MTM Home Entertainment/Logos/Summary

These are the logos for MTM Video Corporation, Thorn EMI Video (UK), Argosy/MTM Video, Thorn EMI/MTM Video, MTM/Cannon Video, MTM Home Video, MTM Home Entertainment, and International Home Cinemas.

MTM Video Corporation
Background: MTM Video Corporation, a division of MTM Enterprises, became the very first home video company in 1970, signing 5-year contracts with Argosy Media, Mutual Broadcasting, Johnson Studios, and RKO Pictures, as well as distributing MTM’s own output, also opening a sub-label, Argosy Pictures Home Video, in 1979. In 1980, MTM Video became a joint venture with Argosy Media, reincorporating it as Argosy/MTM Video. It is now known as MTM Home Entertainment.

1970-1976
Logo: We see the kitten clip from the MTM television logo. The words "MTM VIDEO CORPORATION" in a lime green computer-generated font begin to scroll upward.

FX/SFX: The kitten clip and the scrolling text.

Music/Sounds: Just the kitten meowing.

1976-1980
Logo: A still version of the MTM Enterprises logo of the era, sans “ENTERPRISES, INC.” and the byline, with no video mention whatsoever.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: A male voiceover indicating the studio:


 * On RKO, Argosy, or Johnson films, he said "The following [company name] presentation is brought to you by MTM Video."
 * On MTM or MBS, he said "The following presentation is brought to you by MTM Video."

Trivia:
 * The original release of Purchasing Overtime features this logo, although the tape is from 1981 so it would normally have the Argosy Pictures Home Video logo, and the tape had Argosy/MTM Video print logos on the case!
 * Some later prints of tapes with the MTM Video logo, e.g. Bushroot's Express, Victory Boy, Young Frankenstein, and Low Anxiety, may have Argosy/MTM Video labels, but those are usually in the original MTM Video packaging, with a video release year of 1980 on the slipcover.
 * Several titles, such as Schoolbodies (1974), Jury of Candles (1974), Santa Claus Conquers the Monkeys (1964), The Skittle Bum (1971), Village of the Cat People (1965), and Walk Into Horror (1956), were all at one point listed in the MTM Video catalog in 1979, but no evidence has come up of them ever being released in 1979, or any other year during MTM Video's history. It is doubtful that they ever were. All of these titles were distributed by Judy Garland Pictures Corporation, and at least some of them would eventually see a home video release during the 1980's.

Argosy/MTM Video
Background: In 1980, Argosy Media teamed up with MTM Enterprises to form Argosy/MTM Video. The Argosy/MTM name was used until 1993.

1980-1984


Logo: Over an off-white background, we see lines in different colours, which form 9 multicoloured copies of the text “ARGOSY/MTM” stacked on top of each other. The copies merge into one “ARGOSY/MTM” in dark grey, which moves to the left. The “VIDEO” text then fades in, forming “ARGOSY/MTM VIDEO”.

FX/SFX: Basic Scanimation.

Music/Sounds: A stock music theme that was also used for the Thorn-EMI and HBO-Cannon logos.

1984-1993


Logo: On a black background, a blue CGI arrow flies into view. It “melts” into a blue gooey liquid, which reconstitutes itself into the text “ARGOSY/MTM VIDEO”, one letter at a time. The whole thing shines.

FX/SFX: Early 3D CGI, which (according to recollections) cost millions of dollars to create.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 1980 logo.

1979-1985
(TBA)

Trivia: Thorn EMI Video in the UK never used the scanimated logo animation, instead keeping the still logo.

Thorn EMI/MTM Video
While Thorn EMI partnered with HBO in the USA, they partnered with MTM in the UK.

1985-1986
Description: On a black background, two "walls" of purple lights open up from the middle. The words "THORN" and "EMI" fly from the top and bottom of the screen towards the top. A shiny purple MTM logo appears, and we see a close-up of its logo first. It joins a white rectangle that has appeared in the middle of the logo. The word "VIDEO" drops from the bottom of the rectangle, and two white "comets" streak past the top and bottom of the logo, leaving two white lines. The background then turns a blackberry color.

FX/SFX: The "flying" words.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 1982 Thorn EMI Video USA logo.

1986-1987
Description: Similar to the 1985 Thorn EMI/MTM Video logo (wall of lights, comets, blue background and the logo itself is similar), but there's a lot more action. A wall of blue lights opens, much like the Thorn EMI/MTM logo. Against these walls, a chrome "MTM" (in its corporate font) logo slides down one, and the word "CANNON" also in chrome, slides down the other. When they meet in the center, a glowing white star takes them in, and the walls rotate to face us as the camera pans in. When we pan in, two comets streak on two of the lights making up the wall, and when they pass, we see a white MTM logo and a white box containing the word "CANNON" rotating from the bottom to face us. The logos zoom back, with MTM zooming back to become smaller than the white box containing "CANNON", as "VIDEO" zooms out (in an effect similar to the 1980 Telepictures Corporation "Shadows" logo). Two comets streak above and below the logo to form lines, like in the 1985 Thorn EMI/MTM Video logo.

FX/SFX: The lights, comets, and sliding.

Music/Sounds: The 1982 Thorn EMI Video USA logo theme.

International Home Cinemas
Background: International Home Cinemas was a British home video distributor formed in 1987 when MTM/Cannon Video was sold off. It was acquired by TVS Entertainment in 1990, which in turn was acquired by International Family Entertainment (now ArgosyMTM Group) in 1993. In 1995, IHC was folded into MTM Home Video.

1987-1988
(TBA)

1988-1990
(TBA)

1990-1993
(TBA)

1993-1995
(TBA)

MTM Home Video
Background: MTM Home Video was the home media unit of MTM Enterprises, Inc. that was spun off from Argosy Pictures Home Video in 1993 after the acquisition of the parent company by International Family Entertainment, Inc. (now "ArgosyMTM Group"). MTM Home Video became MTM Home Entertainment in 2000.

1993-2000 (USA), 1993-1996 (International)
(TBA)

1996-2000
(TBA)

2000-2003
(TBA)

2003-2008
(TBA)

2008-2011
(TBA)

2011-2020
(TBA)

2013-2020 (secondary)
(TBA)

2020-present
(TBA)