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

[mfunk9786]

17 instances of Michael Cimino is pretty bad, but it could be worse... It could be 1 Lena Dunham.

Post of the century.

[matrixschmatrix]

Could that be a contractual thing from back in the day? All of the vintage posters I'm seeing have his name attached to every instance of the title, and in all but one the font size is equal or nearly equal.

It does look super weird on the spine, though.

[criterion10]

Could that be a contractual thing from back in the day? All of the vintage posters I'm seeing have his name attached to every instance of the title, and in all but one the font size is equal or nearly equal.

It does look super weird on the spine, though.

I do believe that Cimino had it in his contract that the film was always to be referred to as "Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate". But, still, I doubt that Criterion had to obey by this, although with Cimino there to supervise the restoration, I'm sure he begged for this every step of the way.

And yeah, it really doesn't belong on the spine, nor the back cover. It doesn't bother me anywhere else though, and I actually quite like the art design otherwise.

[dustybooks]

For some reason my eyes are bothered by the two possessives in immediate succession. "Cimino's Heaven's" in the same size, with no visible designation of where the actual title begins, just looks... weird. Possibly me being unreasonable, though.

[Buttercream]

I'm surprised Cimino didn't sign Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate for his approval autograph.

[The Narrator Returns]

Michael Cimino-Approved Special Edition of Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate

[Andrew_VB]

I do believe that Cimino had it in his contract that the film was always to be referred to as "Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate". But, still, I doubt that Criterion had to obey by this, although with Cimino there to supervise the restoration, I'm sure he begged for this every step of the way.

why would you doubt that criterion had to obey the contract as well?

[Jeff]

Eric Skillman has talked on several occasions about how studio-licensed films (especially from MGM) often carry stipulations that he has to abide by when designing covers. Actors' names have to appear as a certain percentage of the title size, their likenesses have to be the same size, etc. Sweet Smell of Success and Blow Out come immediately to mind. I have no doubt that such stipulations applied to Heaven's Gate too. I think that when it comes to marketing, for legal purposes, the film name of the film is actually Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate.

[feihong]

He obviously didn't get the same deal on Year of the Dragon.

[colinr0380]

It does seem strange though. I'm thinking of the way that even the most possessive film titles for someone like John Carpenter (John Carpenter's The Ward, John Carpenter's They Live, John Carpenter's In The Mouth Of Madness etc, etc) usually just appear like that in the opening credits and on the front covers of their home video editions rather than also on the spine too.

I guess it is probably all to do with this being the fully-authorised edition of the film though.

[zedz]

Eric Skillman has talked on several occasions about how studio-licensed films (especially from MGM) often carry stipulations that he has to abide by when designing covers. Actors' names have to appear as a certain percentage of the title size, their likenesses have to be the same size, etc. Sweet Smell of Success and Blow Out come immediately to mind. I have no doubt that such stipulations applied to Heaven's Gate too. I think that when it comes to marketing, for legal purposes, the film name of the film is actually Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate.

These stipulations are usually the result of complicated legal and agent wrangling and are basically set in stone forevermore, which has led to a number of interesting situations when Criterion comes to design a cover decades later, when the relative fame and marketability of those involved has shifted drastically. For instance, Barry Hines and his book were arguably a bigger box-office draw (especially in Britain) than a young TV director called Ken Something when Kes was first released, but there's no reason to suppose that his name in big letters on the cover nowadays would mean anything to the modern American buying public.

[swo17]

Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate

Am I the only one who reads this as "the gate to Michael Cimino's heaven," i.e. the heaven where only Michael Cimino gets in?

[triodelover]

Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate

Am I the only one who reads this as "the gate to Michael Cimino's heaven," i.e. the heaven where only Michael Cimino gets in?

I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members.

Groucho Marx

[domino harvey]

Maybe Criterion was just used to using Cimino's name over and over after doing so in person to keep reminding themselves who the plastic feline figure before them was supposed to be

[mfunk9786]

"Mr. Cimino, we're going to call the film Heaven's Gate on the spine of the release."

[Zot!]

I know it's frivolous, but has his appearance ever been discussed (in particular by him?) I find his transformation more stupendous than the Wachowski sister. Especially for a guy who made tasteful movies about pretty normal looking people, and not Speed Racer, he just looks amazingly garish.

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

I haven't seen Heaven's Gate yet. Who directed it?

[mfunk9786]

I know it's frivolous, but has his appearance ever been discussed (in particular by him?) I find his transformation more stupendous than the Wachowski sister. Especially for a guy who made tasteful movies about pretty normal looking people, and not Speed Racer, he just looks amazingly garish.

I don't know if you can compare a sex change and an elderly man with a plastic surgery addiction. I mean, you can - but it sounds silly (to put it kindly)

[Zot!]

I know it's frivolous, but has his appearance ever been discussed (in particular by him?) I find his transformation more stupendous than the Wachowski sister. Especially for a guy who made tasteful movies about pretty normal looking people, and not Speed Racer, he just looks amazingly garish.

I don't know if you can compare a sex change and an elderly man with a plastic surgery addiction. I mean, you can - but it sounds silly (to put it kindly)

Oh boy, bring out the PC police. Firstly, Wachowski is also getting on in the years. Secondly, she has purple hair. I would say that some kind of misled vanity plays at least some part in both of their transformations. I am not trying to make any general comment on sex changes, but they were both apparently uncomfomfortable in their old skins. I was simply curious if he had ever discussed his appearance, as it suprised me, being familiar with only his old self.

[mfunk9786]

You know, if you'd have told me 20 years ago, I'd see children walking the streets of our Texas towns with green hair, bones in their noses... I just flat-out wouldn't have believed you.
Signs and wonders. But, I think once you quit hearing "sir" and "ma'am," the rest is soon to foller.

[med]

Getting back to the Trilogy of Life packaging, why are the films' MPAA ratings included?* I know films licensed from major studios usually have them, but it seems odd here since all three have ratings they didn't originally have upon their respective releases (and, in the case of The Canterbury Lives and Arabian Nights, couldn't possibly have had. And, if you allow me to continue this parenthetical aside just a moment more, I'm surprised—given the MPAA's still-squeamish attitude about sex—that The Decameron got an 'R'!)

*This also brings up the question why MGM ever bothered resubmitting them.

[mfunk9786]

Perhaps it's MGM's policy not to release films unrated on video? I have nothing to substantiate that, just a theory. Maybe they submit all films to the MPAA, even classic films, before re-release on video or theatrically.

[med]

No rating is found on Salo, which was also licensed from MGM.

[Matt]

Salo has no MPAA rating. Don't know what that means in the context of your question, I'm just supplying information.

[Zot!]

You know, if you'd have told me 20 years ago, I'd see children walking the streets of our Texas towns with green hair, bones in their noses... I just flat-out wouldn't have believed you.
Signs and wonders. But, I think once you quit hearing "sir" and "ma'am," the rest is soon to foller.

Stop trying to paint me some kind of bigotted idiot, you were playing along with the joke until I somehow upset your delicate sensibilites. These are both grown men who look like they wandered off of a Real Housewives set. I have at times found each of their work interesting, and have some limited interest in them as people as a result. If you think one is intrinsicly more beautiful than the other, or deserving of our sympathy, you're welcome to your opinion.