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

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Oedipax · #1126 Post by **Oedipax** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 9:34 pm

Interesting thing (to me at least) regarding the cover for The Ice Storm - this was one of the films screened for my Film & Lit class this past semester (we also read the book) and in my response paper, I had a section discussing the color red as it appears throughout the film: how it was one way of making visible the "cool" emotional climate of the film, the way it's contrasted with the drained colors elsewhere. There's more to it, but the cover feels like a small validation of that.

Via_Chicago · #1127 Post by **Via_Chicago** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 9:38 pm

Oedipax wrote:Interesting thing (to me at least) regarding the cover for The Ice Storm - this was one of the films screened for my Film & Lit class this past semester (we also read the book) and in my response paper, I had a section discussing the color red as it appears throughout the film: how it was one way of making visible the "cool" emotional climate of the film, the way it's contrasted with the drained colors elsewhere. There's more to it, but the cover feels like a small validation of that.

I don't know, it sort of reminds me of this or even this.

godardslave · #1128 Post by **godardslave** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:54 am

Dont like the ice storm, mafioso covers at all, weak.

However, the gaudi cover i do like.

HerrSchreck wrote:Don't worry, William Klein's The Model Couple deftly satirizes a modern age out of control. That aughta hold you.

Their copywriter need a space upgrade or something? That tagline on like half of the spine's teasers?

how out of control was your modern age day today?

mogwai · #1129 Post by **mogwai** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 1:33 am

I can certainly understand the negative feedback concerning The Ice Storm, but I fucking love that cover. Then again, I adore the hell out of that film, so they really could've slapped anything on there.

I'm fairly indifferent to the other covers, though I like the clean look of the Gaudi. And while I look forward to all these films, I really was hoping for a bit more.

Cosmic Bus · #1130 Post by **Cosmic Bus** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 2:50 am

I really dislike that stale alternating bold type on the Ice Storm, but I do like the image itself.

I'm all over the Gaudi disc(s), though.

#1131 Post by **domino harvey** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 4:30 am

Here's a proposal for fixing that monstrosity which keeps all of their font choices save the lame lower-case capitalization:

Doctor Sunshine · #1132 Post by **Doctor Sunshine** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:06 am

I think the Ice Storm cover, beyond being very professionally done, is interesting and captures something unique, but the 80sness of it and the Walker cover are killing me. The color schemes of both flirt with the cyan/magenta cga computer art of my youth which somehow bypasses my nostalgia triggers and glides right into hatred.

That said, I don't mind if they keep them. If I'm forced to confront this stuff now it'll lessen my therapy bills later.

godardslave · #1133 Post by **godardslave** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 3:19 am

dx23 wrote:The Adventures of Baron Munchausen 2 disc SE is going to be released on April 8th, 2008. Amazon.com is running a poll to select the cover of the DVD.

Criterion should run a poll like this for 1 release per month.

Alonzo the Armless · #1134 Post by **Alonzo the Armless** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 11:06 am

I don't think Criterion needs people to vote on their covers. Just looking at the batch of covers they display in their holiday newsletter shows they know what they're doing. I'd rather their artists invest as much time and creativity as possible in doing one terrific cover than divide their time into trying to make three terrific covers. If any of us think we know how to make abetter cover, we should get our portfolios together and apply to Criterion.

I'm sure the designers there already do different variations in the early stages that go through his or her own voting process, as well as other high-ups at Criterion in later stages. Their track record shows that even if they make a cover that we don't care for, it's still different from the floating head crap churned out by the mainstream studios.

Now I wouldn't mind more polls from the studios. I'd love for them to realize that posters and DVD covers are more eye-catching if more emphasis was put on good design than making sure you see the faces of the big stars popping out at you. There are lots of DVD cover design commitees that could learn a lot from Criterion.

Cinephrenic · #1135 Post by **Cinephrenic** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 10:34 pm

godardslave wrote:
dx23 wrote:The Adventures of Baron Munchausen 2 disc SE is going to be released on April 8th, 2008. Amazon.com is running a poll to select the cover of the DVD.
Criterion should run a poll like this for 1 release per month.

Even though I voted for selection 3, all three were horrible.

Jem · #1136 Post by **Jem** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 1:31 pm

CSM126 wrote:Maybe I'm the only one, but I love that cover for The Ice Storm.

I think the semi abstract image of ice is a nice solution, though agree the type is a bit late 90's.

arsonfilms · #1137 Post by **arsonfilms** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 2:06 pm

Jem wrote:
CSM126 wrote:Maybe I'm the only one, but I love that cover for The Ice Storm.
I think the semi abstract image of ice is a nice solution, though agree the type is a bit late 90's.

Well I think the film is a little late 90s!

Hey-O!

a.khan · #1138 Post by **a.khan** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 2:36 pm

I'm late to the party: that "Ice Storm" artwork is glorious!

Thomas J. · #1139 Post by **Thomas J.** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:08 am

Mind you I am no expert in graphic design, but I like THE ICE STORM's cover too.

Pretty simple:

Cold, blueish ice conveys...ice

Red in the background conveys...agression, tension, anger...hence, a storm

The ice in the foreground overlaid atop the storm in the background conveys...that the storm is to be associated with the ice.

Thus produces The Ice Storm.

But what do I know?

Jem · #1140 Post by **Jem** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 9:50 pm

domino harvey wrote:Here's a proposal for fixing that monstrosity which keeps all of their font choices save the lame lower-case capitalization:

Sorry Domino, I prefer the ranged right text at a smaller size, I think large centered text is little conventional and expected. With regards to lower case vs. sentence case, either option reads fine to me.

Thomas J. · #1141 Post by **Thomas J.** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 10:29 pm

Jem wrote:Sorry Domino, I prefer the ranged right text at a smaller size, I think large centered text is little conventional and expected. With regards to lower case vs. sentence case, either option reads fine to me.

Yeah, I too like the text flushed right because it's edgier.

Literally, the text is at the edge of the artwork.

#1142 Post by **domino harvey** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:04 pm

denti alligator · #1143 Post by **denti alligator** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:07 pm

pas mal

but are these lower-tier releases all we're getting for April? (or am I totally impatient)

#1144 Post by **domino harvey** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:08 pm

denti alligator wrote:pas mal

but are these lower-tier releases all we're getting for April? (or am I totally impatient)

If so this is just getting ridiculous. There HAS to be a boxed set to go with these, I just can't imagine them taking this big a step down from the already dismal March schedule.

#1145 Post by **domino harvey** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:10 pm

Don't both of those covers look like fan art? We all have Photoshop, Criterion, can't you bring something else to the table?

denti alligator · #1146 Post by **denti alligator** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:10 pm

domino harvey wrote:Don't both of those covers look like fan art?

No. And at least two of March's three (not counting Eclipse) releases are two-disc sets. These are $29.98-ers.

jbeall · #1147 Post by **jbeall** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:19 pm

No real opinion on Death of a Cyclist (of course, it looks like no real effort from their designers, either), but I love the Blast of Silence cover.

Does anybody know if the cover art is taken from the graphic novel adaptation?

souvenir · #1148 Post by **souvenir** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:20 pm

OliverB · #1149 Post by **OliverB** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 7:15 pm

Death Of A Cyclist looks great, I don't understand how you guys can complain.

sevenarts · #1150 Post by **sevenarts** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 7:30 pm

Death of a Cyclist looks crappy, just a lazy Photoshop job.

I think Blast of Silence is great though, and perfectly suited to a noir. If I'm not mistaken, it's by Sean Phillips, an artist who has done a lot of great work on some of writer Ed Brubaker's neo-noir comics, like Criminal and the incredibly underrated Sleeper. His blog has a post of related artwork from about a month ago.