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Criterion Cast also suggests that The Kid being paired with Le samourai is itself a clue for Besson's The Professional. It might seem like a stretch at first, but there are so many unused windows, why put these two together? Perfect, if true.

All previous releases of the film have been light on extras (puff-pieces at that), and it'd be great to see Besson join the collection. I've been hoping that Criterion would scoop up Besson's Subway and Le dernier combat, both OOP from Sony and without US distribution (but blu-ray releases elsewhere in the world).

If the woman eating candy is indeed Elaine May (who does have a phantom page on the Criterion webiste), it could be a clue for The Heartbreak Kid. Apparently the Cybil Sheppard character has a habit of eating candy bars in bed?

The Heartbreak Kid would be one of the most important Criterion releases ever, but I think it's with Anchor Bay?

Jeff wrote:

ryannichols7 wrote:the devil is carrying the conch from Lord of the Flies!

Then by all means, let him speak! Good catch!

I got that one on the first page. I'm pretty sure that it's right.

I'm glad to see Yo-Yo coming. I tried watching it on Youtube a few months back, but alas the miminal dialogue was not translated.

Heartbreak Kid/Sleuth/The Stepford Wives are independent films that have been unavailable for years. I think Jeff had did some research and found that they were owned by some pharmaceutical company.

So starting at the first floor we have:

The building itself: Probably just a framing device, but possibly The Tenant, The Decalogue, or (dare I dream) The Apartment.
Falling leaves and music: Autumn Sonata
Guy with eraser head: Eraserhead
Kid with hat: The Kid
Guy with samurai sword and birdcage: Le Samourai (Is he wearing glasses for some reason??), birdcage also possibly referencing La Cage aux Folles
Kid/woman in snowy window: Oshima's Boy?? (not convinced)
Naked Babette: Babette's Feast and Naked Lunch
Screaming Michael Ironside: Scanners
Gate of Hell: Gate of Hell
Devil with prominent vertebrae: The Devil's Backbone
The conch Satan is carrying: The Lord of the Flies
Generic candy: Repo Man
Young girl that looks like Paul Williams eating candy: ???????
Harold Lloyd hanging from clock: Safety Last
Clock reading 3:10: 3:10 to Yuma
Yo Yo on a tightrope: Pierre Etaix set

Indeed I see Warner's BLOW UP DVD is OOP on Amazon...

I also agree that the time on the clock being 3:10 is a clue for 3:10 to Yuma. (Sony/Columbia title) Nice to see more Westerns in the collection!

ryannichols7 wrote:someone thinks the "Boy" in the window kind of looks like Giulietta Masina from Juliet of the Spirits. as it's one of the few Fellini's i've never seen, can anyone vouch?

That seems like a stretch to me, though her look is always a boyish one, so generic "boys" always kind of look like her. I think the Oshima makes a lot more sense.

bainbridgezu wrote:I've been hoping that Criterion would scoop up Besson's Subway

Ditto. That would rule.

I don't recall any candy references in Phantom of the Paradise but speaking of Paul Williams, Shout asked FOX for the rights to Phantom but were told it wasn't available. (maybe licensed to someone else?)

I think the Oshima does too, I just had to throw it out there.

I really like that Beelzebub himself is holding the conch from Lord of the Flies, which makes that clue even more sensical.

Does the Elaine May/Paul Williams girl have a wacky C on her sleeve, giant hoop earrings, or is that just hair?

The Narrator Returns wrote:

Calvin wrote:The falling leaves coupled with the time could be a hint for a An Autumn Afternoon upgrade.

Since there are also musical notes, I imagine Autumn Sonata is more likely.

It's probably too much mangled logic but since the leaves are drifting past the window(s), which are the opening english lyrics to Autumn Leaves, that could suggest Carné's Les Portes de la Nuit, which features Prevert's Les Feuilles Mortes.

Jeff wrote:So starting at the first floor we have:

The building itself: Probably just a framing device, but possibly The Tenant, The Decalogue, or (dare I dream) The Apartment.

I'll join you in dreaming, but the building in The Apartment is a three or four story brownstone, and I think they would have done something to the high rise in the picture to make, at least, a stylistic nod in that direction.

I only see nine stories. Is the argument for Decalogue that the building has a basement, or that it just looks like the depressing high rises of Warsaw?

ianungstad wrote:I also agree that the time on the clock being 3:10 is a clue for 3:10 to Yuma. (Sony/Columbia title) Nice to see more Westerns in the collection!

More than anyone here I welcome the introduction of Delmer Daves to the Criterion Collection, but I wish it was for almost any other film he directed

Sam T. wrote:

Jeff wrote:So starting at the first floor we have:

The building itself: Probably just a framing device, but possibly The Tenant, The Decalogue, or (dare I dream) The Apartment.

I'll join you in dreaming, but the building in The Apartment is a three or four story brownstone, and I think they would have done something to the high rise in the picture to make, at least, a stylistic nod in that direction.

I only see nine stories. Is the argument for Decalogue that the building has a basement, or that it just looks like the depressing high rises of Warsaw?

i'd say that if anything, but the guy above who suggested it was a reference to Short Cuts due to both having nine stories is most likely the closest guess we have.

ianungstad wrote:I don't recall any candy references in Phantom of the Paradise but speaking of Paul Williams, Shout asked FOX for the rights to Phantom but were told it wasn't available. (maybe licensed to someone else?)

I strongly suspect that Criterion has Phantom of the Paradise, though I don't think the figure with candy is a clue for the film. Maybe if they would have drawn him interacting with the Devil!

ryannichols7 wrote:I really like that Beelzebub himself is holding the conch from Lord of the Flies, which makes that clue even more sensical.

Dude, you just blew my mind!

Re: Blow-Up. I don't see it in the drawing (the "fence" looks a lot more like a gate of hell), but I've always cherished the idea that the blurry photo of lists of potential releases on a desk that CC posted about a year ago was a meta-clue for Blow-Up.

Isn't the woman in the window Susan Sarandon from Atlantic City - the lemon wash?

I believe that Ian discovered that both Scanners and The Brood were owned by Claude Héroux, who had licensed them to a label. Although I can't see a hint that goes with The Brood, I think that we can infer that it's coming, since Scanners obviously is. If that is a Naked Lunch hint as well, it looks like it might be Year of the Cronenberg at Criterion.

bainbridgezu wrote:

ianungstad wrote:I don't recall any candy references in Phantom of the Paradise but speaking of Paul Williams, Shout asked FOX for the rights to Phantom but were told it wasn't available. (maybe licensed to someone else?)

I strongly suspect that Criterion has Phantom of the Paradise, though I don't think the figure with candy is a clue for the film. Maybe if they would have drawn him interacting with the Devil!

I don't really think that's Paul Williams (she has boobs). Just being obnoxious as usual. I really hope Criterion has Phantom of the Paradise.

acf171072 wrote:Isn't the woman in the window Susan Sarandon from Atlantic City - the lemon wash?

But she's clothed and wearing glasses

Warner Brothers has a reissue of Atlantic City on dvd scheduled to come out in a week, so that one seems very unlikely.

But she's clothed and wearing glasses

No, the other woman, 4th floor corner window, below to left of Gate of Hell window.

acf171072 wrote:

But she's clothed and wearing glasses

No, the other woman, 4th floor corner window, below to left of Gate of Hell window.

I think that's pretty much confirmed to be Babette's Feast (and her nude feast might be a hint for Naked Lunch).

acf171072 wrote:

But she's clothed and wearing glasses

No, the other woman, 4th floor corner window, below to left of Gate of Hell window.

Ah, that makes more sense. Her hair wouldn't be up and her lemon wouldn't be steaming though. Also, what Ian said...

Random idea that hit me: could the fact that the Scanners gent resembles The Scream be a subtle hint at Edvard Munch? Could Criterion have scooped that up from the New Yorker sale?