Twitch

Lame cover. Film is much more than a cartoon for kids (heck-- it's not even a film for kids!), which this cover seems to reveal. Also the art is much better in the film itself! This could not have been drawn by the artists who did the movie. It does not fit the film's aesthetic in so many ways. I like the more abstract theatrical poster for DVD art.

I tlooks like Saturday morning kiddie-fare. Why on earth would you use that after bragging for over a year that you had the most technically impressive piece of animation ever made? Just about any screen shot at all would be an improvement ...

wow, terrible, i could of designed a better cover using only one ass cheek.

all right, all right.

i would of used both ass cheeks.

All Dreamworks would have had to do was re-use any of the one-sheet art or the publicity images and it would have been FAR superior to this. Please reconsider this substandard art, Dreamworks. It doesn't help "sell" the film because the quality of the art in the film itself is SO much higher!

An absolutely appalling effort to try and sell this film to an audience that doesn't want it. I wouldn't be so insanely upset with Dreamworks right now if I thought that they didn't know that as well. But they do. They know what the hell they are doing with this release, as they did it all previous with MA last year.

In essence, they are doing one thing, and one thing alone: fucking us over. Fucking the individuals who were kind enough to give over $800,000 of our hard earned dollars to support this film in the theater (and still going I might add). Fucking the individuals who made Innocence have the highest-per-theater gross of all films playing during its opening week.

Dreamworks, you are well aware the general public does not comprise those individuals. They didn't see it. They don't want to. You know this. So stop fucking cutting corners, and give the individuals -who've made this business venture of your's profitable- what they deserve.

Honestly, as a company, are you so clueless to think this will actually increase your sales, when in the past it has been PROVEN to do the opposite?

Mark my words Dreamworks, you WILL lose sales if this cover is not changed. This is not a difficult decision. Make it.

This cover does not represent the film itself in the least. It is as if Dreamworks let some one design the cover who had not seen the film. Do yourself and your potential customers a favor and change it!

This is truly awful and appaling. The people who know what to expect from the film will be offended, as I am, and the people buy it impulsively only judging the cover will regret it. It really is not hard to take an original poster and resize it, but no insulting pasting please. I swear I will print my own cover if it is not changed.

Boobs grab more attention; Dreamworks cashed in on the robotic tits. Alas, more horny teens with love this movie. I hate money, and what it does to good media.

The cover feels like it belongs in the 80s. This cover is simply horrible. Every aspect of the cover just bleeds horrible 80s VHS cartoon series.

this is completely horrible. the cover does NO justice to the movie. the film was great, one of the best ive seen. it was a serious film about technology, friendship, love, culture, etc. and dreamworks just screws it over with this cover as if theyre trying to sell it off as some action saturday morning CARTOON flick!

i was expecting A LOT more from dreamworks!

What is wrong with this intensely compelling cover?

I totally agree...the cover is sub-par and unreflective of the intelligence and maturity that went into this production...

This cover has absolutely nothing appealing about it. The font that the title was written in is hideous and the americanized comic action style of the artwork chosen really would turn me off if I was unfamiliar with the movie. I would definitely prefer to see something more subtle and beautiful on the cover as opposed to this obvious attempt to sell to people who would likely not be interested in this film if they actually knew about it.

I always thought Dreamworks had close ties to the Beast.

dear Dreamworks:

please consider changing this appalling cover. it seems clear that the fans of this film, myself included, are all horrified at the cover art, while everyone remains puzzled as to why someone was paid money to create this unsightly cover design in the first place. why not use international or theatrical poster art for the cover, which is better representative of the film, and therefore more in your financial interests?

this is definitly one of the worst, most unappealing covers i have seen.

GIVE US THE R2 ONE!!! id rather import that then get this.

the us cover is sickening. it in no way represents the film. what marketing exec at dreamworks approved this horrible cover?

Please use a different cover. I refuse to display something so laughable on my shelf (read: I won't buy it.)

Really, the japanese cover is a lot, lot better.
AND it really suits to the film...
I juste don't understand why the US should have a worst cover.
Just give us the original, please (and i think anyone will tell the same about this).

I'd rather have the original Japanese version compared to this one they've picked for the American release.

Very disapointing....this cover art will turn people off. It looks like some cheap movie with a cheap budget but the film is actually very high quality. Some of the best animation ever, why not advertise that in the cover.

This is just plain sad. If I buy this I will just replace it with a custom cover of mine or if I can download the R2 cover.

I don't understand why any change was necessary, the movie poster for Innocence would have been sufficent as the DVD cover. who ever decided on the new cover should not do any more covers, i cannot bear any more anime being disgraced like this.

Worst DVD cover ever.

I hate to sound rude, but... For the love of God, please change that cover..

To save myself some typing, my most succinct and to the point(with a couple minor edits) posting about this whole affair:

It was fantastic that Innocence was brought to the US theaters, fantastic that they put it in as many (arthouse) venues as they did, fantastic that they used the original movie poster, and fantastic that they didn't do anything else to it except add subtitles. Then we come to the DVD, whose extras represent a reasonable selection in line with what we normally see in US anime releases, which is perfectly acceptable, and it probably would have been quite a hassle to sub much more of the extra material. So far this is all quality happenings, and in line with a repectful treatment of the film.

Finally we get to this assumed DVD cover, which is so far off base from the rest of the treatment Innocence has received here that it screams of marketing drones shouting "Oh shit! We forgot to Americanize it!" and then coming up with this horrid piece of 'art' to bestow (a film not for the masses) onto the masses. This sticks out so much because it is a final, singular, and unescapable betrayal from what has been an otherwise excellent process of bringing Innocence to the US. One that I would have to cringe at(even if I removed/reversed the cover, simply because I had to step in and alter things) any time I wanted to watch the film, one that I could never thrust on friends to without feeling embarrassed and having to quickly tell them it isn't anything like the cover art implies, and one which I would scowl at any time I'm out looking for anime at the local shops.

And that is why I feel like this is such a big deal, and why I am verbosely complaining about it. Use any of the original promotional pieces, particularly the already used Gynoid poster or the R2 DVD cover and I will be a happy camper, ready and willing to shill out the full price for the R1 DVD, but if you stick with this current abomination of a cover, my distaste is such that I will resort to only purchasing one of the wonderful R2 offerings of Innocence.

My god...there are indie web designers who dont make any money who can do better than that. Really...please...change it now or I will have to keep myself from throwing up on it when I do get the DVD.

I mean it's just a cover...but just an awful cover, really.

Wow, that's a bad cover. That might be good for the people who aren't familiar with GitS, but for those of us who have a history with it, that cover just WON'T DO. That has got to go. Give us a cover with a reverse image, just make sure that design isn't one of them. GitS doesn't need boobs to sell it; it's not about fan service, and they shouldn't trick people into thinking it is.

DreamWorks, please, oh please, make some arrangements to have at least a special edition with the original Japanese cover.

This cover is terrible.In fact, I will go so far as saying that I would rather not buy the R1 DVD if this is the attitude that this movie is being handled with.

PLEASE make a special edition or make another dvd with a different cover art or anything thats better than this cover. PLEASE

Well while the cover aint truelly horrible it is far from a fitting cover to this anime. There is also the question of why they wouldn't just recylce one of the great covers or advertising art for the movie it would be cheaper and effective. I would still buy this but I do hope they give us a cover the is more fitting.

I have to agreed that the cover for the US release of the DVD is not as good as Japanese release. The US release cover art does not capture the essence or feeling that goes with the movie, okay sure some effort has been put in but there is no sense of mystery or darkness to the cover art. If anything it looks more to be JUST an action movie.

I'm not sure whether your artwork is final but if it is, at least give the loyal fans of the Ghost in the Shell series the choice of a reversible cover of the original cover art.

And you wonder why people import DVDs from overseas? Or buy from pirates? You guys are not even trying! When you treat a material like this with such disrespect and uncaring attitude, it's an insult to both your audience and the filmmaker. Who is going to to let you handle their next property?

Seriously - it's like someone is saying:

"Right, for the American cover we'll just have a tacky image on there, we won't go with something graphically stunning and Artistic, okay? Americans -like- cheap and tacky things, right?"

Get a clue...

its a big let down to see such a great movie with such great visuals be released with such an horrible cover. taking a random screenshot from ANYWHERE in the movie and put the title on would make a better cover.

INdeed, I am awaiting this film, and I've honestly said... NEVER have I been so compelled not to purchase this based solely on the cover, it could be considered nice fan-art, but really though that cover does not even grasp the essence of either the story or the technical visuals of the film... I am really considering not buying this... and considering there's no dub I might as well just import and watch it with English Subtitles on that!

Alltough I'm living in Europe , I'm waiting for the R1 release for a very long time.
But this cover is a shame for this great work , just CHEAP.
The japanese Cover is better in a big way.

Come on you guys, as if the blatant money grab isn't already apparent but to release such a poor excuse for a DVD cover is just salt in the wounds.

You see, there is one thing that many people are not remembering when it comes to DVD covers for the Region 1 releases:: we can't always have that cover art. The same applies to the release of the STAND ALONE COMPLEX DVDs. We can't have ALL of the artwork that is presented on it. Hell, most of the time we don't even get to SEE the japanese covers on the DVDs here in the States. It has been something that has only started as of late, so go figure.

I didn't care for either cover, but of the two the Japanese is far less revolting.

Poor cover for a poor release. Brush up both and you may just be able to compete in the anime market.

Is this a joke? This covers is just ridiculous and probably design by some one who is not familiar with culture of anime.

Search the net, in every place where this cover has been shown people have become outraged.

Please, Please give us the Japanese cover.

alteast use the poster for the cover, this makes it looks like a typical shootem up flick which it is not what so ever.

what in the world was that robot doing in the back? its design wasnt even close to the actual design of the dolls in the movie. i dont remember sockets below the neck or open conpartments on the sholders.

and whats batuo doing? hes like, "woha! ive got a big gun!"

did these guys even watch the movie?

I'm extremely disappointed in the cover art for GitS: Innocence R1 DVD. As many have stated, this does nothing to represent the masterpiece the movie actually is. Rather, this looks like a cheap Saturday morning cartoon and would not appeal to ANY potential adult buyer, whether they know anything about anime or not! As someone else stated, I would certainly find myself stating "The film's nothing like this lame cover" to anyone I wanted to show the movie to. I really don't see why the movie poster featuring the broken robot woman and the bassett hound isn't being used, as it was already used to market the movie in theaters. And it's certainly more in keeping with the lush, gorgeous quality of the film. I really hope the "cover" we've seen online is an internet prank of some kind and isn't seriously going to be mass distributed on this fantastic film.

While I'm at it, where's a quality dub?

Seriously, come out with a better cover than that. I know that on my DVD shelf I'll only see the spine, but given the director's great artwork and a movie of such stunning cinematography, you could have done much better than that. If it's possible, please change it. I liked the original poster but anything would be better than this.

OK, so there isn't much that I agree with that hasn't been said already, but I can think of some things.
So as for using the Japanese cover, sure, it doesn't expressly say that this is 'Ghost in the Shell 2', which from a marketing perspective is pretty necessary in the west, but a westernized cover should take into account that the filmmakers have decided to release the film almost as a separate entity under the title 'Innocence', since this says a fair bit about the film itself.
And when you do this, please don't use some dodgy Impact-style font. Use something that fits with your image. And why is 'in the' floating so horribly in the center? Where is the sense of space and dynamics? This is where it really becomes obvious you either didn't pay your graphic designer enough or didn't hire a graphic designer at all.

I don't think I can say much about the image itself that hasn't been said already, but suffice to say that I myself won't purchase CDs or DVDs unless the design is of a certain standard, and this certainly doesn't meet it.

This film doesn't deserve such a awful cover!
still time to change it:Japanase cover is much more beautiful.

Crap !
Nothing but CRAP !
Why don't you put some text bubble over the first character, saying "I Gotcha !!!" ???
Do you realize how bad and misunderstanding this "drawing" is ?
If you plan on this to sell more, it is like lying, telling everyone that they will find inside something there is NOT...
So what are you ? Liars ?

Just one word to say :
UGLY !!

On veut les jaquettes japonnaise !!! pas cette merde !!!

We want The japanese cover !!!

Oh c'mon, are you guys really this stupid to put such a horrible image on the case of such a beautifull movie?

Way to be dumbasses.

Give us the freaking japanese cover.

Its a shame that such a misrepresentative, low quality cover might be used for such a beautiful film. I can only hope that the image is not also printed on the DVD disc itself. Please change this insult to the artists that worked so hard on this film. It will not aid sales as it will only make the DVD blend in with lower quality films.

Worse than Miramax Infernal affairs region 1 DVD cover!

Good job, Dreamworks! So much respect for the Asian cinema!!!!

I hope the guy who designed this awful thing will go to jail for it!

This coverart is awful!!
If this comes out i will probably buy the Japanese DVD as well....if only for the coverart.
Use the original artwork please....there is nothing wrong with it.

Very smooth, DreamWorks. You have a film with a built-in fanatical audience, the kind of fanatical audience that will do whatever necessary to get the best available DVD, the kind of fanatical audience who are concerned enough with the film's treatment to be essentially helping you market your film street-team style. What do you do? You give it a cover that says "we at DreamWorks don't care about this film, and neither should you". That cover belongs in some dusty B-Movie corner of a Blockbuster, not on one of the most anticipated animated films ever.

Think about Hero, look how successful it was. It was presented essentially the same way here as it was in Asia. If they'd switched up the cover with some photo of Jet Li punching at the camera and screaming, with a car exploding and some naked chicks, do you think it would have made so much money? The original artwork for Innocence has a mystery about it, and believe it or not, that's not necessarily harmful. If an uninitiated viewer has Innocence reccomended to them, mysterious artwork will only enhance their curiosity about the film. The artwork presented here would turn away anyone with any inkling that the film might be a serious and worthwhile affair. Perhaps DreamWorks feels the same? It's the only explanation for such marketing.

People are demonstrating an interest in "art house" asian film. Innocence could well reach the same market, if they have no reason to believe that it's just another bad shoot-em-up sunday morning cartoon, which is more or less what you're presenting with artwork like that.

Maybe you can't get the rights to use the original artwork, I don't know. If you have to do your own Americanized version, surely you can do better than this. You're only shooting yourself in the foot, and giving your target market the finger.

Well, lets be fair: It is not the worst DVD cover ever. But is is pretty close.
This actually made me reconsider if i should buy this... :(

In Japan, the people responsible for this cover would be committing seppuku. Yet another facet of their culture which is superior to ours.

Typical example of people who buy a license of a good movie and then think they can get away with something like this.
Or the artist is just lazy or they ran out of money to hire a proper one.
The one who did the cover probleby didn't even take the time to check the movie itself, if not some right reverence material.
Like everyone else who reacted on this petition : you've got to be f%$*king joking bringing out something this good with a cover like that.

Awful cover. Makes it look like a mindless action flick instead of the dark, cerebral thriller it actually is.

Dreamworks, I promise you that I will not buy that DVD if the cover looks like that. I never liked bootlegging or illegally downloading movies that I like, but in this case I will make an exception.

Yes, your cover is THAT bad.

The animation is not half as good as what is in the film, the colors are not even close to matching with the film's color scheme, and the text is dull and generic. It truly makes this movie look like a mindless show for little kids.

Dear Dreamworks:

I urge you to reconsider your use of this artwork, which strikes an inappropriate tone for INNOCENCE, a film which THE VILLAGE VOICE, THE NEW YORK TIMES, and THE WASHINGTON POST have praised for its mysterious beauty and compelling mood.

Moreover this artwork is out of sync with the original Japanese illustration of the basset and gynoid head which thus far Dreamworks has used in its posters and print ads; it risks confusion with the separate GHOST IN THE SHELL: STAND ALONE COMPLEX TV series release.

Through its release of Satoshi Kon and Mamoru Oshii, Dreamworks SKG has shown great receptivity to the most progressive directors working in anime today. But for American fans--who know how much the great success of THE MATRIX owed to Mr. Oshii's work as an indie director--the question of doing right by him is particularly important.

Please consider the value of this film which you were willing to recognize and promote, and for which fans of Oshii have waited nine years, and let the U.S. DVD release reflect the style and beauty of the original.

If they are so desperate for graphic designers then why not hire me? True, I have no graphic design experience whatsoever. Also true, I have no artistic ability whatsoever. But just LOOK at that cover! Even if you cut off one of my hands, I can still make something more attractive than that.

EXCUSE THE CAPITALS : WANT TO MAKE THIS CLEAR. ITS BEEN A WEEK NOW SINCE I ASKED FOR COMMENTS SO I AM "CLOSING THIS THREAD". THANKS FOR ALL YOUR ADDITIONS, OUT OF ALL THE FORUMS THATS BEEN DISCUSSING THIS IT IS FAR AND AWAY THE LARGEST SELECTION.

I HAVE SPENT MANY HOURS OVER THE PAST WEEK TRYING TO FIND DIFFERENT SUITABLE PEOPLE TO FORWARD COMMENTS TOO. DREAMWORKS DONT HAVE EMAIL ADDRESS ON ANY RELATED SITES THAT ARE OF ANY NOTE : BUT, I HAVE FOUND THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF A SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL RELATING TO THEIR RELEASE OF THIS FILM SO I AM POSTING THESE COMMENTS OFF TO THE USA OUT OF MY OWN MONEY...

I WONDER IF WE WILL GET A REPLY?! WILL LET YOU ALL KNOW.

I have honestly look worst cover than (look for AB production animation dvd in France... awfull)... anyway it still does look pretty bad and is really not representative of the moovie !!

Would be thankfull if you would consider changing this and I thing it is all in your interest !!

I am going to be brutally honest. I have been told several times about the futility of online petitions, and most people would call me a nerd for caring so much about cover art, but I PROUDLY SIGN THIS PETITION to state that I am upset. I am a great fan of this movie, but am actually considering whether or not to buy the DVD now. I am turned off by this cover art, and am not looking forward to going to the store and purchasing this. This is obviously a rude awakening for your company, but broadening an audience by generalizing the cover art is NOT a good business strategy. Fans do care about the product they buy in every aspect.

*now added large cover in window to this entry* still awaiting dreamworks response...

whoever did the artwork, you really FAIL at art. the proportion of the girl is very much off as the the limbs of her arms look rather short and stumpy compared to the rest of her body and visually the perspective is off as well. the woman looks like she's either "floating" and looking rather ridiculous in that setting or she must be really REALLY tall if she and the man were to stand on the same perspective plane. the colors are terrible. what else.... if this picture was taken and critiqued at an art school, it would be given a FAIL. overall, this cover fails at good, tasteful art.

well its been a while since i sent of the comments... but no reply from dreamworks...

truly terrible cover - I guess Dreamworks is trying to get the "usual Anime crowd" to buy the DVD thinking that it's just another braindead action flick....

That cover art is just awful. They really need to use the japanese cover art, or the movie poster art (dog and broken-down Kusanagi corpse)!!!!

Is this a joke? that is the stupidest cover ever!!

I mean look at akria cover looks way better then that, look >> C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\SBU7QXGB\akria2[1].gif

Like others have said the art in the movie is way better then this shitty super-man drawing.

Please do the movie justice and use the japan cover.

Peace

PlEASE put another cover, It is the most horrible cover i ever seen!!!

I can't believe someone approved that horrible cover.

Someone tell Mamoru Oshii to see what DreamWorks is doing with his excelent movie!!
I know if he sees this cover he would be very angry

Dear God, another amazingly appropriate cover for us wide-eyed stupid Americans. Give us the boom! Make it Wowsers!

Fuck our stupid society and the companies that do shit like this to things they can't even begin to understand. Art is hard enough to sell without it being wrapped in cases of vaguely Christian animation style bullshit.

Just do as a real connoisseur would do and buy it from YesAsia.com or somesuch. I know i've grown sick of giving money to bullshit companies like dreamwErks...they don't deserve a fucking dime of any of it.

I know you think American audiences will go
only to action/romance movies, and that is
so sad. Please have some minimal faith in
your market and don't do a great movie a
horrible disservice by selling it as something
that it is definately not.