Solid Snake

I kind of like the cover for the Samurai Trilogy but...it's close to traditional Japanese...but the way it's off...is what devalues the attempt.

islandclaws

That Samurai Trilogy art SUCKS.

NoirFan

I know nothing about the Trilogy, but that art looks like the cover from a graphic novel. In any case, it's certainly not as dull as the design for Being John Malkovich.

big e

Agree about the Samurai Trilogy art, I'm not digging it. Still, it's a day 1 purchase for me.

Anyone else think the samurai w/ the mustache on the right side of the cover looks like Lee Van Cleef or is it just me?

georgec

Now I'm more confused.

Sondheim

Few things could be as dull as the art for BJM (or Certified Copy.)

This art is cartoony, but I personally don't have a problem with that. I watched the trilogy a few months ago, and I don't think it's even that inappropriate for the films. Either way, it will probably help sell copies.

It kind of reminds me of some of the recent covers for "Penguin Deluxe Classics" - some of them have a more modern, "graphic novelish" look to them that may not be that fitting for the period/style in which they were written, but they (in my opinion) look great in their own right.

macnorton

I am in the minority, I liked the Samurai cover (like an old school Japanese painting) and the other two mentioned above me.

Gerry P.

The Certified Copy cover is the worst. It's photoshop ugly and the way it literalizes the theme of the movie is cringe-worthy.

Josh Z

Some of these recent Criterion covers are pretty bad, but I still think that the Daniel Clowes' artwork for Shock Corridor and The Naked Kiss still take the cake as the worst Criterion cover art.

Doctorossi

I can't agree with you at all there.

obscurelabel

I love both of those. To each his own.

slop101

I agree with Josh - love Clowes, but his covers are horrible in that (a) they don't fit the mood of the films at all and that (b) they are completely without imagination and far too literal. He just re-draws a scene with no thought as to mood or a sense of design for what should be a cover.

Living Deadpan

They're too damned colorful too. Then again, I tend to prefer their more minimalistic/grey-ish cover artwork like for Vampyr and Kuroneko.

I love Videodrome too, but I think I'd enjoy that cover with any freeze frame from the film.

Going beyond cover artwork, what do you think of the current Criterion logo, the big fat C?



I'm still partial to this one:

Solid Snake

I like the new one. The old one is...well old. Shows it's age too. The one is inherently CC and ageless in a way. It's got a symbol..so that's neat too.

Living Deadpan

That's not the old one! This is the old logo (at the top):


I think their middle-period logo is the most classy. The current fat C makes Criterion merch look like a baseball team or something.

At least they kept the classic Janus Films logo.

Solid Snake

Well fuck me silly..didn't know there was an older one.

The Janus one is fucking great. I'd be pissed were that to be fucked with.

Doctorossi

There's an older one than that, too. And an older logo with a 'book' icon involved.

Good ol' LD days.

PopcornTreeCt

Speaking of old Crtiterion stuff, I recently purchased Traffic on Blu-ray. I still have the DVD version so I opened it up to check the condition and inside was one of those Criterion checklists dated 2002. I really need to sell it now but I have a weird nostalgic attachment to it.

Solid Snake

Damn me and my youth.

NoirFan

I wish they still included postcards, I always enjoyed finding those.

islandclaws

There's a great interview here with Criterion producer Curtis Tsui talking about the recent Godzilla release, but it also sheds some light on Criterion's processes as a whole.

Giles

I'd give my left nut to have a 3D bluray of this and 'Flesh for Frankenstein'

Solid Snake

thanks for the link, KC. Nice read.

NoirFan

DVD Beaver on This Happy Breed

LPMA

So excited for this boxset!