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

[dad1153]

^^^ I also like the "Senso" cover (ducks!) but I've never seen the movie (or any of Visconti's work for that matter). For what it's worth, the cover makes me want to see the movie way more than "The Leopard's" cover.

[Finch]

Apparently I'm looking at Senso in the wrong way because I don't seem to find anything wrong with it. It's perfectly Visconti - the font of his name matches the font of his titles

The font for his name is perfectly fine (about the only good thing in this cover). What puts me off more than anything else is the chosen font for the title which to me just feels utterly out of place. Maybe I have more conservative tastes in covers than I realise but in this instance I think they'd have served the film better by choosing a still or high def shot from the film with the font of Visconti's name also used for the title.

[felipe]

No packaging photos for Night of the Hunter and Modern Times?

[cdnchris]

There was a delay in sending them out so I haven't received them yet. Theoretically they should be here tonight.

[swo17]

[Murdoch]

Aw yeaaa, Mitchum hand-to-the-sky still on back.

[Tom Hagen]

BTW, I noticed at B&N today that the DVD is in a figure 8 keepcase.

[matrixschmatrix]

When the interior package is folded over, it has a visual effect where Mitchum with his hand up seems to be casting a shadow through the case- it's pretty great. This looks one of my favorite packages Criterion's ever put together, on every level.

[Murdoch]

I like how it's similar to White Dog in how it has this docile cover, then you open the packaging and Mitchum does a complete 180.

[HistoryProf]

Apparently I'm looking at Senso in the wrong way because I don't seem to find anything wrong with it. It's perfectly Visconti - the font of his name matches the font of his titles

The font for his name is perfectly fine (about the only good thing in this cover). What puts me off more than anything else is the chosen font for the title which to me just feels utterly out of place. Maybe I have more conservative tastes in covers than I realise but in this instance I think they'd have served the film better by choosing a still or high def shot from the film with the font of Visconti's name also used for the title.

the black background is bad enough (I don't mind the confetti so much...but the execution is so elementary)...but you hit the nail on the head here as to the most egregious offense with this one: The freaking TITLE of the movie. It is something you would expect to see for a 70s western or something, like Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox, Posse, or Monte Walsh - not a 19th century melodrama set among royalty. I just don't get it.

[zedz]

Beautiful. I count five first-rate covers in that package, particularly the three that don't show Mitchum's face.

[HistoryProf]

I do have to agree that it feels oddly oversized and cheaper than the other recent blu digis. It's awfully pretty, but doesn't have the same textured feel of Seven Samurai and others.

[mfunk9786]

I saw a lot of crushed ones at BN today. Definitely oversized and cheapo.

[domino harvey]

Sorry, I know I have a tendency to revert back to music label examples, but it was killing me all afternoon what this digipak reminded me of: the budget thick digipaks from the early days of digipak releases, before they realized each compartment didn't need to be as thick as a jewelcase. It's probably hard to know what I'm talking about unless you dealt with boutique labels, but it's definitely an antiquated type of digipak, at least with CDs, and I'm surprised to see it in play from Criterion in 2010. My guess? A custom job gone wrong and whoever Criterion hires to oversee things like this not happening is surely the same dept head who okayed Modern Times and donated $100 to the new Allison Anders movie

[swo17]

Is it any different from the packaging for The Leopard?

[mfunk9786]

I'd swear it's a bit wider.

[matrixschmatrix]

Having just got up and compared them- it's a tiny bit wider than the Leopard, but exactly the same width as Seven Samurai. It's printed on different material than Seven Samurai, though, the paper is slicker and thinner.

[mfunk9786]

It is too wide for what's inside, which means 90% of these are going to be smushed in one way or another. Definitely a missed opportunity for a classy digi.

[Cinephrenic]

By the time it gets in my hands, all digipaks are smashed or have folds on its spine. Even with the amaray titles, most of the inserts I receive are wrinkled. Perhaps I'm just picky in that way, but still nothing seems to look brand new other than the disc. I don't think its Criterion's fault, just faulty handling from distributors.

[Zinoviev]

I don't think its Criterion's fault, just faulty handling from distributors.

Can't stand them. Sooner or later every one is going to end up with a crushed spine and dented corners.

Digipacks, not distributors.

[Crab Society North]

So is the Night of the Hunter blu only in the digipack? all I could find today at 3 different B&N's were the figure 8 cases for the SD's which is what I collect.

[Jeff]

So is the Night of the Hunter blu only in the digipack? all I could find today at 3 different B&N's were the figure 8 cases for the SD's which is what I collect.

Correct. Digipak for the Blu, figure-eight for the SD.

[Crab Society North]

So is the Night of the Hunter blu only in the digipack? all I could find today at 3 different B&N's were the figure 8 cases for the SD's which is what I collect.

Correct. Digipak for the Blu, figure-eight for the SD.

Thanks. I'm actually breathing a sigh of relief because I thought for some reason they were distributing the SD in both the figure 8's and digi's all at once.

[knives]

How are they fitting three discs into the figure eight? Is that the first time this has happened since the adoption?

[Jeff]

How are they fitting three discs into the figure eight? Is that the first time this has happened since the adoption?

I believe the SD release is crammed on to two discs.