Criterion Newsletter (Part 2)

[cysiam]

Anyone else not receive the newsletter, for some reason?

It hasn't shown up in my inbox yet either.

[zedz]

Zwigoff + Fritz surely means Crumb, whatever the merits of the existing release. Maybe this will be Blu. Louie Bluie would be a fine supplement, as I don't know if it's strong enough to survive on its own, and it has a Crumb connection via the wonderful poster art:


There's also the Fritz the Cat movie, of course, but wasn't that pretty bad (and didn't Crumb hate it)?

[THX1378]

I don't see why unless they have more extra's than the Sony disc for Crumb that Criterion would want to deal with it. But whats the chance that Criterion did get the rights for Crumb and then got the rights for Fritz the Cat as part of the release? I'd love to see Ralph Bakshi talk about the production, it's place in history, and why Crumb hated it so much.

[HistoryProf]

do we know what Andrea Arnold film they are referring to? I've heard great things about Fish Tank - but that's still in theaters no?

[Tribe]

Louie Bluie is a relatively obscure performer on old 78s with Sleepy John Estes (I don't know whether or not he ever recorded solo).

Wikipedia says Armstrong recorded with Sleepy John Estes' and Yank Rachel in 1929, but it's not true - the mistake probably stems from some Estes/Rachel recordings appearing on the Louie Bluie soundtrack.

I wasn't aware of the Wikipedia article...but I could've sworn Armstrong played on some Sleepy John sides. Sounds like a research topic.

EDIT: Here's something on the matter.

[swo17]

do we know what Andrea Arnold film they are referring to? I've heard great things about Fish Tank - but that's still in theaters no?

Red Road is out already from Tartan. Fish Tank is an IFC film, so...

[HistoryProf]

do we know what Andrea Arnold film they are referring to? I've heard great things about Fish Tank - but that's still in theaters no?

Red Road is out already from Tartan. Fish Tank is an IFC film, so...

that's what I figured...i don't know a thing about her work before Red Road though so wasn't sure if maybe it was going to be from there. Fish Tank would be cool by me though

[swo17]

I believe that all she made before the two latest full-length features were a handful of short films. Perhaps some of them will show up as extras.

[montgomery]

Louie Bluie is a relatively obscure performer on old 78s with Sleepy John Estes (I don't know whether or not he ever recorded solo).

Wikipedia says Armstrong recorded with Sleepy John Estes' and Yank Rachel in 1929, but it's not true - the mistake probably stems from some Estes/Rachel recordings appearing on the Louie Bluie soundtrack.

I wasn't aware of the Wikipedia article...but I could've sworn Armstrong played on some Sleepy John sides. Sounds like a research topic.

EDIT: Here's something on the matter.

After some more double-checking, I'm positive that Estes and Armstrong never recorded together in 1929 or on any other occasion in the pre-war years. That article (which is similar to the wikipedia entry) is wrong.

[jaredsap]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe CRUMB (if it's in fact coming) would represent the first time Criterion has licensed a Sony Pictures Classics title (as opposed to Columbia).

This could theoretically pave the way for other OOP SPC titles like SAFE, VANYA ON 42ND STREET, etc.

Pure speculation on my part. I work for Columbia, not SPC.

[Tribe]

Don't want to get too off-topic, but now I'm really curious.
That article states (like wikipedia) that Armstrong recorded with Estes and Rachel in 1929. I am positive that he is not on any of Estes' 1929 recordings (some of the greatest pre-war blues recordings ever), which all have Rachel on mandolin, and most have Jab Jones on piano - or any of Estes' pre-war recordings (all of which I know by heart). I checked the Blues and Gospel discography, which lists the Louie Bluie sides and the Tenn. Chocolate Drops sides as Armstrong's only pre-war recordings, which is what I remembered. Perhaps there is some unreleased session (I can't remember, but maybe this session is discussed in the film). In any event, I am 99% sure that there are no available pre-war recordings with both Armstrong and Estes playing together.

Did Estes ever record with the Chocolate Drops? After this discussion I slipped my Sleepy John Estes Yazoo CD on...love that stuff!

[dadaistnun]

I believe that all she made before the two latest full-length features were a handful of short films. Perhaps some of them will show up as extras.

Wasp, her Oscar-winning short, is on the Red Road DVD.

[Tribe]

Wasp, her Oscar-winning short, is on the Red Road DVD.

Wasp is also on the Artificial Eye Fish Tank release.

[Cinephrenic]

IFC + Criterion = Fish Tank

[Murdoch]

That is one high cat.

[Cinephrenic]

I think the cat is referring to I Married a Witch.

[domino harvey]

It would be hilarious if Criterion really did license Crumb just to dump another film on the second disc and left the practically barebones Ghost World hanging in the wind. Almost as funny as Criterion's first animated release being Fritz the Cat

[ianungstad]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe CRUMB (if it's in fact coming) would represent the first time Criterion has licensed a Sony Pictures Classics title (as opposed to Columbia).

This could theoretically pave the way for other OOP SPC titles like SAFE, VANYA ON 42ND STREET, etc.

Pure speculation on my part. I work for Columbia, not SPC.

Maybe Sony Classics are just letting the rights lapse. They've been cutting back, with the titles you've listed, Following, all the Luc Besson titles etc.

Or does Sony own CRUMB outright?

[ambrose1am]

Maybe some Chris Marker?

[Dr. Geek]

It's Garfield.

[tajmahal]

Maybe some Chris Marker?

That was my first thought, though it wouldn't be the Case of the Grinning Cat. If it is Chris Marker, perhaps a blu release of La Jetee/Sans Soleil might be in the wings.

[domino harvey]

Guys, that's Fritz

[jaredsap]

Maybe Sony Classics are just letting the rights lapse. They've been cutting back, with the titles you've listed, Following, all the Luc Besson titles etc.

Or does Sony own CRUMB outright?

My understanding -- I could be wrong -- is CRUMB is still owned in the US by SPC.

[Jeff]

Guys, that's Fritz

Seriously. There is not any debating the fact that the picture is of Fritz the Cat (no other cats or Fritzes need apply).

The only question is, does Fritz indicate:

a.) A Criterion release of Terry Zwigoff's Crumb, a documentary on Fritz creator Robert Crumb. Louie Bluie would be a likely supplement. This is the only clue that satisfies both the allusion to an upcoming Zwigoff film, and the appearance of Fritz.

b.) Zwigoff's Louie Bluie, which we know Criterion will be releasing in some fashion. The only (tenuous) connection to R. Crumb is that he drew the poster art.

c) Zwigoff's Ghost World. It's an MGM property and needs a better release, but there is no Crumb connection that I know of. Louie Bluie would make an ideal supplement here too.

d.) Ralph Bakshi's Fritz the Cat, an x-rated animated film that Robert Crumb hated and tried to have his name removed from. It's an MGM property too. No connection to Zwigoff.

Option (a) seems by far the most likely. Yes, there is a good DVD of Crumb already available, but that hasn't stopped Criterion from releasing their own version before. They would likely offer a two-disc DVD and Blu-ray set that would include new Ebertless Zwigoff commentary (maybe with Robert Crumb participating?), Crumb material in the booklet, the BBC documentary The Confessions of Robert Crumb, and Zwigoff's Louie Bluie.

[swo17]

Wait a sec though, have we established whether at any point Fritz Lang ever owned a housecat?