Above is the delightfully recursive winner of Criterion’s recent “Films in Context” contest, in which they had people photograph Criterion discs in appropriate environments. People really went out of their way to create beautifully artistic photos of many classic films, and there are half a dozen that could have been chosen as a winner just as easily. Videodrome* was my choice though, and ultimately bested some truly great shots, like the closest runner-up, F For Fake…
I really wish I’d caught on to this before the last day of the competition, but so it goes.
Criterion chose its own finalists out of a larger group, but there were some great ones that didn’t even make that cut. I dug through both and picked out my favorites below, but you can sort through yourself. Go here for Criterion’s photo wall where you can see all that were submitted, and then go here to see the finalists and comments. Make sure you tell us your favorite in the comments below, or tweet it at me.
*My name is not and never was a reference to Max Renn of Videodrome, as I’ve gone by the name since I was a kid, and my father did the same since long before Videodrome was made. That didn’t stop people from assuming so or making references to it in my early years on the web before I’d seen the Cronenberg classic. Imagine my surprise when I finally did see it and caught on to what the hell everyone was talking about!