10 DVD Covers With Unforgivably Massive Spoilers
We all hate spoilers. Which makes it horrible when a DVD puts it right there on the cover...
The rise of home video in the eighties made it infinitely easier to be a film fan. No longer were you stuck with what the local multiplex was showing, faced with a long search further afield for that long hyped and desired feature. Now, thanks to cheapening technology and the Internets ease of delivery, watching a film on DVD (or Blu-Ray for you converts) is as ubiquitous as going to the cinema itself. If you miss a film on its theatrical release, or want to check a much-discussed, but never-seen classic, then it's no bother. Just pop online or nip into one of the (ever decreasing) brick and mortar stores and you can be watching it within hours. Except this method can often come with a bitter taste. It is a well known issue with DVD menus spoiling a films climactic moments and that is something we can all learn to avoid, however, when the cover of a DVD is designed with a films spoiler theres nothing you can do. Some will tease a major plot point to the extent that it sticks in the mind and colours the film, but even worse (and often more with classics) the final scene will be slapped on for all to see. No matter how iconic a film or its ending, theres no justification for ruining the film for the likely many that havent seen it. Even teasing the audience part of the plot can lead to them waiting for something to happen, distracting them. Trailers are particularly bad at this, but you should be able to expect to avoid this in the comfort of your own home. So join us as we count down ten of the worst cases of the home release ruining the film for generations to come. And at least we can take some solace in that we havent had a DVD for Citizen Kane with Rosebud on the cover. Yet. An (obvious) warning; this article will contain spoilers for all films featured. Honourable Mention - The Sixth Sense
When watching a film with a twist ending with someone whos never seen it before, theres a definite sense of restrained excitement will they be as shocked as you expect and a dread of the ever possible pre-reveal. What if the twist is discovered and they become disappointed? The cover for The Sixth Sense is incredibly innocuous. It has a faded Bruce Willis and pretty much thats it. Now to someone whos seen the movie, it must obviously be telling us all that old Brucie is dead before even the opening credits roll. You panic and question how a marketing department could come up with such a blatant spoiler. But to anyone yet to see it, all it does is suggest a psychological/paranormal thriller starring Bruce Willis, which is a pretty accurate description of the film. This makes The Sixth Sense a pretty brilliant DVD cover like the film it improves after first viewing. However, it is the furthest thing from a spoiler. You could argue certain entries on the list could fall into a similar category to this, but they all contain much more of the actual plot to be excused. 