Criterion disc details, and its awful cover art

Criterion is releasing On the Waterfront on DVD ($39.95) and Blu-ray ($49.95) on February 19, 2013. Three discs total in each, which explains the higher price. The details:

*New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed mono soundtrack on Blu-ray.
*Presentation of the film in three aspect ratios: 1.85:1, 1.66:1 and 1.37:1.
*Alternate 5.1 surround soundtrack, in DTS-HD on Blu.
*Commentary by Richard Schickel and Jeff Young.
*Conversation between Martin Scorsese and critic Kent Jones.
*The 1982 documentary Elia Kazan: Outsider.
*New documentary on the making of the film, with various interviews.
*New interview with Eva Marie Saint.
*A 2001 interview with Kazan.
*Contender, a 2001 documentary on the film's most famous scene.
*New interview with Thomas Hanley, an actor in the film.
*New interview with author James T. Fisher (On the Irish Waterfront) about the real-life people and places behind the film.
*Visual essay on Leonard Bernstein's score.
*Visual essay on the aspect ratio.
*Theatrical trailer.
*A booklet with an essay by critic Michael Almereyda, plus reprints of: Kazan's 1952 ad in The New York Times defending his testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee; one of the 1948 articles by Malcolm Johnson in The New York Sun, on which the film was based; and a 1953 article in Commonweal by screenwriter Budd Schulberg.

Criterion evidently has a deal with Sony (perhaps through Fox, which handles production of Sony's discs, and with whom Criterion has such an arrangement) to release Columbia films on its label. OTW follows their release some months ago of another 50s Columbia classic, Anatomy of a Murder. Both already had excellent releases but it's nice to get them with the Criterion touch.

However, on the downside, check out the artwork on the Criterion site. Sorry, but this is one of the ugliest, dullest DVD covers ever produced. No flair, no color, no drama, no impact. Criterion's covers are usually inventive and compelling, if not classically attractive, and if nothing else they're often fun, but this one is just terrible, bland and pointless.