Criterion & Eclipse Cover Art & Packaging Babble-on Vol.5

[swo17]

[Oedipax]

I really like the Tiny Furniture artwork actually... as someone who's vaguely repelled by the film (which I admit I still haven't seen). It feels more like a commentary on the film and the discourses around it than your average Criterion cover art: the harsh digital close-up, conveying a sense of the relentless navel-gazing practiced by so many of my generation, an acknowledgment of the film's low-res DSLR origins, and perhaps via the extreme pixelization of a human face, the notion that there is really no 'there' there.

[triodelover]

And now the original AoM artwork is back on the film page

[eerik]

The cover is back on the site, they had misspelled Kathryn Grant's name on the first one.

[triodelover]

The cover is back on the site, they had misspelled Kathryn Grant's name on the first one.

Good catch. I retract my snark (for now).

[matrixschmatrix]

I really like the Tiny Furniture artwork actually... as someone who's vaguely repelled by the film (which I admit I still haven't seen). It feels more like a commentary on the film and the discourses around it than your average Criterion cover art: the harsh digital close-up, conveying a sense of the relentless navel-gazing practiced by so many of my generation, an acknowledgment of the film's low-res DSLR origins, and perhaps via the extreme pixelization of a human face, the notion that there is really no 'there' there.

I think the issue with that cover is that it's difficult to imagine a film accurately reflected by it (as Tiny Furniture may well be) that I can conceive of anybody wanting to buy. Is one supposed to make a cover that's a cutting critique of the movie behind it?

[Oedipax]

Is one supposed to make a cover that's a cutting critique of the movie behind it?

Probably not in the strict market/profits sense but I find it pretty compelling.

[Cinephrenic]

Tiny Pixels

[matrixschmatrix]

That look is exactly the look I had on my face when I heard Tiny Furniture was getting released by Criterion

[Mozart]

So they ripped off their own BRD packaging did they.

??? Blu-ray disc or Fassbinder's BRD Trilogy?

[felipe]

Jesus, if that cover doesn't warn you off of Tiny Furniture, you deserve what you get.

That's true.

[TheGodfather]

Weak month in my book. Will only be getting Anatomy of a murder on blu, wich I really am excited about them releasing it.

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

Tiny Furniture, large head.

[Jeff]

I already had my complaints about Criterion not using Sam Smith's amazing World On a Wire art and the classic Saul Bass design for Anatomy of a Murder ready to go. I'm very relieved (and surprised) that I didn't actually get to levy these complaints. They both take their place among the best covers in the collection.

It's also hilariously appropriate that the cover for Tiny Furniture is a horribly photographed, way-too-close, self absorbed, bizarrely obsessive examination of Lena Dunham. That description would also make an appropriate tagline for the film.

[mfunk9786]

The Three Colors packaging is a revelation in person. So much nicer looking than I expected. Even if you still don't care for it, you can't deny that it is about as interesting and unique a vision as coverart for these films could ever be.

[godardslave]

you can't deny that it is about as interesting and unique a vision as coverart for these films could ever be.

I can deny that.

[mfunk9786]

Alright, enjoy your press stills of Juliette Binoche and Irene Jacob, etc! But this set is gorgeous.

[Professor Wagstaff]

The Three Colors packaging is a revelation in person. So much nicer looking than I expected.

i'll second that, especially with the cover effects wrapping around the spine of the box. White is he best looking of the individual titles.

[cdnchris]

Once I had it in my hand I was pleased with it as well, but the Blue cover still disappoints me. I guess I get why they chose that image but it's still fairly bland and the least striking of the three.

[colinr0380]

I have not got my box yet, so I really shouldn't comment, but I remember thinking that Blue would have been better off using some imagery of Binoche in the swimming pool, even if it was abstractly used, given that the covers for the other two films are playing around with the way in which they are presenting their lead actresses.

But it is only a minor quibble!

[Highway 61]

Even in person I still think the covers were bungled. I don't really think the package can be applauded that much for taking an unconventional approach when the art for White and Red are famous images from each film. And while the Blue cover and the box are unusual, that's their only striking quality. They're not unconventional and beautiful or clever, they're just unconventional, which isn't enough. That said, I do really enjoy the tone of each film's respective color on the covers and spines. They found a very pleasing arrangement there. And that's a great pic of Kieślowski on the booklet!

[Murdoch]

Belated obligatory cover-art comment: I like Anatomy of Murder.

Carry on.

[dadaistnun]

Count me as another more impressed with the Three Colors packing once I had it in hand. I actually kind of liked what they did with Blue from the beginning (it reminds me of those great Polish posters that take a more abstract approach to representing a film), though agree that it is inconsistent with the other two. The booklet is flat out gorgeous.

I still can't believe they dropped the beautiful digipak for Veronique when it was upgraded to Blu. Didn't someone say the dvd version has been changed to a keep case as well?

[aox]

Wow. That Rules of the Game package is piss awful. The booklet cover the same as the cover art, bland black text on a white background on the reverse, no artwork on the inside sleeve and the yellow disc (why??). Three Colors is okay I guess.

I love the new cover art, but the rest of it is atrocious. Despite my wishes that this foundational corner-stone of the collection have a digipak, I wish they had at least done a little something with the interior. They commissioned this lovely painting and then leave the rest of packaging blank? Makes no sense.

EDIT: I just checked, and 12 Angry Men and Rushmore is the same on the interior; plain white/blank. Is CC slashing their design budget?

[bainbridgezu]

I still can't believe they dropped the beautiful digipak for Veronique when it was upgraded to Blu. Didn't someone say the dvd version has been changed to a keep case as well?

Yes, it has; the booklet has also been reduced, and is now missing the same essays as the blu edition.