Walt Disney Home Video/Touchstone Home Video[]
September 23, 1986–May 8, 1991[]
Bumper: On a cyan/dark green gradient background, we see the golden text:
If you would like to own a
videocassette of this program
for your home library, ask
your home video dealer about
purchasing new or previously
viewed tapes.
Variants:
- On VHS releases from 1988-91, the background is jungle green/black, and "new or" is removed.
- On French Canadian VHS tapes, the background is solid navy blue and the text is displayed in French.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: Brian Cummings says the text.
Music/Sounds Variant: None for the French Canadian variant.
Availability: Seen on all Disney and Touchstone VHS releases from 1986-87, such as Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Off Beat, Ruthless People, Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah (notable for being one of Disney's only acknowledgements of their infamous film Song of the South), the 1986 Classics releases of Pinocchio and Sleeping Beauty, and The Color of Money. The later variant is rarer and doesn't actually appear on every release, but can be found on Three Men and a Little Lady, as well as alternate prints of the 1988-90 Classics releases of Dumbo and Peter Pan. The first variant makes a surprise appearance on a late-1990s Canadian VHS reprint of Turner and Hooch.
Editor's Note: The variant very awkwardly cuts out the part where Brian Cummings says "new or". In fairness, this was produced before the advent of modern audio-editing programs (such as Audacity and GoldWave, the latter which would be introduced to the public 2 years after this bumper stopped getting used).
New World Video/Learning Corporation of America[]
1984–1991[]
Bumper: On a black background, we see the Helvetica text "Should you want to include this film in your home video library, ask your local video store about purchasing new or previously viewed tapes."
Variant: On the 1988 VHS of 18 Again!, the text is bolder and spaced out.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Seen on most New World Video and LCA VHS releases, such as What's Happening to Me?. On Godzilla 1985 and Dinosaurus!, this appears at the end of the tape as opposed to at the beginning.
RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video[]
November 22-December 20, 1989[]
Bumper: On a black background with two rusty gray bars (One is horizontal and looks more like concrete, and the other is vertical and looks more like marble), we see two red lines sandwiching the white text "SHOULD YOU WANT TO INCLUDE THIS FILM IN YOUR HOME VIDEO LIBRARY, ASK YOUR LOCAL VIDEO STORE ABOUT PURCHASING NEW OR PREVIOUSLY VIEWED TAPES.".
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Extremely rare. It has been known to appear only on Ghostbusters II and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
December 4, 1991[]
Bumper: We fade in on the "running with the bulls" scene from City Slickers. Animated VHS covers with bull horns slide across it for a while, then we just see film footage. We cut to a gray curtain background, on which one of the animated tape covers zooms out and bends. "BUY IT TODAY!," the PG-13 rating symbol, and a New Line Home Video copyright notice are all to its right.
FX/SFX: The film footage, and the tapes.
Music/Sounds: A male voiceover (Bill St. James) says "Ask your video retailer for details on how to purchase this previously viewed cassette... at a specially reduced price!" In the film footage, we hear the people running, then Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) yells "Please!," and when we cut to the final screen, he screams (from being gored by one of the bulls) as the voiceover says "City Slickers, buy it today!" A faint underscore plays under this.
Availability: Extremely rare. It can be seen on the original printing of City Slickers.
(CBS/)Fox Video[]
United States[]
July 1991[]
Bumper: We fade in on a black background containing the movie's title. Scenes play out as a VHS cover slides in from the top. Two copyrights fade in and out.
FX/SFX: The movie clips, the tape cover.
Music/Sounds: What appears to be a piece of the film score plays, with a male voiceover (John Leader) saying "Ask your retailer about purchasing previously viewed copies of Robin Hood...and buy this great adventure for your video library today!" Film dialogue plays between his lines.
Availability: Appears on the 1991 VHS of John Irvin's Robin Hood, the first FoxVideo release.
United Kingdom[]
1991 (A)[]
Bumper: We fade in on a still shot of John McClane (Bruce Willis) in Die Hard 2, leaping away from an explosion. The film's logo zooms in, and after a couple of seconds, we cut to a reddish-orange background with a slanted rental tape of the film. Next to it, this text wipes in:
TO BUY
A COPY
SEE
YOUR
VIDEO
SPECIALIST
FX/SFX: The logo zooming, and the text wiping in.
Music/Sounds: A male voiceover with an American accent says "We really hope you enjoy the movie you're about to see. If you would like to buy your own copy of the film, ask your video specialist for details."
Availability: Extremely rare. This was tailor-made for the UK rental VHS of Die Hard 2.
1991 (B)[]
Bumper: We see the last couple of seconds from the trailer for Young Guns II. When the footage freezes on the film logo against a wooden background, we hear an announcer.
FX/SFX: The movie trailer.
Music/Sounds: The audio and music heard from the trailer footage, minus the narrator. After William H. Bonney (Emilio Estevez) says, "Yoo-hoo! I'll make you famous.", a gunshot is heard. Then, the music fades out, and a male announcer with a Western accent says, "Next time, avoid a fight to see Young Guns II. When you return in this video, ask at your local video rental store about purchasing your own copy; it's available now at a doggone good price."
Availability: Exclusively seen on the UK rental VHS of Young Guns II: Blaze of Glory.
1992[]
Bumper: We see Joey "The Lips" Fagin (Johnny Murphy) in a video store, reading a magazine issue of Soul, featuring ex-rental videos and a film poster of The Commitments behind him. He puts down the magazine, noticing us and says, "Hello, brothers and sisters. Joey 'The Lips' Fagin here. Now that you've rented a copy of The Commitments on video, the Lord will surely bestow his blessing on you, just as he bestowed this blessing on my horn." The camera pulls back to reveal the horn to his left, which Joey taps lightly, with an ex-rental video of The Commitments to his right. He continues, "And if you enjoy the film, which I'm sure you truly will, why don't you ask the good people at the video store where you rented it when they're going to be selling ex-rental copies. So, there you go. That's the message from me. Go and buy an ex-rental copy of The Commitments on video, and tell them Joey 'The Lips' Fagin sent you. (He picks up his magazine again) Oh, by the way, enjoy the film."
FX/SFX: All live action.
Music/Sounds: Joey's dialogue.
Availability: Exclusively seen on the UK rental VHS of The Commitments.
1993[]
Bumper: We see on a light-normal blue gradient background, a slightly faded shot of Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) as the Statue of Liberty, doing his famous "screaming" pose. Then, the rental cassette of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York slides in from the left and settles on the left side of the screen. The following words...
Want your own
copy?
fade in. Below it, this text also fades in:
Why not buy an
ex-rental copy!
FX/SFX: The cover sliding in, and the text fading in.
Music/Sounds: A male announcer says, "Want to own your own copy of Home Alone 2? Then, get down to your video store where you rented this, and ask about buying an ex-rental copy."
Availability: This was exclusively seen on the UK rental VHS of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
MCA/Universal Home Video[]
November 7, 1991–June 11, 1992[]
Nicknames: "The Slide Show," "The Evolution of Home Entertainment"
Bumper: In the form of a slide show, we see the following:
- MCA/UNIVERSAL HOME VIDEO PRESENTS
- THE EVOLUTION OF HOME ENTERTAINMENT
- slide projector starting up
- FIRE (illustrated with a campfire)
- PET (illustrated with a dog)
- TELEVISION (illustrated with a wood paneled tube TV with an antenna on the top)
- REMOTE CONTROL (illustrated with a human hand holding one)
- HOME VIDEO (illustrated with a VHS with dark red and yellow reels, followed by a stack of videotapes on a VCR)
- PREVIOUSLY-VIEWED (illustrated by a purple-grey VHS cover with "HIT MOVIE" on the top)
- The same tape as in the above slide, except with a "Previously Viewed" sticker on it
- All of the first four images, one appearing at a time
- The final image, slanted and placed over the previous collage (now in black and white)
- The second illustration for "HOME VIDEO," but larger and without the text at the bottom
- MODERN HAPPY HUMANS (a mom, a dad, a boy, and a girl)
- Back to the empty slide projector
The scene fades out, and we fade in on a color background that varies by tape, where we see a VHS copy of whatever tape the bumper is on. The "Previously Viewed" sticker zooms out onto the tape. "While Quantities Last." fades in underneath.
Variants:
- On Backdraft, the tape is slanted and there's no text underneath.
- On Cape Fear (1991), at the final screen, the tape zooms in and the bottom text reads "While Supplies Last" in a different font.
FX/SFX: The slides, and at the end, the sticker.
Music/Sounds: The class chatters for a while, then we hear (the slides are accompanied with projector noises and clicking sounds):
- Teacher: Class, class, please uh, Billy, Janie. Today's subject is the evolution of home entertainment. Man's first entertainment experience came—
- Billy: (says something indiscernible)
- Teacher: Uh, thank you. ...with the invention of fire. It lit up the cave, but date nights were pretty boring. Then came the pet. A good friend and protector, sure, but tough to find one that can sing and dance. The television, a definite breakthrough step in home entertainment. The remote control, an even bigger step. Now home video, a major step in the evolutionary chain. Man could watch what he wanted to watch, whenever he wanted to watch it.
- Janie: (giggles)
- Teacher: Perfect woman. And finally, the previously viewed cassette. Now, not only could man rent current hit movies, he could buy previously viewed copies at low, affordable prices and add them to his home video library. Now to recap, man can have a fire in the fireplace, a pet at his side, a remote control in his hand, and a television playing a current hit movie from his home video library, a movie he bought as a previously viewed cassette at a collectible price, completing the ultimate home entertainment experience for today's modern happy humans right here.
- (bell rings, children cheer)
- Teacher: Well, there will be a quiz on this tomorrow, class, and, uh—
- Janie (as we hear something being knocked over): Tomorrow's Saturday!
- Teacher: Alright, yes, and the next day would be Sunday. Thank you...
At the final screen, John Leader says "Pick up your previously viewed copy of [NAME OF MOVIE] at your neighborhood video outlet."
Availability: Ultra rare. It appears on the original VHS releases of Backdraft, Mobsters, Pure Luck, and Cape Fear (1991).
August 27, 1992–June 30, 1993[]
Nicknames: "The Chalkboard," "Modern Family Trends of the 90's"
Bumper: We fade in on a chalkboard reading "MODERN FAMILY TRENDS OF THE 90'S." It gets erased and four stick figures representing a family (a father, a mother, and two children) draw themselves in. A dog then draws itself in on the righthand side of the family. That too gets erased, and in its place we see a house, a tree, a smiling sun, and grass. Following it is "VIDEO LIBRARY" and a stack of VHS tapes, and "PREVIOUSLY-VIEWED CASSETTE" with a tape (reading "VIDEO" on the spine) underneath. After the previous image is erased, the chalkboard becomes scratched and the previous image is redrawn without the cassette, then finally erased. The scene fades out, and like in the last bumper, we cut to a movie-specific backdrop.
Variants:
- On The Babe, the tape zooms towards the viewer.
- On some tapes, the sticker from the last bumper zooms onto the tape.
- On Fried Green Tomatoes, after the VHS tape is shown, it crossfades to an offer for Mary Kay Cosmetics.
FX/SFX: The chalk writing, and the sticker.
Music/Sounds: The class chatters for a bit, then the following dialogue occurs:
- Teacher: Class, class, settle down now. Today's lesson is on modern family trends of the 90's. Now what does a family of the 90's want? Uh, Janie?
- Janie: A dog?
- Teacher: A dog. Good. Billy?
- Billy: A nice no-load mutual fund?
- Teacher: Well, uh, Billy, I was thinking more along the lines of basic necessities; you know, a home, uh, what, uh, good health is very important, but what's most important is, of course, a video library. Yes, building a library of favorite videos has become an important trend for the family of the 90's. Now how do you build a home video library? Good question. One popular method is to buy previously viewed cassettes, right. Top movies at low, affordable prices that you can add to your home video library, then you can watch whatever you wanna watch, whenever you wanna watch it.
- Janie: Hey Billy, watch it!
- (class argument)
- Teacher: Hey hey hey hey hey—
- (screeching noise)
- Teacher: Thank you so much, class. Now, any questions about buying previously viewed cassettes? Okay, then, our next topic will be discipline in the 90's. In my hey, ah, day, you never spoke until you were spoken to.
- Janie: When did that change?
- Teacher: I don't believe I was speaking to you, Janie.
At the final screen, John Leader says "Ask your video dealer about purchasing a previously viewed copy of [NAME OF MOVIE], while supplies last."
Availability: More common than the previous bumper, but still rare. It appears on Fried Green Tomatoes, The Babe, Housesitter, Death Becomes Her, Sneakers, Mr. Baseball, Lorenzo's Oil, and Matinee.
Live Home Video[]
October 6, 1992[]
Bumper: On a grey-orange gradient background of Basic Instinct logos, we see a VHS copy of the film, and on its right is the following in a compact font:
Ask your
video dealer
about purchasing a
previously viewed
copy of
BASIC INSTINCT
for your
video collection.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: After a few seconds, a male voiceover says the text.
Availability: Appears at the end of the 1992 VHS of the original theatrical cut of Basic Instinct.
MGM/UA Home Video[]
March 3, 1993[]
Bumper: TBA
FX/SFX: TBA
Music/Sounds: TBA
Availability: Appears on the 1993 VHS of Of Mice and Men.
May 27, 1993[]
Bumper: Over scenes from Body of Evidence, a review quote from Bob Healy of KBIG-FM Radio (Los Angeles, CA) scrolls across the screen. When it fades, a VHS cover turns around. After more film scenes, the cover reappears, dropping down from the top of the screen.
FX/SFX: The film footage, the review blurb scrolling, and the tape cover.
Music/Sounds: Over a piece of the film score, we hear:
- Voiceover (Jerry Bishop): You're about to see the movie that critics say "makes Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction look like Romper Room," Body of Evidence.
- Rebecca Carlson (Madonna): All we did was make love.
- Frank (Willem Dafoe): In handcuffs.
- (handcuff clicking noise)
- Voiceover: After viewing this film, you'll want to own it as well.
- Rebecca: There's nothing wrong with admitting that you want me.
- Voiceover: Body of Evidence is one hot thriller. Talk to your video retailer about purchasing a previously viewed copy of Body of Evidence at a fabulous low price.
- Rebecca: It's easier, doesn't it, Frank?
- Voiceover: Take a walk on the wild side. Take Madonna home tonight! Take Madonna home forever.
- Rebecca: I'm hard to resist.
Availability: Appears on the 1993 VHS of Body of Evidence: Unrated Edition.
Warner Home Video[]
March 27, 1991[]
Bumper: On a black background, a VHS copy of Presumed Innocent (titled to the right) is shown on the lefthand side, with the MPAA R rating symbol on its lower-right. The movie's logo is next to it, with "ASK YOUR VIDEO DEALER FOR DETAILS" underneath.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: A male voiceover saying "If you would like to add Presumed Innocent to your video collection, ask your video dealer for details on how to purchase this previously viewed videocassette at a special collectible price."
Availability: Extremely rare. It appears on the original 1991 VHS of Presumed Innocent.
June 19, 1991[]
Bumper: We fade in on a TV displaying the title of GoodFellas. After a while, we pan to the right, where a VHS slipcover and a stack of copies (with GoodFellas end labels) rest atop a VCR (which also has a copy of the tape inside). "Ask Your Video Retailer For Details" fades in on the upper right, alongside the MPAA R rating symbol on the lower righthand side of the tape cover. The text and symbol fade out, continuing into the "stay tuned" portion of the promo.
FX/SFX: Live-action except for the text.
Music/Sounds: The ending section of "Layla" by Derek & the Dominos (dubbed "Layla (Piano Exit)" on the soundtrack album), with a male voiceover (Don LaFontaine) saying "If you would like to add GoodFellas to your video collection, ask your video dealer for details on how to purchase this previously viewed videocassette at a special reduced price."
Availability: Extremely rare. It appears on the first printing of the 1991 VHS of GoodFellas.
Paramount Home Entertainment[]
March 21-July 18, 1991[]
Nicknames: "The Dog Who Loved Paramount", "Movie Night"
Bumper: A husband and wife sitting on a couch, with their dog sleeping, decide to spend the night watching a movie together. The husband tells the dog, Baron, to pick out a film. As Baron browses the shelf of movies, he first picks out a tape of the 1985 drama My Life as a Dog, to which the parents reply that they've seen four times over the past week already. The dog then picks out the correct tape, putting it into the VHS player and turning it on for the parents, before sitting on their laps. The husband then asks the dog to make popcorn (and butter) as they watch the movie and the dog walks away. We then cut to the 1986 Paramount Pictures logo with the "A Paramount Communications Company" byline fading in, then to a screen with the following text in a blue box on a gray background:
The availability and copyright information appears centered below the blue box.
Trivia: Many Paramount tapes can be seen on the family's video shelf.
Variants:
- On the 1991 VHS of Ghost, the Paramount logo at the end is fully formed and has the copyright information centered at the bottom (with no periods and the "(C)" symbol after "Copyright"). On the availability screen, no copyright information is seen below.
- The dialogue is also slightly different on this release; at the start, the husband asks "So how 'bout a love story tonight?" and during the announcer's spiel about rental cassettes, the announcer specifies that the rental cassettes are of Ghost.
- The Australian VHS of Ghost instead features a different screen, with a purple-black gradient background with a copy of the tape on the right, and the text "If you are interested in purchasing an ex-rental video cassette of GHOST, ask your local video dealer to-day!" on the left, and a copyright stamp on the bottom.
FX/SFX: Live-action except for the cut to the Paramount Pictures logo and the text.
Music/Sounds: A piano piece plays as the dog browses for the correct tape. After the movie is turned on, a piece of music plays in the background corresponding to the genre of the movie the dog picks. Over the Paramount Pictures logo and availability screen, we hear the sound of a popcorn machine being turned on. During the bumper, we hear this dialogue:
- Husband: So, uh, how 'bout a movie tonight?
- Wife: Terrific.
- Husband: Alright. Baron... [FILM TITLE], Paramount, [YEAR OF FILM RELEASE].
- (dog pants and whimpers)
- Husband: Come on, Baron, we've seen that three times this week!
- Wife: Four.
- Announcer: When you really like something, it's nice to have it around all the time - like the movie you've just rented, [FILM TITLE]. Many video dealers will soon be selling their rental cassettes at a very low price, so you can own one, and enjoy it anytime.
- Husband: Baron - popcorn! Go on! Shhh! Hey... don't forget the butter!
[FILM TITLE] and [YEAR OF FILM RELEASE], and therefore the tape seen in the bumper, vary by tape.
Availability: Extremely rare. This bumper appears on pressings of Ghost that lack the "Great Movies, Great Price" promo, and Flight of the Intruder.
Editor's Note: A fun bumper, although the popcorn machine sounds at the very end might startle some. This was the first video rental bumper made by Paramount and also the shortest-lived overall, only appearing on two releases.
October 10-December 19, 1991[]
Nicknames: "The Dog Who Loved Paramount II", "Baron at the Video Store", "Dogs Will Be Dogs"
Bumper: A husband and wife walk their dog, Baron, to their local video store, talking to themselves about how they love renting tapes. At the counter, the husband asks the clerk if they have any extra rentals of a film, to which the clerk says they're in stock and very low priced. The family lets their dog find the tape for them, with the clerk initially upset at the family for letting their dog in the store, before becoming shocked that Baron knows where he's going - the parents come to the video store all the time. As the clerk chatters in the background, the dog comes back with a VHS of Pet Sematary; the husband tells the dog they can get the tape after saving up their allowance, then tells them again to get the tape he asked for. The clerk is equally as surprised to learn that the dog has his own allowance, and that the parents are planning to get the VHS for the dog's birthday, only for the dog to once again come back with the Pet Sematary VHS. The third time, the dog finally picks the tape the family wanted, and the family leaves the store... only for Baron to try and shoplift the Pet Sematary VHS and the clerk to put it back. The family drives back home as the clerk talks to himself about thinking the dog is driving as we fade to the 1986 Paramount Pictures logo. Then it cuts to a black background, with the following text scrolling upwards:
in purchasing
a previously viewed
cassette,
ask your video dealer
for details.
Prices and availability
will vary.
TM & © COPYRIGHT 1991 BY PARAMOUNT PICTURES
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Trivia: References to other Paramount titles can be seen throughout the bumper. Besides the Pet Sematary tape, there are also standees for He Said, She Said and Ghost, and posters for the Star Trek motion pictures, Flight of the Intruder, Almost an Angel, and Funny About Love (and even a non-Paramount title, Fox's Marked for Death) seen throughout. Other tapes shown in this bumper include Days of Thunder, Black Rain, Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael, Ghost, The Hunt for Red October, and Fat Man and Little Boy.
FX/SFX: Live action, except for the fade to the Paramount Pictures logo, and the text scrolling at the end.
Music/Sounds: When the dog starts to browse around for tapes, a whimsical music piece with an acoustic guitar and whistling starts playing in the background for the rest of the bumper. Alarms cut the music off when the dog is about to shoplift the tape (a "boing" noise is heard when he drops it), before the music starts again (and during the last line, we hear a car driving off). During the bumper, we hear this dialogue:
- Husband: We'll have all the movies we've always wanted to have...
- Wife: I love owning our own tapes...
- (Baron barks)
- Clerk: Oh! Dear me, uh, um... may I help you?
- Husband: Yeah, we heard you were selling your extra rental cassettes of [FILM TITLE].
- Clerk: Yeah, sir, that's right, uh, they're very low-priced. We have a few of 'em left over there.
- Husband & Wife: Great!
- Husband: Baron, would you mind fetching that for us?
- Clerk: No, sir, no, dogs are not allowed. I'm very sor- dog- this...he knows where to go?
- Wife: Sure, he comes here all the time.
- Clerk: Well, this is my first day on the job, and I don't know, in our orientation meetin', they explained to us that animals were not allowed, except for seein'-eye dogs. I think that is a seein'-eye dog, I mean correct me if I'm wrong...
- Husband: Oh, here he comes... (laughs) Not a chance, pal. If you want that you're gonna have to save up your allowance. Now go get [FILM TITLE]. Go on.
- Clerk: You gave your dog an allowance?
- Wife: He's not good with money...
- Husband: (laughs) Besides - we've already bought that for him for his birthday.
- Wife: Don't say anything. (laughs)
- Husband: ...cheap trick, Baron. Now go get [FILM TITLE].
- Bystander: Well, isn't that somethin'!
- Clerk: You want me to put that in a bag for you?
- Husband: Okay, Baron, you go ahead; we'll meet you back at the car.
- Wife: He's so impatient...
- Husband: You never know, he might leave without us!
- Husband & Wife: Bye!
- Clerk: Bye!... he drives?!
- Husband: Not without these!... oh, gosh... Baron! (laughs) Baron, you're killin' me here!... putting it back. Sorry, bye.
- Clerk: Dogs'll be dogs!
- Husband: I can't believe you did this. No miniature golf for you tonight...
- Clerk: Bye! Y'all drive careful!... Lord, I think that dog's drivin'.
[FILM TITLE], and therefore the tape seen in the bumper, varies by tape.
Availability: A little more common than the previous bumper, but still rare. Only seen on the original VHS releases of The Godfather Part III, Soapdish, and The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear.
Editor's Note: The editing on the husband saying the name of the tape is rather choppy, though this is justified as the bumper was released years before audio editing software became mainstream. Regardless, this is a cute, silly, and harmless bumper. While not the most well-known Paramount rental bumper, it likely left a good impression on its audience, to the point where another bumper was made featuring Baron a year later.
February 20-July 23, 1992[]
Nicknames: "The Dog Who Loved Paramount III", "Baron & Family"
Bumper: In the evening, we see a family having dinner, with their kids quietly devouring their food and simply staring at each other - even their dog, Baron. After some failed attempts to start a conversation, the family starts discussing what they should do tonight; anything would be better than nothing, which they did yesterday night. As the family thinks of ideas, Baron sneaks out of the room and brings in a video he bought from the video store, once again turning the TV on for himself and watching a tape - which gives the family the idea of renting a video tonight. As the family heads out to the store, the father congratulates Baron and asks him to save them some popcorn... as Baron begins to call up the local popcorn delivery company. The screen then cuts to black as an announcer reads the following text that scrolls from the top to the bottom of the screen, excluding the copyright info:
carries a wide
selection of films...
adventures,
dramas, mysteries,
comedies, classics
and children's fare.
Don't hesitate to
ask your video
retailer for suggestions.
In addition
to the movies
you already know,
he can recommend many
lesser-known films
you're bound
to enjoy.
Remember...
great entertainment
awaits you...
Weekends and Weekdays.
~~
TM & © COPYRIGHT 1992 BY PARAMOUNT PICTURES
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Trivia: Unlike the previous two bumpers, this video dealer announcement wasn't always the last trailer in the opening trailer reel. The April 1992 VHS releases of Necessary Roughness and Stepping Out include the video dealer announcement before several shorter trailers.
FX/SFX: Live-action except for the scrolling text at the end.
Music/Sounds: As we fade in on the exterior of the house and watch as the family eats dinner, a plodding, comedic trumpet piece plays in the background. When the dog sneaks out to rent a video from the store, the music changes to a quicker-paced track using the same instruments along the lines of "Yakety Sax." After the dog inserts the tape, country music can be heard at a low volume until the scrolling text is shown. During the bumper, we hear this dialogue:
- Mother: So how was work?
- Father: Fine. How was your day?
- Mother: Fine, thank you.
- Father: How was school?
- Son: Okay.
- Daughter: Okay.
- Mother: Did you kids finish your homework?
- Daughter: Yeah.
- Son: Yeah.
- Father: So... what should we do tonight?
- Mother: Well, I think we should do something.
- Son: Anything's better than last night.
- Mother: Well, what did we do last night?
- Son & Daughter: Nothing.
- (Baron whimpers)
- Father: Alright... alright, then we should do something.
- Mother: Something sounds good.
- Father: I have an idea. Why don't we all put on our thinking caps?
- Mother: Ooh...
- Announcer: Weeknights can be a real bore... so why not break the routine?
- Mother: Why don't we all learn Portuguese?
- Son: I don't wanna learn Portuguese tonight.
- Father: I know, we could all sing a round of sea shanties.
- Son: What's a sea shanty?
- (Baron barks)
- Husband: Not now, Baron. We're tryin' to decide something. (whispering) We'll play later.
- Announcer: When you rent videos during the week, you have five more nights to catch up on all the movies you might have missed. Isn't that a nice reward for working like a dog?
- Father: Honey, what's going on in the living room?
- Mother: Oh - well, that's Baron watchin' a tape, dear.
- Father: Oh... wait. I've thought of something. Why don't we rent a video tonight?
- Son: Yeah, can we, please?
- Mother: On a weeknight?
- Daughter: Yeah, come on Mom, it's okay.
- Father: Sure, come on. Let's throw caution to the wind! Come on!
- Mother: Okay! Are they even open during the week?
- Daughter: Sure! Maybe we can get two.
- Mother: All right, let me get the coats... hold on you two.
- Father: Way to go, Baron. I knew you'd think of something. Save us some popcorn!
- (Baron barks twice)
- (Phone rings)
- Attendee: Hello, Pete's Popcorn Delivery.
- Announcer: Put a little weekend in your week... rent a video!
Availability: Rare, bordering on uncommon. This bumper appeared on the initial 1992 VHS pressings of Body Parts, Dead Again, Necessary Roughness, Stepping Out, Frankie and Johnny, The Butcher's Wife, The Addams Family, Original Intent, Killer Image, Hunting, Seedpeople, Child of Darkness Child of Light, Intimate Stranger, Deadly Game, and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. It can also be seen on the Directors' Series reissues of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Fatal Attraction.
Editor's Note: A corny, yet iconic bumper that's fondly remembered among VHS enthusiasts. Details like the family's dinner changing to dessert when Baron leaves and the "paws" button on his remote add a quirky flair to the bumper. This was the final video dealer announcement created by Paramount, and they went out on a great note.