Part 1: The poll. What do you think of Criterion's artwork as a whole? Do you like it, dislike it, or do you have mixed feelings? Elaborate if you like.

Part 2: If you have one, please post an image of your favorite Criterion cover(s) and explain why that particular cover or two appeal to you.

-JP

I really like the artwork to most of their releases. Certainly more than ANY other, uh, studio? Publisher?

Not all of 'em are winners but I think they are the most consistent at making nice covers.

They are hit and miss, but when they're good - they're good. I love how they mainly use symbolism for the covers. They actually take the time to do something original rather than to cut and paste big-foreheaded actors onto the cover art layout.

My favorite? Thinking about it, probably this one:

Naked Lunch

They're great, I just wish people would stop talking about them.

I'm fine with them, mostly. I don't really give it much thought.

Although i'm not a big Criterion person, i do like the majority of the covers. My favorite would be these two:

For the majority, I'm impressed with a lot of them as well. They take care into making a DVD that you spend hard-earned money on and make it as appealing as possible for those who appreciate the collection. My favorites are Throne of Blood, Onibaba, Le Samourai, Rashomon, and the Hitchcock boxset.

They've had a couple of bland ones, but overall I think they're nice. Rashomon is my favorite.

Eh, they're overrated in my opinion. They seem.. snobbish, for lack of a better word.

Tough to beat that.

With a few exceptions (very few at that) I most certinaly dislike them. All you have to do is look at some of the Asian covers Wild Side puts in R2 or even better Rene Chateau...the difference is striking.

If Criterion's cover designers take a look at some of the nostalgia galleries even BEAVER has they could get plenty of ideas. Yet, lately there have been all sorts of dull covers, incluiding Viridiana's fiasco, that are nothing short of poor in my opinion.

Ciao,
Pro-B

a few examples:

(classic old poster used for coverwork):




...and of course the beautiful set of In the Mood for Love...





Ciao,
Pro-B

Wow, that IS a nice set. The In The Mood For Love CC cover is nice too, though. Takes some of those colorful elements and places them in a keepcase.



But I do like that digipack edition. Very nice.

They are consistently good IMO. My favorite is Ugetsu. Rushmore and How To Get Ahead In Advertising are pretty nice also.

Love the covers. Another feather in the cap of Criterion!

I actually prefer Criterion's artwork for Hiroshima mon amour, In the Mood for Love, and Onibaba over the ones that you posted...though I do agree that Wild Side did a better job with Kwaidan and the covers for the films in Criterion's Rebel Samurai set (though, even before your post I marked those releases as some of Criterion's worst covers, so it wasn't all that difficult to top those outings). I'd like to see some side-by-sides of other releases if you don't mind.

-JP

Is there anything you don't consider overrated?