Criterion & Eclipse Cover Art & Packaging Babble-on Vol.4

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#1 Post by **kinjitsu** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:15 pm

Please post and discuss cover art in this thread only. Posts of cover art and discussions of cover art in other threads may be moved to this thread or deleted.

Previous versions of this thread:

Criterion Cover Art & Packaging Babble-on Vol.1

Criterion Cover Art & Packaging Babble-on Vol.2

Criterion & Eclipse Cover Art & Packaging Babble-on Vol.3

Via_Chicago · #2 Post by **Via_Chicago** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:16 pm

Is the guy who designed the Amarcord cover responsible for Thief of Baghdad? The faces look identical.

On that topic, I like its layout and cover scheme, but I think the drawings themselves suck.

teddyleevin · #3 Post by **teddyleevin** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:20 pm

Is that a fake cover?

eez28 · #4 Post by **eez28** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:21 pm

Cool, the hugs and kisses box set!

#5 Post by **Jeff** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:47 pm

Via_Chicago wrote:Is the guy who designed the Amarcord cover responsible for Thief of Baghdad? The faces look identical.

On that topic, I like its layout and cover scheme, but I think the drawings themselves suck.

The artist is Caitlin Kuhwald. There is some discussion of her beginning here.

They chose not to credit any of the directors on the cover of Thief of Bagdad, and went with "An Alexander Korda Production" instead.

Cinephrenic · #6 Post by **Cinephrenic** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 6:04 pm

Same designer from Amarcord, no?

Jeff wrote:They chose not to credit any of the directors on the cover of Thief of Bagdad, and went with "An Alexander Korda Production" instead.

Probably ecsthetic reasons:

Directed by
Ludwig Berger
Michael Powell
Tim Whelan
Alexander Korda (uncredited)
Zoltan Korda (uncredited)
William Cameron Menzies (uncredited)

The good thing about the Malle covers is that we can play Tik-Tak-Toe with them.

I would have preferred the original French title, Le fou follet.

The info in Les Amants had the details for Before the Rain.

#7 Post by **Jeff** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 6:14 pm

Cinephrenic wrote:
Jeff wrote:They chose not to credit any of the directors on the cover of Thief of Bagdad, and went with "An Alexander Korda Production" instead.
Probably ecsthetic reasons:

Directed by
Ludwig Berger
Michael Powell
Tim Whelan
Alexander Korda (uncredited)
Zoltan Korda (uncredited)
William Cameron Menzies (uncredited)

I would have gone with "A film by Michael Powell (and some other dudes)"

a.khan · #8 Post by **a.khan** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:37 pm

My source tells me that the designer of the new Malle covers got his creative inspiration from here.

Cinephrenic · #9 Post by **Cinephrenic** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:48 pm

Or here...

Cinephrenic wrote:The good thing about the Malle covers is that we can play Tik-Tak-Toe with them.

I'm just messin' with you.

#10 Post by **domino harvey** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 9:27 pm

I LOVE those Malle covers and the Thief of Baghdad cover-- this forum's nuts. To the designers reading this: good job!

rwaits · #11 Post by **rwaits** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 9:42 pm

I agree with Domino on this one. Love 'em all.

Svevan · #12 Post by **Svevan** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 12:05 am

I thought the two dimensional cut-out style, warped anatomy, and garish faces worked on the Amarcord cover, but for Thief of Baghdad it just looks awkward.

I don't mind the Malle covers.

#13 Post by **Matt** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 12:41 am

I really like the simplicity of the Malle covers. I don't think I'll ever come around to appreciating Caitlin Kuhwald though. I guess she's to the go-to artist for whimsy. Thief of Bagdad needs brighter colors. It should verge on garish.

Another month where I won't be buying anything, though. Criterion is saving me a ton of money this year.

toiletduck! · #14 Post by **toiletduck!** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 1:14 am

The Malle covers, especially The Lovers, are fantastic. I'm really confused by the dissent.

Thief of Baghdad doesn't work for me (I can't really get into Kuhwald, either), but at least it's far enough off-kilter that it looks like a choice and not just shoddy work.

-Toilet Dcuk

Antoine Doinel · #15 Post by **Antoine Doinel** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 1:46 am

Love all the May covers too.

#16 Post by **domino harvey** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:03 am

Cinephrenic wrote:I would have prefered the original French title, Le fou follet.

The Fool Inside?

miless · #17 Post by **miless** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:35 am

I really enjoy the covers for the Malle releases. It almost makes me want to buy them. But it is Malle, so I think I'll pass.

Cinephrenic · #18 Post by **Cinephrenic** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 4:07 am

The Fool Inside?

Haha! Why pass on Malle?

LightBulbFilm · #19 Post by **LightBulbFilm** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 5:43 am

miless wrote: (despite the fact that neither Malle nor Resnais belong to the "french New Wave")

I disagree. What makes you think they don't?

miless · #20 Post by **miless** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 5:50 am

Cinephrenic wrote:Why pass on Malle?

Just not a big fan. It's not like like I think Criterion is wasting their time... it's just not to my tastes. I prefer Resnais to any of the other "French New Wave" (despite the fact that neither Malle nor Resnais belong to the "french New Wave")

LightBulbFilm wrote:
miless wrote: (despite the fact that neither Malle nor Resnais belong to the "french New Wave")
I disagree. What makes you think they don't?

Mostly, people have a narrow view of "new wave". A lot of people (on these boards, and not) count Resnais, Malle, Marker and Varda as something as other than typical "French New Wave".

Macintosh · #21 Post by **Macintosh** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 6:43 am

miless wrote:Mostly, people have a narrow view of "new wave". A lot of people (on these boards, and not) count Resnais, Malle, Marker and Varda as something as other than typical "French New Wave".

I believe they are commonly regarded as the "Left Bank" filmmakers.

Doctor Sunshine · #22 Post by **Doctor Sunshine** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 10:02 am

I like them all too. For the Malle, simple's not a bad thing. Just because the amateur can only detect two elements and thinks they could have done that themselves doesn't mean they were phoned in. Why, I can see at least three elements present. The Thief of Bagdad, it's ostensibly cute but I also find it disturbing which makes for good contrast. Sort of like when people start discussing what is or is not New Wave in what's supposed to be one of our most brain dead threads. Blows my mind.

Jean-Luc Garbo · #23 Post by **Jean-Luc Garbo** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:49 pm

I hate the X and O on the Malle covers. Otherwise, they're okay, but rather lazy. For Feu Follet, what can you do but not feature the lead, but I would have liked to have been surprised. The French title would have been nice, too.

Saturnome · #24 Post by **Saturnome** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 5:09 pm

I know this is quite individual thinking, but I'd would like French releases to have their original titles, for the only reason that I know them better by those. I almost skip some titles sometimes (and I may have skipped some) because of it.

kaujot · #25 Post by **kaujot** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 5:38 pm

Saturnome wrote:I know this is quite individual thinking, but I'd would like French releases to have their original titles, for the only reason that I know them better by those. I almost skip some titles sometimes (and I may have skipped some) because of it.

Quai des Orfevres
Pepe le moko
Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne
Hiroshima mon amour
Le cercle rouge
Le corbeau
Touchez pas au grisbi
Tout va bien