Guild Home Video/Warning Screens

British Warnings

1st Warning (1980-1983)

Warning: On a blue background, the big yellow word "NOTICE" scrolls up, and then the warning text follows. The text is followed by a line with "GUILD HOME VIDEO LTD" underneath.

Technique: The words scrolling

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on tapes in the UK from Guild Home Video. Look for ones that have the Guild logo at the top of the case and a pink/blue bar round the bottom. Appears on Scanners and The Postman Always Rings Twice.

2nd Warning (1983-1992)

Warning: On a blue background, the white words "It is unlawful to" type themselves in, then the following wipes itself in one at a time.

1. Copy, alter or cut all or any part of the material on this tape, the packaging or the labelling without the Copyright Owner's consent. 2. Show the film to any public or private audience whether fee-paying or not. 3. Hire, diffuse, broadcast or trade in the cassettes other than with written permission from Guild Home Video Limited. 4. This video cassette is a genuine first generation copy produced by Guild Home Video Limited.

After a moment "Copyright exists in the material in/on this cassette", in a smaller font than the rest of the text, appears below.

Variants:

LaserDisc releases replace "tape" and "cassette" with "disc".
In rare occurrences, a hybrid of the VHS/LaserDisc warnings would be used; wherein points 1 & 2 are about VHS, but 3 & 4 are about LaserDiscs, as well as the small text at the bottom of the warning.
An early variation did not contain the "genuine first generation copy" text.

Technique: The first part typing itself in, the numbered parts wiping themselves in.

Music/Sounds:

1983-1985: Part of an extended version of the logo's theme.
1985-1992: None.

Music/Sounds Variant: On some tapes, if you listen closely you can hear the last part of the music, just before the logo fades out. This is presumably due to sloppy fading in the transition between the "Tick" and "Go Guild" logos.

Availability: Seen on tapes including First Blood and The Wizard. The musical variant is seen on any tapes with the "Tick" Guild Home Video logo, including Cujo, Missing in Action and Private Popsicle. The early variant appeared on a pre-cert release of the original version of The Amityville Horror. The variant with the last part of the music being played faintly can be seen on Action Jackson, which also contains the "hybrid" variant.

3rd Warning (1992-1997)

Warning: On a blue background with a light blue Guild logo we see the same text from the previous warning appearing in the following way: the first part, "It is Unlawful to;" wipes itself above, then he parts as seen in the first one (minus the numbering) fade in below it, one at a time, with "Copyright exists in the material in/on this cassette" (smaller than the rest of the text) fading in simultaneously with the last part of the warning.

Technique: The words wiping themselves on and fading in.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on later Guild releases, like A River Runs Through It and Basic Instinct.

Czech Warning

(Early 1990's)

Warning: On a blue background with a light blue Guild logo, we see the following text:

"UPOZORNĚNÍ: VEŠKERÁ PRÁVA NA TUTO VIDEOKAZETU JSOU VYHRAZENA! MAJITEL AUTORSKÝCH PRÁV POVOLUJE PROJEKCI FILMŮ NA TÉTO VIDEOKAZETĚ POUZE PRO DOMÁCI POUŽITÍ. VEŠKERÁ OSTATNÍ PRÁVA SI VYHRAZUJE, BEZ SOUHLASU MAJITELE AUTORSKÝCH PRÁV JE ZAKÁZÁNA VÝROBA KOPIÍ, PRONÁJEM, PŮJČOVÁNÍ A VEŘEJNÉ PROVOZOVÁNÍ TOHOTO DÍLA NEBO JEHO ČÁSTI. PORUŠENÍ MUŽE MÍT ŽA NÁSLEDEK TRESTNÉ PRÁVNI DŮSLEDKY." Translation: "WARNING: ALL RIGHTS TO THIS VIDEOTAPE ARE RESERVED! THE COPYRIGHT OWNER PERMITS THE PROJECTION OF MOVIES ON THIS VIDEOTAPE FOR HOME USE ONLY. ALL OTHER RIGHTS RESERVED, WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNER, THE PRODUCTION OF COPIES, RENTAL, LENDING AND PUBLIC OPERATION OF THIS WORK OR PART THEREOF IS PROHIBITED. VIOLATIONS CAN RESULT IN CRIMINAL LAW CONSEQUENCES."

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extremely rare. Seen on Czech Guild Home Video VHS releases, including Columbia-TriStar Home Video releases like The Last Dragon.