Watch How They Made That Famous 80s HBO Movie Intro

Check out this video of how they created that iconic introduction to the movies you would watch on HBO. It was the era of Star Wars and Jaws, so the production had to have that big cinema feel. Sometimes this intro was more entertaining than the actual movies HBO showed. Some of the special effects looked so high tech, but it’ll surprise you when you see how they were done. Today, they would use green screen and CGI, but back in 1983 – the magic was created in a much simpler way. The part of this that struck me the most was how they created the starbursts. No computer-generated animation here. It was just transparent slides!

It’s probably something your teenager could whip together now with a cell phone but back in the 80s when cable TV was new, it took a lot more effort. 

Geno’s 20 favorites movies that are always on TV

When one of these movies comes on, I’ll gladly give up two hours of my weekend. Few of these are “great” movies. They’re just always on. They’re mostly mindless simple fun flicks to escape the world.

• The Wolf Of Wall Street

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  Just a fun movie to leave on in the background. What a wild life this guy led.

• Vegas Vacation

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  I love Las Vegas. And watching this is way cheaper than a plane ticket and bad night at the blackjack tables. I'm not a huge Chevy Chase fan, but this movie is two hours of simple fun. The scene at the off the strip casino buffet after Clark loses his money kills me.

• Rocky IV

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  Movies don't get more '80s than this one in the Rocky series. "I must break you!" The soundtrack was epic too. Awesome '80s cheese.
• Ed Wood

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  I know this movie line for line. It's a dorky comedy for those with an acquired taste for nerd humor. It's not on TV nearly often enough anymore, but it is on an endless loop on my TV every October, even if I have to dig the DVD out.

• The Karate Kid

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  Just the first one though - the sequels all bored me. But I will say the reboot TV series a couple years ago is EXCELLENT. I only saw the first season but I hear it's on Netflix now.

• Catch Me If You Can

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  This is another "leave on in the background" movie. I usually won't sit down to watch it, but will never not leave it on. Tom Hanks does a terrible Boston accent though.
• Galaxy Quest

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  This movie is specifically why I created this list. I'm watching this as we speak. I also watched part of it when it was on yesterday. I'm not a big Tim Allen fan, but he killed it in this. My favorite actor though in this was Alan Rickman. I was never a Trekkie or Star Wars fan but I still love this film. The scenes at the fan convention get me howling with laughter every time.

• Cruel Intentions

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  Very much a guilty pleasure movie. It feels like a quick trip back to the '90s and/or New York City, two of my favorite places.

• Ted

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  This used to be on TV all the time. I like this movie even though Marky Mark is in it. Seth MacFarlane is hilarious.
• Empire Records

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  This movie is like one long music video. The soundtrack is one of my all-time favorites. It's so 90s. It's fun to look back and see some of the actors in this before they were famous.

• Splash

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  One of my favorite movies as a kid. It was on HBO all the time in the '80s. John Candy was so great in this.

• Superbad

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  MacLovin'! I've seen this movie more times than I can count and I'll still watch it when I stumble upon it channel surfing. I can't ever see any of the actors in this movie in any other role. They'll always be the characters they played in Superbad.
• Elf

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  This movie is on an endless loop starting in November. They even show it now in the summer. It's a once or twice a year movie for me. It's sad how I can quote every line. Never watch this with me.

• Titanic

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  I'll watch it only for the scene where the violin players keep playing while the ship sinks.

• Idiocracy

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  No movie captures the climate of 2020 politics better than this movie. Yet it was made 15 years ago. Unfortunately for us, the movie was SUPPOSED to be set 500 years from now.
• Back To The Future

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  Just like The Karate Kid, only the first one was enjoyable to me. All the sequels were lost on me. I love the irony that a movie about going back to the '50s is such a fun way to escape back to the '80s.

• Never Been Kissed

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  I don't know why I enjoy this one so much. I just do. It's a light fun dumb comedy and it just seems to be always on some cable channel every weekend. It's got that '80s retro vibe.

• Anchorman

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  Ron Burgundy is the man. The sequel wasn't incredible, but the first one is great.
• The Notebook

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  Yeah yeah I know. It's a chick flick. It's not an all-time favorite. I'd never buy it on DVD. But if there's nothing else on, it's a fun movie to disappear into. Good chill out movie.

• Office Space

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  This movie always makes me super grateful that I get to work in radio. That said, when I was on the air in Boston, my boss was a carbon copy of Bill Lumbergh.

An animator in action in 1982. Endre Friedmann/Hulton Archive/Getty Images