Background: Miramax Family Films (also known as "Miramax Family") was the family production/distribution arm of Miramax Films, established in 1991 to produce movies for family audiences. It was closed in 2006.
1st Logo
(February 2, 1991-December 25, 1999)[]
Nicknames: "The M"
Logo: Same as its regular counterpart, only it is in perfect tempo, the outlined "M" isn't flashing everywhere, and "MIRAMAX" is in yellow. "FAMILY" is added next to "FILMS", which is now on the right side.
Variants:
- When viewed in 4:3 full screen, one can see where the "glow" forms on the top and bottom of the screen.
- In 2.35:1 widescreen, the logo is heavily cropped.
- Like its regular counterpart, some films have it fade out early.
FX/SFX: Same as its regular counterpart.
Music/Sounds: Same as its regular counterpart, but double high-pitched.
Music/Sounds Variants:
- Some films would play the jingle in normal pitch.
- On one film, the last two notes are cut off and the logo fades out early, like its regular counterpart on Pulp Fiction.
- On the French-Canadian dub of The NeverEnding Story III, it uses the Warner Bros. Family Entertainment jingle (Merrily We Roll Along), complete with Bugs Bunny chomping his carrot and all! This is most likely a plastering error, which also happened on the 3rd standard Miramax logo.
Availability: Extremely rare, due to plastering with any of the standard Miramax logos and the 2011 version of the 2008 logo. This was allegedly first seen on VHS releases and made its theatrical debut on The NeverEnding Story III: Escape from Fantasia (US releases only), while it was reportedly last seen on The Animal Train; it is retained on its VHS and DVD release. Currently seen on the VHS and DVD releases of The Thief and the Cobbler (a.k.a. Arabian Knight), as well as the original VHS releases of How the Toys Saved Christmas and The NeverEnding Story III: Escape from Fantasia.
Editor's Note: Same as its regular counterpart.
2nd Logo
(1991-2002)[]
Logo: Just a still version of the Miramax Films logo on a black background (like the 1998-2008 logo), with "FAMILY" next to "FILMS".
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: The opening theme of the trailer.
Availability: Rare. Can be seen on trailers for films such as The NeverEnding Story III: Escape from Fantasia, and Gordy.
3rd Logo
(October 26, 2002-October 11, 2005)[]
Nickname: "One Crazy Dot"
Logo: On a white background, we see a small light blue dot (representing the ball) on the lower right side of the screen. The black print version of the Miramax Films logo fades in. Suddenly, the dot jumps up, transforms itself into a bell for some reason, and rings itself. Then, the bell transforms into the dot, speeds towards the logo and pushes the "I", squishing the two lines together. All of a sudden, the above line springs up very high and quickly that it hits "MIRAMAX", breaking the letters apart into pieces and sending them (and the dot) high off screen! Two lines rests in its usual position, with "FILMS" completely gone. "MIRAMAX" drops in a completely different font colored in light blue (with M and X bigger than the rest of the letters), hitting the lines and changing the color to yellow. "FAMILY" in Comic Sans font and in rainbow color fades in one letter at a time. The dot returns and lands on the "i", making it lowercase. The lighting moves from left to right.
FX/SFX: CGI.
Music/Sounds: Various stock sound effects throughout the entire logo; the whoosh, bell ringing and car zooming for the dot, a "BOING!!!" and a car crash when the 2008-looking Miramax font goes bye-bye, a louder "BOING!!!" when the cartoon Miramax font drops in, a harp when "FAMILY" fades in, a "PLUMP!" when the dot dots the "I", and party noise makers when the light moves from left to right.
Availability: Uncommon. It appears on the 2004 DVD of In Search of Santa, as the movie itself opens up with the opening title, while the US VHS and the end of the movie itself use the Miramax Home Entertainment logo, and the UK VHS has no logo. Go Hugo Go and Hugo: The Movie Star also open with this logo, but it's been plastered on later prints of the latter with the 2011 version of the 2008 Miramax logo. It was last seen on myscene Goes Holywood.