Criterion on Social Media

[Sloper]

Jesus, now I know her name - Topsy.

[Tribe]

"Topsy," the condemned circus elephant, was actually executed after certain authorities determined she was "a threat to humans" after killing three over the course of a year (although one of the dead was her loathsome and abusive trainer).

It was not altogether uncommon for animals to be tried and executed for sundry crimes during the middle ages. Topsy never had the "benefit" of a trial...

[Zazou dans le Metro]

"Topsy," the condemned circus elephant, was actually executed after certain authorities determined she was "a threat to humans" after killing three over the course of a year (although one of the dead was her loathsome and abusive trainer).

It was not altogether uncommon for animals to be tried and executed for sundry crimes during the middle ages. Topsy never had the "benefit" of a trial...

Unlike the monkey hanged by the townsfolk of Hartlepool for being a Napoleonic spy. Still called Monkey hangers to this very day.

[Mr Sausage]

...The choice of electric current was only chosen after the ASPCA protested the original idea of (believe it or not) hanging the elephant, which led Edison to suggest the method of electrocution. Everything about this grisly incident is pretty depressing, but it wasn't quite the same thing as simply killing an animal for cinematic enjoyment (however many people may have eventually viewed the film across the country).

The idea that you could hang an elephant sounded completely ludicrous, but apparantly it's been done (don't read unless you feel like being very depressed).

[Cinephrenic]

If these animals threatened human life, i'm sure it's quite deserved. They shouldn't have been performing for people in the first place. It's crazy.

[MyNameCriterionForum]

All this talk about elephant funerals makes me wonder if Santa Sangre is forthcoming from the CC

[perkizitore]

"Topsy," the condemned circus elephant, was actually executed after certain authorities determined she was "a threat to humans" after killing three over the course of a year (although one of the dead was her loathsome and abusive trainer).

It was not altogether uncommon for animals to be tried and executed for sundry crimes during the middle ages. Topsy never had the "benefit" of a trial...

Unlike the monkey hanged by the townsfolk of Hartlepool for being a Napoleonic spy. Still called Monkey hangers to this very day.

I've just heard this story from a friend!

[Zazou dans le Metro]

Manon, La verite, The Murderer Lives at Number 21?

I didn't see any of these, so what you guys think will be the next Clouzot?

Number 21 is a bit of a hoot that mixes downbeat screwball with a whodunnit. The duo of Fresnay and Delair doing a very Gallic interpretation of Powell/Loy's verbal tango. (I mean can you imagine Loy squeezing blackheads?) This drifts into a very seedy Ealing-style romp set in a boarding house as if scripted by Patrick Hamilton, before a rather clumsy denouement. Would make an excellent supplement to Quai des Orfevres if that ever got revisited.
Personally what would make a great package would be the new Bromberg doco about Clouzot attempt to make L'Enfer coupled with his 'comeback' La Prisonniere where H-G C re-invents himself in a kaleidoscope of Op-art and a few nods to Antonioni. Sharing a similar premise to Peeping Tom it has a very disturbing pre-title sequence if you, like me, have an aversion to dolls.

[fiddlesticks]

How'd this discussion ever find itself on the "Criterion Facebook Page?" You know, Criterion's thing is wacky animals, not whacking them.

[knives]

Couldn't it be both? If they have a Rublev hint I want it to be a falling horse.

[Cinephrenic]

Or topsy for the Lynch's Elephant Man.

[El Manchego]

I saw the first two Cousteau films (that both won Oscars) at Cinefamily a couple of months ago. The second Cousteau film might well be fine to release, with its underwater labs.

The first one, however, is unbelievable, from the crew killing a baby sperm whale that their ship runs over while chasing a herd of whales, to brutally killing a bunch of sharks that start feeding on the whale, to using dynamite to blow up a lagoon to collect all the fish in it. I can totally see why the Cousteau Estate would want it to be forgotten about, as I think almost no one today could accept it, no matter how much contextual explanation you add. But that explanation, and the understanding that would come by letting people see how far we've come since the late 1950s, would be very valuable. The first film really is a bunch of French guys having fun on the high seas, with some beautiful underwater photography that must have blown people away at the time (and is still wonderful today, if not as unique). Yes, there are scuba and sops thrown to "doing science," but it's really about a pack of French guys (divers, sailers, and a couple of scientists) having a great time.

How did they kill the sharks? I know it was an old whaling practise to jab harpoons into the heads of the sharks when they tried to eat the boat's catch as it hung from the side, so it sounds like an example of extinct whaling techniques.

Yeah, pretty much, stick a hooked spear or harpoon into them, drag them out of teh water and onto the deck and chop with an axe or harpoon them more. They killed the whale by shooting it in the head with a rifle, which they show.

In answer to the previous, yes I "enjoyed" it despite these negatives. But do I think of those as negatives, or do I think they give the film greater value as a historical document? Complicated, and probably both. And of course events like blowing up the lagoon cause great laughter in the audience (from discomfort and disbelief, I imagine).
I'm also deeply interested in both history and the history of documentaries, and I also once wrote & produced a show for the History Channel on the whaleship Essex that was stove by a sperm whale in 1820 (and was one of many influences on Melville for Moby-Dick). ("History's Mysteries: The True Story of Moby Dick"). So to see this pack of sperm whales was also very moving to me, and the unnecessary death of one even more tragic. But I've also already seen footage of whales being killed, etc., and I also am familiar with the history of whale hunting. The Save the Whales movement didn't arise until the 1970s, and there were no laws against any killing prior to then.
Anyway, I think the movie is well worth seeing, and I can also imagine lots of people being disgusted by it, but I think they should work on understanding the source of the disgust, and the sources of the behavior of Cousteau & his men.

I had the privilege to see this film at the Library of Congress earlier in the year and I experienced the same emotions during the screening. On the one hand it's somewhat fun to see a bunch of chain-smoking "scientists" having so much fun playing around, but at the same time their insouciance towards nature is slightly disturbing, particularly when viewed in luscious Eastmancolor; the audience (a packed room of sixty) responded with laughter and horrified gasps over the course of the film. The film is generally very enjoyable despite the disregard exhibited by Cousteau's crew, although its real value lies in its historical significance, both from a scientific and cinematic perspective. I highly recommend viewing the film if you're given the chance; I agree that the nature of the film will probably prevent it from ever seeing a home video release in the near future.

[Flike]

The Cousteau Society is in discussions right now for individual home video releases of The Silent World and two other films.

[ianungstad]

From Facebook:

They tried to license Elaine May's A New Leaf from Paramount but the studio wouldn't license the title out. Criterion think there may be rights issues with the title but doesn't know.

They pretty much confirmed Catherine Breillat's The Last Mistress as part of the IFC deal though they did use the term "not a done deal" in responding.I would think the chances are FAR greater that it will be in the works than not.

[MyNameCriterionForum]

From Facebook:

They tried to license Elaine May's A New Leaf from Paramount but the studio wouldn't license the title out. Criterion think there may be rights issues with the title but doesn't know.

FUCK! Worst news I've heard in a while. Is there any hope the unsused footage exists?

[justeleblanc]

Yes, because if any film deserves an all caps FUCK it's Elaine May's A New Leaf.

[John Hodson]

In reply to a Facebook question: "Definitely more Korda, and certainly Odd Man Out."

We probably all knew that anyway...

[MyNameCriterionForum]

Yes, because if any film deserves an all caps FUCK it's Elaine May's A New Leaf.

Are you threatening me?

[bearcuborg]

Yes, because if any film deserves an all caps FUCK it's Elaine May's A New Leaf.

Are you threatening me?

[swo17]

Leon Morin, Priest: "Signs point to yes."

Les Diaboliques reissue in 2010: "Probably."

[Cinephrenic]

I just hope the reissue of Les Diaboliques will also be on Blu.

Regarding Korda, there is plenty, both as director and as producer via London Films catalog. (i.e. 'Sabu Trilogy', The Four Feathers, Knight Without Armour, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Things to Come and more lesser films)

[Jun-Dai]

Rights issues aside, I suspect any new reissues at this point will be targeted towards Blu, but who knows? I mean, it's a little hard to imagine a scenario where they would have reasons to put out a new edition without having sufficient demand or elements good enough to justify a Blu-ray version. But my lack of imagination is not the same thing as logic, I suppose

[justeleblanc]

Yes, because if any film deserves an all caps FUCK it's Elaine May's A New Leaf.

Are you threatening me?

I guess tellin' the truth can be dangerous business.

[ianungstad]

On Facebook they mentioned that they'll be releasing another Preston Sturges title. Beautiful Blonde From Bashful Bend seem the likely suspect since we have more FOX titles coming and it's never been released on dvd.

Any other Sturges that are in need of a special edition upgrade?

[aox]

they have also confirmed that Fanny and Alexander is in the works for Blu... but I got no hint of immediacy.