Spelling Films

Credits

Descriptions by
DisneyInternationalFan, VortexArto, RSX-798, Hoa and thehugetvfan

Editions by
RSX-798

Video captures courtesy of
The AVTB Archives

Background

Spelling Entertainment Group formed its own film unit in 1990 to help push the distribution of Aaron Spelling productions in the international market. It was initially named as Spelling Films International before rebranding it in 1995 as Spelling Films, although SFI became an in-name only unit and the print logo appears on covers. Spelling Films was shut down in 1998 by majority owner Viacom (now Paramount Global), who wanted to pool resources into Spelling Television.

1st Logo (1991-1994)

Logo: Basically same as the Spelling Entertainment logo, with the logo centered and the name posed below it and "ENTERTAINMENT INC." is replaced with "FILMS INTERNATIONAL", which fades in below the logo. Also the "Spiral S" is metallic.

Technique: The fade in of the text.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Can be seen on the older overseas Blu-Ray releases of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. Also seen on old prints of Shadowlands, The Player and Storyville.

2nd Logo (1994-1997)

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Logo: On a black background, we see the blue version of the "S" from the TV logo but without the rounded rectangular structure zooming out from a distance. The words "SPELLING" with "FILMS" fades in between the two letters The dark gray light fades in from the logo and then the company byline appears below.

Bylines:

• 1994: Bylineless
• 1994-1995: "AN AFFILIATE OF" with the Blockbuster logo on the right.
• 1995-1997: "A SUBSIDIARY OF SPELLING ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, INC."

Variants:

• There is also an early version of the logo where the text on the right instead says "SPELLING" with two lines above the name and below it was ""FILMS INTERNATIONAL" in a Futura font.
• Depending on the print, the logo sometimes have a blue tint.

Closing Variants:

• 1994-1995: We see the "S" symbol on the left, and on the right is the text "SPELLING FILMS INTERNATIONAL" with the text "DISTRIBUTED BY" above, and the Blockbuster byline below.
• 1995-1996: Again, like the last one, but on the right is the text "SPELLING FILMS" with "FROM" above and below it was the Spelling byline. Sometimes, the logo is bylineless.
• 1996-1997: Again, similar to the last one, except the text on the right matches the opening logo, but in white, and below it was the Spelling byline in small print.
• 1997: Similar to the last ones, except the "S" is smaller and lacks the byline.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability:

• Can be seen on Spelling films from the era.
• The Blockbuster Entertainment variant can be found on The Babysitter (1995) as well as newer prints of Shadowlands, plastering the last logo, and international prints of The Usual Suspects.
• The Spelling byline version appears on The Thinner, Bound, The House of Yes, and Night Falls in Manhattan, as well as international prints of In & Out, Unforgettable and Moll Flanders.