Vicodore Productions

Background
Vicodore Productions was a production company operated by Linda Dunn, Penelope Charest and Ruth Dodd in 1988. The name of the company was a mix between those of the VIC-20 and Commodore 64; Dunn was an avid collector of home computers. Vicodore was launched to co-produce films with Moviestore Entertainment, while taking advantage of Canadian and South African tax incentives. Bebe Kosove and Muriel MacPherson would join the company in 1994 and merge their own company, Pear Films, with them; Pear would become Vicodore's short-lived softcore and LBGT label. The company would later strike a deal with Universal Pictures in 2001 to produce films, but faced financial issues due to a lawsuit by Bonneville Worldwide, a division of the Jesus Christ Church of Latter Day Saints; they provided the nest-egg for the company and accused Vicodore of misappropriating funds toward productions outside of the church's non-secular focus. Vicodore would close in 2002 after an expensive pilot flopped.

1st Logo (1989-1991)
Logo: On a black background, we see various blue lines shoot from the right of the screen, forming into a curve. It then fades to a curve facing the opposite direction which splits into two copies. We then fade to the curves in full view as they zoom back. When they settle, we see the text "VICODORE PRODUCTIONS" zoom back and settle beneath the curves.

Trivia: The curves are meant to represent "C", "D" and "D", the last initials for the company founders.

Variant: On D.O.A.D. II, the logo is shifted toward the top of the screen.

FX/SFX: The lines and zooming.

Music/Sounds: A synth rock tune.

Availability: Appeared on the two D.O.A.D. movies. First appeared on the unsold pilot for the American adaptation of Watch With Mother.

2nd Logo (1993-2001)
Logo: A film projector activates, only for the countdown to stop at 4. The image proceeds to burn and it leaves behind a "V" shaped emblem with a white banner containing the word "VICODORE".

FX/SFX: The projector and the burning.

Music/Sounds: Projector noises, followed by the sound of scorching, ending with a triumphant fanfare.

Availability: Seen on The Milkman, the 1995 remake of The Beast of Yucca Flats, Termites, A Strange Illness and Water Man. Also turns up on the very first trailer for The Hunchback, which would be acquired by Vicodore's successor VIP Films.

3rd Logo (1997-2002)
Logo: On a black background we see a curved line. The screen flashes and the line is cropped and put into a dark orange box with the text "VICODORE" and "Productions" toward the bottom left.

Variant(s):


 * On the unsold pilot for U-Turn, this shares the screen with the logos for Ixtlan Films and Camelot Pictures.
 * This shares the screen with the logos for Winchester Films, Mind's Eye International and The Spice Factory on Fisherman's Den.

FX/SFX: The flash.

Music/Sounds: A thunder crack.

Availability: Seen on two TV movies, Rabies: A Neighborhood's Nightmare and She-Hulk. Also appeared on the unsold pilot for U-Turn.

VIP Films
After filing for bankruptcy, Vicodore agreed to a merger with the also struggling independent sales company Indigo Films and rebranded as VIP Films. The company only produced one film before also closing due to financial reasons.

1st (and only) Logo (2002)
Logo: On a black background we pan across the white marble letters "V", "I" and "P" before zooming back as the text becomes gold. "PRODUCTIONS" is below, sandwiched between two lines.

FX/SFX: The panning.

Music/Sounds: A majestic synthesized fanfare.

Availability: Was only seen on The Hunchback.

Lion Films
VIP Films would be sold to Australasian alcoholic beverage company Lion in 2004 and moved to Australia. This was Lion's second foray into the film industry, as they previously operated Lion Screen Entertainment Ltd.; Lion Screen backed the infamous Wired in 1989. Lion Films produced only one film before its parent company shuttered the label.

1st (and only) Logo (2005)
Logo: We fade in to a cliffside against a dusk sky. A lion approaches the edge of the cliff and steps onto its hindlegs as it morphs into a 2D gold rendering, actually the logo for Lion as the background around it fades to black. No company indicator is present.

FX/SFX: A mix between 2D Animation and 3D effects.

Music/Sounds: A somber orchestrated fanfare, culminating in a drumroll and a synth guitar note.

Availability: It was only seen on the controversial Field Trip.