Criterion & Eclipse Cover Art & Packaging Babble-on Vol. 7

[FrauBlucher]

When it was rumored that they got the MGM Hitchcock's back I was wondering if they were going to go with the similar look of the 30's Hitchcocks, if they were to make a change. I think they made the right choice to something different.

[domino harvey]

As long as they don't touch the Notorious cover, they can do whatever to Spellbound's!

[lacritfan]

Certain Women is OK but woulda preferred something with the cast like this.

[Andre Jurieu]

Really enjoy the covers for Rebecca and Certain Women.

[colinr0380]

I think all of the covers are excellent this month. Love the rather naughty image of Mrs Danver's 'parting the lace curtains' (oo-er!) of the first Mrs de Winter's room! (And I also like the subversive notion that the cover focuses on the ostensible 'villain' of the piece!). I'm just happy that they kept the title in Rebecca's handwriting, as that feels a key element that makes the cover resonate even more to a viewer familiar with the film.

The cover for The Piano Teacher is the iconic image of the first meeting in the bathroom. It is the same as the old Artificial Eye DVD cover, but here Criterion has added that white border that emphasises the sterile, awkward nature of that environment even more. I love the image montage of Festival, which seems to be the right way to capture a film full of moments and performers rather than one particular iconic shot. The David Lynch cover is simple but perfect (the quiff! the shirt! the piercing eyes! the messy background!), almost feeling like a homage to the American Gothic painting!

Talking of weatherbeaten, I love the Certain Women cover too. That soft watercolour bottom of the picture with a lot of busy details underneath that much rougher textured (I almost want to reach out and feel how rough it is!) lowering sky that seems to take over half of the space. And I love that's where all the text is too.

[TheGodfather]

Oh wow! Rebecca on blu!

[cdnchris]

They Live by Night

[FrauBlucher]

They Live By Night is a terrific looking package. I love the back cover. An early favorite for me years best.

[denti alligator]

I should know better, especially after a decade plus on this forum and all, but I'm lazy and tired, so can someone tell me how common it is for any name other than the director's to be on a Criterion cover? Somehow it looks odd on Rebecca and especially Certain Women.

[Ribs]

I should know better, especially after a decade plus on this forum and all, but I'm lazy and tired, so can someone tell me how common it is for any name other than the director's to be on a Criterion cover? Somehow it looks odd on Rebecca and especially Certain Women.

Pretty regularly. Some recent ones: Hopscotch, Straw Dogs, Multiple Maniacs, Before Trilogy, 45 Years, Mildred Pierce, Something Wild, His Girl Friday. The more uncommon one is no names on the cover, which I believe only applies to Spy Who Came in From the Cold (though there may be another, I can't exactly recall).

[Apperson]

The more uncommon one is no names on the cover, which I believe only applies to Spy Who Came in From the Cold (though there may be another, I can't exactly recall).

I know from memory that The Game doesn't have Fincher's name on it, and neither do the Wes Anderson films from Rushmore to Life Aquatic.

[denti alligator]

Yep, you're right, of course. Don't know why they suddenly jumped out at me here. Anyway, none of these covers does much for me.

[John Shade]

As long as they don't touch the Notorious cover, they can do whatever to Spellbound's!

I really like the cover for Rebecca--I agree about Notorious. How frequent is it for them to keep the cover for an out of print or upgrade? I'm thinking they kept it for 8 1/2 and Rushmore, so maybe there's a little hope.

[Ribs]

As long as they don't touch the Notorious cover, they can do whatever to Spellbound's!

I really like the cover for Rebecca--I agree about Notorious. How frequent is it for them to keep the cover for an out of print or upgrade? I'm thinking they kept it for 8 1/2 and Rushmore, so maybe there's a little hope.

Looking back through the past year (October-September), the only upgrades that don't reuse covers are Good Morning, Straw Dogs, Hopscotch, Sid and Nancy, and Rebecca. So they stick with them about 2/3 or the time or so.

[swo17]

That's because those are all reissues as opposed to Blu upgrades.

[cdnchris]

L'argent

[cdnchris]

Stalker

[Rupert Pupkin]

thanks cdnchris (I love the "L'Argent" packaging (although the artwork from Poland was my favorite).
But regarding Stalker, it's really too bad that they didn't use the "dunes" sequence- it's such an haunting scene that it's forever impressed in your memory. I wonder if this was a kind of inspiration later for J-Michel Folon...

By the way, I can't find back at Nostalghia web site some amazing black & white photos which were taken during the shooting of the "first" version of "Stalker" (if I can remember well, there was a lot more tanks for the scene where they were approaching the first steps to the Zone)

[miless]

this is the post: http://immos.livejournal.com/67613.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
it also details some sfx that were cut from the second filming

[domino harvey]

LiveJournal still exists?! [Mood: Shocked]

[Saturnome]

LiveJournal is still going strong in Russia, I heard. Not long ago I used to find some good stuff on soviet animation through Google translate.

[Morbii]

But regarding Stalker, it's really too bad that they didn't use the "dunes" sequence- it's such an haunting scene that it's forever impressed in your memory.

It seems so obvious to use that scene that one has to wonder why they've rebelled...

[aox]

But regarding Stalker, it's really too bad that they didn't use the "dunes" sequence-.

Agreed. I don't hate the packaging or their choices, but even disregarding the cover, I am shocked they didn't utilize more varied imagery from the film within the packaging.

[cdnchris]

Lost in America

[swo17]

No one wants to see announcements at the bottom of a page.