Wes Anderson Analyzed
June 19, 2014 7:57 PM   Subscribe

Seven video essays by Matt Zoller Seitz on Wes Anderson films.

RogerEbert.com editor Matt Zoller Seitz has been covering Anderson's career since before the filmmaker's breakout film Bottle Rocket. In support of his new book, The Wes Anderson Collection, Seitz has released seven great little 10-minute blasts of film criticism.

The main link is a nofilmschool.com blog post with good context.

or you can watch all seven videos on the official Vimeo playlist.

Matt Zoller Seitz on Wes Anderson, previously.
posted by hamandcheese (18 comments total) 27 users marked this as a favorite
 
These are so good, they made me give The Darjeeling Limited a second chance.
posted by EmGeeJay at 8:02 PM on June 19, 2014




Shh... nobody tell him.
posted by EmGeeJay at 10:13 PM on June 19, 2014 [1 favorite]


No one ever really talks about Owen Wilson's contribution as a screenwriter. I wonder why that is?
posted by empath at 12:02 AM on June 20, 2014


No one ever really talks about Owen Wilson's contribution as a screenwriter. I wonder why that is?

Well, everyone knows that Owen Wilson pushed to add more humor in the first handful of Wes Anderson films. What this comment presupposes is: maybe he didn't.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 3:31 AM on June 20, 2014 [8 favorites]


This are great. Ebert made a great pick by putting Seitz in charge of his website, I'm definitely a fan of his film writing. I'm not as big a fan of Anderson as he obviously is but he's almost got me sold on his importance as a filmmaker.
posted by octothorpe at 4:56 AM on June 20, 2014


No one ever really talks about Owen Wilson's contribution as a screenwriter. I wonder why that is?

Or his contribution to the haircut of Elizabeth Banks.

If you anyone actually gets that reference congratulations.
posted by Talez at 8:39 AM on June 20, 2014


Just stopped in to say that I rank Grand Budapest Hotel #2 on the Wes Anderson filmography, behind the unbeatable Rushmore. It was one hell of a fun movie.
posted by mcstayinskool at 9:25 AM on June 20, 2014 [1 favorite]


Just stopped in to say that I rank Grand Budapest Hotel #2 on the Wes Anderson filmography, behind the unbeatable Rushmore. It was one hell of a fun movie.

Counterpoint! I agree with you about Rushmore, but I thought GBH was execrable. Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks, I guess.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 9:28 AM on June 20, 2014 [1 favorite]


I've seen all of his except for Rushmore so I can't rank that one but I'd say that his most recent two are my favorites. I'd put Moonrise Kingdom first but loved Grand Budapest too.
posted by octothorpe at 9:50 AM on June 20, 2014 [1 favorite]


Just stopped in to say that I rank Grand Budapest Hotel #2 on the Wes Anderson filmography, behind the unbeatable Rushmore.


I rank Grand Budapest Hotel #2 on the Wes Anderson filmography, behind the unbeatable Rushmore.


Counterpoint! I agree with you about Rushmore, but I thought GBH was execrable.


I'd say that his most recent two are my favorites. I'd put Moonrise Kingdom first but loved Grand Budapest too.


See cause I'd say I mostly didn't enjoy Moonrise Kingdom but loved GBH, second only to The Royal Tenenbaums.
posted by timshel at 1:08 PM on June 20, 2014


I though The Royal Tenenbaums was insufferable, I could barely finish watching it.
posted by octothorpe at 1:47 PM on June 20, 2014


I really enjoyed these videos--I had watched them through Darjeeling Limited awhile ago, but had to pause since I hadn't seen Mr Fox or Moonrise, so this was a great reminder to finish them since I'm now all caught up with Wes Anderson.

If we're ranking, Life Aquatic and Moonrise Kingdom are probably my two favorite, which I know puts me in a minority of fans. GBH was amazing film making, but the first half--other than the introduction of the GBH itself (in both time periods)--left me a little flat. But I do want to rewatch it. You can tell that Anderson put his experiences on Mr Fox to good use in GBH.
posted by skynxnex at 2:17 PM on June 20, 2014 [1 favorite]


i just watched this whole series and it was the best dang review i ever watched. Thanks for posting!
posted by rebent at 5:14 PM on June 20, 2014 [1 favorite]


Like skynxnex, my top two are Life Aquatic and Moonrise Kingdom, followed very closely by Rushmore and Bottle Rocket.
posted by atropos at 5:34 PM on June 20, 2014


You can tell that Anderson put his experiences on Mr Fox to good use in GBH.

Absolutely. I'd love to see a video noting the clear Fantastic Mr Fox influences you can see in Grand Budapest.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 12:44 PM on June 21, 2014


The Royal Tenenbaums is so close to the story of my family it is truly shocking, and I have to think Wes Andersen met either my mother or my father. Everyone in my family had the same experience seeing it.
posted by maggiemaggie at 6:19 PM on June 21, 2014


Wes Anderson's next film: people who have father issues and dress like they only shop at a thrift store in the 70's.
posted by runcibleshaw at 7:14 PM on July 2, 2014


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