Criterion & Eclipse Cover Art & Packaging Babble-on Vol.4

[fdm]

I don't know how DVD shelves are in Estonia, eerik; but I can put a DVD on my shelf and it doesn't magically disintegrate.

Tell that to the several copies of Che I've had shipped from various places, and the few that I've seen in stores.

Nice set of announcements.

[TMDaines]

Might pick up the M (already got the MoC) as a double-dip eventually but it's a kind of disappointing lazy release looking from a global perspective when they could have done something else on Blu in it's place.

[mfunk9786]

Isn't it worth the aggravation, though? My cat ripped up my Furies digipak, but I was more than happy to plunk down the $5 to replace it because it looks absolutely wonderful on the shelf. If it were a plain plastic case, the cat would have never even been interested in it.

I forget what point I was trying to make.

Cats.

[mfunk9786]

Might pick up the M (already got the MoC) as a double-dip eventually but it's a kind of disappointing lazy release looking from a global perspective when they could have done something else on Blu in it's place.

The MoC is region locked. And the transfer was done by Criterion. There's no "global" about it: there's now a great BD in both regions thanks to the collaboration by both labels. It's a good thing.

[TMDaines]

Might pick up the M (already got the MoC) as a double-dip eventually but it's a kind of disappointing lazy release looking from a global perspective when they could have done something else on Blu in it's place.

The MoC is region locked. And the transfer was done by Criterion. There's no "global" about it: there's now a great BD in both regions thanks to the collaboration by both labels. It's a good thing.

Get a cheap-ass player that can switch regions (or an expensive one if you wish, or a HTPC with ANYDVD HD, or two Blu drives for PC) and there's your global perspective. Going region-free on Blu doesn't have to be anymore expensive than just going Blu, at least in the UK and US.

[mfunk9786]

But don't you understand: without the Criterion BD, there'd be no MoC BD. So how is Criterion being lazy?

[TMDaines]

But don't you understand: without the Criterion BD, there'd be no MoC BD. So how is Criterion being lazy?

No, you're right. The "lazy" was a silly comment in fairness, but I still think it's kind of disappoiting to have the best two companies in the world ultimately waste time on two different releases for one film when another film could have had an excellent release.

[What A Disgrace]

Christmas comes in May.

[domino harvey]

God, would it kill whoever designed that Eclipse set to go ahead and move the text a little to the side so that multiple titles aren't justified so weird on their second line? [/pedantry]

[mfunk9786]

TM: We just get a little too wrapped up in this cinephile bubble around here: the amount of people who go out of their way to go region free and import aren't as many as we sometimes think. There are plenty of overlapping Criterion and MoC releases that both sell well for exactly that reason.

[mfunk9786]

God, would it kill whoever designed that Eclipse set to go ahead and move the text a little to the side so that multiple titles aren't justified so weird on their second line? [/pedantry]

I had the same thought. And just add bullets.

[knives]

So, is the Brakhage numbering just a mistake in programming?

[TMDaines]

WEEKEND wasnt on the list they sent.

this is what i know (again by now most of these are common knowledge except for WALKABOUT):

Walkabout BD
Red Desert DVD and BD
M BD
The Secret of the Grain DVD
Vivre sa Vie DVD and BD
Summer Hours DVD and BD

these are getting officially announced with release dates on either Jan 15th or Feb 15th.

it's disappointing that SECRET OF THE GRAIN isn't getting a blu ray.

-------
http://www.nyccine.com

He wasn't too far out then in the end it seems. I'd have liked to have seen what Criterion will come up with for Red Desert as the BFI is seriously lacking in extras.

[TMDaines]

TM: We just get a little too wrapped up in this cinephile bubble around here: the amount of people who go out of their way to go region free and import aren't as many as we sometimes think. There are plenty of overlapping Criterion and MoC releases that both sell well for exactly that reason.

Oh yeah, I fully appreciate that. That's what I attempted to convey with my global perspective - from the point of view of being able to import and play disks from the world over. I'm sure both the MoC and Criterion M Blu's will both sell very well in their respective regions.

[Brian C]

I never picked up the M DVD for some reason, so I never really noticed until today how absolutely brilliantly genius perfect that cover really is. [/late to the party]

Can't wait to pick up the Blu.

[domino harvey]

The individual covers (which are only up in thumbnails) for the Oshima Eclipse are great, I hope this is a permanent move away from the dead white space of some of the other Eclipses

[Peacock]

My only complaint is I saw the recent Janus print of Japanese Summer : Double Suicide and it was extremely well restored, and for such a strikingly visual film I was hoping for a Blu, but I guess the film would probably be considered too much of a risk.

[mfunk9786]

[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/product_images/977/Oshima_PleasuresFlesh_48x490_w100.jpg[/img] [img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/product_images/980/Oshima_ViolenceNoon_348x490_w100.jpg[/img] [img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/product_images/983/Oshima_SingSongSex_348x490_w100.jpg[/img] [img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/product_images/986/Oshima_JapSumDubSuicide_348x490_w100.jpg[/img] [img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/product_images/989/Oshima_3ResDrunkards_348x490_w100.jpg[/img]

I couldn't agree with you more, domino.

[Matt]

And I don't think those labial colors could be any more appropriate to Oshima.

[mfunk9786]

I've never seen Criterion come more out of their shell, sexually (if Criterion has such a shell) than I have on the Oshima covers they've put out thusfar.

[Matt]

I still think it's kind of disappoiting to have the best two companies in the world ultimately waste time on two different releases for one film when another film could have had an excellent release.

Please please PLEASE, not this argument again. We get it every couple of months now.

[Tom Hagen]

I still think it's kind of disappoiting to have the best two companies in the world ultimately waste time on two different releases for one film when another film could have had an excellent release.

Please please PLEASE, not this argument again. We get it every couple of months now.

My favorite part of his complaint is when he says he may eventually pick up the Criterion anyway.

[aox]

Yeah, that is indeed a pretty good part.

[colinr0380]

Is this the first month where Blu releases outnumbered regular DVDs? Rereleases also outnumber new releases too, 3-2 (well, 2 1/2-2 but still....).

Well, now that I'm a proud owner of an all region Blu player I suddenly don't have as much animosity to the format as I used to...funny how that works! Having said that, while all of the releases are fantastic (the extras on Stagecoach sound excellent though the second part of the Lindsay Anderson documentary is still somewhere around and suggesting potentially another Ford release. Walkabout has been crying out for a reissue but it was nice to see the additional effort put into the extras. Of course I have to get M on Blu, though this is going to mean I will then have four copies of the darn film, plus the Redemption VHS tape hanging around!), the Oshimas and Brakhage V2 are by far the most interesting and exciting of all the announcements for me.

Stagecoach art is a little lacking, and I don't understand the Walkabout border either. Good month, but I wanted Red Desert.

Stagecoach seems like one of those covers that might look better when seen for real rather than on a computer screen - I think it would be perfect for a rough textured Furies-style digipak (though after mfunk's post I'll make sure to keep my own cat away from the boxes!)

The Walkabout cover on the other hand is the first in a while that I really don't like (at least the first I've had such a negative reaction to since Fanfan!) It is far, far too busy with stuff and in addition the compositing of the elements might cause unintentional hilarity - so you have the aborigine boy perched on top of the burning car which seems to unintentionally denigrate the way both of those powerful separate images were used in the film itself by turning them into a visual pun (though perhaps the association of the boy and the children's suicidal father, as representatives of the doomed 'old world' could be quite interesting). Nowhere near as iconic as the original Criterion cover:



The brick border is another example of the cover being too busy. I can only assume that it is a call back to the magnificent opening sequence of the film, with the sideways movement revealing either the 'modern' urban world or the outback. Though the brickworks are completely different styles if that was meant to be the case.

[mfunk9786]

If only it were a brick border, that'd be a lot more sensible.