Carolco Pictures/Summary (2025)

Background[]

Carolco Pictures, Inc. was originally formed in 1976 by Mario F. Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna as "Anabasis Investments" to make a major independent competitor to the Hollywood studios producing A-movie product. They did not use a logo until 1985. In 1984, Anabasis Investments was reincorporated as "Carolco International, N.V." In 1987, Carolco acquired International Video Entertainment ("IVE" or "I'VE", then later known as "LIVE Entertainment") but later was forced to sell its shares in 1993 to a group of investors led by Pioneer Electronic Corporation after Carolco restructured. On August 28, 1987, Carolco acquired syndication company Orbis Communications for $15.4 million (Orbis would be merged into Carolco's TV unit in 1991). In 1995, Carolco went bankrupt because of overspending on their films and the disastrous release of Cutthroat Island (not to mention being hurt by them giving up distribution rights to Cliffhanger, so they can properly fund the film. Despite being successful at the box-office, Carolco saw little profit.), and the company closed soon after. In 1989, Vajna sold his share of Carolco and formed "Cinergi Pictures Entertainment". In 1998, Cinergi shut down. Kassar and Vajna also reinstated their partnership and founded C2 Pictures, which shut down in 2008. On January 21, 2015, it was announced that an independent production company, Brick Top Productions, had purchased the Carolco trademarks, and operated under the Carolco name, with Mario Kassar as the company's chief development executive. In 2017, the company shut down again after not releasing any new films.

Today, the ancillary rights to a majority of Carolco's library are held by the French production company StudioCanal. However, Paramount Pictures thru Trifecta Entertainment & Media handles the TV syndication on Paramount's behalf, and Lionsgate Home Entertainment continues to hold the domestic home video rights (via a new output deal with StudioCanal), while the international home video rights are held by a different company for each country. Exceptions include Aces: Iron Eagle III and Repossessed (produced with Seven Arts) that is owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment by the way of New Line Cinema, Cliffhanger is distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Last of the Dogmen is distributed by NBCUniversal, by the way of Focus Features gaining the rights to the Savoy Pictures library, and Showgirls, which Carolco sold off to Chargeurs during pre-production, and is distributed in North America by MGM.

1st Logo (May 22, 1985-September 4, 1987)[]

Nicknames: "C in Space", "Space Streaks"

Logo: Against a starry space background, a blue streak of light zooms out, flashes, and forms a bronze, swirly "C". The process repeats twice, working its way outward, before forming the Carolco logo, which consists of a large, stylized "C" formed by many 3D swirls. Afterwards, the logo shines brightly as the words "CAROLCO" (in the Hanzel font and in silver) shine in underneath. The logo then sparkles.

FX/SFX: The starfield, the streaks of light zooming out, the shining. Typical '80s scanimation.

Music/Sounds: A series of synthesized shining sounds, followed by a 9-note synth brass tune, a couple of synth blares, and a nice 4-note orchestral tune. This theme was composed by Jerry Goldsmith.

Music/Sounds Variant: AMC & Netflix's prints of Rambo: First Blood Part II use the TriStar logo with the Carolco jingle (it was originally silent on that picture), while it is high pitched on AMC.

Music/Sounds Trivia: This was also featured on the Rambo: First Blood and Rambo: First Blood Part II soundtracks as the thirty-first track and the first track, respectively, as "Carolco Logo". Another track has the slate recording that reveals that the fanfare was made in 75 takes. That version is the twenty-sixth track of the second film's soundtrack as "Carolco Logo (With Slate)".

Availability: Extremely rare.

• Seen on international prints of the above-mentioned movies (including early home video releases, which used them). However, Rambo: First Blood Part II, from the 1988 IVE release onward (with the exceptions of the 1991 Live Home Video, 1992 Promotional Concept Group, Inc. and 1995 Avid Home Entertainment VHS releases, which all retain it), plasters this with the 3rd logo. Oddly, home media releases since 2002 have used the 1984 TriStar logo with the Carolco jingle (it was originally silent on that picture); on Spike airings, the TriStar logo, which again uses the Carolco jingle, is cut off by a few seconds at the beginning. On HBO prints, from when they first started running the film in 1986, the domestic print with the TriStar logo was used instead.
• Some TV prints of Angel Heart have the TriStar logo while most DVD releases open with no logo, though the Carolco logo is rumored to be on the Lionsgate and StudioCanal Blu-ray releases (it is unknown if they also retain the TriStar logo).
• The Scope version appears on at least a SECAM release of Rambo: First Blood Part II.

Editor's Note: As it was only used internationally, those in the U.S. might be surprised that this exists. It also marks the debut of the famous Jerry Goldsmith fanfare.

2nd Logo (May 1, 1986-November 30, 1988)[]

Nicknames: "Flashing C", "Cheesy C", "Radiator C"

Logo: On a black background, two silver streaks hit diagonally from the opposite sides of the screen (lower-left and upper-right corners). The streaks merge and they have one or two beams of smaller light coming from them. Afterward, the streaks form a curvy "C", the same one from the previous logo. After the "C" is formed, it flashes and shines in a bright orange light (appearing similar to the WGBH "Flash of Doom" logo), doing so until fading out.

Variants:

• On the theatrical trailer for Extreme Prejudice, it is tinted blue.
• On Pathfinder, it is tinted red.

FX/SFX: Improved effects, different from the previous logo.

Music/Sounds: A synthesized disco jingle starting with a descending whirring sound. In other cases, it uses the previous logo's music or is silent.

Availability: Extremely rare.

• It can be found on the 1989 VHS release of Angel Heart.
• It is also intact on the U.S. VHS, Laserdisc, and Artisan DVD (preceded by the 1st Live Home Video logo) releases of Extreme Prejudice. The Vestron Video Blu-ray released by Lionsgate instead uses the 1984 TriStar logo.
• This logo can also be seen at the beginning of Rambo: The Force of Freedom.

Editor's Note: A good use of early computer graphics. The disco theme, although catchy, sounds a bit outdated.

3rd Logo (January 15, 1988-August 26, 1994, 2015-2016)[]

Nicknames: "Laser Light", "The Laser-Light C"

Logo: Against a black background, a blue laser carves out a series of curves, making its way inward as it slowly turns up, revealing the "C" used in the previous two logos. Then, the logo shines brightly with a "wind tunnel" effect and zooms out. As the shining ends, the logo is silver-colored, and the words "CAROLCO" fade-in below. The logo shines once more.

Variants:

• An alternate variant exists mainly on scope films where the wind tunnel animation looks significantly different, and the logo appears smaller in order to fit the aspect ratio. This was seen on Rambo III, Narrow Margin, The Doors, Basic Instinct, Universal Soldier, Cliffhanger and the 1999 Artisan VHS release of First Blood: Rambo Part II. Some scope films, such as DeepStar Six, Air America and Terminator 2: Judgement Day, instead use the normal variant but cropped.
  • A shortened version of the scope variant was seen on current prints of Music Box (the original video releases had the standard logo).
• Depending on the film, the logo would have a higher blue tint, or would be less saturated than usual.
• When Carolco's website opened in 2015, the logo had the additional text "I TOLD YOU I'D BE BACK!" below it, referencing Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous quote "I'll be back" in the Terminator movies.

Closing Variant: Right towards the end credits, the print logo is seen with trademark info below. The logo may be seen again with "A Carolco Release" or "A Carolco International, N.V. Release" above.

FX/SFX: The laser creating the logo, the shining. Top-notch '80s CGI.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 1st logo, though sounding more powerful. A whoosh sound is also heard as the laser creates the logo.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• Sometimes, like in original theatrical release of ​Terminator 2: Judgement Day (International prints have its music) and the shortened version, it is silent.
• Sometimes, like in Total Recall, the opening theme is used instead.
• On Narrow Margin, a low tone version of the fanfare plays.
• On some TV airings of Lock Up, the 1984 TriStar theme is heard.
• On Spanish dubbed versions of Basic Instinct, the TriStar logo has the Carolco theme, while the latter has the theme from the former, possibly due to the logo's order being reversed while the audio isn't.
• On the French Studio Canal Blu-Ray of Repossessed, it is silent until the theme from the Seven Arts logo is heard towards the end.

Availability: Common. Seen on most releases from the company.

• It made its debut on Prince of Darkness and ended on Wagons East!.
• It appears on the company's big hits such as Terminator 2: Judgement Day (Including the 3D version, albeit not converted like the movie itself), Rambo III, and others.
• Carolco went to TriStar for 80% of their releases, and the latter's 1984 logo would appear before it (except on Wagons East!, where the 1993 logo was used instead). For most VHS releases, Carolco's logo is kept while TriStar's logo is deleted, except on DeepStar Six, Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw, Cliffhanger (owned by Sony Pictures), The Doors, Homeboy (VUDU and YouTube prints), Total Recall (since 2001), Hamlet (French SECAM VHS, among possible others), a Pluto TV airing of Johnny Handsome, Basic Instinct, Red Heat (on the IVE screener and all releases since 1999), the 1998/99 widescreen DVD release of Mountains of the Moon, Air America (from the 2004 DVD release on), The Doors, L.A. Story (particularly the 15th Anniversary DVD and the 30th Anniversary Blu-ray), the German DVD of Narrow Margin, the 1998 widescreen LaserDisc release of Terminator 2: Judgement Day (as well as digital prints, and a 2015 Encore broadcast, reportedly), They Live (non-American media, possibly), Chaplin (the original Live Entertainment DVD from 1998 has only the Carolco logo), and Universal Soldier (not on the Live Entertainment DVD however).
  • Whenever Encore and Telemundo air Rambo III, the current Paramount Pictures logo (the 90th Anniversary version on Telemundo's print, cut off by a few seconds at the beginning) omits the TriStar logo but leaves Carolco's intact, while Encore airings of Deepstar Six show the Paramount logo, in addition to the TriStar and Carolco logos.
• On Wagons East!, it appears after the 1993 TriStar logo, both proceeded by the Live Entertainment logo on TV prints (except Lionsgate's 2013 syndicated print) and on the VHS release.
• It also plasters the 1st logo on the 1988 and 1998 VHS releases of Rambo: First Blood Part II.
• U.S. prints of Repossessed have the Seven Arts logo instead, though the print logo still appears at the end and the actual logo appears on the 2003 Artisan Entertainment DVD.
• Also appeared on the beginning of the TV movies Dangerous Passion and Two-Fisted Tales.
• This is seen on a trailer for Reservoir Dogs (foreign prints only) and Cutthroat Island, but the film itself would use the next logo below.
• This is also seen on international prints of They Live, Shocker, Field of Dreams, Prince of Darkness, Career Opportunities, Opportunity Knocks, and The Wizard, which Universal Studios released domestically, among others. The Carolco International N.V. credit appeared on international prints of films and on some old video releases, but domestic prints would have the TriStar logo.
• Strangely, the Blu-ray release of Johnny Handsome only has a 2004 StudioCanal logo (neither a TriStar nor Carolco logo) but would have the in-credit international logo with the legal information.
• This is seen on VHS releases of Lock-Up; DVD releases and some TV airings have TriStar and White Eagle instead as this is the domestic print.
• It was later seen on their website (before being replaced with the 5th logo).
• It is unknown if it appears on the Fox Lorber VHS release of Pathfinder.
• It might have appeared on non-Australian theatrical prints of the Village Roadshow Pictures film Bloodmoon.
• Don't expect this to appear on Stargate, Last of the Dogmen, and Showgirls.

Editor's Note: One of the most well-known logos of its time, helped thanks to the Jerry Goldsmith fanfare and its appearance in blockbuster hits such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Rambo III, and Total Recall.

4th Logo (December 22, 1995, 2015-2017)[]

Nickname: "The Still C"

Logo: Just a superimposed in-credit logo, with the "C" in gold and "CAROLCO" below.

Variant: Later on during the company's brief revival, the logo had a silver look, and a copyright notice below.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The opening theme of the movie.

Availability: Extremely rare. Seen on Cutthroat Island, the last production by this company until their resurrection.

Editor's Note: An ironic way for the company to fold, as Carolco's bankruptcy in 1995 seemed to pair well with this logo's lack of animation.

5th Logo (2016-2017)[]

Logo: Same concept as the 3rd logo, but this time remade with newer CGI technology. A few differences though is the company name eases back when the logo does instead of it fading in. The "CAROLCO" name is in a thicker font.

FX/SFX: Same as the 3rd logo, this time with updated CGI.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 3rd logo.

Availability: Extinct. It was used as the intro on Carolco's website until its closure. It would wind up going unused.

Editor's Note: As it wasn't used on any films, this logo could be considered a wasted effort. However, it's a very faithful recreation of the original 1988 logo.