12 Monkeys / La Jetee - Criterion release coming? (2 Viewers)

[MatthewLouwrens]

I have just received the January Criterion Collection newsletter, and at the end, they include cartoon pointing to the next release.

The picture shows 12 monkeys sitting around, with one monkey saying "Marker your calenders ... the sun's finally coming out!"

The inclusion of 12 monkeys obviously points to the Gilliam film, and obviously Gilliam already has a relationship with Criterion.

The word "Marker" is an obvious reference to Chris Marker, whose short film La Jetee was the basis for the Gilliam, and would be an ideal extra on a 12 Monkeys disc.

The reference to "the sun's finally coming out". The only explanation I can think of is that it's a full Criterion release, rather than just a smaller Eclipse-line release - but perhaps others can offer comment.

So my theory is a 12 Monkeys release, with La Jetee as a special feature.

But there are other possiblities - perhaps a release of Chris Marker films or something - perhaps any Marker fans could offer comment.

In any case, I thought I would bring this to everyone's attention.

 

[Jeff Newcomb]

The twelve monkeys are likely just an allusion to La Jetee. I can't imagine that Criterion would have much interest in Twelve Monkeys when Universal has such a thorough edition available. The bit about the sun finally coming out refers to Marker's Sans Soleil(Sunless). I would expect a single disc with the two Marker films.

 

[CameronMcC]

i was just watching La Jetee last night on the short cinema journal volume 2 Dreams. It is pretty extensive with a commentary by Gilliam and a seperate commentary by the screenwriters of 12 monkeys.

i could see 12 monkeys happening since Gilliam and Universal seem to work well with Criterion. Criterion put out Dazed & Confused when universal already had a nice disc out...who knows, but i would welcome either.

 

[Rich Malloy]

I'm fairly certain that "the sun's finally coming out" is a reference to Chris Marker's film "Sans soleil", which has been released already in a set with "La Jetee" in England. I'm guessing it's both of those films, as they've been rumored for some time as coming soon from Criterion.

And while a Criterion "12 Monkeys" would be an OK entry, I guess, I just don't think the world needs another release as the Universal one is fine. And there's no way that Criterion would relegate "La Jetee" to a mere "special feature" on a 12 Monkeys release. Other people may view it differently, but cineastes and the folks at Criterion certainly consider "La Jetee" to be a major work whereas "12 Monkeys" is not even major Gilliam (though I like it well enough). But, who knows, maybe we'll see "12 Monkeys" from Criterion, as well.

Hopefully, this also means that we'll see a release on the Eclipse line of Marker's lesser known films. And hopefully we'll see a new release of "Andrei Rublev" this year that includes Marker's great Tarkovsky documentary "A Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevitch" (sorta like the way Criterion included his Kurosawa doc "A.K." on the "Ran" release).

 

[oscar_merkx]

I take it then that Gilliam based 12 Monkeys on La Jetee

 

[Chris Dugger]

BINGO!

Dugger

 

[Matt Hough]

Gilliam has certainly had other films show up on Criterion after they were released on other studio labels (FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS is another, and a decidedly lesser film than 12 MONKEYS), so we might well get a Criterion 12 MONKEYS. I'd love to see it.

 

[Chris*Liberti]

I can only hope for a La Jetee release. I have an old copy of it on VHS that needs a replacement.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Chris, I think it's better than "only hope"! At this point, I'd wager that a "La Jetee/Sans Soliel" release is practically a sure-thing from Criterion (but hopefully with a bunch of Marker shorts included, and a subsequent Eclipse line boxset). It's been all-but-confirmed from Criterion for some time now, and the newsletter hint is pretty much an on-the-nose announcement.

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

My comment in the first post about a 12 Monkeys / La Jetee set was just a guess (and Gilliam's prior relationship with Criterion was a strengthening point in my mind), and I did say that a release of Marker films was also a possibility - hearing from some Marker fans interpreting the "sun" comment as a reference to Sans Soleil does swing it.

In any case, I am interested in a Marker release. I've only ever seen La Jetee, but really did like it, and am curious to see more of his work.

 

[Christ Reynolds]

 

[Martin Teller]

Marker's A.K. is on the Criterion DVD for Ran.