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A slipcover like the one that came on the Royal Tenenbaums DVD served a definite purpose: The studios and retailers probably wanted names and faces of stars on the cover, while Criterion and Wes Anderson surely wanted Eric Chase Anderson to have the cover art. When one puts the slipcover in a file folder and forgets about it, as I did, the Anderson cover becomes the real cover.
But when a slipcover has the exact same thing that's on the plastic case under it, I don't understand the point, so those have tended to go in the same folder or in the recycling bin.
The only time I've ever understood the resentment at the lack of a slipcover is in the case of Olive's Betty Boop series, which included two slipcases that started to form the picture of Boop's face when lined up on the shelf, but then they discontinued the slipcovers for Vols. 3 and 4. It's not that I wanted to complete the face on my shelf that badly, but it's one of those WTF moves, the kind that's a kind of tacit announcement of some combination of: We don't care what out customers think; we're barely paying attention to what we're doing; we'll do anything to save a few cents per unit, even though we're charging top dollar; you never know exactly what you're going to get from Olive unless you wait and read reviews before purchasing.
Putting on my Jerry Seinfeld sneakers and wig, what's the deal with slipcovers sometimes being called "O-ring" packaging. When you look at one, do your really see an "O"? And isn't an O-ring essentially a gasket? Do they call it that because some collectors blow a gasket over them?

At least Olive's slipcovers are like a lot of recent Shout! releases in that they're included under the shrinkwrap, so you can be reasonably certain yours will come with one if it had one to begin with

While I assume that the Time Bandits one is to do with the lenticular cover more than anything (finally, after all my years of guessing lenticular covers for everything from White Dog to Kuroneko!), and also Gregory's point on the slipcovers for Royal Tenenbaums (and Life Aquatic with its awkward-hilarious photoshopped in Owen Wilson) being about getting the faces of the stars on the cover, is another reason for these slipcovers to prevent theft? In the same way that some magazines that give away discs or booklets can come inside plastic or card wallets that make it obvious if they have been opened or tampered with in some way, I presume that slipcovers on DVDs make it more difficult for a case to be opened and the disc removed?

Gregory wrote:Putting on my Jerry Seinfeld sneakers and wig, what's the deal with slipcovers sometimes being called "O-ring" packaging. When you look at one, do your really see an "O"? And isn't an O-ring essentially a gasket? Do they call it that because some collectors blow a gasket over them?

O-O-O-Ring Mistah Cah-tah, I believe the etymology came from the Japanese Obi-strips

swo17 wrote:Also on the foldout front, I don't think they're all necessarily like this, but the one for It Happened One Night looks along all the creases like one of my shirts after I iron it (i.e. not good). The picture Chris took looks the same as mine, so I suspect this is a widespread thing.

On the plus side, that photo of Gable and Colbert looks like a promotional photo for Freaks.

domino harvey wrote:I'm more bothered by the fact that zedz left the plastic wrap on.

That's been my default state ever since my 'adorable' three-year-old god-daughter poured orange juice on my MoC Naruse set and it emerged miraculously unharmed because it was still half-sheathed. Keeping those on is like having a 'get out of one spillage free' card.

zedz wrote:Keeping those on is like having a 'get out of one spillage free' card.

You're not alone in doing so. It keeps dust, shelf wear, etc off of the digipaks as well, so I just make a slit in the form of an upper case I on the side to have the inner portion slide out. I prefer digipaks to plastic cases, and keeping them in this shape is probably a good reason why I haven't flipped out, like many, about the condition others receive digipaks in.

zedz wrote:

domino harvey wrote:I'm more bothered by the fact that zedz left the plastic wrap on.

That's been my default state ever since my 'adorable' three-year-old god-daughter poured orange juice on my MoC Naruse set and it emerged miraculously unharmed because it was still half-sheathed. Keeping those on is like having a 'get out of one spillage free' card.

But your story suggests that you started doing this before the OJ incident--WHAT WAS YOUR EXCUSE THEN?

swo17 wrote:

zedz wrote:

domino harvey wrote:I'm more bothered by the fact that zedz left the plastic wrap on.

That's been my default state ever since my 'adorable' three-year-old god-daughter poured orange juice on my MoC Naruse set and it emerged miraculously unharmed because it was still half-sheathed. Keeping those on is like having a 'get out of one spillage free' card.

But your story suggests that you started doing this before the OJ incident--WHAT WAS YOUR EXCUSE THEN?

My excuse for most things is apathy (interior decorating, career decisions, marriage. . .), so I'll go with that.

zedz wrote:

swo17 wrote:

zedz wrote:That's been my default state ever since my 'adorable' three-year-old god-daughter poured orange juice on my MoC Naruse set and it emerged miraculously unharmed because it was still half-sheathed. Keeping those on is like having a 'get out of one spillage free' card.

But your story suggests that you started doing this before the OJ incident--WHAT WAS YOUR EXCUSE THEN?

My excuse for most things is apathy (interior decorating, career decisions, marriage. . .), so I'll go with that.

Neat freaks in the 70's always sliced down the seam of LP's and kept the plastic on...

Neat freaks in the 70's always sliced down the seam of LP's and kept the plastic on...

. . . which would contract in certain climes, warping the discs inside.

cdnchris wrote:Since going back to separate Blu-ray and DVD releases, other than Eraserhead, Criterion has only included inserts. Not sure if it's a coincidence or if it's an economical choice.

I wasn't aware of this. After many months of buying no new Criterions at all, just got back from the BN sale where I picked up La Dolce Vita, The Innocents, L'Avventura, The Shooting/Whirlwind and Eraserhead. Love that hefty, handsome Eraserhead booklet, but have to say I was extremely disappointed at the lack of booklets in everything else. Criterion's new wave of puny little fold-out inserts just don't cut it, and make me appreciate even more the efforts of companies like MoC and Arrow.

Hey, I found a Zazie cover that's as ghastly as the Criterion one, which the Boston Globe features and praises in their review of Criterion Designs.

At least that reviewer gets the BBS set right. That is, until he says this:

Red, white, and blue? Red, white, and blown away.

So if you check out the Facebook page, you'll see that the Time Bandits cover is lenticular and changes color and shade depending on how it's held. Presumably a one-time thing.

It's a 3D cover adding depth to the image, but yes, when you shift it the colours do alter a bit in the light

Satyricon will contain a foldout poster.

Criterion on Facebook wrote:Here's a quick look at the foldout poster that accompanies FELLINI SATYRICON:

Nice!

Hats off to the Ride the Pink Horse cover for not being able to draw a figure that even sort of looks like Robert Montgomery

That Bergman cover is hideous

Cries and Whispers is quite possibly the worst cover of all time. It's puke-worthy.

Clearly you guys can't handle the designer's Bergmanesque staring of death in the face. (Kidding, kidding -- I hate it too).

Even the concept has been done with The Seventh Seal

The designer will have his name on the page for the world to see. Poor soul.