Criterion Bottle Rocket? (1 Viewer)

Take this for what it's worth ...

Spoke recently with a friend of mine who has no reason to make things up. Anyway, he was in first class from Austin to LAX a few weeks ago sitting behind Luke Wilson and Wes Anderson. He asked what they were up to, and they said they were going to work on the Criterion version of Bottle Rocket.

I seem to recall there were some hurdles standing between this DVD getting finished, but maybe it will happen after all. I surely hope so.

Excellent news.

I'd love to believe it, but I'm not at all hopeful. Firstly, whoever it was a few weeks ago who ran into some Criterion employees on the train said that Criterion's official line was that it wasn't going to happen because of rights issues.

Second of all, Wes Anderson is meant to be in Rome right now starting pre-production on his new movie The Life Aquatic, to begin shooting in September - More details

That doesn't mean it won't ever happen, but I'd guess not until his current project (and subsequent DVD) is completed.

Actually, I'm pretty sure The Life Aquatic will be a Criterion, if Anderson wants it to happen. Seeing as he's making another movie for Touchstone, and his last two Disney productions have ended up as Criterions, he's probably gotten it written into his contract that they get to handle the DVD release.

I'd imagine that's what happened with The Royal Tenenbaums too - there's an easter egg with Ben Stiller on the disc that was filmed during shooting where he specifically welcomes you to the Criterion DVD. It's also pretty amazing that Criterion got to handle the one and only release of such a major studio picture right off the bat, ie. not simply follow up a barebones disc with a much better special edition later on, like with Armageddon, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Traffic, etc.

The bits mentioned in the rumor mill today that Life Aquatic will be announced in a few weeks, and they dropped a mention of another title that has them excited in the same sentance.

I know that Life Aquatic will be a criterion release and I'm willing to bet that the other title is a criterion version of Bottle Rocket, and I wouldn't be surprised if Criterion compiled all four Anderson titles together in a box set as well.

I think they are referring to The Life Aquatic as the title that they are excited about.

I'd still love to see Criterion do Bottle Rocket though.

EDIT: Apparently me and Philip are on the same page. He's just a faster typer than me.

The 'another title that has them excited' was referred to Life Aquatic, not Bottle Rocket.

Unless Wes Anderson becomes such a success he can afford to buy off the rights of Bottle Rocket from Sony and personally give it to Criterion for an SE treatment, Criterion Bottle Rocket will be nothing more than a fanboy's wet dream.

Ahh why must people revive old threads merely to get one's hopes up! I was reading the first post and got too excited, only to then realize it was from 2003. There is absolutely not a single thing I want more than a Criterion treatment of Bottle Rocket, a lot of people 'like' it, but it's my favorite movie, and the current release is just so plain. I don't get why Sony wouldn't want to try and sell it? They can't be making much of a profit by keeping it...

I agree Matt, Wes Anderson is my favorite director currently making movies at this time and I would absolutely love to see a Criterion Collection of "Bottle Rocket" lined up on my shelf with his other, soon to be 3 releases. I don't see why Sony wouldn't take advantage of this, I can't imagine them making much of this title...

Bottle Rocket is a film that I often point to when I talk with friends about movies deserving a better edition (while other films from CTHV, like xXx, have 4 versions available).

The title of this thread is very misleading. Perhaps it should be re-titled to reflect the speculatory nature of the piece.

(Admin note - question mark added to thread title)

I emailed Criterion's Jon Mulvaney. Here's his answer.

Dear Tom,

Criterion does not hold the DVD rights to BOTTLE ROCKET at this time.
Therefore, we have no plans for release.

Thanks for your mail and please feel free to contact me with any
future questions or concerns.

Best,
JM



:frowning:

If Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson did tell some stranger on a plane that they were flying to work on The Criterion Collection Bottle Rocket -Quite a bit of information to casually discuss with a random person on a plane- I'm sure they were playing a prank. But I think that right now, unless Wes Anderson has been able to flex some power on the situation -and I'm sure if he could he would- it is only a pipe dream.

Criterion has had the opportunity to tie "Bottle Rocket" in with all three of their other Wes Anderson releases, yet they haven't. Sony doesn't deal with Criterion. Criterion constantly denies that a "Bottle Rocket" CC is in the works. I think we all just need to give it up.

I honestly don't see Bottle Rocket as "Criterion worthy". I think The Life Aquatic is on the fence (after 1 viewing - a second could push it over either side for me). Rushmore and Royal Tenenbaums seem at home in the Collection, but Bottle Rocket is the weakest of the bunch imo, and would not look right alongside Tokyo Story, 8 1/2 and the likes. I think it is more worthy than Armageddon, The Rock and Chasing Amy, but those are old titles in the collection, and the decision making process has changed since then.

I disagree Daniel, Bottle Rocket is script writing at it's absolute best. If there's one thing that makes Wes Anderson such a brilliant director, it's his story telling abilities. This is most evident in a film like Bottle Rocket. It takes such a simple and unlikely premise and delves right in by adding layers of subtle complexeties and refinement to the script adding so much depth to each character and making it interesting and a unique enjoyable experience. Much like the classic films directed by the great talents of Hollywood's golden age, an artist like Hitchcock for example could take the most insipid ideas and create movie magic. Wes Anderson is brilliant in this sense, and the fact that Bottle Rocket was really his student film and produced on a very stringent budget when compared to his other recent Studio productions, it makes the film all the more inspiring. I would definitely say that this movie deserves to be catalogued alongside Criterion's library of films. It works on so many levels.