The Wes Anderson Archive: Ten Films, Twenty-Five Years

“I already have this. But, you know, it’s very funny when people say, “Oh, you must love this filmmaker or that filmmaker.” They never guess Wes. But I have more– In my imagination, in my kinship, I have a lot more in common with him than with a lot of people, because we are ultimately both creating strange tableaus that can be very mannered but they try to approximate truth. The undercurrent of heartbreak, the loss, the pathos this guy has, that’s why his stuff works, because, at the end of the day, it’s about things we never had, but we already lost. And this box is fantastic.”

“So, look at this. This is absolutely a thing of beauty. So this is The Wes Anderson Archive. So it’s ten films over 25 years. I mean, it could not be more Wes Anderson. It’s absolutely a beautiful thing. During Covid, my kids were just getting into movies and we watched every single one of Wes Anderson’s movies. Can I have this? Yes! I don’t know if it’ll fit in the bag. Amazing.”

“Far be it for me to be selling gift sets, but you might as well. It’s the first 25 years of Wes Anderson’s art. You have to say he has a vision. Within two seconds of seeing one of his films, you know who’s directing it. And I was really honored that he did a film that was kind of about The New Yorker called The French Dispatch, so Wes Anderson, the first 25 years.”

“And I am going to hold up this mighty collection and say I can’t wait to have this on my shelf. I first met Wes when we were both working in the same building, at Gracie Films. He was doing Bottle Rocket, I was working on Jerry Maguire. And I saw the first cut of Bottle Rocket, which had classical music in it. And the one thing I knew is that Wes had been listening to great rock in his office. So my one note that I gave to him is, “Why don’t you have a rock sensibility in this film?” He said, “I’m going to try it.” And he did. And Wes’s marriage of movie and music thrills me to this moment. This is a generous collection that I am so happy to have.”

“This Wes Anderson Archive, ten films over 25 years. What a fascinating and amazing career, especially watching someone develop their identity over the course of this many years. And with Bottle Rocket, it hasn’t quite started yet. The Wes Anderson that we’ve come to know is not there, but is there in many ways. That’s still one of my favorite films. I love that movie so much. The relationship that Luke Wilson has with the housekeeper at the motel is the most charming thing that you root for as an audience. It is such a great caper of some real average dudes that don’t know what the fuck they’re doing. And then it’s been just an absolute joy from that moment on. So, The Wes Anderson Archive. This is dope. It’s so cool.”

“I might have to get The Wes Anderson Archive, which is like a boom box of things, with the great Rushmore, of course.”

“The Wes Anderson Archive. Holy cow. I love Isle of Dogs so much. It's one of my favorites. My son, he was a little kid when that came out, and we used to listen to the soundtrack. It's kind of a sad soundtrack, so, he always wanted to listen to it, and it worried me, like, "Is he sad? Why does he want to keep listening to this music?" But I think it's just because it was beautiful and because the movie is beautiful. And the movie, if you're a dog lover, the movie is really a joyful experience, but also an emotional experience. I love these films, as does anyone with a head on their shoulders.”