Critiquing DVD Covers is Like Exercise for the Brain!

Dexter Season Two

Dexter
(The Second Season cover)

I think this image is brilliant. A clear, well lit close-up photo of the sociopathic star – with the perfect amount of blood splattered to hint at the show’s subject matter (but not enough to scare people away). Bright, subtle contrasting background and simple, slightly edgy type. I almost didn’t notice that extended point of the “T” though; the title would stand out more in a darker, bloodier red. Before I’d seen the show (I’ve only seen the first 2 episodes – I really need to catch up!) I saw this image as a poster in the subway station. I’d heard a bit about it but only knew that it was some sort of forensics show, which I’m usually not into. However, the expression on his face drew me in; it hints at the extremely clever writing and wit that lies within each episode. And now I’m hooked.

Flight of the Conchords Season One

Flight of the Conchords
The Complete First Season cover

Oh how I love Flight of the Conchords! I immediately took notice of this light, playful art promoting the show around New York City. I think this cover was very well executed. The hand typography and simple, sketchy skyline look give off a comic-like vibe, yet the expressions on their faces look more serious, giving viewers a sense that the humor in this show is a bit… different. The combination of illustration and photography works very well here – and their enlarged heads, while a bit of a strange idea in theory, are a great touch. The hapless duo is pictured with guitars and dressed in low key outfits, signifying that they’re not your average wannabe rockstars. One of them has a cast on – there’s gotta be something funny behind that. And lightning bolts are always a good sign…

Flight of the Conchords

And might I add… the cover of their self titled full length album is fantastic and full of wonder! A random, quirky, psychedelic nature themed illustration collage with a very 70s color palette is somehow perfect for them.

Heroes Season One

Heroes
Season 1 & Season 2 covers

I think the Season 1 cover is very well executed and effective. The solar eclipse image is really intriguing and conveys a lot of mystery. The simple, clear type complements the clean, dark imagery well; it’s a very sophisticated look. The repetition of the eclipse as the “O” is a nice touch that adds some interest, though the type would have worked alone as well. This is one of the few television dvd covers that doesn’t picture any cast members. The imagery is really cool, but besides that it is obviously a sci-fi series, the cover doesn’t give any much of a clue to what the show is actually about, or who is in it. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, though.

Heroes Season Two

On the cover for season 2, they decided to stick with the show’s eclipse image, but this time to include a shot of the entire cast as well. I definitely prefer the more sophisticated look of the 1st season cover. Though I think many viewers watch the show because of the great cast, so that may be why they’re all pictured this time around. There is a lot going on in this cast shot, and I think it would look much cleaner if it was cut off at the edge of the circle. I would have liked to have still seen the gold-bronzy, warm glow as well. My only other addition is that the title on this one could definitely go a bit smaller.

Lost Season One

LOST
Seasons 1-4 covers

I’m not a big fan of the designs for the LOST dvd covers. Before I started following this show religiously, I saw an advertisement for it and I thought, for some reason, that it was a reality show. I think that may be because of the ‘line-up’ way that the cast members are shown. I think the show is fantastic – it’s incredibly suspenseful and addicting. There’s a great deal of mystery behind it, and plenty of elements that could have been utilized in the designs. All season covers are set up in the same format, and have a very busy, over-designed look. I would have preferred a crisp, clean title against the layered backgrounds used. I think the texture consistently used for the title really clashes with all of the designs.

Lost Season Two

Lost Season Three

Lost Season Four

Season 2 is the best executed of the four covers. I like that background texture best, and feel that the use of the ominous “numbers,” an element directly pulled from the show, adds interest. The number 2 is also clean and simple, against the busy background – I like that the title texture was not repeated here. My least favorite would have to be the Season 3 cover. For some reason we have a collage of cropped extreme close-up portraits of the cast, instead of the dramatic line-up shot. This only makes for a more cluttered addition to an already busy cover. The handwritten “Jacob Loves You” is also really random, and could definitely have been left off.

Pushing Daisies Season One

Pushing Daisies
The Complete First Season cover

I’ve only seen bits and pieces of Pushing Daisies, but I have really enjoyed what I’ve seen and will catch up at some point for sure. This is a cover that is very nicely executed. The playful typography is a hint at the quirky, whimsical feel of the show. There is an underlying dark sense of humor behind it, and I feel like the two main characters portray a bit of that on the cover. Though their expressions are quite pleasant, one is left to wonder why they’re lying on the ground. The cross section of the earth is an interesting touch that adds some more visual interest, and also is a possible clue to the darker themes in the show. I’m not sure if there’s something more to the bee on the daisy besides the namesake (editor’s note: There is!). I give kudos to the designers for thinking of making the DVDs look like pies! Much of the show takes place in a pie shop, so that’s a very clever touch. Overall – very bright, charming dvd set, well done!

The Hills Season One

The Hills
Seasons 1-4

Oh, the drama… of course it’s got to show up on the season dvd covers. Well, to begin with, Season 1 is my favorite cover of the 3. No, not just because everyone’s still friends and they’re altogether and smiling. I think the black and white color palette is very sophisticated, and I’m a fan of the skinny, minimal title. The glitzy, shimmery type treatment is a nice touch. This very accurately portrays the basics of the show: LA, nightlife, fashion, friends – not so much the drama just yet. Lauren is obviously the main character – the star, if you will – as visually shown by her front-and-center placement in a stark white dress, contrasting her friends in black. Well actually – you can’t even tell if Audrina’s wearing anything at all back there… but I’m sure it’s a LBD as well.

The Hills Season Two

Now onto Season 2 – we get a touch of the LA sun(set?) with the cast pictured on a pool terrace overlooking the Hollywood hills, in a warm, summery golden glow. There’s more drama here than the first time around, mainly on the faces of Heidi and Audrina, but it really shows in the placement of the girls – Lauren is now one third of the entire cover while the other three in the background. The swimsuits are appropriate; there are plenty of scenes with the girls lounging by the pool. Whitney’s still happy-go-lucky, and dressed for work, that career girl.

The Hills Season Three

The Hills Season Four

Back to dressy LA night scene, the Season 3 cover reveals even more drama. This time, Lauren’s the only one smiling.. and Heidi is literally walking out of the picture – body language that directly correlates to the show’s storyline. We know they’re in LA already.. so no need for a landscape anymore; but not sure where they are there. For consistency, I wish they would have overlayed the title on top of the photo, as in the first 2.

On the Season 4 cover, the girls are all in white (an underlying theme from the show, perhaps?) and no one’s really smiling. The cast was shot in the daytime again, and this time, Whitney’s leaving the picture!

The Office Season Four

The Office
Season 4 (Us)
& (The Office Special – UK)

Man, The Office is freakin’ hilarious.. never fails at cracking me up. I love the humor and the quirky characters (especially Dwight Shrute!), the ridiculous storylines. But I can’t say I love the dvd covers for the show. The Season 4 cover displays a pretty simple cast shot – but only 5 of them – in the parking lot with their building in the background. For starters – that sign on the building looks totally fake, and it is very obvious to me that it was quickly Photoshopped on there. My next bone to pick with this cover is.. why is the title so huge? I wish more of the show’s great humor showed through on the covers, and it would be cool to see some more of the cast somehow included.

The Office UK Special

Out of curiosity, I took a peek at how the Brits go about their The Office cover art, and I really quite like it. Although I haven’t seen this version of the show, I’ve heard it’s a different humor. By the look of it, it seems much more cut and dry. I like the clean, simple look of it – very minimal line art and type, so the characters stand out most. Very well done. I’ll have to get around to watching the show sometime soon.

Weeds Season One, Two, Three

Weeds
Seasons 1-3

Weeds is one of my favorite shows of all time, and the dvd art is excellent. The title is set in a simple serif font; there’s something about those lower-cased e’s that adds interest… makes it a bit more casual. It’s very interesting to see how different the covers have gotten as the show has progressed. I absolutely love the first season’s cover. The zip-lock baggie with the cast inside against the suburbs – perfect. The characters’ individual personalities really shine through in the cast shot.

Weeds Season One

Weeds Season Two

The Season 2 cover has a warmer and much more dramatic look and feel; a look that tells people this is not just a dense ’stoner’ comedy. As much as I like the 1st season cover, I think the subtle way the show’s subject matter is included in the imagery (the “weeds” sticking up among the gerbera daisies) is clever, and more refined. This cover also showcases Mary-Louise Parker much more as the show’s big star than the 1st season cover did. The Season 3 cover shows a drastic change of scope, a much more conceptual, more glamourous cast shot. I have to say – I really love that green dress! And I like that the title is the same shade, to balance things out. This cover is sophisticated, clever, and very well executed – definitely captures the interest and drama in the show.

Weeds Season Three

P.S. I’ve updated my Big List of TV Show Suggestions! Doctor Who made the list!