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

[tenia]

That is officially insane.

As insane as people buying steelbooks a small fortune, where the movies are god-awful, the transfer awful, and anyway, the disc is in a region you can't playback and you don't know any of the languages the movie is proposed with. \:D/

The Double Life of Veronique Blu-Ray was missing some essays from the booklet, but I bought it, because it looked better than the DVD and it's a great film.

I admit that it prevented me to sell my DVD release, but that's it.

[mfunk9786]

This discussion reminds me of this discussion about the North by Northwest Blu:

Is everyone pleased with the cover art?

It's fine. A little busy, but they could package it in a ketchup-stained Wendy's bag and I'd still buy it.

That is officially insane.

As insane as people buying steelbooks a small fortune, where the movies are god-awful, the transfer awful, and anyway, the disc is in a region you can't playback and you don't know any of the languages the movie is proposed with. \:D/

Who in their right mind does that?

[domino harvey]

That is officially insane.

As insane as people buying steelbooks a small fortune, where the movies are god-awful, the transfer awful, and anyway, the disc is in a region you can't playback and you don't know any of the languages the movie is proposed with. \:D/

Spot-on observation IMHO. H8rs gonna h8, get it gurl

[swo17]

I can't judge anyone really--I have my own weird thing where I insist that all of my DVDs be housed in Criterion's original packaging for Last Year at Marienbad. Yes, it makes everything twice as expensive, it's a little tricky to find anything, I have hundreds of copies of Marienbad in the wrong cases that I don't know what to do with, and I am constantly confusing my DVD collection with a white wall, but it keeps the demons at bay, which is all you can really ask for in life.

[domino harvey]

I download movies because my external hard drive is swag as fuck

[mfunk9786]

I can't judge anyone really--I have my own weird thing where I insist that all of my DVDs be housed in Criterion's original packaging for Last Year at Marienbad. Yes, it makes everything twice as expensive, it's a little tricky to find anything, I have hundreds of copies of Marienbad in the wrong cases that I don't know what to do with, and I am constantly confusing my DVD collection with a white wall, but it keeps the demons at bay, which is all you can really ask for in life.

It's hard to get those fuckers out, too

[The Narrator Returns]

I have a thing where all my Criterions must have the same cover art; a man violently sodomizing a monkey. It takes lots of time to hand-paint the image on each disc, and I can't show off my DVD collection to friends, but it sure as hell beats out having discs that don't show off a monkey being sodomized.

[domino harvey]

That's disgusting (still in reference to tenia)

[tenia]

Spot-on observation IMHO. H8rs gonna h8, get it gurl

Joke aside, it was hardly a difficult observation to make : from blu-ray.com to homecinema-fr.com, the Steelbooks topic are usely composed of pictures of German steelbooks (where the buyer doesn't understand a word of German) or US Steelbook (where the buyer only have a Region B player).

I can understand people wanting to have the best packaging they can (but in that case, you can only do your own cover, or buy empty cases that fits you most, or stuff like this), but I can't understand people putting $80 in a Steelbook where the disc will just be useless to them.

[Murdoch]

I use my blu-rays as coasters and make clothing out of the covers

[mfunk9786]

You have to use every part of the animal

[domino harvey]

Pig's Head for 2 for Market Price?! But how can I properly plan ahead for my romantic evening?

[mfunk9786]

My wife and I tackled it last year, actually. This is a photo of how it's presented, with seasonal seafood and mashed potatoes (not for the faint of heart w/r/t delicious meat):

Spoiler

Probably the most fun we've ever had at a restaurant, to be honest. The hostess who was stationed pretty close to our table was horrified (Montreal restaurants famously hire from modeling agencies for front of house staff)

[domino harvey]

The hostess who was stationed pretty close to our table was horrified (Montreal restaurants famously hire from modeling agencies for front of house staff)

I love it

[felipe]

Just the idea that you'd buy something for $40+ just because a bit of cardboard about a half foot tall and an inch wide can be somewhere in your abode is baffling to me.

You don't think I'd buy a $40+ blu-ray just to watch the film when I could rent the very same release for a fraction of that amount, right? I buy films because I want to own them, I'm a collector. If I wasn't a collector maybe then I wouldn't mind about keeping the discs in plastics bags and throwing the artwork away, but I like the idea of looking to my shelves and knowing I got such a nice edition of this particular film I like.

[mfunk9786]

So by that logic, if a film's best historical packaging was the Betamax version, you'll pick that up over the Blu-ray and then just rent the movie if you want to watch it?

[domino harvey]

DVD as Fetish Object is something all Criterion fans either overcome (.org) or become consumed by (.com)

[The Narrator Returns]

Those who are consumed by it (and many who say they've overcome it) later move onto the Bitching Stage. Symptoms include complaining that Criterion isn't as good as it used to be and becoming unreasonably angry at the fact that a film you like has a cover you don't like.

[Drucker]

A few months ago, my finacee said my DVD/blu ray shelf didn't look nice, and she organized my collection by color. It looks wonderful.

Back to the point, though, if you really are mainly a collector...then do you also buy movies you don't even like just because they look nice? Maybe I'm being naive...but that seems ludicrous. I mean if baseball cards and stamps are a hobby you love playing with and looking at, more power to you. But just to look at and do nothing more?

[felipe]

So by that logic, if a film's best historical packaging was the Betamax version, you'll pick that up over the Blu-ray and then just rent the movie if you want to watch it?

Well, in that case I'd have to pass since the Betamax wouldn't fit in with the dvds and blu-rays on the shelf. That's why I avoid those huge sets a la Gone with the wind.

[felipe]

Back to the point, though, if you really are mainly a collector...then do you also buy movies you don't even like just because they look nice? Maybe I'm being naive...but that seems ludicrous. I mean if baseball cards and stamps are a hobby you love playing with and looking at, more power to you. But just to look at and do nothing more?

I only buy movies I like (but I can't even afford to buy all the films I like, let alone the ones I don't like...)

[zedz]

My wife and I tackled it last year, actually. This is a photo of how it's presented, with seasonal seafood and mashed potatoes (not for the faint of heart w/r/t delicious meat):

Spoiler

At least they blindfolded the pig.

[zedz]

Just the idea that you'd buy something for $40+ just because a bit of cardboard about a half foot tall and an inch wide can be somewhere in your abode is baffling to me.

You don't think I'd buy a $40+ blu-ray just to watch the film when I could rent the very same release for a fraction of that amount, right? I buy films because I want to own them, I'm a collector. If I wasn't a collector maybe then I wouldn't mind about keeping the discs in plastics bags and throwing the artwork away, but I like the idea of looking to my shelves and knowing I got such a nice edition of this particular film I like.

You're not a film collector. You're a DVD collector.

[felipe]

Just the idea that you'd buy something for $40+ just because a bit of cardboard about a half foot tall and an inch wide can be somewhere in your abode is baffling to me.

You don't think I'd buy a $40+ blu-ray just to watch the film when I could rent the very same release for a fraction of that amount, right? I buy films because I want to own them, I'm a collector. If I wasn't a collector maybe then I wouldn't mind about keeping the discs in plastics bags and throwing the artwork away, but I like the idea of looking to my shelves and knowing I got such a nice edition of this particular film I like.

You're not a film collector. You're a DVD collector.

Well, I know some DVD collectors who also buy tv series and music concerts on DVD. Since I only buy films, I think the term DVD collector would be too broad.

[bearcuborg]

Probably the most fun we've ever had at a restaurant, to be honest. The hostess who was stationed pretty close to our table was horrified (Montreal restaurants famously hire from modeling agencies for front of house staff)

Ah, it all comes together. The hostess who was working during my visit was the hottest woman I ever saw. Then again, Montreal is a monumental babe city. You could throw a rock down a street in Montreal and hit a hot chick. The hostess at Joe Beef was gorgeous too. As good as both places were, I had better meals at L'express and Rotisserie Romados. Oh, Schwartz's too. Man, gotta visit again.

This DVD is a lot of fun, and has Ralph Steadman inspired art for DVD menus.