edited by Jonathan Doyle

Mafioso (The Criterion Collection, 3.18.2008) Nino Badalamenti is a supervisor in a car manufacturing plant who hasn't taken a vacation in over two years. On his way out the door to visit his beloved childhood hometown of Sicily -- with his blonde wife and daughters -- Nino is handed a package by his boss and asked to deliver it to a powerful and influential Sicilian gangster named Don Vincenzo. Once in Sicily, Nino has a hoot seeing friends and family, but his wife has trouble fitting in and is unfairly dismissed as a snob by Nino's family. Even more worrisome, Nino finds himself entangled in an intricate web of secret mafioso dealings and is eventually sent on an unexpectedly... elaborate errand. (continued)

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Bottle Rocket on Criterion

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Two days ago director Wes Anderson told MTV.com's Josh Horowitz that work has begun on a bells-and-whistles Criterion DVD of the great Bottle Rocket. The only way to see this seminal '90s film now is on a bare-bones Sony Home Video DVD that' came out in December '98 -- no extras, voice-overs, deleted scenes, nothing.

"We've just begun work with the Criterion Collection [people] to do Bottle Rocket on a new DVD that's going to have all kinds of stuff," Anderson told Horowtiz. "There's a lot of Bottle Rocket that was on the cutting room floor, so we have a lot to work with on that one."

Of course, one reason why this seems like such good news is that it provides escape from the present. A shaft of sunlight in an otherwise dark atmosphere.

Ignore the Academy<< previous | next >>Letterman and Hilton

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on September 29, 2007 at 02:26 PM

comment #1

BurmaShave says ...

Greay movie. "They'll never catch me because I'm fucking innocent." And I wish he'd work with James Caan again, especially now that Caan has quit his dreadful TV show.

Posted by BurmaShave at September 29, 2007 02:45 PM

comment #2

BurmaShave says ...

Also this is kind of random, but I'm reminded because of his smarmy review of DARJEELING that Robert Wilonsky is really starting to get on my nerves on "At the Movies". For anyone keeping track of his reviews, JESSE JAMES- terrible, DARJEELING- embarrassing, THE KINGDOM- poor, THE GAME PLAN- resonant and sweet. Also its weird without the thumbs.

Posted by BurmaShave at September 29, 2007 02:49 PM

comment #3

cjKennedy says ...

Glad to see Bottle Rocket is finally a part of Criterion's 50 Year Plan where it belongs.

Posted by cjKennedy at September 29, 2007 03:07 PM

comment #4

delbomber says ...

Bottle Rocket has gotten better each of the thirty or so times I've seen it. IMHO, Owen Wilson's performance is absolutely inspired and brilliant; Dignan is one of the most memorable and least pretentious performances of the last 15 years.

Posted by delbomber at September 29, 2007 03:12 PM

comment #5

cjKennedy says ...

Dignan rules. He's a sad character, but ultimately bullet proof. He always bounces back with another plan.

Posted by cjKennedy at September 29, 2007 03:21 PM

comment #6

berg says ...

Posted by berg at September 29, 2007 03:29 PM

comment #7

berg says ...

http://img103.mytextgraphics.com/photolava/2007/09/29/bottle-47zv0emrj.jpg

Posted by berg at September 29, 2007 03:32 PM

comment #8

JD says ...

For those of you who are quick to dismiss Darjeeling, remember that Bottle Rocket was also dismissed when it came out. Of course, history's the real judge of these things. Let's just wait and see.

Posted by JD at September 29, 2007 04:30 PM

comment #9

Bilge says ...

I'm a great fan of Anderson's, but I do think that BOTTLE ROCKET is still his best film -- and proof that he can tone down the more mannered aspects of his filmmaking that some find so annoying. (Although, let's face it, with BOTTLE ROCKET, it was probably as much a case of inexperience and low-budget than anything else.)

Still, I think having two brothers play two best friends was an inspired touch, and I think Luke Wilson brings an ordinary-guy-ness to Wes World that really helps ground it a bit more. Owen's Dignan is one of the most fantastic actor-character pairings ever, but it's Luke that I wish would work with Anderson more.

Posted by Bilge at September 29, 2007 04:41 PM

comment #10

Nick Rogers says ...

I had a dream the other night that Roger was back on TV in full health, and Roeper was nowhere to be found. It was a blessed, but brief, figment of my imagination. Of course, the usual faceless dream man was whomever was sitting opposite Roger.

Posted by Nick Rogers at September 29, 2007 09:12 PM

comment #11

BurmaShave says ...

Maybe it was Utah.

Posted by BurmaShave at September 29, 2007 11:54 PM

comment #12

malibugigolo says ...

YAWN.

Posted by malibugigolo at September 30, 2007 03:32 AM

comment #13

corey3rd says ...

if it wasn't for Bottle Rocket, we wouldn't have "You Me and Dupree"

Posted by corey3rd at September 30, 2007 06:22 AM

comment #14

Ju-osh says ...

Wow, a fleece pullover in a Wes Anderson flick. And it wasn't even done for ironic effect!

Posted by Ju-osh at September 30, 2007 11:48 AM

comment #15

bizzle says ...

honestly...I just don't like bottle rocket. I have given this film every possible chance, and I just cannot get into it. rushmore, I love. just love that film. and so far, I have not really liked any of the others either. I've wanted to like them, but I just don't.

Posted by bizzle at September 30, 2007 05:08 PM

comment #16