HBO Films

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

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

===1st Logo (1985-1990)=== 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.

Scare Factor: Low.

2nd Logo (1987)
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 the style as seen in the other logos) in red 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.

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

Availability: Extremely rare and possibly extinct. It was seen on Florida Straits when it aired on HBO in 1987, but it's not known if this would be seen on TV today or if it would be on video releases. You might find it on old tapes of HBO programming from the 1980s.

Scare Factor: None.

3rd Logo (1991-1996)
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 first 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.

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

Scare Factor: None.

4th Logo (1997-1999)
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 and forms the circle inside the "O".

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

Variant: There is a sepia variant.

Music/Sounds: A remix of the 1991 theme.

Availability: Seen on Weapons of Mass Distraction and other films.

Scare Factor: None.

5th Logo (2000-2015)
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: Fairly common.

Scare Factor: None.

6th Logo (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 Figure it Out by Royal Blood.

Availability: So far, only seen on Entourage (2015 movie). It may appear on future films from the company.

Scare Factor: None. This is actually pretty nice compared to all the 2D animation HBO has given us these days.

(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/Cheesy Factor: 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.

Scare Factor: Minimal to low.

(1985-2002)
Logo: On a black background, two searchlights scroll (a la 20th Century Fox). After a bit a third one appears as the camera eases back to a rectangle on a black background and inside it, the background turns a blue/orange gradient color. Two tall buildings (possibly the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building) and a few smaller buildings fly together (a la the first Beacon Pictures logo) and form a cityscape with the searchlights behind them. A white border appears around the rectangle and inside it, below the buildings is "HBO NYC" with "HBO" in its company font and below that is "PRODUCTIONS".

Variant: An alternate version has stock footage of New York City, showing the Brooklyn Bridge and various buildings in the city. When it shows the Empire State Building, the footage disappears as the logo forms.

FX/SFX: The searchlights, the buildings flying in.

Music/Sounds: A quiet orchestrated theme. The alternate version has a majestic orchestrated fanfare.

Availability: Scarce. It's seen on HBO and BET.

Scare Factor: Low.