Logo description by Matt Williams, Kris Starring and Logophile
Logo captures by Eric S., Logophile, and Mr.Logo
Editions by V of Doom and Shadeed A. Kelly
Video captures courtesy of Eric S. and renatodonini
Background: The Hollywood Pictures Company was another of the Walt Disney Company movie divisions that was established on February 1, 1989, initially to finance and distribute B-movies and smaller-budget films. After being dormant since 2001, the brand was re-activated in 2006 to produce genre films such as horror and African-American films (i.e. SPE's Screen Gems) in place of Dimension Films after Bob and Harvey Weinstein left Disney to form The Weinstein Company. However, after the release of only three films under this new incarnation (Stay Alive, Primeval, and The Invisible), it would shut down again a year later.
1st Logo
(July 18, 1990-April 6, 2001, March 24, 2006-April 27, 2007)[]
Nicknames: "The Sphinx"
Logo: On a black background, a blue moon glows behind an object (à la the New Line Cinema logo), as the glow line increases to reveal the object as the famous Egyptian sphinx. The light dies down to a circle behind the logo, as three lines (resembling as steps) fades-in below the logo, and below them the text "HOLLYWOOD PICTURES".
Early Variant: On this variant, a box appears around the sphinx logo, with "HOLLYWOOD" above it and "PICTURES" below. It appeared on Arachnophobia and Taking Care of Business.
FX/SFX: The glowing of the light behind the sphinx, not much animation.
Music/Sounds: An orchestral fanfare by Danny Elfman.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- On some movies, like Crimson Tide, The Rock, and The Sixth Sense, it uses either the opening theme of the movie or none.
- Likewise, at the end of films, the closing theme is used or it is silent.
- On the 2012 Mill Creek Entertainment DVD release of Gone Fishin', the Walt Disney Pictures theme can be heard muffled and quiet. This was due to the film originally being planned as a Disney release, but ultimately switching distributors to Hollywood.
Availability: Common on several high profile films during its time, such as Arachnophobia (the first film to use this logo during its original run), Tombstone, Nixon, Evita, Super Mario Bros., Grosse Pointe Blank, An American Werewolf in Paris, Houseguest, Dead Presidents, The Rock, While You Were Sleeping, Jack, Judge Dredd and The Sixth Sense. The last film to use this during its original run was Just Visiting.
Editor's Note: This logo is probably one of Disney's "black sheep" logos. Some have argued that the Sphinx, a symbol of Egypt, seems questionable for logo for a company called Hollywood Pictures. Others have argued that there's not much animation in this logo. About the only thing agreed on regarding this logo is that the fanfare is very nice.
2nd Logo
(1993)[]
Logo: On a black background are the stacked words "HOLLYWOOD PICTURES" in white. Two red lines come from left and right between the words and form into one red line.
FX/SFX: The red line.
Music/Sounds/Voice-over: Just the music from the TV spot and the announcer saying "From Hollywood Pictures."
Availability: Extinct. It appeared on a TV spot for Super Mario Bros. back in the spring of 1993. Might turn up on old recordings.
Editor's Note: Some believe this is more true to the company name than the previous logo, though it could be argued that this logo is too simple and the last one put in a little more effort. It doesn't help it was a one-off logo used only on a commercial.