Overseas Filmgroup

Credits

Descriptions by
EnormousRat

Captures by
EnormousRat

Video captures courtesy of
EnormousRat

Background

Overseas Filmgroup was founded in 1980 by Robert and Ellen Little as a film sales company for foreign markets. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, the company operated in several international territories such as Spain, Taiwan and Italy. In 1993, it expanded towards North American distribution through its First Look Pictures division.

In January 2001, the two companies were made subsidiaries of the First Look Media holding as part of a restructuring. In 2003, founders Robert and Ellen Little left Overseas Filmgroup, which was shortly after renamed to "First Look International". The rights to most, if not all of the company's films currently lay with FilmRise through its acquisition of the Alchemy film library (which included that of First Look and Overseas).

1st Logo (September 25, 1981-1999)

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Visuals: On a black background, there is a glowing sphere with a black spot, which slowly slides diagonally to the right, slowly revealing a blue sphere. While that's happening, two triangles fly in from both sides, surrounding the sphere from bottom as it's fully revealed. The right triangle has a scratched surface. Then, the stacked words "OVERSEAS FILMGROUP" in 3D fade in above the logo.

Variant: On Stand-Ins, the logo is still and two-dimensional, and shines continuously.

Technique: CGI.

Audio:

• 1981-1995: A dramatic flute tune with bass drum hits, which turns into a majestic fanfare once the logo is formed.
• 1995-1999: A whoosh and locking sounds.

Audio Variants:

• On Stand-Ins, a majestic trumpet fanfare is used.
• Sometimes, it is silent.

Availability:

• It is intact on the British Hollywood DVD of Moon 44, the Olive Films DVD & Blu-Ray of Ticks (as well as the Canadian C/FP Video release), FilmRise's prints of Born American and Aftershock, the Australian uncut DVD (possibly) of Ruggerro Deodato's Body Count, the German (uncut) EMS DVD of Retribution, and the First Look DVD of Maniac Cop 2, among possible others; it is unknown if this was retained on Blue Underground's Blu-Ray release of Maniac Cop 2.
• Appears on old video and international releases of Southern Comfort, Runaway Dreams (except the Dutch Arrow Film VHS release), Dumb Luck in Vegas, Trading Mom, The Secret of Roan Inish, Retribution, Blue Desert, To Die For II: Son of Darkness, and on earlier releases of the live-action Fist of the North Star (most current prints are plastered with the 2nd First Look Media logo, although this was retained on a recent Showtime airing), among others.

2nd Logo (December 24, 1999-2001)

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Visuals: Over a black background, the logo starts with the stacked words "OVERSEAS FILMGROUP" in an Arial Black font.

Variant: On some films like Relative Values, the text is blue.

Technique: A still, computerized graphic.

Audio: None or the film's opening theme.

Availability: Seen on Titus, All Forgotten, and recent international prints of Moon 44, where it plasters over the previous logo.

3rd Logo (2001-December 23, 2003)

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Visuals: Same as the 2001 First Look Media logo, except the company name is changed to "OVERSEAS FILMGROUP". Below is the byline "A DIVISION OF FIRST LOOK MEDIA".

Technique: Same as the FLM logo.

Audio: Same as the FLM logo.

Availability: Seen on films such as Bone Snatcher and Between Strangers. Starting in 2003, this was replaced by the First Look International logo.

Overseas Filmgroup

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