20th Century Studios Home Entertainment Warning Screens

November 1977-2010

GW307H223.jpg

GW333H247.jpg

Warning: On a bright red background, we see the words "FBI WARNING" (with "FBI" in large, tall letters) with the FBI logo next to it. Under it is the FBI Warning text ("The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigates allegations of criminal copyright infringement" version from until 1984, the "$250,000" version from after 1984).

Trivia: This warning is shown in the Video Pirates segment of the 1987 Universal anthology comedy Amazon Women on the Moon. In the segment, a group of pirates who like to illegally bootleg VHS tapes (the leader is played by William Marshall) find a treasure trove of VHS tapes and laserdiscs. One of them puts one into a VCR, and it displays this warning. He then sarcastically says "Ooooh, I'm so scared!", and he and his crew break into laughter.

Variants:

• A black and white versions of the 1978-1984 and 1984-1999 is seen on classic films and shorts in black & white.
• On pre-1989 Worldvision Home Video and Hanna-Barbera Home Video releases, although the red background was much brighter in this variant.
• There was also a variant with a black background spotted on the 1984 Embassy release of The Howling and the 1983 Embassy release of Blade Runner.
• Early Magnetic/20th Century-Fox/CBS-Fox Videodiscs between 1981 and 1984 use a variant of this original warning that removes "video tapes" and replaces it with "video discs" in a crude, mismatched fashion, using a font similar to the $250,000 version of the warning.
• On Magnetic/20th Century-Fox Video releases of Avco Embassy tapes, the warning screen would be preceded by a digital copyright notice with white chyroned text over a light background, which would then cut to this screen.
• The 1982 20th Century Fox Video Betamax/1995 US VHS releases of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope have this play after the credits fade out with the film's closing theme fading out.
• Starting in 1984, the background is solid red, not bright or dark and the text is using it is the $250,000 version and in a different font except "FBI WARNING".
• On the original release of Blackadder's Christmas Carol, the above-mentioned text is used.
• On late 1988-mid 1990 prints, from just before CBS/Fox Video started printing their tapes at Rank Video Services America, during this above-mentioned screen, a still version of the 1984 CBS/Fox Video logo appears a couple of times, staying on the screen for about five seconds before cutting back to the warning. Usually, it goes warning, logo still, warning, logo still, warning, logo still; however, the full version, as seen on pressings of Broadcast News and Carousel, goes logo still, warning, logo still, warning, logo still, warning, logo still, warning, logo still.
• On certain Video Treasures releases, the background is composed of the gray Video Treasures logo wallpaper shown in the second Video Treasures logo. More can be found on that company's respective warning screen page.
• On pre-2004 DVDs with the warning and VHS beginning in 1999, the font is somewhat more modern-looking, and has a wallpaper of the FOX name on the BG.
• On Spanish-language VHS releases, the FBI warning screen appears in English as usual, only to cut to a Spanish translation ("AVISO DEL FBI") several seconds later.
• D-VHS cassettes feature this warning in the same aspect ratio as the film, and "FBI" is the same size as "WARNING". Additionally, "FBI WARNING" is centered, and the FBI seal is removed.
• On Canadian VHS and DVD releases beginning in 1999, the warning used is the wallpaper of FOX logos and the warning text (in English) and "ATTENTION" replaces "WARNING". Additionally, the text changes to French.
• On the 2000 DVD of X-Men, after the 1999 version, the text on the "ATTENTION" screen appears on a black background, which goes static and leads to the menu animation.
• A smoother version of the second screen of the 1999 warning has been spotted on the Blu-Ray of The Princess Bride.

FX/SFX: None, unless you want to count the CBS/FOX logo being cut to a couple of times, and for 1999-2005 Spanish releases, the warning text changing from English to French and Spanish.

Cheesy Factor: On most DVDs with both screens of the 1999 version, although there is a proper widescreen variant of the "ATTENTION" screen, the first screen looks like Fox pasted it over the next screen, although this is hardly noticeable.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on Magnetic Video, 20th Century-Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video, FOXVideo, BBC Video, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment releases releases from the era, and in most cases will appear after the program material. The 1979 release of The Making of Star Wars and many other pre-1981 tapes, as well as a few United Artists tapes from 1981 (including The Jazz Singer, The Barefoot Contessa, and Let It Be) have the warning precede the Magnetic Video logo (the same goes for 1999-2004 releases, which have this precede the 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment logo). Some early Magnetic videos, such as Beneath the Planet of the Apes and M*A*S*H, have no warning; this premiered on reprints of bestsellers from summer 1978, including Hello, Dolly!. This was also seen on some 1982-1983 Embassy Home Entertainment releases, including Escape from New York and Warlords of the Twenty First Century. The videodisc variant can be seen on various 1981-83 Magnetic Video/20th Century-Fox Video/CBS-Fox Video releases. The original version also appears on pre-1995 Rhino Home Video releases. On the 1982 CBS-FOX CED of Alien, the pre-2004 Warner Home Video warning is used instead of the bumper. The first version of the "$250,000" warning from 1984-1999 makes a surprise appearance at the end of the Ace Video release of Subway, sourced from the video master made in 1986 for Key Video's release. The version that cuts to the CBS/Fox logo appears at the start rather than the end, and can be seen on late 1988-mid 1990 prints of CBS/Fox Video releases, such as License to Kill, Iron Eagle, Die Hard, Magic Memories on Ice, The Sound of Music, A Fish Called Wanda, In Like Flint, and Billy Joel: The Video Album Volume 1; the full sequence appears on some prints of Broadcast News and makes a surprise appearance on the VHS of Carousel, one of the first new CBS/Fox releases following the move to RVSA. The black and white version of the first variant of the $250,000 warning from 1984 is seen on the 1989 CBS/FOX Video release of House on Haunted Hill. The first movie on VHS to feature the 1999 warning was Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.  The DVD/VHS 1999 version made a surprise appearance on a late-1990s print of Wallace and Gromit: A Grand Day Out, despite the fact that the logos at the beginning were unchanged from their last mid-1990s printing.

Scare Factor: None.

(Media Home Entertainment era) 1990-1993

GW263H193.jpg

GW263H193 (1).jpg

Warning: This is basically a generic warning screen that was used since 1987.

FX/SFX: None except for the fading of the INTERPOL text.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on Media Home Entertainment releases distributed by (CBS-)Fox Video.

Scare Factor: None.

2004-2013

Warning: On a blue/white gradient textured background, we see a color FBI logo with "FBI ANTI-PIRACY WARNING" in a white box in front of it. The Warning text in white appears below. This is basically a generic warning screen that was used since 2004.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Cheesy Factor: Nothing wrong with the warning, but during its existence almost every company used this particular warning screen, with minimal changes. Couldn't they come up with something more original?

Availability: Used on all 2004-2013 20th Century Fox releases save for HiT Entertainment releases that were distributed by the company, which used the HiT warning and didn't use the 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment logo.

Scare Factor: None.

2009-

Warning: On a black background, the word "WARNING" appears in red and on bottom has the white text below.

Variant: MGM DVD releases have a different organization of the text and "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc." in place of "Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC.".

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen at the end of the programs from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment DVDs and Blu-ray discs (mostly European releases). The variation appears on MGM DVD releases. 

Scare Factor: Low to medium.

2013-

Lionsgate Home Entertainment (Warning 2) (Part 1).jpg

Lionsgate Home Entertainment (Warning 2) (Part 2).jpg

Warning: This is basically a generic warning screen that was used since 2011.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Brand new. 

Scare Factor: None.

INTERNATIONAL WARNINGS (NON-USA/CANADA)

United Kingdom

Early 1977-1980

Warning: On a red background, we see white warning text.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Rare. Only found on Magnetic Video pre-cert releases, like 100 Rifles.

Scare Factor: None.

1980-1982

Warning: On a black background, we see the wording "Magnetic Video" and below is the warning text. The first paragraph is red and the second paragraph is yellow.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: It can be found on the Magnetic Video pre-cert release of Alien.

Scare Factor: None.

Early 1982-1984

Warning: On a black background, the name of the film or TV series/episode title (which varies based on the tape) types in. Afterwards the warning text types in. Everything is blue with a white outline.

Variants:

• The notice at the bottom of the text was changed various times.
  • Early-Late 1982:  "This program is manufactured, distributed, and marketed solely by 20th Century-Fox Video Limited.".
  • Late 1982-1984: "This program is manufactured, distributed, and marketed solely by CBS/FOX Video Limited."
• A rare variant exists on the pre-cert release of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The warning is completely different, the title was in italics and just have the outline, a red line seperated between the title and warning text, which is colored in teal (minus the outline), and make room for the manufacturing notice typing in, in the same color as the warning text, except for the distributor name, which is in white and the word "LIMITED" is very small.

FX/SFX: The warning text typing in.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on old pre-cert VHS releases, like Judas Priest Live.

Scare Factor: None.

1984-2005

Warning: We see the Warning text scrolling up. On a black background, like the previous warning, the name of the film or TV program/episode title appearing on the tape appears in yellow. Below it is teal warning text reading:

THE COPYRIGHT PROPRIETOR HAS LICENSED
THIS PICTURE AND ALSO OTHER MATERIAL
FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO-CASSETTE FOR
PRIVATE HOME USE ONLY AND PROHIBITS
ANY OTHER USE, COPYING, REPRODUCTION
OR PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC, IN WHOLE OR
IN PART.

Variants:

• This notice at the bottom of the text was changed various times.
• 1984-1991: "This program is manufactured, distributed and marketed solely by CBS/FOX Video Limited."
  • 1991-1995: "THIS PROGRAM IS MANUFACTURED, DISTRIBUTED AND MARKETED SOLELY BY FOX VIDEO LIMITED."
  • 1994-1997: "THIS PROGRAM IS MANUFACTURED, DISTRIBUTED AND MARKETED SOLELY BY FOX GUILD HOME ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED."
  • 1995-2005: "THIS PROGRAM IS MANUFACTURED, DISTRIBUTED AND MARKETED SOLELY BY 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED."
  • 1997-2003: "THIS PROGRAM IS MANUFACTURED, DISTRIBUTED AND MARKETED SOLELY BY FOX PATHÉ HOME ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED."
• In the CBS/FOX era, the title faded in and remained at the top throughout the warning.
• The font varies. From 1984 to 1993, the font was in Helvetica. From 1993 to 1999, the font was in Futura. From 1999 onward a condensed Futura-ish font was used. Sometimes two fonts are used at once (the title using one and the scroll using another).
• In some cases, the title isn't in italics.
• In some rare cases (such as the 2000 VHS of The Simpsons Against the World), no italics are used.
• MGM Home Entertainment releases from 1999-2005 used this warning, though the manufacturing notice at the bottom is omitted.
• The 2005 releases of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and Robots have massively oversized title text, in a different font (which is also used for the warning scroll)

FX/SFX: The warning text scrolling.

Cheesy Factor: On rare occasions, the titles would suffer from typos. On the British VHS issue of Myra Breckinridge, the title appears as Myra Breckenridge. The same screen appears again at the end, only this time reading Myra Breckenbridge! See also the Aliens: Special Edition image above.

Music/Sounds: None, though on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the screen is pasted over the black screen at the end of the film, with the end music still going on.

Availability: Seen on most British tapes at both the start and the end.

Scare Factor: None. However, some may be surprised by its appearance on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, plastering the black screen that closes the film.

1999-present

Warning: On a black background, white warning text in Helvetica with UK & IRELAND above in red.

Variant: A rare variant exists where the warning has the name of the country in red above. Sometimes, the company may vary on the DVD, as either "Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Inc." or as "MGM Home Entertainment, Inc.".

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen at the end of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and MGM Home Entertainment DVDs. On early DVDs such as The Simpsons: The Complete First Season, X2: X-Men United, Fight Club, and the original UK DVD of The World is Not Enough, the warning appeared in front.

Scare Factor: None.

Australia

1977-1984

Warning: On a blue background is a large yellow "WARNING" with black drop shadow. Below it, white generic warning text, also with black drop shadow, scrolls up. When the last of the warning text is gone, it cuts to black or the 20th Century Fox Video bumper.

FX/SFX: The text scrolling.

Music/Sounds: Relaxing bright elevator music plays in the background. An announcer reads the text out loud.

Availability: Found at the end of Magnetic Video, start of 20th Century Fox-Video and start of early CBS/Fox Video releases in Australia. 

Scare Factor: None, unless you want to count the rather jarring cut from this bumper to the 20th Century Fox Video bumper. If you weren't expecting it, the scare factor could be higher.

1984-1988?

Warning: On the same background as the 1984 CBS/Fox Video logo, a large light blue "WARNING" fades in at the top. Underneath it, light blue warning text scrolls up. After the scrolling is done, "WARNING" fades out.

Variant: There is an alternate variant in a Courier New-type font with rephrased wording. In some cases this is used on the same tape as the standard version.

FX/SFX: The fading of "WARNING", the text scrolling.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Found on Australian CBS/Fox Video releases from the era.

Scare Factor: None.

1988?-1995

Warning: This is basically a generic warning screen that was used since 1986.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Found on later CBS/Fox Video releases, as well as most Fox Video releases.

Scare Factor: None

4th Warning (1995-2005)

Warning: On a black background, we see the warning text scrolling up.

Variant: On some tapes with the logo, the warning is on a black-blue gradient background.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on Fox tapes in Australia.

Scare Factor: None.

1999-present

Warning: Same as the UK warning, except it reads "AUSTRALIA".

Variant: A rare variant exists where the warning has the name of the country in red above. Sometimes, the company may vary on the DVD, as either "Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Inc." or as "MGM Home Entertainment, Inc.".

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Found at the end of Australian DVDs. Also appeared on some UK DVDs, like Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

Scare Factor: None.

Canada

1980-1999

Warning: The same red background is used, but this time, the warning text scrolls up, twice, once in English, and once in French.

FX/SFX: The warning text scrolling up.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on Canadian NTSC tapes. Used by Magnetic Video Corporation (1980-1982), 20th Century Fox Video (1982), CBS/Fox Video (1982-1998), Embassy Home Entertainment (1982-1998), Playhouse Video (1983-1990), Key Video (1983-1990), Charter Entertainment (1985-1988), Orion Home Video (1987-1998), Nelson Entertainment (1987-1991), Fox Video (1991-1998), 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1995-1999), Telegenic Entertainment (1997-1999), and Kaboom! Entertainment (1999-2003).

Scare Factor: None.

Italian

1991-1995

Warning: On a blue background with a Fox Video logo, we see the white warning typing in and scrolling

FX/SFX: The warning text typing in and scrolling

Music/Sounds: A typewriter sound and an electronic whoosh sound.

Availability: Seen on Fox Video releases.

Scare Factor: Low. The sound effects can startle some.

Japan

(1980s?-)

Warning: On a light blue background, the INTERPOL warning scrolls up in Japanese.

FX/SFX: The warning text scrolling.

Cheesy Factor: The Warning screen scrolls in a pretty choppy manner.

Availability: Seen on Japanese tapes from CBS/Fox Video, Fox Video, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Scare Factor: None.