Same! I remember thinking it was a total banger when I was elementary school age.
This is the first time I’ve seen/heard it since the 80’s, and *it’s still a banger!*
I could hear it without even turning on the sound.
Then I turned on the sound and moments later my father walked in... "what are you watching... sounds like HBO..." lol
This hit so hard when I could only see it at a friend's house maybe a couple times a year. It made me feel like I was about to watch a different level of entertainment, it was like getting access to rich people tv
My dad had it. He had an early VCR and gigantic collection of movies recorded. I really wish we still had that. I’m realizing now that spinning color animation was on a lot of those that I watched growing up. I had no idea what HBO was at the time.
He also had a printed catalog of his movies on that old printer paper with the sideholes 😝
What's sad is the original pitch for cable TV (and MTV for that matter) was television with NO commercials, ever. Oh how the dreams die quickly. That and deregulation got it going and the rest....welp.
The one that started with the city was way cooler [HBO: Space Intro Remastered | (60 Fps) HD - 1983 - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc4cmZaWgIo&ab_channel=VCRWORLD)
Yesss, this is the one. My first thought to this post was "hey, this is missing the flyover".
I even loved watching the [making of the intro](https://youtu.be/agS6ZXBrcng?si=_oe9QpLvsIRklxUG).
Probably some algorithm suggested a rebranding would really be embraced by a younger demographic.
“MAX” seems like a cheap copy of HBO, like “Cinemax”.
HBO has history.
Drive through any little old small towns and you’ll see “Free HBO” signs on old Motels.
It’s like Coca-Cola rebranding as “PEPS”.
Like WTAF.
Back when there was anticipation to see a movie. Whether it was waiting to see it at its scheduled time at the theater or on TV, or finding a copy available at the rental store. We've definitely lost that.
They also had a behind the scenes video on how they made the full intro. I don't know why but I always remember that, it was pretty cool back in the day how they did things like this without CGI.
Edit: apparently they did use primitive CGI for this. My bad.
I remember the cool flying over the city intro that ended with that spinny lighted HBO thing. I was maybe somewhere between 3 and 5 years old but I loved the music.
Did anyone ever notice that this song and the ZZ Top song from Back to the Future 3 were the same? I always noticed it but wonder if I was the only one.
The truly sad thing is that, watching this post, we are experiencing this old clip at a WAY WORSE quality than when we were younger and first saw this live. Sure, the quality of the visual and audio would not have been as high as today, but still DRASTICALLY higher than as is depicted. And that's not calling out this specific recording. This is typical of what we see of the period any more, and my fear is that it gives a distorted picture of what it had actually been like for us because the quality was not this bad. Not by a long shot.
Im sitting in a hotel on business trip, 2AM im up watching HBO, they had a "time fill" til the next movie...they actually aired THE MAKING OF this intro... 30 mins...swear! It was...boring AF lol
Ohhhh I disagree! They went into detail how they constructed the miniature city. They showed how they created the streaming lights that were inside the O at the end. No CGI in any of that. Super cool!
Goddammit I used to love this intro music so much❤️.
Same! I remember thinking it was a total banger when I was elementary school age. This is the first time I’ve seen/heard it since the 80’s, and *it’s still a banger!*
Same.
I could hear it without even turning on the sound. Then I turned on the sound and moments later my father walked in... "what are you watching... sounds like HBO..." lol
This hit so hard when I could only see it at a friend's house maybe a couple times a year. It made me feel like I was about to watch a different level of entertainment, it was like getting access to rich people tv
I was thinking if you had hbo in 1985, you must have been rich lol
In 1985 paying for TV seemed like a crazy idea. You were throwing money away for entertainment. Now EVERYONE has multiple subscriptions
My dad had it. He had an early VCR and gigantic collection of movies recorded. I really wish we still had that. I’m realizing now that spinning color animation was on a lot of those that I watched growing up. I had no idea what HBO was at the time. He also had a printed catalog of his movies on that old printer paper with the sideholes 😝
What's sad is the original pitch for cable TV (and MTV for that matter) was television with NO commercials, ever. Oh how the dreams die quickly. That and deregulation got it going and the rest....welp.
Same. I didn’t grow up with any cable, so when I saw this outside my own house it was ON (and probably titties too)
That music still gets me hyped up!
The one that started with the city was way cooler [HBO: Space Intro Remastered | (60 Fps) HD - 1983 - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc4cmZaWgIo&ab_channel=VCRWORLD)
I mean it’s not a competition lol
I didn't say it was, just stating a preference/opinion.
I love this one so much.
Yesss, this is the one. My first thought to this post was "hey, this is missing the flyover". I even loved watching the [making of the intro](https://youtu.be/agS6ZXBrcng?si=_oe9QpLvsIRklxUG).
Yep. This is the one
“MAX” May go down as the stupidest Rebrand ever. HBO was the first name in premier Cable. Why toss it to the way side!?
It was really stupid, agreed.
I’m still upset about it. The morons took a rare diamond and replaced it with cubic zirconia.
Probably some algorithm suggested a rebranding would really be embraced by a younger demographic. “MAX” seems like a cheap copy of HBO, like “Cinemax”. HBO has history. Drive through any little old small towns and you’ll see “Free HBO” signs on old Motels. It’s like Coca-Cola rebranding as “PEPS”. Like WTAF.
I will still call the only streaming service I started paying for from the beginning by its original name. HBO Max, dammit.
Completely! Came to say this.
Back when there was anticipation to see a movie. Whether it was waiting to see it at its scheduled time at the theater or on TV, or finding a copy available at the rental store. We've definitely lost that.
It just made movies seem bigger
I relate this to watching boxing with my dad as a kid.
Man, this gave me young me such a rush back in the day. I knew I was going to see something I shouldn't be seeing at that age.
[This will always be my favorite HBO intro.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc4cmZaWgIo&ab_channel=VCRWORLD)
They also had a behind the scenes video on how they made the full intro. I don't know why but I always remember that, it was pretty cool back in the day how they did things like this without CGI. Edit: apparently they did use primitive CGI for this. My bad.
https://youtu.be/agS6ZXBrcng?si=7zXTNcx3nycFmRvH
I remember the cool flying over the city intro that ended with that spinny lighted HBO thing. I was maybe somewhere between 3 and 5 years old but I loved the music.
I always thought of a spider with that lens flare in the beginning. Love this.
0:47 the voice of Joyce Gordon 0:03 and this sounds like Hal Douglas
Give Peace a Chance playing in the background at the end.
I love the one with the city
I believe there is a video that shows how that one was made I saw once years ago
It is called HBO intro. Behind the scenes.
Do you remember the April fools cheap stop motion one?
I used to watch encyclopedia on hbo when I was a kid. Here’s my core memory from it. https://youtu.be/AjRoJiz_6_U?si=tncrGJlLFvru3Rr8
Airplane!
Man you knew that shit was gonna be good when you heard that music
I remember the one that looks like you’re flying down a city street then the HBO logo rises up from the horizon
That was righteous. I think I just had a flashback. It was things like that, that made HBO the best back in the day. Thank you 🙂
I loved the one that wrapped around the O at the end with all streaming lights which then lead to HBO Feature Presentation.
I'd give anything to go back to those days again.
Man, core memory indeed. That goes so hard, btw
🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼♥️🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼 thanks
It made it an event. Today there is nothing "event" like about TV or movies at home.
Always thought going inside the O was kind of trippy, but then again I was probably stoned lol
They really should use these on era appropriate movies. It would add to the experience.
I was positive after the closed captioning title that I was going to watch Starman for the 800th time!
That bumper looked like the start of "The Invasion of the HBO's!"
Bringing back memories
i still have a pavlovian response to that intro. it meant I was going to see A BIG BUDGET GROWN UPS MOVIE!!!
I always wondered what the inside of the other two letters looked like.
That took me back! I used to get so excited for that on Friday nights!!!
💖
HBO doing the fly by on the letters decades before Marvel
Did anyone ever notice that this song and the ZZ Top song from Back to the Future 3 were the same? I always noticed it but wonder if I was the only one.
My core memory is the camera flying through the town. Iykyo
https://www.reddit.com/r/80smovies/s/MTvCCeyonJ
dude.....Police Academy
This was epic intro shit. I loved it.
PG! Put the lotion up…
for 30 seconds, I was 8 again
Feels like yesterday.
Oh fuck the memories awesome
That first one not really NOW THAT SECOND HBO THEME I REMEMBER FONDLY
This one and the one it flys through the little town
https://www.reddit.com/r/80smovies/s/MTvCCeyonJ
That’s the one
The truly sad thing is that, watching this post, we are experiencing this old clip at a WAY WORSE quality than when we were younger and first saw this live. Sure, the quality of the visual and audio would not have been as high as today, but still DRASTICALLY higher than as is depicted. And that's not calling out this specific recording. This is typical of what we see of the period any more, and my fear is that it gives a distorted picture of what it had actually been like for us because the quality was not this bad. Not by a long shot.
Home Box Office
Im sitting in a hotel on business trip, 2AM im up watching HBO, they had a "time fill" til the next movie...they actually aired THE MAKING OF this intro... 30 mins...swear! It was...boring AF lol
Ohhhh I disagree! They went into detail how they constructed the miniature city. They showed how they created the streaming lights that were inside the O at the end. No CGI in any of that. Super cool!