Criterion & Eclipse Cover Art & Packaging Babble-on Vol. 7

[tenia]

I'm confused as to why the characters' names on One Night in Miami... are so much larger than the actors'. Makes it look like a documentary.

It does look like a pure marketing trick, a way to manage to have more popular names on the cover in big bold font.

[dwk]

The original poster does something similar

[Ribs]

It's because the premise of the movie is "these four legends were together" - and the lettering is framed almost like a prize fight poster, even if the movies isn't really like "they're all fighting each other." It's not "these actors are together," it's the people they play that's what will draw people in (as much as I like the actors, not many people are desperately seeking new Aldis Hodge vehicles).

[Shrew]

Jeez, they’re inching closer to just taking the month of December off

During the 2000s they tended to have only 1 or 2 releases in December, or maybe a gift box set collecting previous releases (like the Great Adaptations box or the 4 Samurai Classics by Kurosawa box). December has historically been a bad month to release retail products (though Im sure online shopping has improved sales somewhat).

[Matt]

Manufacturing pipelines are very backed up right now. Paper, printing, shipping, and warehousing shortages are crippling the book industry, and I’m sure physical media companies are being affected by this too. Better to announce a light slate than to have product delays and shortages during the holidays (which might happen anyway).

[cdnchris]

Mona Lisa
Throw Down
Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films
Love & Basketball
The Damned

[cdnchris]

I kinda dig the "artwork" for The Celebration

[ryannichols7]

I kinda dig the "artwork" for The Celebration

their Yeezus moment. it fits perfectly I think

[mfunk9786]

The Celebration cover is immediately an all-time favorite. Fabulous.

[swo17]

I kinda dig the "artwork" for The Celebration

their Yeezus moment. it fits perfectly I think

Re:voir and Index have been doing stuff like this for years. It works here too of course

[mfunk9786]

But with the Criterion branding and the context of the film it takes on a real gravitas that those couldn't possibly

[JayAlmighty]

My takes on the covers:

TIME - It is pretty, but perhaps a bit too minimalistic.

DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD - I haven't seen the it yet, but from what I've heard this seems to match the tone of the pretty well. That said, my only issue is with the lettering; I know that the blackletter type matches the heavenly vibe of the cover, but in my opinion that text is just screaming to be in all caps.

THE PIANO - Beautiful and elegant. It might not be that daring but I think this represents the film perfectly.

THE CELEBRATION - This might be a hot take, but I think this is one of the best covers criterion has ever done. Yeah, I know it's not "really" a cover, more of a triumph of packaging. If I had to picture a library of Dogme 95 films, they'd probably all look like this: stripped down to the bare essentials, cold, intimidating and just daring you to watch them. Here's hoping that, if THE IDIOTS ever gets a release, they reuse this concept.

[soundchaser]

Time is a nice piece of art by itself, but it feels like one of those fanmade Criterion covers that are totally inaccessible to anyone who hasn't yet seen the film.

[swo17]

But with the Criterion branding and the context of the film it takes on a real gravitas that those couldn't possibly

I mean, I think this is just as contextually and functionally impressive, if not more so

[domino harvey]

These are all great covers/designs!

[Boosmahn]

Here's hoping that, if THE IDIOTS ever gets a release, they reuse this concept.

The "DOGME ... 1" seems to suggest they're planning a series of Dogme 95 releases. I bet they'll all have "covers" like this, but maybe with different-colored statements.

On that note, I love the packaging. Bold and, from what I know of the movement, brilliant.

[swo17]

Here's hoping that, if THE IDIOTS ever gets a release, they reuse this concept.

Actually something kinda like this might fit Dogville the best. But here's hoping they do release Idioterne!

[domino harvey]

Here's hoping that, if THE IDIOTS ever gets a release, they reuse this concept.

The "DOGME ... 1" seems to suggest they're planning a series of Dogme 95 releases. I bet they'll all have "covers" like this, but maybe with different-colored statements.

The official Dogme films are all numbered, it probably just reflects that

[Shrew]

The only problem with the Celebration cover is that it's giving me flashbacks to the horrible closed caption\ black box subtitles on the old DVD. Here's hoping that's not a Dogme requirement in the new release.

[swo17]

Here's hoping that, if THE IDIOTS ever gets a release, they reuse this concept.

The "DOGME ... 1" seems to suggest they're planning a series of Dogme 95 releases. I bet they'll all have "covers" like this, but maybe with different-colored statements.

The official Dogme films are all numbered, it probably just reflects that

In fact, it was literally Dogme film #1, so the perfect film to present this way. But also the only film to present this way, as it's already pushing it with the gimmickry, and I fear repeating the trick would give it away

[Pavel]

Can someone explain to me, an idiot, what's pictured on the Time cover (I have seen the film)?

[zedz]

Here's hoping that, if THE IDIOTS ever gets a release, they reuse this concept.

Actually something kinda like this might fit Dogville the best. But here's hoping they do release Idioterne!

Though Dogville isn't a Dogme film. In fact, it violates just about all of the principles of the movement. It was conceivable Von Trier just did this to be bloody-minded: Must be shot on location? NO LOCATIONS! No props? ALL PROPS!

But it would lend itself to a creative packaging design.

[therewillbeblus]

The Celebration’s cover is very creative, but The Piano’s is so overwhelmingly gorgeous that I immediately felt and acted on a compulsion to skip lunch and run out to my lib to grab the DVD for a revisit later. That’s some cover-of-the-year pull

[Saturnome]

I have very, very vague recollection of some obscure local dogme film (probably Dogme 41: Lonely Child) which had a similar dvd package. That was in a school library circa 2006. I'm not too sure of my memory here, but I had totally forgotten this film until I saw the packaging.

[Walter Kurtz]

But (Dogville) would lend itself to a creative packaging design.

Clear case w/ Criterion logo and one large word stenciled on the front (same typeface and color as in the film)

CASE

No booklet.
The disc is the prop.