With HD and BlueRay here and around the corner, it's sorta too late to try for a new look for plain old dvds. Criterion should hold off on a new look until they jump into HD (or BlueRay).

Since they don't own any films I assume they only hold home DVD rights. Things could get sticky for Criterion as many of the big studios (Vivendi-Universal (StudioCanal) for one) own much of their catalogue.

If Vivendi-Universal go for only HDDVD (their US subsidary (Universal Pictures) seems to have chose HDDVD for the moment) maybe they'd tell Criterion that's what they'd 'hope for' from Criterion and this may not impress other rights' owners (ie Blu-Ray supporters).

Criterion is a good template for other studios to follow and I can't see why any of the majors would bother relicensing anyway.


I don't like their new case logo either. Nothing 'Criterion' about it.

Doesn't Criterion own Rialto films?

And it could be that just like their dvd collection is more obscure than their laserdisc collection, that their HD collection could be even more obscure than their dvds.

It has only been about a few days or so since I first saw Criterion's new look, I hate to say it, but the more I think about it and that floating "C" the more silly and unattractive it starts to appear to me. I said earlier well maybe it would grow on me, well only a few days have gone by and it has not at all. I can identify with their new look and what not now, as I have gotten used to it, but I just think this is so silly of a new look for them. And only a few days after I think that. Yikes, anybody else feel the same who has a few Criterions in their dvd collection?

I don't really have a huge problem with the "C" logo. I'm sure if it's better integrated into the art, it'll be okay. It's the tab with the year and Criterion Collection on the side that looks like it's just slapped on top of an existing cover with MS-Paint. If that wasn't so intrusive, I'd be okay with just the "C".

I don't mind change but this is for the worse. Their website was already well-designed and their covers were analyzed and praised in graphic design journals.

No more.

Me too.

I throw away the cover art as soon as I get it anyway. Most of my DVD's have custom covers.

Who are they? That's just some MPEG logo stuck on the front of other people's property to make Rialto, Criterion and Janus look important.

Yes, they help with the restoration and North American distribution but I've always felt a little bit uncomfortable with their logos which try to pass off some sort of ownership IMO.

They are good distributors no doubt.

No Sir, I don't like it

To be honest, I really don't care one bit about these changes. As long as Criterion continues to release films with great AV quality and strong extras, I can live with any of the changes they make to their covers. I don't buy movies for their covers anyway.

Another vote for: Frankly I don't give a damn.

Well said!



Guys, comments like these just aren't good for discussion at all. Please stay on the topic and don't insult other members in the process.

haha scott's a tool

They're not going to. HD and BR are not gonna replace dvds. I dont see any thing worthwhile for those two new mediums other than gaming.

Other than that, I hate their new look.

Bad placement and as a graphic designer myself, this has nothing on their old look.

Has anyone seen the spine artwork yet?

I like the new look. I liked the last change, as well. More importantly, Viridiana, Dazed & Confused, Yi Yi, Rohmer Box, and hopefully a couple more Godards and the Kurosawa/Tati re-issues before year's-end! And if they could sneak "Spirit of the Beehive" in there...

This couldn't possibly look more slapped together. HUGE thumbs down.
A shame, it would've been a nice looking boxed set cover, too...

-JP

I wanted to make a comment earlier, that new "C" look with the lower banner constricts the artwork and if they had used the old Criterion banner, all they would have to do is move the 2 pictures up and leave enough space for the films title. And put the old banner on top, instead there is a huge "C" engulfing that actors face and the banner is taking away from the beauty of that photo on the lower left hand side. Haha.

No Shit!

If it ain't broke don't fix it.

That being said, I really don't collect Criterions (the few I do own are the ones "true" collector's hate)

The guy in the left hand coner of the Rohmer box has either a really big, silly looking moustache or an enormous booger coming out of his nose.

I hate the new design, it really makes the cover elements look slapped together, but as long as Criterion keeps the quality level to their usual high standards, I guess it really doesn't matter that much.

Tough call?

I can't imagine many amateur graphic designers following that awful first example that looks like an advert for a sofa company.

You know you're on to a great thing when your customers (let's call them fans in this case) have copied your template again and again for their dream releases.

I'll miss the banner.

I really don't mind the "C" in principle. I think the Seduced and Abandoned cover is brilliant and could care less about the C versus the line. The Rohmer box, however, is just bad cover-art, especially when this set should be on-par with the wonderful Antoine Doniel set. Here, the C is just obtrusive. I'm really hoping they change the art itself, not necessarily the new logo. I'm betting the reason for this is so that the Eclipse series can match, but with a E instead.

Mod note: What did Dead just say right before your post? It's not like it was a minute or so before either, there we might have given you the benefit of the doubt in that maybe you were writting this profound "witticism" while Dead was writing his post. More than 1/2 hour later you decided to contribute to the problem...

For those that appearantly need it in monosyllabic... do not post if all you have to say is bad things about some one else.

thanks

I think it'd be better if the "C" was moved up further into the top left corner with a box around it. The artwork can be displayed without ever touching going inside the box.

The way it is now (with the Rohmer boxset cover) the C isn't as noticeable and at the same time it's also covering up some of the artwork.

I don't really mind the new look, but it doesn't mesh well with the current look. I'd be happy with them keeping the current look for standard dvds, and using the new look for the HD/BR versions. It would give them something to differentiate with (besides the odd looking HD/BR cases).