The original posters

[Rumpelstiltskin]

When old Disney classics are released on DVD, it is always new artwork on the cover. Personally, I would much more prefer the original posters. So why not release a limitied edition of such DVDs? These days, it is also impossible to see how the animation looks like by looking at the cover alone (both front and back).

[Lars Vermundsberget]

I could agree with you, but it seems that marketing people see it differently. However, the slipcover concept could actually be useful here - they could use original poster/artwork on the case and whatever the marketing people believe is going to sell on the slipcover.

[Rumpelstiltskin]

From what I can remember, it was released a limited edition of King Kong that was black and "furry". If this was the slipcover or the actual DVD-cover, I'm not sure. But Disney should give it a try, one way or another.
Especially if the movies are going to be re-released on Blu-ray.

[Disneyfreak1990]

maybe on Blu-ray they could do a mix of old and new. like the slipcover could be the original poster while the cover would be brand new.

[gaysnappercarr]

I've never understood why studios don't print on both sides of the front / back cover sleeve.

That way we could pick which image we want to have.

*I know that a lot of British DVD's actually do do this are are then encased in a clear keepcase - shich I think is massively cool!

[PapiBear]

When old Disney classics are released on DVD, it is always new artwork on the cover. Personally, I would much more prefer the original posters. So why not release a limitied edition of such DVDs? These days, it is also impossible to see how the animation looks like by looking at the cover alone (both front and back).

This is pretty commonplace throughout the industry for all kinds of films.

The practice, by and large, sucks. Original movie poster art is usually better (not always, but usually). DVD cover art can't always be an exact duplicate of the one-sheet, but as long as it's based on the same design, it helps link the film to its theatrical past.

Here's some original theatrical poster art you may not have seen before....

[Widdi]

I've dreamed for a long time of Disney chronologically releasing the animated classics in some sort of collectors edition (with limited numbers, kinda like the treasures) with the original poster as the cover. I doubt it will ever happen though.

[Lars Vermundsberget]

A lot of great artwork there.

The practice, by and large, sucks. Original movie poster art is usually better (not always, but usually). DVD cover art can't always be an exact duplicate of the one-sheet, but as long as it's based on the same design, it helps link the film to its theatrical past.

...but linking a movie to "its theatrical past" is something that marketing quite frequently prefers to avoid, I'm sure.

[PapiBear]

A lot of great artwork there.

The practice, by and large, sucks. Original movie poster art is usually better (not always, but usually). DVD cover art can't always be an exact duplicate of the one-sheet, but as long as it's based on the same design, it helps link the film to its theatrical past.

...but linking a movie to "its theatrical past" is something that marketing quite frequently prefers to avoid, I'm sure.

That's certainly possible, but I don't know why they would want to do that.

One other thing I've noticed about Disney DVD releases in particular, compared with any other studio, is that they tend to avoid any acknowledgement of a Disney film's original release date, no matter when it came out. Apparently in Disney Marketing's mindset, all Disney films, whether they were released in 1937, 1957, 1987 or 2007, are brand new. The disc packaging might have a copyright date, but the content never does. (At least this is the case in R1.)

[Lars Vermundsberget]

Yes, I've also noticed that they tend to downplay the original release year on the packaging. Except, of course, the current trend of 40th, 50th, 60th "Anniversary Editions" does give away the year of release in a slightly more indirect manner...

[Disneyfreak1990]

why does Hollywood have to have artwork thats worse than the poster? like i liked Herbie Fully Loaded's better as the poster instead of the cgi made one of Lohan and Herbie. although the other Herbies made them better.

[musicradio77]

I got one just for everyone.

[Disney 181]

I much prefer the 80's re-release/full colour posters to the orginals from the 40's and 50's but there was definetly something special about the simple artwork! It would be nice to have a poster book (a coffee table type thing that you get for Christmas) of all the posters for the animated classics (maybe with other publicity photos and ads like the some DVD's have). I've started collecting posters actually and turned my family room into a home theatre! I have the blue "lamp" poster from Aladdin, the international version of Hunchback and original theatrical for Hocus Pocus. If anyone knows where I can get the red spotlight 1991 advance version of BATB for a decent price let me know!

Where oh where have the on-model character renderings gone?