Comparing Home Releases Cover Arts

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Farerb
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Comparing Home Releases Cover Arts

Post by Farerb »

I thought it would be fun to talk about various cover arts that were made for Disney films over the years, which one's your favorite, which one is worse, etc... Each week we'll discuss a different film...
So let's start with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Masterpiece VHS:
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(There is a laserdisc with the same cover)

Masterpiece deluxe laserdisc:
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(There is a VHS with the same cover).

Platinum Edition DVD:
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Diamond Edition DVD:
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Diamond Edition Blu-ray:
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Diamond Edition Blu-ray (DVD packaging):
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(At first I thought they were the same but they are completely different because the DVD packaging has Snow White in the center while the Blu-ray packaging has the witch in the center for some absurd reason).

Signature Collection:
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Signature Collection (Best Buy Exclusive):
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Signature Collection (Target Exclusive):
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Last edited by Farerb on Sat Aug 31, 2019 11:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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JeanGreyForever
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Re: Comparing Home Releases cover arts

Post by JeanGreyForever »

Great idea!

I always hate how the dwarfs are miscolored in practically every home video release, with the exception of Dopey. I always loved how the old VHS covers would have some character hovering above the title, like the Fairy Godmother, Ursula, or the Queen in this case. I grew up with the VHS cover and the Platinum DVD cover, but I prefer the latter. I love the image of Snow White wistfully holding the apple and the magic mirror logo. I think the Signature Edition Best Buy exclusive cover pulled it off best though by putting Snow White into the actual mirror.
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Re: Comparing Home Releases cover arts

Post by Marce82 »

Eeeek, I must say, SW has not gotten the best cover art over the years.

The 2001 platinum one probably has the characters most on-model.

My favorite is the cover for one of their international releases... it has a proper background, and I like the character poses.

here it is:

https://ibb.co/gwCTn1d

https://ibb.co/9GZTprV
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Re: Comparing Home Releases cover arts

Post by D82 »

Yes, that's a great idea, farerb!

I actually think Snow White has had some good covers compared to other classics. I guess my favorite is the Platinum one, followed by the VHS (but the Spanish version I'm posting below) and the Diamond DVD packaging (the one with Snow White in the centre). The worse cover in my opinion is the Signature Collection one. I don't like this trend of having just the hero and the villain on the cover that started with the Signature edition of Sleeping Beauty, probably to copy Maleficent.
Marce82 wrote:My favorite is the cover for one of their international releases... it has a proper background, and I like the character poses.

here it is:

https://ibb.co/gwCTn1d

https://ibb.co/9GZTprV
That cover looks like the ones that were released in Spain at the time, but not exactly like the one I remember. Could it be from Latin America? Though I think the movie's called Blancanieves y los Siete Enanos there. The one I remember had the same drawing, but with the frame of the US version:

Image

When the Platinum Edition DVD was released, in Spain they also released the film on VHS again, with a different cover:

Image
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Re: Comparing Home Releases cover arts

Post by Disney Duster »

This is one of my favorite ideas ever! Great idea farerb! I really love cover art because it represents and glorifies the movies we love! Well, glorifies them if they're good covers, lol. But the point is it's art!

Hey, what about that Diamond Edition Collector's Book set with DVD packaging? This one. Does it count? It's my third favorite Snow White cover if it counts.

My favorite and what I think is the best of the covers is the Diamond Edition with DVD packaging. It has everything. The main character front and center, the villain looming over in kind of scary colors, the villain's alternate form below, and the side characters on, well, the sides, with even the locations represented with the queen's castle and the forest Snow White runs to on the sides. And it has the all important magic mirror! And the apple in the witch's hand! Instead of the apple humongously in the background which looks so stupid to me! So, I love that it fit in almost every character in a great composition, like the original poster did. The second best cover to me is the Masterpiece Deluxe Laserdisc. Great composition there, the characters up close, and once again that queen looming above.

You know, I never even knew the dwarfs colors are sometimes wrong and change on each cover like JeanGreyForever said!

I, too, hate the Signature Edition hero and villain facing opposite each other back to back, like D82 said. It looks silly to me and I hate that they didn't have a new image for Snow White herself.
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Re: Comparing Home Releases cover arts

Post by Farerb »

^ Of course it counts... I probably missed a few exclusives or international covers so feel free to mention them!
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Re: Comparing Home Releases Cover Arts

Post by Disney Duster »

Reserved specially for the end of the week, do we get to hear your views, farerb?
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Re: Comparing Home Releases Cover Arts

Post by Farerb »

I think my favorite is the Platinum Edition one, they managed to put the characters in sort of elegant way.

My second favorite is probably the Diamond Edition DVD packaging.
I honestly only now noticed that the Witch is in the center of the Blu-ray packaging that I have to say that someone made a mistake...like why would the dwarfs and the prince look at the witch like that? and Snow White is just tiny at the bottom.

I also like the BB exclusive of the Signature Collection though I feel like the dwarfs should be on the cover.
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Re: Comparing Home Releases Cover Arts

Post by ToyStoryFan »

Great idea for a thread!

I like the charm of the VHS cover and that style is very nostalgic for me, but I'd say the Platinum edition DVD is my favorite. Part of that may be related to how special the release felt. The gigantic double-sided case and the care Disney put into this release made it feel extra special. But basing it purely on the art, I would likely give my vote to the DVD packaging of the Diamond Edition. That really should have been the cover for the normal Blu Ray release. It bothers me that to own Snow White in a Blu Ray case you are stuck with the two worst designs by far. :lol: :lol:

Oh, and also, there was the following Best Buy steelbook when the Diamond first came out, but I can't imagine anyone picking it as their favorite. It's just the apple lol. The inside is pretty good though. 'll post it for the sake of including all the various covers:

Image
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Re: Comparing Home Releases Cover Arts

Post by Vlad »

I have loved the covers that Disney has made for Snow White over the years, but if I were to chose the worst one, it would be the Signature Collection Blu-ray. I don’t hate it, but I wasn’t too happy that they weren’t able to use different imagery of the characters, even though I really like that picture of Snow White holding the apple. So much that it’s a sticker on my Macbook. :lol: :lol: My favorite one is a tie between the US Masterpiece VHS (both the regular and the deluxe versions) and the Platinum Edition.
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Re: Comparing Home Releases Cover Arts

Post by Disney's Divinity »

I love this idea, farerb.

My favorite of the Snow White covers is the Signature BestBuy exclusive, then the Platinum. I've always been fond of the Platinum Cover anyway (the Snow White Platinum was the second Disney release I ever purchased, after the B&tB Platinum), but I love how they made her a vision inside the Mirror for the BestBuy Signature. The standard cover for the Signature to me looks odd, mainly because the drawing of the Evil Queen isn’t as good as the old clipart of Snow from the Platinum and it shows with them side by side like that. No denying that the Diamond covers are hideous / garish, imo, and the Witch w/ apple and the Queen look horrible especially; the DVD cover is better than the others as far as the Diamond goes, I guess. @ToyStoryFan: I wouldn't mind that steelbook for the Diamond if the apple wasn't a badly done 3D creation.

The Platinum has the best font for the title. The VHS is decent. There were a couple of other films that had the villains at the top of the VHS cover like that, but the Queen was the one they did it best with, imo, then Frollo on the Hunchback VHS. Ursula on the VHS re-release cover of TLM should've looked great at the top considering her signature pose, but they managed to come up with the ugliest art for Ursula of any cover on that one. :huh:
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Re: Comparing Home Releases Cover Arts

Post by DisneyBluLife »

I think Disney is very happy with the clip art of Snow White holding the apple. They use it alot. Who ever drew it, I just want to say thank you. Snow White is beautiful drawn.

I also like these two covers. One from Austrailia (80th anniversay cover) and one from England (O ring slipcover). Simple but elegant covers.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Snow-Whi ... ay/193839/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Snow-White-Sev ... B00KFDR30W
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Re: Comparing Home Releases Cover Arts

Post by Farerb »

I like that Australian cover, it seems very "adult" (which is something I think Disney tried to do with the Signature Collection and abandoned after Lady and the Tramp).
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Re: Comparing Home Releases Cover Arts

Post by Disney Duster »

Did you guys know the Signature Edition Best Buy Exclusive lenticular cover has the image in the mirror change from Snow White to the Queen? Cool. huh?
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Re: Comparing Home Releases Cover Arts

Post by Disney Duster »

farerb wrote:I think my favorite is the Platinum Edition one, they managed to put the characters in sort of elegant way.

My second favorite is probably the Diamond Edition DVD packaging.
I honestly only now noticed that the Witch is in the center of the Blu-ray packaging that I have to say that someone made a mistake...like why would the dwarfs and the prince look at the witch like that? and Snow White is just tiny at the bottom.

I also like the BB exclusive of the Signature Collection though I feel like the dwarfs should be on the cover.
Yes, the Platinum is elegant. Lol, the dwarfs and Prince looking at the Witch like that is hilarious while the one they are supposed to look at like that is shoved to the bottom!
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Re: Comparing Home Releases Cover Arts

Post by DisneyFreak5282 »

I absolutely love the Platinum Edition for Snow White. Aside from it being one of my most favorite DVD releases in general, I love the packaging and the cover art has always been my favorite. It also holds a special place in my heart because it was my first ever Disney DVD. I was fortunate to find it used a few years after it had gone OOP. By default, this makes the Diamond Collector's Edition and Best Buy Exclusive Signature Edition favorites, too.
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Re: Comparing Home Releases Cover Arts

Post by JeanGreyForever »

DisneyBluLife wrote:I think Disney is very happy with the clip art of Snow White holding the apple. They use it alot. Who ever drew it, I just want to say thank you. Snow White is beautiful drawn.
I agree, she's absolutely stunning in that shot. I can see why Disney has reused it over and over because most of their clipart hasn't aged well.
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Re: Comparing Home Releases Cover Arts

Post by Farerb »

Pinocchio:

First VHS:
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Masterpiece VHS:
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Limited Issue:
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Platinum Edition:
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Platinum Edition (Best Buy Steelbook):
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Signature Collection:
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Signature Collection (Best Buy exclusive):
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Signature Collection (Target Exclusive):
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Re: Comparing Home Releases Cover Arts

Post by Disney's Divinity »

I've always liked the Platinum cover because everyone looks like themselves although I've often read people criticize it for having giant heads in the clouds. The two BestBuy covers are nice, too; the second one with just Pinocchio is probably the one where he looks most like himself along with the Platinum, for me. I remember liking the concept art (I guess you'd call it that?) for the Signature's standard cover better than the finished product.
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Re: Comparing Home Releases Cover Arts

Post by DisneyBluLife »

For Pinocchio, I like the Platinum edition the best, second is the Limiited Issue/ Gold collection DVD.

I also like the 2003 Special edition DVD cover from UK and Europe.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pinocchio-Spec ... B00008IHV5
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