/SFX : Just good '80s computer animation. Awesome for the time.

Music/Sounds : An upbeat yet relaxed synth theme with 6 horn notes, otherwise silent.

Availability : Appeared on HBO films during the period. It was seen on Heist, By Dawn's Early Light, Steal the Sky, Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture and Dead Solid Perfect.

Editor's Note : None.

===4th Logo (October 13, 1990-January 11, 1997)=== Logo : On a dark blue and yellow shaded background, we see some drops, as if it's raining. Then the background changes color into black and the HBO Pictures image from the last logo appears, colored dark blue. The logo shines twice and disappears.

FX/SFX : The drops, the shining.

Music/Sounds : A dreamy and relaxing jingle. The opening theme of the movie would also be used or would be silent.

Availability : Seen on movies such as Descending Angel, Stalin, The Late Shift and The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom.

Editor's Note : None.

===5th Logo (March 15, 1997-November 20, 1999)=== Logo : On a black/blue cloudy background is dark shimmering water. Bubbles rises up from the water. A big bubble then floats upward as the camera moves up and faces the water, while the HBO logo (minus the circle in the "O") and "PICTURES" below shimmer in. The bubble floats down, flattens and forms the circle inside the "O".

Variant : There is a sepia-toned variant.

FX/SFX : The shimmering water, which is pretty good CGI.

Music/Sounds : A remix of the 1990 theme.

Availability : Pretty uncommon. Can be seen on Weapons of Mass Distraction and other films.

Editor's Note : None.

===6th Logo (February 24, 2000-present)=== Logo : On a black background, we see a blue river (ala the 1989 ITV logo). Suddenly, the HBO logo and the word "FILMS" fade in by blurring.

FX/SFX : The fading.

Music/Sounds : The opening theme of the movie.

Availability : Pretty common. Seen on all HBO original films since 2000, and also seen on Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.

Editor's Note : None.

===7th Logo (May 27, 2008, January 5, 2009)=== Logo : On a black background, we see a black HBO logo coming in from the right of the screen. Behind the logo are many blurry pink/yellow copies of the HBO logo moving to the left of the screen at light speed. After a couple of seconds, the trail leaves one HBO logo behind. The logo shines and turns gold, while the Time Warner byline fades in below. The logo zooms in until it fades out.

Variant : On the Sex and the City movie (which was based on the TV series of the same name), the logo doesn't zoom in. Also, it fades to a purple color at the end.

FX/SFX : The movement of the logos and the shining. Basic 2D animation.

Music/Sounds : None or the opening theme of the movie.

Availability : Extremely rare. So far, its only known appearances are on Sex and the City: The Movie (2008) and An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong (2009). It's currently unknown if any other films used it.

Editor's Note : None.

===8th Logo (June 3, 2015)=== Logo : On a black background, we see a light shining an revealing a black HBO logo. The light makes almost half of the logo turn a silvery color. Another light shines on the logo from above as a white TimeWarner byline appears. The logo zooms at us and shines for a bit before the lights die down and the logo fades out.

FX/SFX : The lights, the byline appearing, and the logo shining.

Music/Sounds : The opening theme of the movie (which is a song entitled "Figure it Out" by Royal Blood).

Availability : So far, it was only seen on the movie adaptation of Entourage (2015) as a custom variant.

Editor's Note : This is actually pretty nice compared to all the 2D animation HBO has given us these days.

9th Logo (October 1, 2021-)
Logo : On a cloudy background, we see the HBO logo in chrome wiping in. The WarnerMedia byline is shown below the HBO logo, and then the clouds clear, revealing a silver version of the HBO logo that slowly zooms in.

FX/SFX : The cloud background moving.

Music/Sounds : The opening theme of the movie.

Availability : Brand new. Debuted on The Many Saints of Newark.

Editor's Note : None.