Best studio opening logo?

[The Other]

So, which movie studio has the best opening logo?
Is it...

Dreamwork SKG's fisherman on the moon that melts into the studio name
Fox's 3D logo, surrounded by searchlights and with fanfare
MGM's seal & roaring lion
Universal's multicolored globe
Tristar's Pegasus
Paramount's stars surrounding a mountain
New Line's piece of film and takeboard falling through space together
Columbia's lady against the clouds
Disney's rainbow over the fairytale castle
Warner Brothers' familiar "WB"
Criterion's simple black screen and white line & name
Touchstone's blue line that becomes a thunderstruck circle
Polygram's transluscent angel
Trimark's lionhead against a triangle

I think I've got them all.

[Nate6]

MGM's is pure, simple and classic. It gets the message across because everyone knows, when you see the lion in the seal, it's an MGM movie. For that, it's my favorite.

My favorite of the more recent ones is Universal's. It's pretty cool, the audience moves with the globe and it lights up.

Honorable mention: Dreamworks SKG

Worst: Warner Bros! I've always hated it and even more so now! It's just a logo flying through the air!

You forgot to mention:
Miramax's New York skyline that turns into the word MIRAMAX
Mandalay's tiger that jumps out and then an animated tiger appears,
Lion's Gate's lion constellation thing
Sony Pictures Classic's title on a blue screen

None of those are incredibly impressive though.

[ak]

20th Century Fox.

[idealdiscountdude]

I love Miramax's logo as well as Dimension's.

Mandalay's is also very good......

[Favourite end]

Dreamworks all the way.

[whitemat]

My favorite is the old Tristar one with the unicorn running and that one song. That opening is classic.

[ColinM]

My two favorties are:

The 20th Century Fox logo (because the song reminds me of STAR WARS (10/10) )

AND

Whichever one plays the "Time Goes By" Casablanca song (because it reminds me of CASABLANCA (10/10) )

[Obrotherrules]

An even better question would be which logos are most transitionable into the movie, or which movies have done the best job at incorporating the logo into the actual movie. I'm thinking of all the times the Paramount mountain has dissolved into an actual mountain (like in the Indiana Jones movies), or I remember seeing a movie where the Columbia logo actually turned into a character in the film. (That was funny, only I don't remember which movie.)

Btw, my favorite logos (by themselves) are:
20th Century Fox (dang right, it looks majestic)
Universal
Paramount Classics (but not Paramount; the Classics one looks classier)

I like this topic. Very interesting.

[ak]

I must add that i very much like Jerry Bruckheimer production's opening....the one where we speed down a road and the lightning hits a tree....great one.

QUOTE:
The 20th Century Fox logo (because the song reminds me of STAR WARS)

One of the exact reasons i love it so much!


[This message has been edited by ak (edited 10-27-2001).]

[The Clown]

I don't know why but my favorite is New Line Cinema. I also like Paramount Pictures and Tristar.

[Fergus]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by whitemat:
My favorite is the old Tristar one with the unicorn running and that one song. That opening is classic.</font>

Me too, that has always been my favorite.

I also like the one for Phoenix Pictures. The company that produced The Sixth Day. I though it was really cool using the lighted match.

[dr-movielove]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by ak:

QUOTE:
The 20th Century Fox logo (because the song reminds me of STAR WARS)

One of the exact reasons i love it so much!
</font>


a k I couldn't agree with u more


[This message has been edited by dr-movielove (edited 10-27-2001).]

[Dumb-Fokker-**]

Dreamworks and New Line.

[The Heart Collector]

FOX and MGM.

[Cyclonus]

I love the Fox logo, especially when it's a science-fiction movie!

Paramount, Universal, TriStar, and New Line look good as well.

However, I never cared for the Warner Bros. logo, CGI or otherwise.

[Benny]

I'm surprised not many more people have mentioned WB's opening shield logo. I think it is pretty cool personally.

Also, for classic value, nothing can match MGM's lion roaring or Fox's trumpeting music and lights.

[bluntman86]

best-universal and dreamworks

worst-polygram

[Professor Steve]

My favorites:

1. The mid-90's Universal "Earth" logo before they changed it to a shiny cgi version. It was more realistic looking back then. I have a fond memory of JURASSIC PARK opening with logo and the crickets chirping...

2. FOX's logo is the classiest, I think. I always expect something good when I see it. Favorite memory is seeing it right before DIE HARD.

3. TriStar's logo with the Unicorn is my third favorite.

I like them all except for the plain ones (sony classics). Two more that I liked that aren't mentioned:

Carolco's red spiral - the music is great with it too. Favorite memory was seeing it when TOTAL RECALL started.

United Artist's logo is also memorable. It's just the merged UA, but I always remembered it from back when I was a tiny kid seeing some of the later PINK PANTHER movies.

[Cyclonus]

Good call on the Carolco logo. I'll always associate it with "Terminator 2." The memories... http://www.joblo.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Lindsey]

FOX and Dreamworks

[James Logan]

Here are my favorites:

1°) Recent UNIVERSAL ones
2°) DREAMWORKS
3°) FOX
4°) DISNEY
5°) ICON PRODUCTIONS

[Danny L]

FOX.
FOX.
FOX.
FOX.
FOX.
FOX.
FOX.

[Cyclonus]

Well, it's official, the Fox logo is the best! If I was to make a film, I'd like them to distribute it! That would be so cool! http://www.joblo.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[dicaprio_travolta_man]

My faveorite would have to be Miramaxs opening logo it just looks cool and the films miramax releases are usally good movies..... comeing in at a very close second is Universal because every time i see there logo at the begining of a movie it reminds me of three of my favorite movies..... "The Mummy" "The Mummy Returns"and "The Fast and the Furious"..

i also enjoy Paramonts because the logo reminds me of the begining of "Days Of Thunder" a classic raceing movie anybody seen it????????? well those are my choices there wierd but hey i'm a wierd guy.....

[citznamn]

Favorite would have to be 20th Century Fox. It used to just be because of the Star Wars association, but after the opening fanfare for Moulin Rouge, I loved it even more.

Close Second: Dreamworks, only because it sounds so damned good on my home theater system.

I also like the flying stars of Paramount; will always remind me of Top Gun.

Great topic, by the way.

[Amirdarab]

Universal& Fox

[herculeez]

Universal.

Because when i hear that theme with the picture man it symbolises the start of a good movie to come.
If i hear that then it just sets me in the mood for a great movie, i love it when i watch Jurassic park and the Universal theme coems up, its just brilliant!

[Horror whore]

Best: Dreamworks and MGM
Worst: New Line (I HATE THAT DAMN LOGO!!)

[Cyclonus]

Why is that, whore?

[Strider]

Dreamworks all the way.

[arto_j]

I like the Universal logo the most. And the "music" in the Fox logo is the greatest there so... I think that the Dreamworks' version is also quite good, but I think Universal has the best one. MGM is quite a classic though, and I gotta like that too.

[Cyclonus]

Holy shit, I don't think ANYONE mentioned the Hollywood Pictures logo!

http://www.dvd.hu/images/linkek/hollywod_logo.jpg

[SIREN30]

I'd have to go w/ Mgm and Disney. They get me the most excited about the movie I'm about to see. Especially Disney's DVD logo...it's pretty cute. Tinkerbell flies around and puts D V D at the bottom of the castle.

[herculeez]

Dreamworks SKG logo is also my favourite...simply brilliant!

AND WHY HAS NO ONE MENTIONED PIXAR?!

The cool little lamp runnin on screen then jumps up and down on the "I" in "PIXAR" and then flattens it!
Simply cool!
http://www.joblo.com/ubb/smile.gif

[Whiggles]

Probably Paramount and Fox, although I liked the old Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer logo (the newer Bruckheimer one isn't as good).

[ColinM]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by herculeez:
AND WHY HAS NO ONE MENTIONED PIXAR?!

The cool little lamp runnin on screen then jumps up and down on the "I" in "PIXAR" and then flattens it!
Simply cool!
http://www.joblo.com/ubb/smile.gif</font>

Good call, I really like the PIXAR logo. Have you ever seen the Luxo Jr. short? It's the first-ever (I think) animated picture that Pixar made, and I think it comes as an extra on the Toy Story or Toy Story 2 DVD. The lamp is Luxo Jr...

[bankholdup]

DREAMWORKS's is the best, without a doubt.

[Quebec-Joel]

MY FAVORITE is the MGM logo. I like it especially in technicolor.

[screamtrilogy1]

WB logo is the best!The logo actually adapt itself at the movie.For example when Valentine start the logo is red like blood and in Deep Blue Sea the logo is made of blue moving water.

[Professor Falk]

Tristar, MGM (I love the way they've changed lions over the years), and Paramount's mountain are all classics. I like the old Columbia one, where the lady's torch gets really intense as the camera closes on it... Two old school ones that I always like to see on TCM, or wherever: the RKO rotating Earth with the beeping signal tower, and the old one for The Rank Organization, with the guy swinging the huge mallet and striking the gong. (Gilligan's Island parodied that one when the trunk of equipment washed up and they shot their movie...)

[andris]

1. Columbia pictures (it has the best music)
2. Universal (the new one)
3. Dreamworks
4. United Artists (because it reminds me of the 007 movies)
5. Warner Bros. (but only if it has a good music)

[Whiggles]

Well, it's been nearly a month since I last replied to this thread, and as is to be expected with me, I've completely changed my opinions.

ORIGINALLY:
Probably Paramount and Fox, although I liked the old Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer logo (the newer Bruckheimer one isn't as good).

NOW:

Top 3
1.) Paramount
2.) Jerry Bruckheimer Films (the new one this time!)
3.) MGM

Bottom 3
1.) Warner Bros.
2.) 20th Century Fox (that 3D logo just looks really corny to me)
3.) New Line

[AlienClown]

This is a great topic. As mentioned previously, Universal's globe logo sequence was better before they digitized it, I guess that was around '98 or so. Fox is great because it makes the movie a big deal with the spotlights and the music, has a very prestigious feel. Tristar's unicron/pegasus running with the music is great too although I think they may have stopped using this.

Carolco is a great one that not many movies have, Arnold classics like T2 and Total Recall and other action ones like Rambo II. Columbia's lady with the torch for me is closely associated with Ghostbusters. MGM's roaring lion is effective and tone-setting, like an attention getter. And WB's logo works best when its done so the logo screen has an interesting/creative transition into the movie itself, first one that comes to mind is in the Batman movies how things go black and the logo goes into wings/spotlights, if you've seen the batman movies you know what I mean.
I don't really have a favorite, there are a bunch of cool ones and I covered some of them in this post.

[noisy_brut]

My three favorites are:

20th Century Fox for Star Wars and the great way the incorporated it into the Cannonball Run with the car hiding in the Zero while the cop smashes into all the Stick lights.

I also like Paramount and the way they incorporate theirs into movies...Indiana Jones Series and Coming To America

Dreamworks for the way it simply says that movies can bring your dreams to life. Relax and let your imagination take over.

Also...Is TriStar really a Unicorn? I always thought it was a Pegasus, or does it transform from one to the other???

What is the One with the lighthouse?

And the Tree? Is that Ladd? The only movie I remember the Tree from is Blade Runner.


Are we also counting the THX/Dolby ones? I really love the THX one on the T2 DVD, and the THX one on Phantom Menace

[Hannibal21]

Originally posted by ColinM
Whichever one plays the "Time Goes By" Casablanca song (because it reminds me of CASABLANCA (10/10) )

That would be Warner Bros. Yep, my favorite of all time. :)

[Sugar Magnolia]

Mushroom Pictures...

[Clarkey07]

MGM and Universal

[blankpage]

I quite like Dreamworks, but Warner Bros. has always been a classic, so, I vote for it.

[rushmore beauty]

I like the Miramax one...the one where the city disappears to show the words.
The worst if either Orion of Lions Gate Films.

[Scarface98.9]

If it counts, Lightstorm Entertainment, the one owned by James Cameron. When I watch True Lies, the opening studio logo gets me really excited

[ColinM]

Originally posted by ColinM
Whichever one plays the "Time Goes By" Casablanca song (because it reminds me of CASABLANCA (10/10) )

*lol* Wow, I posted that two years ago, and I can't believe I didn't know that that was the Warner Bros. logo then! If guess I've come a long way...

The (Casablanca) Warner Bros. logo and the 20th Century Fox logo are still my two favorites because they remind me of Casablanca and Star Wars, respectively. I've also grown quite fond of the Dreamworks one...

[Tom Samborski]

The best studio opening logo in my opinion had to be the old United Artists logo showing the two flat lines turning at an angle to reveal the U and the A. I also like the Carolco logo, and the new Warner Bros logo, which is much better than the previous opening which just shows the WB logo against a blue background with clouds showing no movement at all.

[TheGodSon]

Miramax
United Artists
Dreamworks

[Tagia_Romero]

Tristar
MGM
Twentieth Century Fox
New Line Cinema
Lighthouse Films
Storm King Films
Lightning Storm Films
Paramount
LucasFilm
Dreamworks
Warner Brothers
Pixar (the little lamp awwww)
Disney Films
Universal

[syxxpac]

I like the new Intermedia one, with the huge fuckin' tsunami rushing toward the screen. Great stuff.

[dh1989]

Favorite STUDIO Logo: Easily the new Paramount one. It's simple, yet classy. A nod must also go to Dreamworks SKG and Miramax.

Favorite PRODUCTION COMPANY Logo: Mandalay (The tiger is beautiful) and The Montecito Picture Company (Lush waters and a nice belltower, see Evolution).

[Jon Lyrik]

Where's the love for Pixar's logo? It's not classic, but it's my favorite.

[Trinity]

20th Century Fox & Warner Bros.

[Sugar_Kane]

My two favourites are the Dreamworks and 20th Century Fox logos.

[KornKidJedi]

1.Miramax(old and new)
2.A Band Apart(Reservoir Dogs Logo)
3.Rolling Thunder(The Hook ripping the letters and blood dripping)
4.Shaw Scope
5.Grindhouse Releasing

[BorderEevilIII]

FAVES

1)
http://www.movieweb.com/movie/artwork/ua_logo.gif
(I liked the glittering effects,some of MGM were similar)

2)
http://www.movieweb.com/movie/artwork/dreamwrk.jpg

3)
http://www.movieweb.com/movie/artwork/universl.jpg

4)
http://www.movieweb.com/movie/artwork/parmount.gif
(The logo NOW is very fancy)

5)
http://www.movieweb.com/movie/artwork/20thlogo.jpg
(Fox's logo aint so bad. It has a CATCHY theme song)

[ilovemovies]

1. Mirimax

2. Dreamworks

3. Paramount

[Indy in IN]

Village Roadshow
Dreamworks
Lucasfilm
(20th) Century Fox
Paramount

I love the old HBO opening from about 1984 with the lights of the city and the music.

[Guy Strong]

1. Fox
2. Miramax
3. Dreamworks
4. New Line
5. Universal (1980's)

[Dr Martin Luther Loomis]

Dreamworks and Fox.

Fox reminds me of when I was a youngin' getting ready to watch Star Wars.

[movieguy1021]

1. Paramount Classics (not Paramount)
2. Fox Searchlight
3. MGM
4. Universal
5. Dreamworks

Columbia/Tristar, Sony Pictures Classics, and Paramount suck. 20th Century Fox, Miramax, New Line, are ok. The new WB deserves to be mentioned, too.