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

[TheGodfather]

That looks gorgeous! good to see the first blu-ray set with digipacks. Looking forward to receiving my copy.

[Jeff]

By Brakhage Blu-ray Set

That appears to be the first release of a Blu-ray title in a proper Criterion digipak set with a real outer box (as opposed to the flimsy sleeves they used on the early releases). I suspect they'll go that route for Seven Samurai again as well.

[captveg]

By Brakhage Blu-ray Set

That appears to be the first release of a Blu-ray title in a proper Criterion digipak set with a real outer box (as opposed to the flimsy sleeves they used on the early releases). I suspect they'll go that route for Seven Samurai again as well.

Was thinking the same thing, though I guess they could go the double keep-case route on Seven Samurai like Yojimbo/Sanjuro and The Complete Monterey Pop Festival.

But uniformity is once again thrown to the side. Let the OCD hand-wringing commence!

[swo17]

That package looks great. Classy, even. The problem with the early BD digipaks wasn't that they were digipaks or that they were different from the other packaging. It was that they were in O-sleeves, which are flimsy and which cause one side of the spine to stick out more than the other. Plus, you can see inside the innards of the DVD case from the top, which is just gross. I hope they offer more BD digipaks like this in the future.

[Cinephrenic]

Does anyone want the digipack for The Last Emperor? $5. Send me pm

[agnamaracs]

Bit sad that it doesn't include any of the DVD artwork...

[HistoryProf]

Any guesses on a Charade blu cover? will they go lame and just port over the old one a la Gimme Shelter or spice it up with something all new a la the P&Ps? I'm really hoping for a new one, as the original is fine, but rather blah, and certainly doesn't scream hi def to anyone.

[agnamaracs]

The old cover is fine. If you want a new one, resurrect Maurice Binder.

[swo17]

The only reason the P&Ps got new covers is because they are completely new editions, being released on both DVD and BD. Obviously, they want new art to distinguish these releases from the old ones. For simple BD upgrades, as I assume Charade will be (since it's already been rereleased on DVD once), the most adventurous they've gotten with a cover change has been what they did for The Leopard.

[swo17]

[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/2779/48_BD_box_348x490.jpg[/img][img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/2782/534_box_348x490.jpg[/img]
[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/2788/533_BD_box_348x490.jpg[/img][img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/2791/532_box_348x490.jpg[/img]
[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/2794/528_box_348x490.jpg[/img][img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/product_images/1023/529_box_348x490.jpg[/img]
[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/product_images/1029/530_box_348x490.jpg[/img][img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/product_images/1026/531_box_348x490.jpg[/img]
[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/release_images/2797/KurosawaFirst.jpg[/img][img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/product_images/1035/SanshiroSugata1_box.jpg[/img]
[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/product_images/1032/MostBeautiful_box.jpg[/img][img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/product_images/1038/SanshiroSugata2_box.jpg[/img]
[img]http://criterion_production.s3.amazonaws.com/product_images/1041/MenWhoTread_box.jpg[/img]

[Highway 61]

Black Orpheus is pure camp. The Von Sternberg is great, save for the typeface. I love that they took a director relatively unknown to the public and put him front and center.

[Gregory]

They should print the Black Orpheus covers on black velvet.

[Alphonse Doinel]

Whoa, big month.

The Zwigoff's, as expected, are great. Look fantastic together.

The type treatment on Black Orpheus is horrible. Hopefully they make the image a little smaller so they don't have to cram it in down there. While they're at it, they can get rid of the lights that are on top of the wacky c.

[med]

Hopefully, Madadayo's eventual main line release won't feature the same cover art from the AK box like the ones in that Eclipse set. Maybe they're just placeholders?

[Anhedionisiac]

Great covers, all. I'm surprised they released Louie Bluie on its own, merrily surprised. And I'm totally pre-ordering those Sternbergs as soon as I can

[swo17]

Hopefully, Madadayo's eventual main line release won't feature the same cover art from the AK box like the ones in that Eclipse set. Maybe they're just placeholders?

They were placeholders, and they've been replaced. See the new covers above.

[Anhedionisiac]

Ooh, certainly better

[med]

Indeed they are!

[bigP]

Wow, that Von Sternberg set is a must have, and a 96 page book to accompany it has made my day. This is one of the strongest line-ups for me in a long long time, and I just love those Zwigoff covers.

[Tribe]

How predictable...art work by R. Crumb on those Zwigoff releases.

[mfunk9786]

I'm pretty surprised and tickled that R. Crumb did the coverart for both Crumb and Louie Bluie, and I hope this is just the start of Zwigoff in the collection. Frankly, I think any of his films (yes, even Bad Santa and the flabbergastingly unappreciated Art School Confidential) are worthy of spots in the collection. As far as important contemporary American directors, he's up there with the best - now we just need some Alexander Payne and Paul Thomas Anderson in the collection somehow.

[Tribe]

Black Orpheus is pure camp.

I'm not a fan of it either....but that might be from one of the original posters for the movie.

[Feego]

I think the Black Orpheus cover is gorgeous. It's definitely an improvement over the old cover (although that's not saying much).

[Matt]

Argh, the von Sternberg covers are just so close to brilliance with the chiaroscuro photos with mirrored poses and framing for the three films. And there's nothing wrong with either one of those typefaces, but together? I think "don't use two ornamental typefaces together" was the first rule I ever learned about typography in graphic design. These covers are just crying out for handwritten titles similar to the Ophuls covers.

[movielocke]

I note that although the two Ozu sets kept essentially the same coloring, the second Kurosawa set did not. That said, perhaps the swankiest eclipse covers yet, love the bold cover scheme, though it's a little louder than I think necessary. this looks like the only thing I'll be buying in August. Thank goodness, March through July are some of the most brutal months ever in terms of must have titles.