Palisades Home Video

Background

Palisades Home Video (formerly Cinema Group Home Video and Continental Video) was founded in 1984 by father and son duo Jack and Jim Silverman. Some of their titles had been previously issued by Planet Video. Later acquired by Cinema Group in 1985, and two years later renamed it first to Cinema Group Home Video, then Palisades Home Video, and most, if not all of their titles were later re-issued by New Star Video and Magnum Entertainment after Palisades shut its home video business down in 1988.

Continental Video

1st Logo (1984-1986?)

Logo: On a grey background, we see a globe, with lines running down diagonally. Then we see the word "Continental" in purple fade in over the globe. Then the word "VIDEO" in light blue fades in below the globe, wrapping itself around the globe.

Variants:

There is a version with a dark blue background and no animation.
A later version exists where the logo is on a box on a purple background, and a Cinema Group byline is below the logo. The logo then zooms into the center of the screen.

Technique: The fading in of the words.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Found on tapes such as Terror on Tape.

2nd Logo (1986?-1987)

Logo: On a black background, we see three abstract Cs appear one by one, wrapping around each other to form a big "C", which is the same one from the movie logo. The Cs are red, green, and blue. Then the words "CONTINENTAL VIDEO", with the byline "A Cinema Group Company" fade in below the logo.

Technique: The fading in of the Cs and words.

Music/Sounds: A four-note synth tune, with the last note holding after the words fade in.

Availability: Found on Deadly Alliance, Deadtime Stories, Something Special, Miami Vendetta, and Witchboard, among others.

Cinema Group Home Video

1st Logo (1987)

Logo: Almost the same as the movie logo, except the text instead reads on the square:

CINEMA
GROUP
HOME
VIDEO

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: A descending synth clone, then some synth notes, then low synth notes.

Availability: Very rare. Seen on Starship and The Stick-Up, among others.

2nd Logo (December 22, 1987-1988)

Logo: We dissolve from the FBI warning screen of the time to a very slow zooming space background, where a yellow comet flies in from the right of the screen and after reaching the top left curves towards the center and disappears. Then three yellow circles give way to the logo from before outline by outline. when the logo is completely formed it becomes 3D.

Technique: The comet and the animation of the squares.

Music/Sounds: A deep 5 note synth theme with a whoosh sound taking place after the first note followed by 4 lighter notes.

Availability: Rare. Seen on Zombie High, The War Boy, and the Jackie Chan movie Police Story (released as Jackie Chan's Police Force, probably to avoid confusion with the 1973 TV series also called Police Story).

Palisades Home Video

(1988)

Logo: Almost the same as the movie logo, except the logo was videotaped and the square is blue.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: A humming choir.

Availability: Rare. Seen on later tapes from the era, like The Kidnapping of Baby John Doe.