MovieChat Forums > Demon Seed (1977) Discussion > The DVD cover!!? (spoilers)

The DVD cover!!? (spoilers)

posted 17 years ago by yojimbo2006
2 replies | jump to latest

I first saw some of this film when I was young (early-mid teens maybe) but don't think I managed to see it all because I probably didn't have the patience.
Anyway, I just rented it from my Uni library and am disappointed that they decided to use a picture of the robot-baby on the back of the cover! And even worse, it's not even a still from the film, it seems to be a publicity shot or something of the metal-child-thing sat in the incubator. Wierd.
I didn't know how the film ended so it slightly spoiled the ending as I knew it must involve that wierd baby in some way. It's funny because the same error was made with the old Don't Look Now cover, which showed the strange dwarf woman on the back! Who designs these things?! And what have they got against Julie Christie? Lol.
Anyway, despite all this, I did enjoy the film and think it is a worthy addition to the sci-fi genre, in particular the techno-paranoia strand of it.

[–] Antonio_G 17 years ago

I agree, I think the new Dvd covers for old movies are a shame.
Why not have the original poster art? All these new compositions are uggly!
And they sometimes even spoil the movie with pictures in the back or reviews saying too much.
Who deisgn them? A good question.
I don't think they are doing a good job.

You... are... my... lucky lucky lucky star...

[–] pacificboy 15 years ago

Most of the studios farm their "catalog" titles out to independent design agencies, some of whom don't have a great deal of respect for (or clue about) the movie, and little concern for the audience. They use the pictures available to them, and they're just clueless if one gives something away that it shouldn't. The agencies, in turn, use freelance copywriters for about 90% of the text.

I've been writing packaging copy since the VHS era, but I have NEVER spoiled anything, nor has a design studio I've worked with ever encouraged it. That said, I know of dozens of titles like this, which are spoiled by images and/or text on the cover. There's another really big example that comes to mind, but I can't remember which title...have to think on it.

"My brain rebelled, and insisted on applying logic where it was not welcome."