It’s worth remembering that, after HBO’s mushrooming in the 1980s, Time-Warner stepped in to purchase the company in 1989. The influx of studio clout helped the already-large brand become that much larger. Also, HBO began producing their own TV shows as well in the late ’80s, most of them infused with sex, gore, and cussing, things that networks couldn’t do; there’s a reason why multiple episodes of “Tales from the Crypt” featured topless scenes. HBO was also switching to digital broadcast signals, retaining their tradition of sticking with cutting-edge tech to bring their content to viewers.
HBO rebranded their Showcase line as HBO NYC, debuting with the TV movie “Deadly Voyage,” a ship-bound mystery also directed by John Mackenzie. From 1996 to 1999, HBO NYC oversaw all the in-house movies, some high-profile (“Gotti,” “Gia,” “If These Walls Could Talk”), most forgotten. Steven Spielberg’s 1997 prestige picture “Amistad” was co-handled by the NYC brand.
But then HBO NYC folded in 1999 and was re-launched in 2000 as HBO Films. The final film to show under the HBO NYC line was “Witness Protection” starring the late Tom Sizemore. The first HBO Films movie was “Dancing in September,” a film I’m certain you didn’t watch. In 2002, HBO Films had its first great theatrical success with “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” co-distributed by IFC, and which made over $367 million on a $5 million budget.
Know, then, that HBO constantly launching sub-brands and re-brands is not a recent phenomenon. Of course, these days the company is known for having cycled through HBO Take 2, HBO Family, HBO on Demand, HBO HD, HBO Go, HBO Now, HBO Max, just Max, and then HBO Max again. Of course, growing up in the ’80s, one might remember when HBO was merely a venue to see mid-budget studio fare that wasn’t terribly well-regarded in theaters. A standup comedian once pbserved that “HBO” doesn’t stand for “Home Box Office,” but “Hey! ‘Beastmaster’s’ On!”