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godardslave wrote:One can only hope the thin red line is a beautiful digipak, but given Criterion's recent obsession with the clear Keep cases this seems unlikely.

I really wish they would do it in digipack. The leopard looks amazing.

I don't mind the cover, but it strongly reminds me of moments from Apocalypse Now; especially the fades between the jungle and Kurtz's face towards the end of the film (maybe intentional, but why?)

Even the colours are Storaro-like.

I really hope that it's not the cover. It's a bit confusing, considering it's an ensemble piece and not a Jim Caviezel vehicle.

That Thin Red Line cover isn't confirmed though, right?

aox wrote:That Thin Red Line cover isn't confirmed though, right?

No.

Has this happened before where the title is announced and the cover art isn't ready yet?

Yep. My Dinner with Andre and A Christmas Tale are ones I can think of right away.

Monsoon Wedding also didn't have cover art when it was announced.

I remember the temp cover art for My dinner with andre and it was WAY better than what we actually got.

Maybe they felt the (brilliant) temp cover was too cluttered but whatever their reasoning was, the final cover was so unbelievably bad (not even in a funny way) that it warranted a #-o :-& for Criterion's decision making.

I received a brand new copy of "A Woman is a Woman" in the mail today, and to my surprise, it came packaged in a white case. Was this a title-specific thing or is it some kind of anomaly?

Title-specific

dustysomers wrote:I received a brand new copy of "A Woman is a Woman" in the mail today, and to my surprise, it came packaged in a white case. Was this a title-specific thing or is it some kind of anomaly?

mine was in a white case too (I bought it when it came out). I think it looks just nice with the artwork.
I can not remember for the moment of another Criterion release which came out with a different color for the Amaray case.

(regarding the Stagecoach cover and interior art)

Tom Hagen wrote:

Matt wrote:I assume that's some kind of Warhol Triple Elvis allusion, but it seems a little odd for this package.

I like the art, but I don't get it. I understand the ironist impulse to pierce the "Cowboys and Indians" bravado of John Wayne and the genre as a whole, but this is Stagecoach for chrissakes.

Just came across the 2009 exhibition catalog for MOMA's "Into the Sunset: Photography's Image of the American West" and, wouldn't you know it, on page 27 there is a still from Stagecoach next to Warhol's "Double Elvis" -- so, not only is it not an incomprehensible idea, but the designer of the DVD may have some explaining to do.

(Further, I don't think Warhol's work was "ironic" or an attempt to "pierce the 'Cowboys and Indians' bravado" nor do I think that was the intent of the designer of the DVD, either. As I said earlier, it's perhaps the first "modern" western, and if I'm not mistaken the film has always been very popular, so referencing the most known artist of the 20th century and his genuine love and relationship with film isn't wrongheaded at all in my opinion.)

MyNameCriterionForum wrote: Just came across the 2009 exhibition catalog for MOMA's "Into the Sunset: Photography's Image of the American West" and, wouldn't you know it, on page 27 there is a still from Stagecoach next to Warhol's "Double Elvis" -- so, not only is it not an incomprehensible idea, but the designer of the DVD may have some explaining to do.

You mean, other than this?

Haha, no, I expect a full apology

I was in B&N today for the 3-2 sale and it was like a Blu-ray digipak museum. They had every unsold early Criterion Blu in those slimdigis. I have to eat my words, as I'd never actually encountered one in real life but turns out they were every bit as horrible as people were saying.

More than once I've picked up my The Third Man digipak and watched, in horrified slo-mo, as the inner case slipped out and fell to the floor. It just goes phoot! and shoots right down. And that's not to mention the irritating trapezoid shape.

Shell out $5 for a new case.

I've never understood the hatred. Better than other cases? No no no. But ten seconds of pressure and the box is perfectly square. I've also never had slippage.

domino harvey wrote:I was in B&N today for the 3-2 sale and it was like a Blu-ray digipak museum. They had every unsold early Criterion Blu in those slimdigis. I have to eat my words, as I'd never actually encountered one in real life but turns out they were every bit as horrible as people were saying.

I noticed that the other day as well....each and every blu ray released in those godforsaken piece of shit sleeves has been there since they were first released. Either that or they keep replenishing them...though I find that hard to believe. Even my local border's has a year old Bottle Rocket blu ray in the sleeve case, along with Chunking Express and Last Year at Marienbad...both of which are the copies they got release week (you can read the dates off the price stickers). People just don't buy them - myself included.

Are they all replaced now at places like Amazon or B&N on line? i.e. if I ordered Bottle Rocket during the 50% off sale would I get it in the new plastic case? I have all the patience in the world, and I sure as hell ain't buying the old ones PLUS paying $5 for a new case. At this point the replacement cases should be free if they ever want to sell those units.

HistoryProf wrote:Are they all replaced now at places like Amazon or B&N on line? i.e. if I ordered Bottle Rocket during the 50% off sale would I get it in the new plastic case? I have all the patience in the world, and I sure as hell ain't buying the old ones PLUS paying $5 for a new case. At this point the replacement cases should be free if they ever want to sell those units.

I just got The Man Who Fell to Earth from Amazon, and it was in the dreaded digipak. I placed the order for a replacement case yesterday.

arsonfilms wrote:I just got The Man Who Fell to Earth from Amazon, and it was in the dreaded digipak.

Me too.

I recently got the Blu of Chungking Express directly from Criterion; it was in the original case. And that's how it's going to be until the initial pressings have sold out. Why should Criterion bother replacing the packaging at a loss when there's technically nothing "wrong" with them in the first place? Bear in mind I don't like these cases myself, but I can understand why Criterion doesn't feel in a hurry to change it.

The Third Man was the only title that was ever re-issued to retail (online or in stores) in updated packaging. Any of the other early titles that you get will still use the old packaging.