Criterion Rushmore – Disappointing Documentary (1 Viewer)

[Bob Movies]

I just watched the “documentary” made by Wes Anderson’s brother on the Criterion DVD, and I found it to be very weak. He was apparently on set every day of the shoot, yet all we get is sixteen minutes of random footage edited together with no rhyme or reason. Not very good. It’s a shame, because I really like this movie. I just wish there was a real documentary on the making of it, that included all the interviews, and more in-depth behind the scenes info. Something chronological, along the lines of the documentary on the Magnolia DVD (which was still too short, but it made more sense!)

Did anyone else find this? I just would have liked to see more. I enjoyed the Charlie Rose interviews, but I found the other extras to be a bit weak.

 

[Phong]

I was also very disappointed with the documentary.. Wes Anderson's brother came off as annoying to me.. I don't remember what exactly it was that bugged me, but it seemed very unprofessional to me.

 

[Nate Anderson]

Yeah...but the inclusion of those MTV shorts more than make up for anything else!

 

[SteveGon]

I also didn't care much for the documentary. But, like Nate said, the other extras more than made up for it.

 

[Lannie Lorence]

When I first saw it, I considered it to be one of the worst documentaries I have ever seen. A few months a ago, I showed some of it to someone I was working with. That night I just happened to watch Cherry 2000. After it was over, I watched it's little 5 or 10 minute making-of documentary. It was pretty bad as well: in most of the same ways.

Then it hit me.

Perhaps it is a very dry parody of these crappy 80's & 90's making-of docs. So dry, nobody gets the joke. Watch it in this light and see what you think.

I am still not sure whether it is a joke or not. It is either one of the worst documentaries ever made, or the work of some crazed genius.

 

[Seth Paxton]

The commentary is also the "edit together" variety and often different people repeat the same material.

The shorts are great though and it's anamorphic unlike the first release.

 

[Bob Movies]

I don't mind the edit-together commentaries, because I find them to have better overall content (as compared to directors who just watch the movie and "um" and "er" their entire way through it)

I'm not sure about the documentary being the work of genius, but I'll take another look...

The one other thing I'll mention (and then I'll drop it, since I love this movie) is that I would have liked some deleted / extended scenes. In the "documentary" there are two scenes, one where they pan the camera down to Max's informant pictures (after the pictures/shadow struggle), and another where they explode a model airplane. Why weren't these included? Sigh. I love this movie, and I just want more!

~Bob