THORN EMI VIDEO VAULTS

[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

Thorn EMI was a major British company involved in consumer electronics, music, defence and retail. Created in October 1979 when Thorn Electrical Industries merged with EMI, it was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but it demerged again in 1996.

Amongst their high street acquisitions were rental shops D E R and Radio Rental,which began renting out hi fi and TV equipment and later when video emerged,mainly VHS recorders.The both hired technicians who would come to your house and repair your telly or video-all part of your rental agreement!
Both these shops delved into the tape rental market with the 'VIDEO AT HOME' moniker.
Anyone remember the cool free vhs catalogues which slapped a big XX on certain titles?

The company continued the film interests EMI had acquired over the preceding decade; these.had included the former Associated British Picture Corporation and their facilities at Elstree Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood.

Thorn EMI Video was established in 1977. Thorn EMI released films on video from various film companies including Orion Pictures (First Blood, The Terminator) and New Line Cinema (The Evil Dead, Xtro), and Universal (Bad Boys, Frances) in the 1980s.

Thorn EMI joined HBO in November 1984 to create Thorn EMI/HBO Video.[9] In 1986, Cannon Films bought Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment (see EMI Films) and the film library, although Cannon sold the latter in 1987. HBO maintained an involvement the video company, which became HBO/Cannon Video. Cannon left operations and the company was eventually just called HBO Video in 1987.

They had some of the coolest covers around though....

[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

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[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

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[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

Note the change in logos.The first wave of titles were released under Thorn Emi Video and the earliest titles rarely featured a screenshot on the back.
The next wave were released under Thorn Emi,just after the bbfc ratings system was introduced with small inconspicuous certificate logos.
They then changed from small boxes to large boxes and changed to Thorn Emi Screen Entertainment (as seen above on Amadeus).
The first titles to bare this change were RAZORBACK and WILD GEESE II.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Oh this thread is the dogs bollocks.

Really looking forward to seeing these Thorn covers again.

Great stuff sir.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

That Amityville 3 cover is so much better than the film itself.

I've still got that Awakening vhs somewhere.

[platostotal]

The TV rental chain Rumbelows also fell into Thorn-EMI, I know as I worked there and ABC cinema chain also was Thorn so my mate and I got free entry to movies at my local ABC for about 2 years or so in the early 80s, and as you may imagine we took good advantage too

[hivemind]

Thorn EMI distrubuted all Cannon Entertainment VHS rental titles in the UK. My father worked for Thorn's entertaiment arm in the early to late 1980's. Thorn released a big box version of the 1985 film Clockwise on the small box Thorn EMI label, then later a big box version released by Thorn appeared. Much rarer though. Then of course, the Cannon Screen Entertainment release which came in 1986 on rental in the UK.

Then when Thorn relinquished it's VHS entertainment arm in 1987, Weintraub took over the Cannon and Thorn EMI back catalouge. But not all of the Thorn EMI titles released by them from the 1980's. Some were released for the sell-thru market by Warner's. Some titles were given "first release status" on retail by Warner's, meaning that these films were never released during the Pre-Cert era. One title springs to mind out of many, Twice Around The Daffodils on the comedy capers Warner label. Other titles released by Thorn EMI reverted back to the licence holders who owned the films. But Warner's released quite a number of Thorn EMI titles. Just wish I kept my Warner Home Video retail dealer catalouges for WH, Smiths and Woolworths from 1988 to 93

[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

Anyone remember a small blue cover Thorn Emi catalogue?

There was an address on the back and I wrote a letter asking for any spare posters.

Imagine my surprise a week later when a large tube was delivered to my house from some kind guy who sent posters of:
HILLS HAVE EYES PART 2
DREAMSCAPE
CHILDREN OF THE CORN
THE DEAD ZONE
ROTWEILLER HOUNDS OF HELL
BLOODBATH AT THE HOUSE OF DEATH
AMITYVILLE 3
THE OSTERMAN WEEKEND
SUPERGIRL

If anyone remembers,the Emi VHS posters also had the title down the left hand side of the poster as well!

For some reason,Osterman was half the size of the other posters.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by The Reaper Man@Cult Labs

Anyone remember a small blue cover Thorn Emi catalogue?

There was an address on the back and I wrote a letter asking for any spare posters.

Imagine my surprise a week later when a large tube was delivered to my house from some kind guy who sent posters of:
HILLS HAVE EYES PART 2
DREAMSCAPE
CHILDREN OF THE CORN
THE DEAD ZONE
ROTWEILLER HOUNDS OF HELL
BLOODBATH AT THE HOUSE OF DEATH
AMITYVILLE 3
THE OSTERMAN WEEKEND
SUPERGIRL

If anyone remembers,the Emi VHS posters also had the title down the left hand side of the poster as well!

For some reason,Osterman was half the size of the other posters.

Wow. Great story. Thanks for sharing.

I bet you wish you still had them. Some crackers there that would look great in frames.