The official WORST STUDIO COVER ART thread. Post your worst covers! (1 Viewer)

[GMpasqua]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwin-S /forum/thread/312686/the-official-worst-studio-cover-art-thread-post-your-worst-covers/30#post_3829816

Yeah, I can see that, now. That would have looked good. Much better than the cover that was used.




One can just imagine the monstrosity WB will come up with for the 2012 Bu-ray release

 

[Charles Smith]

That simple solution is BEAUTIFUL.

This is the type of thing I had in mind when I said earlier that I fully understood that you can't just take a typical one-sheet layout and slap it on a Blu-ray or even a DVD case. That usually can't work for any number of reasons. But please, studios, I beg you ... bring in the essential elements, applying a little thought and imagination, and you can still come up with a winner that speaks to the beauty and excitement of the original release.

 

[JohnMor]

GREAT job, Greg.

This also points up something that annoys me now. I really wish they'd drop the blu cases. They served their purposes during the format war, but sometimes the blu really contrasts with the artwork colors. Certainly not a big issue, but I wouldn't mind clear, black and colored cases like with dvds.

 

[Charles Smith]

Hear! Hear! I see the blue as not just contrasting or interfering with artwork, but actually influencing it much of the time. (Maybe I'm nuts, but that's been my impression practically from the get-go.) Criterion had no problem not going along with it. What's everybody else's problem?

 

[GMpasqua]

Originally Posted by Chas in CT
Hear! Hear! I see the blue as not just contrasting or interfering with artwork, but actually influencing it much of the time. (Maybe I'm nuts, but that's been my impression practically from the get-go.) Criterion had no problem not going along with it. What's everybody else's problem?

The Blue cases definately influences the art work - and Blue is such a cold color, certain films just don't seem right with blue ([COLOR= #ff0000]West Side Story [/COLOR]is a good case - the Red is what the films is "about" : the heat, the passion the anger - blue just doesn't work)

Thanks guys for the compliments

 

[GMpasqua]

double post

 

[Todd Erwin]

Here are my nominations (in alphabetical order):

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension
Granted, this was obviously a difficult movie to market, but the original poster, I think, best represents what the film is. Peter Weller looks like he's headed for the nearest disco on MGM's VHS cover, and the DVD cover wants you to think it's a musical.

Original Movie Poster (also used on Vestron's VHS and LaserDisc covers)

MGM VHS Cover

MGM DVD Cover


Grand Canyon
Lawrence Kasdan's under-appreciated ensemble-piece set in 1990's Los Angeles. If you've seen the film, Mary-Louise Parker's character has very little to be laughing about on the DVD cover.

Original Movie Poster (also used on Fox's LaserDisc cover)

Fox's DVD cover


Innerspace
Another film that was difficult to market. Director Joe Dante has said recently that he hated the original movie poster. The artwork for the initial VHS and Laserdisc covers are probably the better of the three shown here.

Original Movie Poster (also used on the Soundtrack CD)

LaserDisc and initial VHS release (also used for a limited theatrical re-issue for Oscar consideration)

Warner's DVD Cover


Joe Versus The Volcano
The original movie poster, which was also used for the LaserDisc and initial VHS release, better sums up the overall tone of this odd, often dark, romantic comedy, the first teaming of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The DVD cover looks way too similar to the artwork used for Turner and Hooch.

Original Movie Poster

DVD Cover

 

[GMpasqua]

Bob Peak:

 

[GMpasqua]

what I would do:

 

[Peter Neski]

[ATTACHMENT=128]Peter Neski (16k. jpg file)[/ATTACHMENT]
this belongs on this list UGH!!

 

[GMpasqua]

Originally Posted by Peter Neski

this belongs on this list UGH!!

Peter, see post 53 on page 2, it's already there

 

[JohnMor]

Greg, another great job with Oliver! That has always been some of my favorite artwork. And I also agree about the lame My Fair Lady. At least the 2 disc set I have was from the period when Warners used morstly original poster art.

 

[GMpasqua]

Originally Posted by JohnMor
Greg, another great job with Oliver! That has always been some of my favorite artwork. And I also agree about the lame My Fair Lady. At least the 2 disc set I have was from the period when Warners used morstly original poster art.

Thanks John, "Oliver" has always been treated badly on video (most home video covers were really bad). I remember buying the lst laserdisc only to find some of the reels were transfered backward : you could tell because the door numbers and sign were backwards - like looking in a mirror

The best "Oliver" Home video cover was the Pioneer Special Edition Laserdisc (Joe Caps) Joe used the same art work as above

I understand SONY has this one ready but has been sitting on it (I could be wrong) don't know what they are waiting for 2018 is a long way off

 

[marsnkc]

Thanks John,  "Oliver" has always been treated badly on video (most home video  covers were really bad).  I remember buying the lst laserdisc only to find some of the reels were transfered backward : you could tell because the door numbers and sign were backwards - like looking in a mirror The best "Oliver" Home video cover was the Pioneer Special Edition Laserdisc (Joe Caps) Joe used the same art work as above I understand SONY has this one ready but has been sitting on it (I could be wrong) don't know what they are waiting for 2018 is a long way off  

Greg, I think you've been elected to represent us at the next AGM of the MPAA...Funny about the parts of Oliver being transferred with reverse images on laser. The first VHS of Lawrence had the stereo tracks reversed so that, at the well scene, we hear O'Toole's voice coming from the right while he's standing left of screen. Columbia sent me a corrected tape, along with a free copy of Kwai. Those were the days!As if anticipating this thread (by 21 days!), there's an article titled 'A celebration of Drew Struzan and hand-painted posters' on www.denofgeek.com (haven't yet learned how to put links here so, if interested, just search for Struzan on the site).I suppose some studios, who otherwise might have wanted to use original poster art, might have the excuse that they no longer possess even a copy of the poster, never mind the original painting (I have original copies of the rare British Quad and less rare U.S. one-sheet for Dr. No, but I'd kill to have Mitchell Hook's - and companies' - original painting!). It's not that long (relatively speaking) that posters had no more value to studios than the paper they were printed on and were treated accordingly. Today, thanks to cut-throat competition among collectors for rareties, an original Frankenstein or Mummy would buy you a nice house in California!

 

[GMpasqua]

Greg, I think you've been elected to represent us at the next AGM of the MPAA...
Funny about the parts of Oliver being transferred with reverse images on laser. The first VHS of Lawrence had the stereo tracks reversed so that, at the well scene, we hear O'Toole's voice coming from the right while he's standing left of screen. Columbia sent me a corrected tape, along with a free copy of Kwai. Those were the days!
As if anticipating this thread (by 21 days!), there's an article titled 'A celebration of Drew Struzan and hand-painted posters' on www.denofgeek.com (haven't yet learned how to put links here so, if interested, just search for Struzan on the site).
I suppose some studios, who otherwise might have wanted to use original poster art, might have the excuse that they no longer possess even a copy of the poster, never mind the original painting (I have original copies of the rare British Quad and less rare U.S. one-sheet for Dr. No, but I'd kill to have Mitchell Hook's - and companies' - original painting!). It's not that long (relatively speaking) that posters had no more value to studios than the paper they were printed on and were treated accordingly. Today, thanks to cut-throat competition among collectors for rareties, an original Frankenstein or Mummy would buy you a nice house in California!

Thanks, I believe with many posters (especially Bob Peak's work) the studio's never owned the original art/paintings - the advertsising agencies the studio's hired did

Maybe some of these are difficult to deal with or the art has been lost? But Studios should at least have a copy of the one sheet

 

[Edwin-S]

I think the cover for Sony's BD release of Das Boot is kind of ugly. I know that it uses some elements from the original DVD release, but it still looks ugly to me.
Edit:
None of the original posters seem to be world beaters, but I think I would have preferred this

or the original DVD cover

or even

Although the last one makes the film look like 'B' war movie.
I actually like the first image the best.

 

[johnSM]

So many studios spend a lot of money on new transfers of films, it really baffles me that they don't go the extra mile and include the original artwork - do they think they're fooling 'average' shoppers into thinking a film is new/modern because it has a modern "style" cover?! If I see a cheap looking photoshop'd cover I'm tempted to walk on by to be honest - those original posters had real artists at the helm who knew what they were doing. The modern variants don't inspire pride of ownership.
I don't see why all studios couldn't come together and agree to produce reversable bluray covers - some new modern photoshop'd monstrosity on one side (to keep the marketing people employed who presumably actually believe that pictures of actors heads on a bland background will help to sell a movie!), and the original artwork on the other for the true film collector - everyone is kept happy! Surely that wouldn't be so hard to do? I'm getting sick to death of crappy covers - and this thread has really hammered that point home with some of the terrifically bad examples here!
Thanks for the opportunity for a cover vent thread (lets hope some 'insiders' are reading and taking note...)

 

[GMpasqua]

As more and more people order discs on line and less discs are carried in stores - how many people actually see the cover when buying the film?

 

[JoHud]

 

[JoHud]

As far as blu-ray covers