The Criterion Collection

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by Mister Bagel

Would blow my mind for Sandler to take issue with them using what he (assumedly?) previously approved for the film's worldwide release

I don't even really think stars approve movie posters, though there may be plenty of agent phone calls arguing for changes etc. I know generic use of image / name on posters is covered in contracts.

They certainly approve them in contractual language, at least to a point. I remember the behind the scenes on the Sweet Smell of Success cover where Burt Lancaster’s head had to be exactly the same size as Tony Curtis’ head, and the designers worked themselves in knots trying to make that work, while still maintaining the theme that Burt Lancaster’s character was looming over everything. I can’t imagine stars relinquishing power since then.

Also, when you have a low-budget film with a massively popular star who is literally your singular selling point, I suspect that actor is going to be able to exert even more pull than with other films, contractually speaking.

(There were stories floating around when that Sandler got snubbed for Best Actor that he was very upset about the marketing campaign for the film. Of course, this is just informed speculation and I can’t vouch for its veracity. But I honestly can’t imagine any other reason why Criterion would go with a carefully composed glamour shot that makes Sandler look much more friendly and approachable, with almost no thematic connection at all, no story connection, nothing. It’s just not their style.)

[Mister Bagel]

Originally Posted by DimitriL

They certainly approve them in contractual language, at least to a point. I remember the behind the scenes on the Sweet Smell of Success cover where Burt Lancaster’s head had to be exactly the same size as Tony Curtis’ head, and the designers worked themselves in knots trying to make that work, while still maintaining the theme that Burt Lancaster’s character was looming over everything. I can’t imagine stars relinquishing power since then.

Right, I hear this, but Lancaster's agent would have negotiated that detail into the contract before the poster was ever conceptualized. It's not like Adam Sandler called Jon Mulvaney and said "Hey, make my head bigger!" - and if anyone up the chain thinks they're going to sell more copies of a boutique 4K release that already has a standard blu-ray by making Adam Sandler's face bigger...I guess I wouldn't know what to tell them.

Although, now that I type that out, perhaps Criterion wanted to distinguish their release from the other one, even moreso now that it will be a part of their 4K line, hence the artwork change.

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by Mister Bagel

Right, I hear this, but Lancaster's agent would have negotiated that detail into the contract before the poster was ever conceptualized. It's not like Adam Sandler called Jon Mulvaney and said "Hey, make my head bigger!" - and if anyone up the chain thinks they're going to sell more copies of a boutique 4K release that already has a standard blu-ray by making Adam Sandler's face bigger...I guess I wouldn't know what to tell them.

Although, now that I type that out, perhaps Criterion wanted to distinguish their release from the other one, even moreso now that it will be a part of their 4K line, hence the artwork change.

I mean, sure. I don’t mean that Sandler called up Criterion HQ and said “They’re using WHAT ART??” It could be as simple as a contract stipulation where Sandler gets final approval on all artwork and he said no. Then Criterion probably would’ve worked with his team (and, I would hope, the Safdies) to get something everyone is comfortable with. I used to do a bunch of big country music websites back in the earliest days of the internet, and I know this is how it worked with Garth Brooks. (Though we didn’t hear from his people - his people would contact Capitol Nashville and then they’d let us know and it was a whole chain of things.)

I think you’re probably right about Criterion seeing it as a marketing help when there’s another edition out there. I thought that with them going with the ‘K’ on Citizen Kane, too - I think they would have gone with a black cover with the whole title, if WB hadn’t already released a big BD edition done exactly that way.

[Cinematt]

Originally Posted by NeoNical

About time.

On a different note, I do hope The Servant gets a release, Blu-ray or 4K. The movie is hard to find and nearly impossible to find (For a good price) on DVD in the US. It's one of the greatest British films of the 60s and one that reminds me a lot of Parasite and the way both films play like a house thriller (Also being a social commentary often showing characters living in a certain floor to represent their class level with the highest being the richest and most powerful under the roof).

There's a 4K out in the UK from Vintage Classics in about 3 weeks.

[Reddington]

With 4K comes a whole new set of worries and concerns...

[MifuneFan]

Really glad they're delaying Uncut Gems to include 4K now. I actually emailed them earlier this one, hoping they would do just that!

[SeanJoyce]

After buying Klute and The Parallax View, I'd really like to upgrade my DVD of All the President's Men, but I suspect that Criterion might put that one out too down the line.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Mister Bagel

Although, now that I type that out, perhaps Criterion wanted to distinguish their release from the other one, even moreso now that it will be a part of their 4K line, hence the artwork change.

Even here they could have done a lot better. For instance, if they'd used a cover highlighting Sandler's flashy watch or the tawdry looking gremlin necklace in his shop, it would have been a different cover that encapsulated the character's sleazy selling spirit. This one just looks like a horribly compressed camrip screengrab.

Originally Posted by DimitriL

...But I honestly can’t imagine any other reason why Criterion would go with a carefully composed glamour shot that makes Sandler look much more friendly and approachable...

Man, nothing about this shot says carefully composed, and he looks like an even greater creep here than he does in the film. I can't imagine Sandler approving this shot at all.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Really glad they're delaying Uncut Gems to include 4K now. I actually emailed them earlier this one, hoping they would do just that!

[Show spoiler]

D'you think you could mail them about doing a better cover?

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Reddington

With 4K comes a whole new set of worries and concerns...

...and a new round of clamoring for The Tree of Life and Le Samourai on UHD. Although, the latter appears to be a long shot without a 4K scan.

[Mushi Minion]

Night of the Hunter 4k UHD?

[CelestialAgent]

There's several titles in the next few months that won't be 4K, despite being 4K restorations: Love & Basketball, Throw Down, High Sierra, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Ratcatcher, Devi, La strada.

I think my shortlist for being upgraded would be: Throw Down, Ratcatcher and La strada.

[prior]

Given the controversially tinted (even on the credits) CC BD release, I'd be interested how the chances are for a Memories of Murder 4K UHD release.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by prior

Given the controversially tinted (even on the credits) CC BD release, I'd be interested how the chances are for a Memories of Murder 4K UHD release.

Despite the grading changes, it's still been a very popular title for Criterion, so I could definitely see them doing a 4K release down the line. I don't imagine it will be anytime soon though.

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Man, nothing about this shot says carefully composed, and he looks like an even greater creep here than he does in the film. I can't imagine Sandler approving this shot at all.

It was shot by Inez & Vinoodh, two of the most successful fashion photographers on the planet. They've done innumerable campaigns for Christian Dior and more. They've shot for Vogue for 30 years. They've done a bunch of music videos, including for Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Paul McCartney. They had an actual Taschen two-volume monograph. They even have their own jewelry line with Picasso's granddaughter. Their influence is staggering.

You may not like the aesthetics, but you don't hire arguably the most sought-after fashion photographers on the planet for a quick snapshot. Your people bring them in when you want to look like a damn rock star. (And it's highly doubtful that Criterion would have broken the bank to hire them.)

[MifuneFan]

Inez & Vinoodh also did the original poster and previous Criterion cover photo too.

I posted this a couple times now, but Criterion didn't hire the photographers. This is not a new photograph. It was included as a poster in a "newspaper" that the Safdie brothers made and was given at the premiere for the film. It's very likely based on this, that the Safie brothers themselves got Criterion to go with alternative photo from them.

The newspaper is available to purchase directly from A24:

https://shop.a24films.com/products/d...by-the-safdies




(image source)

[ravenus]

Point taken, but that picture doesn't have the weird chroma effect, which makes it look bad.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by ravenus

Point taken, but that picture doesn't have the weird chroma effect, which makes it look bad.

We'll have to see what it looks like in person. I think the effect could possibly indicate that this will have a foil treatment, perhaps on a slipcover, similar to what they did for Time Bandits.

[DimitriL]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

We'll have to see what it looks like in person. I think the effect could possibly indicate that this will have a foil treatment, perhaps on a slipcover, similar to what they did for Time Bandits.

Yup, I think that’s exactly what it means.

[mmarczi]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

We'll have to see what it looks like in person. I think the effect could possibly indicate that this will have a foil treatment, perhaps on a slipcover, similar to what they did for Time Bandits.

I'm extremely confident this is exactly the case, and why I'm confused about why the reactions are so strong when we clearly haven't seen the finished product yet. I figured this was the obvious assumption.