Universal Warning Screens

Background: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is an American home video distributor and a video format, founded in Atlanta, GA on December 11, 1978 as DiscoVision. In 1980, DiscoVision launched MCA Videocassette, Inc. after two video distributors having to releases titles were Castle Films and Magnetic Video Corporation, later in 1981, they change its name into MCA Video, Inc. and LaserDiscs. In 1983, they rebranded into MCA Home Video, Inc. Following the 75th Anniversary of Universal City Studios in the year 1990, they changed to MCA/Universal Home Video. In March 10, 1998, MCA/Universal Home Video launched DreamWorks Home Entertainment and later on October 20, 1998, they rebranded to Universal Studios Home Video after MCA ceased operations in late-1997. In 2000, the makers of LaserDiscs named Universal Studios, Inc. discontinued LaserDiscs. In 2005, they rebranded into Universal Studios Home Entertainment and sell DreamWorks rights to Paramount Home Entertainment in 2006 while VHS discontinued in 2007. In 2006, HD-DVD was introduced by Toshiba and shifted to BD discs in 2008. In February 2016 when following restructing, they rebranded into Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and later bought DreamWorks from Disney and 20th Century Fox for $11 billion on August 2016 after a 10-year hiatus.

## 1st Warning

(December 11, 1978-April 1984)

Warning: On a bright red background, we see the words "FBI WARNING" (with "FBI" in large, tall letters and the whole thing in Folio) 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) in News Gothic.

Variants: The background is just red, not bright or dark and the text is the "$250,000 fine" version instead of the "Title 17" version. It introduced in 1982.

Availability: On at the end of every DiscoVision, MCA Videodisc, and MCA Home Video LaserDiscs releases such as Jaws, Blue Brothers, and E.T. Also on 20th Century Fox, Video Treasures, and Goodtimes videos.

## 2nd Warning

(1980-1993)

Warning: On a black background, we see the word FBI Warning at the top of the screen in red and in Helvetica font. Below it we see the standard warning text, in smaller print and in white.

Variants:

* On classic movies, the Warning word is B&W.
* Starting in 1983, the warning screen began use on MCA Home Video laserdiscs. The wording was altered for laserdiscs and was created by a character generator. This was used until around 1988 or 1989 when the next warning was used.
* On most French Canadian releases from MCA/Universal and Alliance, the warning is white and scrolls up.
* The next warning is an improved variant of this one.

Availability: On every MCA Videocassette, Inc. releases from 1980-1983, MCA Home Video releases from 1983-1990, MCA/Universal Home Video releases from 1990-1993 such as Blue Brothers, Back to the Future 1, The Land Before Time, An American Tail, and Field of Dreams and as well as early releases from Cineplex Odeon Video and from Alliance Releasing Home Video, as seen on Night Crawl and Bedroom Eyes II, among others. One of the last VHS release was Child's Play 2, Army Of Darkness and Frozen Assets in 1991 and 1993. It can also be found on later Indianapolis based KVC Home Video releases. Later releases from MCA DiscoVision and MCA Videodisc did not have this warning. The warning makes a surprise appearance at the start of the 1982 Vestron Video release of Benji, followed by a long stretch of black before the feature presentation. Also on IVE/Live/Artisan/Lionsgate, Pioneer Entertainment, Vidmark/Trimark, and Vestron Video releases.

## 3rd Warning

(1988-March 14, 2006)

Warning: Exactly like the previous warning but it looks modern to me. The Warning word is in fire red engine and warning message is in white.

Variants:

* There is a DVD variant of the warning in which the word "WARNING" was slightly larger, colored a regular shade of red and doesn't have a drop shadow, and the warning text was somewhat modified. This was also used on laserdisc releases starting around 1988.
* On classic movies, it is B&W on the WARNING word.
* There's also a Canadian variant, but the Warning word in Arial and messages updated and can be found on Canadian Universal, Alliance/Alliance Atlantis, and Lionsgate releases. In which the words Title 17, United States Code, Section 501 and 506 are replaced with the Anti-Piracy message from the Canadian Bureau of Protection of Film and Videocassette with the toll-free number (1-800-361-9166) and the words "All calls confidential". This is spotted on the 1988 VHS/Betamax release of *E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial*and on most Alliance releases from 1992 to 2006, before Alliance started to use its own Interpol warning.
* A Spanish-language variant exists on Spanish-dubbed releases of movies such as *Babe* and *Casper*.

Availability: On most later MCA Home Video releases (only on laserdisc), MCA/Universal Home Video, Universal Studios Home Video, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Cineplex Odeon Video (some releases from 1990, but mainly 1992-93 for regular version. The Canadian variant appears from 1993-98 when company folded), Trimark Home Video, Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Alliance/Alliance Atlantis, Goodtimes, and DreamWorks Home Entertainment releases from the era. The DVD version was seen on Universal and DreamWorks DVD releases of the era, as well as Trimark, Goodtimes and pre-2006 Lionsgate DVD releases. This logo did not start use on VHS until 1991, with Kindergarten Cop being one of the first to use this warning. Don't expect the Spanish variant to appear on Trimark/Lionsgate releases because they used the ones from Trimark instead.

## 4th Warning

(1992-March 25, 1997)

Warning: On a color-changing gradient background, appears the warning text in white and in a different font (Times New Roman).

Music/Sounds: The 1987-1999 WMHT logo.

Availability: Extremely rare. Appears at the end of the MCA/Universal Home Video releases. Was first shown on 1992 VHS of Pure Luck, also appears on Army of Darkness, The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure, Casper, and Babe, and final showing on 1997 VHS of Grace of My Heart.

## 5th Warning

(September 9, 1997-November 29, 1999)

Warning: We see a wallpaper with copies of the 1995 Paramount logo all over it. We see the standard warning in the ITC Benguiat Medium.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 4th warning.

Availability: As shown on the end of MCA/Universal Home Video and Universal Studios Home Video VHS and DVD releases such as Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius, Blue's Big Musical Movie, McHale's Navy (the first release to use this logo), Kindergarten Cop, EDtv (last release to use this logo) and others. There's also Paramount use this warning too.

Editor's Note: Akin to the 4th Fox warning screen, this is also one of the Universal's recognizable warning screens.

## 6th Warning

(September 9, 1997-February 2008)

Warning: On a navy blue background, we see the warning text from the 1997 4th warning, in the same font as well.

Availability: It was shown at the beginning of the MCA/Universal Home Video, Universal Studios Home Video, and Universal Studios Home Entertainment releases from the era such as Blue Takes You to School (first use of this logo), Blue's Room: Snacktime Playdate, Blue's Room: It's Hug Day, The Land Before Time: The Stone of Cold Fire, How Grinch Stole the Christmas (2000), The Land Before Time: Journey to Big Water, Good Morning Maisy, Blue's Room: Alphabet Power, Blue's Room: Beyond Your Wildest Dreams, and Blue's Biggest Stories. The final release to use this logo was Meet Blue's Baby Brother.

Final Note: Beginning on Lust, Caution, they use the 2005 TCFHE warning screen, and later in The Lorax, they use the 2012 Sony warning screen.

## 7th Warning

(2018)

Warning: Same as the above the 4th warning from DreamWorks Home Entertainment.

Availability: Seen on 2018 UPHE's DreamWorks movies from 1998-2005 DVDs. It also appears on the 2018 Universal distributed DVDs and Blu-rays such as Antz, Fifty Shades of Freed, and others.