Dignan: Bob Mapplethorpe, potential get-away driver: go!
Finally! After all these years and all this talk Wes Anderson’s debut feature will come to the Criterion Collection in November as a two disc set (it’s also coming out on Blu-Ray). Many already own the bare-bones Sony version, but this is the real treasure we’ve been awaiting for years.
Criterion’s version includes a commentary track with Wes and Owen Wilson (the co-writer of the film and star as the irrepressible Dignan), the original 11-minute “Bottle Rocket” short that you’ve probably seen by now on YouTube, Eleven deleted scenes (wow, maybe we’ll finally get to see Apatow’s wife Leslie Mann’s missing scene), a documentary making of the movie, plus a ton of extras and a booklet that includes an appreciation by Martin Scorsese, an early supporter of the film. Damn, it’s about time.
We did a long feature on the music of “Bottle Rocket” a year ago leading up to the release of “The Darjeeling Limited”, which contained a ton of free music from the soundtrack and links to the “Bottle Rocket” short on Youtube and for your Ipod. We suggest you check it out (there were features on all Wes’ movies too). Now you know what to get us for Christmas, this is such an understated gem in the Anderson oeuvre and frankly much better than the later era of films (the order goes “Rushmore,” ‘Rocket,’ and the rest…). Note also coming to Criterion in November is Wong Kar-Wai’s “Chunking Express,” Martin Ritt’s “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold,” and a whole whack of Blu-Ray titles from pre-existing Criterion titles (we recommend the very excellent “The Man Who Fell To Earth” with David Bowie).
Dignan: Here are just a few of the key ingredients: dynamite, pole vaulting, laughing gas, choppers – can you see how incredible this is going to be? – hang gliding, come on!
Special Features
- – DIRECTOR-APPROVED DOUBLE-DISC SET SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES:
- – New, restored high-definition digital transfer supervised and approved by director Wes Anderson and director of photography Robert Yeoman
- – Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack
- – Commentary by director/co-writer Anderson and co-writer/actor Owen Wilson
- – The Making of “Bottle Rocket”: an original documentary by filmmaker Barry Braverman featuring Anderson, James L. Brooks, James Caan, Temple Nash Jr., Kumar Pallana, Polly Platt, Mark Mothersbaugh, Robert Musgrave, Richard Sakai, David and Sandy Wasco, Andrew and Luke and Owen Wilson, and Robert Yeoman
- – The original thirteen-minute black-and-white Bottle Rocket short film from 1992
- – Eleven deleted scenes
- – Anamorphic screen test, storyboards, location photos, and behind-the-scenes photographs by Laura Wilson
- – Murita Cycles, a 1978 short film by Braverman
- – The Shafrazi Lectures, no. 1: Bottle Rocket
- – PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by executive producer James L. Brooks, an appreciation by Martin Scorsese, and original artwork by Ian Dingman
Watch: Anthony chases after Inez to Love’s “Alone Again Or”
Watch: Bob Mapplethorpe Potential Get-Away Driver