Lorimar Home Video

Background

Before television production company Lorimar purchased video distributor Karl Home Video in 1984 and relaunched the company as Karl-Lorimar Home Video (later known as Lorimar Home Video), the company's previous features were issued first by USA Home Video, CBS Video (through MGM/CBS) and later CBS/Fox, who retained the home video rights to the pre-1984 library until Lorimar-Telepictures was acquired by Warner Bros. in 1989. Following that, Lorimar Home Video was folded into Warner Home Video. As Karl Home Video, the company was started in 1982 by Stuart Karl (1953-1991). Karl later resigned from the company due to disputes with his superiors and the Karl name was ultimately dropped; he died in 1991 from skin cancer.

1st Logo (1982-1986)

Karl Home Video
Karl-Lorimar Home Video

Nickname: "Big K"

Logo:

1982-Late 1985 (Karl Home Video): We see parts of the bottom of a giant "K" slide up from the bottom of the screen, and the top half (in whole) flip up afterward. After, the K glows orange and gains a much thicker outline. The end result looks similar to the logo of Kartes Video Communications.
Late 1985-1986 (Karl-Lorimar Home Video): Same as before, except the logo zooms out after it glows orange, and the words "KARL-LORIMAR" (in the Lorimar font) and "H O M E---V I D E O" in a rounded font slide in. The color is also lighter.

FX/SFX: Early computer effects.

Music/Sounds: An upbeat disco fanfare, "Winning Momentum" by Craig Palmer from Network Music, but the logo is usually silent.

Availability: Depends on the variant.

The original Karl variant is extremely rare. It can be found on VHS releases of Money Hunt and the first releases in the Jane Fonda's Workout series, among others. Some original Karl releases were released by Karl-Lorimar in their original Karl-only packaging.
The Karl-Lorimar variant is pretty rare but easier to come across. It can be seen on later Jane Fonda's Workout releases and Americathon. Like Karl, though, Karl-Lorimar releases may be reprinted in the original box but instead use the WHV "Cheesy Shield" logo with the Warner Communications byline followed by the second variant of the next logo, like the 1988 VHS reprint of The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (that still used the 1985 box).

2nd Logo (1986-1989)

Nickname: "Multi-Colored Bar"

Logo:

1986-1987 (Karl-Lorimar Home Video): A multi-colored line of yellow/orange/red/blue sweeps onto a black background. It straightens out, and sets itself down at the bottom of the screen. Then a whole mess of gray dust collects and converges above the "HOME VIDEO" bar, forming the "KARL-LORIMAR" logo. Then, to give it a shiny look, little stars sparkle at the letter's edges in time with the "ding... ding... ding..." fade-out of the music.
1987-1989 (Lorimar Home Video): Same as before, but instead the text above the bar reads "LORIMAR" (and is larger to fit the width of the bar and does not have a 3D look to it) with a TM mark next to it.

FX/SFX: 3D CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: A synth sweep brings in the bar, and after the dust forms the logo a 4-note synth melody (similar to the Viacom "V of Doom" music) plays. The music closes with a "ding... ding... ding..." fade-out. A silent variant exists as well.

Availability: Rare, but easier to find than the last logo. Can be seen on videos such as several Jane Fonda workout tapes, Clifford's Sing Along Adventure, Manhunter, Maximum Overdrive, Housekeeper, Scream for Help, Max Headroom: The Original Story, American Anthem, Return of the Living Dead Part II, Russkies, Trick or Treat, End of the Line, Nowhere to Hide, Big Shots, In the Mood, Made in Heaven, The Chipmunk Adventure, King Kong Lives, Crimes of the Heart, Prettykill, Nobody's Fool, Action Jackson, My Beautiful Laundrette, Warren Miller's Guide to Skiing, and Insignificance, among others. It has also been seen on a early 1990's Warner Home Video VHS reissue of Americathon instead of the 1986-96 Warner Home Video logo. The silent variant can be found on some Kideo Video releases. The Lorimar Home Video variant also showed up on a later reprint of The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, preceded by the WHV "Cheesy Shield" logo with Warner Communications byline.