Criterion Cover Art & Packaging Babble-on Vol.2

[justeleblanc]

So today I was browsing the usual assortment of stores and was knocked out by Amarcord in person - the beautiful package has more or less won me over to the idea of commiting money to it.

Also saw Six Moral Tales in person for the first time and although I had previously thought all the hoopola over the box was kind of exaggerated, seeing it in person I was appalled. There was enough space in the thing that the front panel on both copies was crushed inward three ways and the contents were still shaking around loose in the plastic - both myself and my friend agreed that the thing just looked cheap.

Also, the green on Playtime is far, far too much. That is all.

I fixed my box so it's basically perfect now. I posted a how-to earlier up.

[justeleblanc]

So let's give a quick warning before posting pubic hair in this forum..... I share a cubicle.

[kaujot]

Me too.

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

The new one looks better, but it's still a lazy job. If Criterion was going to basically slap this on because we all know about this film and the star, why not go the radical route of just the photo of Brooks without the title, director, and Criterion insignias? If it's just going to be the lazy photograph we've ALL seen many times before, why not just go the extra yard and do nothing at all. If she's such an icon why not go icon status and skip all the redundancies? We would have been able to identify the DVD at fifty paces anyway. What is up with Criterion of late? Sorry to go on, but it's just a thought.

[Gigi M.]

I think this might help a lot of people here. I decided to email Amazon this morning about getting damage sets all the time, specially from Warner. This is what they send me:

Thank you for contacting amazon.com

I apologize for the recent damage your items have incurred. We do
try to take every measure possible to prevent this from happening.
I have put in a note regarding this to the proper department and
have placed a promotional credit of 5.00 on your account for the
next time you place an order. Please remember if your item comes
with damage, feel free to have us replace it.

Thank you for being a valued amazon.com customer.

We always strive to provide a high level of service, and we would
appreciate your feedback. Please let us know if we resolved your
inquiry.

[Cinesimilitude]

I ask amazon for money all the time, its almost like anything under 10 bucks is approved automatically and a pre written email is sent.

I love it.

[arsonfilms]

I just got the 3-disc Brazil and wanted to comment on the differences in packaging between this version and the last one.

The new box is much more opaque than the old one, particularly on the back. It's easier to read everything now. The back also carries a second printing date (2006) and a 16:9 logo, CP logo, and region 1 logo. The copy that appeared on the original is also different to account for the high-def transfer, and the text of the aspect ratio has changed to 1.78:1. Someone might want to double check that this is correct, but I'd imagine Mr. Gilliam might have caught any problems.

The old discs (51.2 & 51.3) are identical to their old versions, with no second printing date on either the box or the discs. It seems the used existing product and repackaged it with the new discs in new boxes.

The new disc (51.1) has the new date on the disc and box, and the 16:9 logo on the box. Because this is a new product (sort of), it means the artists started from scratch, maybe brought up an old file to modify...

...and as a result the title that appears on each spine is bigger and lower on the 1st disc than on the 2nd and 3rd. They don't match at all.

Other than that, everything is the same. No new logos or design work.

[Cinesimilitude]

I'm glad I bought the 1 disc

[arsonfilms]

If I hadn't managed to sell my old set pretty early on and if it hadn't already been in rough shape, I'd be whacking myself on the head right about now. I managed to break even on the deal and get the new transfer so I'm not too broken up about it, but I really feel sorry for anyone who thought they'd chip in the extra cash a second time around just for the sake of completism.

Actually, come to think of it... if anyone already had it and bought the 3 disc again for the sake of completism, I don't feel bad for them at all. They got exactly what they deserved.

[justeleblanc]

I dont think completists exist anymore. Most of us noticed a step down in Criterion's performance this year and it's been pretty disappointing. Things just aren't the same without Mulvaney.

[leefarber]

Aw, c'mon... I'm still a completist.

Kinda.

Sorta.

[j. alfred prufrock]

New cover art for Pandora's Box is up.

[CSM126]

New cover art for Pandora's Box is up.

It's been discussed for the last two pages of this thread already.

[Matt]

New cover art for Pandora's Box is up.

It's been discussed for the last two pages of this thread already.

He was too busy wondering if he should eat a peach or wear his trousers rolled to read back that far.

[HerrSchreck]

There the posters come and go
talking of stuff-from-days-ago.

(I already used "Michaelangelo" in my CONFORMIST post today)

[Jeff]

There the posters come and go
talking of stuff-from-days-ago.

Threads that follow like a tedious argument
Of insidious intent

(See what you did, Matt. You've nobody to blame but yourself.)

[Schkura]

There the posters come and go
talking of stuff-from-days-ago.

Threads that follow like a tedious argument
Of insidious intent

(See what you did, Matt. You've nobody to blame but yourself.)

That is not what he meant, at all.

[thethirdman]

Here are a couple of pictures of the interior Amarcord mural art for the people that wanted to see it.

414 - 415 - 416

[hammock]

Thanks thethirdman. Amarcord is the bomb!

[j. alfred prufrock]

Sorry about that late Pandora's Box thing. I was indeed listening to the mermaids sing.

each to each.

[Gregor Samsa]

Until online voices wake us and we drown.

[blindside8zao]

this thread is falling apart, the centre cannot hold. Wait... Damn.

[fdm]

Wish I knew how to post images... Tried Amazon in hopes of a perfect Playtime. First copy arrived with a significantly crunched corner (lower left of spine). Replacement was smashed all along the spine and top - worst I've ever seen; top is about 2/3 as wide as the bottom now, all kinds of rattley bits inside.

And they were packed in such a way that there was no damage in transit; this is how they were sent out...

Wonder what other lucky Amazon-ers ended up with...

(Actually a close second worse, was also Amazon when they sent out "Yakuza Papers", but that was just packed dumbly... metal slipcase crunched like a pancake as were likely the contents.)

[Gigi M.]

You should try DVDPlanet. My Rohmer set, and all the other Sept 5 Criterions came perfect. The Rohmer set had a small thing on one the edges.

[thethirdman]

Wonder what other lucky Amazon-ers ended up with...

I ordered all of my Sept. 5 Criterions from Amazon. I almost ordered them from DVDPlanet, but the problems reported with their shipping made me reconsider. I received all of the items the day after release date using free shipping. I despise digipaks, but they all arrived from Amazon in excellent condition. There are couple of pictures above.