Sometimes The Criterion will give an arguably mediocre-but-entertaining film "the treatment" so they can make more $$$ off of it, thus keeping their revenue tight.

See: Armageddon.

I'm not saying that the film under discussion is one of those, of course... just throwing ideas out there.

Hahaha Armageddon. Criterion will never live that one down.

You’re right, a lot of Criterion’s selections are made for quick profit. Another example is the totally unnecessary rebranding of Benjamin Button (same exact disc & packaging as the original studio release but with a Criterion logo stamped on it).

My guess here is that they were able to grab the distribution rights for Jellyfish Eyes on the cheap. The movie itself had a budget of only $250k.

Not a bad flick at all, but it’s probably the weakest of the Criterion flicks I own. Unless I’m missing something. Defo better than Armageddon!

BTW, I just adored "Ultraman" when I was a kid.

@CelluloidFan said:

BTW, I just adored "Ultraman" when I was a kid.

Hey you might kinda enjoy this movie. I watched the rest of the interviews & bonus features and suddenly realized the Ultraman connection is pretty deliberate. Murakami mentions it half a dozen times in addition to the whole 60s/70s monster genre he grew up on, making specific points about how he wanted to capture that same feeling. Exaggerated reactions, bizarre closeups, even a sort of low budget cheap presentation at times. The character Jellyfish Eyes even has a glowing heart orb that changes colors when he gets weak (remember that??)

I ended up watching it a 2nd time and really liked it. So I’d say any fan of Ultraman, or Johnny Sokko & His Flying Robot, or any of those early Japanese kids shows oughta have fun with this. Murakami sums up the feeling in one of the interviews “If you’re an adult expecting this to be a grown up film you’ll be disappointed, it really is a kid’s movie!”

@rooprect said:

Hahaha Armageddon. Criterion will never live that one down.

Speaking of which, I recently found out that Criterion's putting out Menace II Society as a 4K UHD edition. We'll be able to see all of the blood and gore on the black kids in rich, lavish detail, I'm assuming (I've never seen a 4K anything)!

This is too bad. I respect the Hughes Brothers and all, but IMO that film simply presents underclass black people with an existential dead end. My favorite writer, bell hooks (who else did you expect me to say?) has this really smart essay in her book Outlaw Culture about artists mining people's lives that are outside of their class background(s) for juicy subject matter. I highly recommend the book for that essay, among others.

I'm not trying to say I'm an expert on the subjects that the Hughes bros. cover in that film. I'm not from the streets... but I felt upon reading the essay that hooks' viewpoint about Menace in it is on point.

All the same, go, Criterion.

Ugh, I don’t know a thing about Menace II Society or even the Hughes brothers, but based on the subject material (“artists mining people’s lives that are outside of their class background(s) for juicy subject matter”), not to mention in-your-face gore & violence for shock/schlock value, I think I’ll give Criterion another “wtf were they thinking” badge on that.

I’ll check out that essay because it sounds like the same gripe I often have every few years when some movie sweeps the box office & awards for exposing some social rift in a cartoonishly simple way (“Best Marigold Hotel” anyone?). After a while you realise the fawning critics & fans are just riding some Schadenfreude high. “Ooh look at the animals, don’t get too close to the bars”

Well.... I'm not married to hooks' perspective on this, and I do feel that black folks give each other a lot of "legitimacy tests" when it comes to creating art.

I just have big problems with Menace II Society, when all is said and done -- problems I think that hooks might have some insight into. But hey, The Criterion Collection will make good $$$ off of it that will enable them to keep giving "the treatment" to obscure little films that you and I both love.