What?!? Criterion is releasing Benjamin Button?!?

[ianungstad]

There's another Criterion title coming out in June! I have very mixed feelings about this...as I wasn't a huge fan of the movie but on June 2nd The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will be coming out in a 2 disc criterion set. Parmount will release their own single disc edition.

Benjamin Button" DVD will be in stores May 5:

In addition to its single-disc packaging, "Button" will be available on DVD and Blu-ray Disc in two-disc Criterion Edition sets featuring more than three hours of special features. A documentary on the second disc follows the creative development of the literary adaptation and its many production challenges, including the elaborate, Oscar-winning visual effects.

Single-disc "Button" DVDs will sell for $29.99 in the U.S. and $36.99 in Canada. Two-disc DVD and Blu-ray sets will be priced at $39.99 in the U.S. and $45.99 in Canada.

The official press release from Criterion/Paramount is suppose to come out on Thursday according to the article.

[mfunk9786]

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was one of the worst films of 2008. Fingers crossed that this was some kind of hideous misprint.

[domino harvey]

Ho-oh-lee-shit, that explains the missing spine number and the nausea

[exte]

Criterion's edition of March madness?? LOL! Anyway, you know the extras are going to be spectacular for this, and for once it will live up to their pricing... (The work they did for the Se7en laserdisc was insane.)

[Jeff]

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was one of the worst films of 2008. Fingers crossed that this was some kind of hideous misprint.

It's real. Button was pretty bad, but this really isn't a big deal. Criterion works hard to maintain relationships with certain directors. During the laserdisc days, releasing crap films of pet directors was a common occurrence. I'm sure that Fincher approached Criterion and Paramount with the request. I'm really surprised that Paramount went for it. I only wish they had done this for Zodiac instead. I suppose that this bodes well for future marquee releases of contemporary Paramount titles.

[ianungstad]

...well I didn't care for the movie in the theater all that much but I didn't flat out hate it. I'd be willing to give it another try. It's not as bad as Chasing Amy and Armageddon in my opinion....anyways, I'm sure this is going to sell VERY VERY VERY well for Criterion. Hopefully the use the money to fund more interesting projects.

I'm more surprised that Paramount even agreed to do this...has David Fincher become the new Wes Anderson?

[kaujot]

Who owns The Game again?

[Cold Bishop]

476?

Yes, I'm hoping that the writer is just foolishy misusing "Criterion Edition" to mean "super special edition", as the film was nothing more than a vapid The Notebook style romance dress up with CGI and a narrative twist. Then again, its been a while since we've had a Armageddon style grab for cash.

And still no The Game...

EDIT: Someone beat me to The Game reference.

[Jeff]

I'm just glad everybody has something new to bitch about for the June releases. The grumbling was beginning to subside, and we can't have that. I imagine that Thomas J. is LOL'ing himself silly and shaking his head in grim consternation.

Who owns The Game again?

Uni...it's still a distinct possibility that will happen at some point.

has David Fincher become the new Wes Anderson?

No. Fincher is the original Wes Anderson. Criterion did his laserdisc releases of Seven and The Game. Criterion wasn't working with New Line, Polygram, Fox, Sony, or Paramount when the original DVDs of Seven, The Game, Fight Club, Panic Room, and Zodiac were released. They have relationships with all of the rights-holders now. You can bet that if those were being released for the first time on DVD today, Criterion would be handling all of them.

If the film's three hours long and that's the listed length for the extras, I guess no commentary track-- I thought that was a big deal for Fincher?

Nah. There will probably be 17 commentary tracks. They just aren't listing their running times amongst the extras.

[cdnchris]

Seriously, this before The Game!?

(I'm a serious defender of that film by the way and other than Stalker it's the only other film I've written Criterion about.)

[Jeff]

Seriously, this before The Game!? Fuck!

(I'm a serious defender of that film by the way and other than Stalker it's the only other film I've written Criterion about.)

I've written to them about it too. The Game is a masterpiece -- even better than the amazing Zodiac.

[knives]

Wha....wha...Button....What? At least go for decent Fincher if you're going Fincher. At least they're not going with Zodiac which already has a pretty sweet set. Then again I'd most prefer Seven and if I remember correctly it has a nice set. But still, Button? God I hope that's a misprint.

Edit: At least this gives the chance of a good The Game disc and should give Criterion more then enough money to pick up some unreleased, obscure, or silent films. Maybe more Rohmer or something from Korea.

[cdnchris]

Well, maybe this means a Game DVD is more likely. I don't care who releases it, but it still deserves a better DVD than the Polygram one and if Criterion releases it at least it should include the laserdisc features (which look interesting anyways, I haven't actually seen the disc) and the transfer would be a huge improvement. Universal doesn't seem to care: They just repackaged the Polygram DVD.

[domino harvey]

I'll say this about it: For those looking for more surprises from Criterion, there's no denying this fits the bill

[jaredsap]

Fincher's worst film by a mile gets a spine number? You've got to be kidding me.

Also, this revelation really doesn't make THE GAME any more likely (though it has always remained a possibility). As said, Fincher has long been a huge Criterion fan and Criterion has actively pursued THE GAME for years, but it's owned by Universal, not Paramount (as BUTTON is).

[Adam]

Criterion's edition of March madness?? LOL! Anyway, you know the extras are going to be spectacular for this, and for once it will live up to their pricing... (The work they did for the Se7en laserdisc was insane.)

I think Mark Rance produced most of that work for Se7en, and he's doing things for Criterion.

[Jeff]

Monocle-popping smiley, just for this occasion.

[Tom Hagen]

I have never been so excited about a DVD release of a film that I felt so ambivalent about. This is a tremendous coup for Criterion and a wonderful surprise. I too am optimistic about what this development may mean for future releases.

[jaredsap]

Button was pretty bad, but this really isn't a big deal.

I'd argue that depends on whether this is a harbinger of things to come or a one-off to fill the coffers.

We've already seen many times that Fincher is more than capable of releasing Criterion-level discs (SE7EN, FIGHT CLUB and ZODIAC) without Criterion's help. From Paramount's perspective, I see absolutely no reason for this SE of THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON to be coming from Criterion except that it lends a middling film (that time will not judge kindly) Criterion's stamp of prestige. As you said, I'm sure Fincher asked and Criterion said yes. This was either because they saw dollar signs, they felt like they couldn't alienate Fincher, or a combination of the two, but no matter what their decision inevitably dilutes the company's most powerful asset (and the only reason Fincher came to them in the first place): their brand.

[domino harvey]

The film was nominated for Best Picture. Whether it's any good or not is beside the point, it's clearly an important film if just from a historical perspective, thus fulfilling Criterion's mission statement

[jaredsap]

The film was nominated for Best Picture. Whether it's any good or not is beside the point, it's clearly an important film if just from a historical perspective, thus fulfilling Criterion's mission statement

You are sorely mistaken if you think every film ever nominated for Best Picture is important from an historical perspective.

That said, it is important from a SFX perspective (Criterion's oft-repeated justification for ARMAGEDDON), but the silly Mission Statement is besides the point. The brand is its own thing.

[domino harvey]

An Oscar nomination is a matter of historical record that will have a continued cachet when box office returns and critical top ten placements fade from memory. Being nominated gives a film an instantaneous legacy

[jaredsap]

An Oscar nomination is a matter of historical record that will have a continued cachet when box office returns and critical top ten placements fade from memory. Being nominated gives a film an instantaneous legacy

Cachet with who? You think a few generations from now people will know about SEABISCUIT and THE FULL MONTY and CHOCOLAT and THE CIDER HOUR RULES? They won't. I promise you. I do this for a living. Do you know how many times anyone has even asked me about Best Picture nominee THE DRESSER at Sony? Zero.

Where's all the cachet for old Best Picture nominees like DECISION BEFORE DAWN, THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN, A TOUCH OF CLASS or THE TURNING POINT?

A film stays alive via huge stars, major directors or actually being well liked. And sometimes even still it vanishes.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON will stick around because it's a Brad Pitt film directed by David Fincher, not because it got a Best Picture nomination and lost to SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.

EDIT TO ADD: Anyway, my original comment was that a Best Picture nomination does not equal "historical importance." I mean is FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL historically important?

[MyNameCriterionForum]

Oh Joy! Hopefully this is the first of several money-grabs that allow the company to release obscure and neglected foreign films... perhaps something Japanese? I hear Ozu is good.

[domino harvey]

Any film nominated for an Oscar is historically important for being nominated for an Oscar. It's self-fulfilling and there's no value judgment involved