God, we flagged this last night, but we didn’t realize who was releasing it! (thanks Twitter folks).
David Fincher’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is coming out as a 2-disc set on the Criterion Collection, seriously?
Whoa, last time we checked Criterion was for “contemporary classics,” not flawed, molasses-moving and arduously long-winded snoozers with inconsistent effects.
But according to Reuters, it’s true. The two-disc set will come out May 5 and some will surely see this as validation for the mixed reviews/ mostly-snubbed Oscar fate of ‘Benjamin Button,’ but we’ll have to see it as sad proof that perhaps the Collection is losing its mind, or economic times are tough even for these artful DVD curators who were seemingly recession proof.
Meanwhile, check out the artwork for the disc. It’s sort of suggests Brad Pitt thinking, “whaaa, the Creeeterrrion Cohllllecsshion?” (just kidding, we just photoshopped it, but it’s fitting, no?)
The DVD for “Slumdog Millionaire,” comes out May 5 too, but Fox Searchlight is putting that out.
anything that makes criterion some easy dough to keep doing what they do is good though.
Oh yeah, totally. again, it’s playful and jesty. though yes, i don’t love Ben Button, but it’s not like i’m going to go out and burn my Criterions in protest or anything. 😉
They’ve made a few perceived gaffes (and I totally agree that a Criterion Benjamin Button is a gaffe; zzz…) in their selections before. Armageddon stands out as a big one. The Beastie Boys video collection and Fishing with John got fans’ hackles up as they were TV-based and not feature films. I’m not an obsessive buy-every-one Criterion collector so I’ll forgo condemnation, especially considering the overall cultural value of the series.
No way, i’m coming over to your house and burning all their shit.
Don’t forget they released a Criterion version of Armageddon.
Their biggest gaffe hands down is Chasing Amy.
This makes no sense as the Criterion Collection has all their releases set up to June.
http://www.criterion.com/library/dvd/criterion/soon/expanded/spine_number
SNAP! those are some GOOD june releases. Man, that blows my: Dear Criterion you should put out Last Night At Marienbad on your collection piece.
If they do Celine & Julie i think I'll jizz all over myself.
But Yonah, i think they'll make the exception for Button that has to come out at a certain time. Slashfilm has the real art and it looks very generic – i.e., they had to whip it together.
This is really quite appalling. “Ben Button” is an uneven pic, that’s not worthy of a Best Picture nomination, much less a freaking Criterion label. Eeeek.
I don’t think that’s real art. I wouldn’t put money on it, but it looks nothing like any Criterion covers I have ever seen. They pretty much never use borders like that around the artwork and truthfully, there covers are generally awesome looking (Danton and Begman island aside).
It seems so unlikely that they would even release a film like this. They’ve been getting away from films like Chasing Amy, Armageddon, Robocop etc. for quite some time now.
Also, I have never ever seen a Criterion image on the web with a 3D box like that. They are always straight on images.
Again, I wouldn’t put money on me being right, but it just feels wrong somehow.
they are agreeing to release it for the $$ and probably cause of Fincher’s name. Great director, weak film.
@Hunter: exactly.
Maybe, but they have no pre-existing relationship with Fincher.
Ahh, what do I know. You’re probably right.
Criterion version of The Game, anyone?
I wouldn’t mind Seven. The current release has lovely art, but terrible features.
I think that the critera for Criterion is that the films that they distribute must in some way have made a significant impact on film itself, not just content alone. The gaffes mentioned so far (Chasing Amy, Armageddon, Robocop) all were new strides in film making to some degree. Logic would say that Benjamin Button contributions to visual effect warrents a CC release….
Am I the only one who wouldn’t call Robocop a gaffe? An unusual choice for the label, but it’s great film and shouldn’t be included with Armageddon and Chasing Amy.
this website’s a joke for insulting benjamin button and praising or even talking about movies like Transformers.
No, I second that “Robocop” is not a gaffe. I had the Criterion version of it for a long time as that was the only extended, unrated cut available. Now since then, they’ve released the two-disc special edition with all that material and more, and I’ve sold it (as I also did with Silence of the Lambs since they bettered that version as well, twice over mind you).
As far as “Ben Button” making Criterion goes, whatever. I’m more interested in why “The Darjeeling Limited” wasn’t released on Criterion. Yes, it’s Wes’ weakest, but now that “Bottle Rocket” has made it, it’s the only film of his not on the label.
Wow, how come when we post about other criterion films we get crickets?
All of a sudden everyone’s posting. Weird.
Anyhow.
Robocop: I don’t get the cult behind that film.
Darjeeling: Criterion finally realized Wes Anderson’s work isn’t unassailable.
What the fuck?
1) This site has NEVER gone to bat for “Transformers.” At least I don’t think so.
2) ROBOCOP is a perfect movie.
1. Gabe is correct.
2. I still don’t get it.
Hi.
So, one… I'd like to repeat that I firmly believe the Criterion folk are not that lazy. Their covers are never that obvious. When they do (and rarely do they do this) release a film that is North American and recent (Wes Anderson being the only filmmaker of late to have received this treatment) they tend to create never before seen artwork.
Second, I'd like someone to explain to me in what way this would be a financially intelligent move on Paramount's part? Why would they sell the home video distribution rights to a company like Criterion? They have there own home video arm and why would they hand the rights over to Criterion? It seems entirely illogical to me. Maybe that's just me.
Just searched through Amazon for the DVD and here's what I came up with….
http://www.amazon.com/Curious-Benjamin-Button-Two-Disc-Special/dp/B001U0HBPQ/ref=sr_tr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1237513233&sr=1-1
There is a more expensive version with no cover art:
http://www.amazon.ca/Curious-Case-Benjamin-Button/dp/B001U7IJUU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1237513173&sr=1-2
But I don't understand why Criterion would release this film if there is a 2-disc version being sent out at the same time… no double dip, no nothin'.
Finally, just like to put in my two-cents that I truly believe this rumour to be false.
Over and out.
PS – like your art more than the “real” cover.
Yonah, a report for Reuters is not a “rumor.”
Ahh… anything can happen.
People believed Mr. Orson Welles for a short while during the whole War of the Worlds debacle.
Anyways… I actually think I am wrong and this is happening. Primarily based upon The Criterion Collection having a space between 475 and 477 with no apparent film to fill it – and on the side of a high-res version of the Curious Case cover I found was the number 476. So, blah… seems it is one hundred percent true. Reuters or no Reuters.
Everybody has the right to have his own opinion, but I didn’t find anything special about this film. Perhaps, it is because I didn’t watch it in the cinema and downloaded from rapidshare search engine , I couldn’t evaluate the quality of the film in full.
For those interested, the Rapidshare download of Benjamin Button is actually hentai.