The Wes Anderson Collection

The Wes Anderson Collection #1

by Matt Zoller Seitz, Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson is one of the most influential voices from the past two decades of American cinema. A true auteur, Anderson is known for the visual artistry, inimitable tone, and idiosyncratic characterizations that make each of his films—Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Moonrise Kingdom—instantly recognizable as “Andersonian.”

The Wes Anderson Collection is the first in-depth overview of Anderson’s filmography, guiding readers through his life and career. Previously unpublished photos, artwork, and ephemera complement a book-length conversation between Anderson and award-winning critic Matt Zoller Seitz. The interview and images are woven together in a meticulously designed book that captures the spirit of his films: melancholy and playful, wise and childish—and thoroughly original.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Art, Coffee Table Books, Media Tie In, Pop Culture, Photography

327 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2013

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I would LOVE this book since I am a big fan of Wes Anderson's movies and of author Matt Zoller Seitz whose well-written reviews of The Sopranos I enjoyed every week in the Star-Ledger.

The pictures and format are wonderful, but the writing is just not so interesting. A typical excerpt:

MZS: Zissou is also a character who has been confronted, at the very beginning of the movie, with, to borrow the title of another Jim Jarmusch movie, the limits of control.

WA: Hmm.

MZS: He has seen this mythic beast devour his best friend and mentor ... In the end ... [he] realizes it was nothing personal.

WA: Ah.

[Mary Lins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a HUGE Wes Anderson fan and have reveled in his entire oeuvre – including commercials. So it was a “no-brainer” for me to purchase this lovely and luscious book, “The Wes Anderson Collection” by Matt Zoller Seitz. Seitz says this book is for “detail-obsessed fetishists” and I guess that describes me!

When it arrived I flipped quickly through it looking at the pictures. It’s a scrap-book of sorts for Wes’ seven films: “Bottle Rocket” through “Moonrise Kingdom” (a new film, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, comes out in 2014). I was thrilled with all the pictures and colorful illustrations because what most of us Wes Anderson fans love about his work is the way his movies LOOK. Part of his style is his incredible attention to detail – every single prop or costume is meticulously chosen.

Then I sat down to READ the book because it contains a long conversation between Seitz and Anderson about his films starting with “Bottle Rocket”. Well, I just totally “GEEKED OUT” and realized that I need to re-watch each movie and then read the corresponding interview and look at the photos and story-boards and frame shots. So that’s what I’m doing. Wes Anderson’s films are imminently re-watchable and this book just ups the ante for enjoyment and “insider” information.

I highly recommend this book (and it’s a BARGAIN for a coffee table quality book!) to Anderson fans or anyone who revels in reading about great writer/directors. Everything about his work is unique: the look, the sound (don’t even get me started on his wonderful soundtracks!), the HUMOR, the pace, the tone, the pathos…well, you get my drift: I love this book ALMOST as much as I love Wes Anderson’s films.

[JBP · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best thing about this in depth look at the films of director Wes Anderson is when it focuses in on the details, the minutia, the production design and plotting that Anderson is famous for. For example, I loved seeing the storyboards, the illustrations, the photos from behind the scenes during filming, things like that.

What I didn't like about the book--and the reason for the low score--was the over-the-top participation of Matt Zoller Seitz, who takes every opportunity to inject himself into the interviews as if the book is as much about his opinions as it is Anderson's. I am looking at a book on Wes Anderson and I really don't care what Zoller Seitz thinks about the endless myriad of topics he expresses an opinion on. Rather than take a back seat to Anderson, Zoller Seitz can't help himself as he blathers on and on about knowing Anderson before any other critics [whoop-de-doo!], all the times they've spoken and things like that. By the end, I was skipping over the essays and interviews completely and just looking at the images and their captions.

[Marijana☕✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vrednost ove knjige možemo da gledamo kroz to što sam se vratila svojim omiljenim filmovima, iskusila sam sve te emocije i lepotu iznova (Bottle Rocket me recimo nikad nije oduševljavao, a to se sad promenilo nakon rewatcha), vratila sam se muzici i sjajnim soundtracks-ima i sada me svrbi da ponovo čitam Selindžera i to je i više nego dovoljno 💛💛💛💛💛

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs and book design, but this is the worst type of tome one would want on director/writer Wes Anderson. It is a Truffaut?Hitchcock type of endeavor and has no comparison (which is what I think the author intended). This is all about the author critic Matt Zoller Seitz and his ego. We just constantly read his ideas, his assertions (no matter what Anderson intended in his films), how his children reacted (really? who cares?), and his claim to have had THE discovery of Anderson as a young filmmaker years ago and his lunches and social contacts with him. I really believe the questions and comments are lengthier than Anderson answers. Often, after a Zoller Seitz analysis, Anderson will answer with a "Hmmmm".

Let's hope for a better and more in depth and interesting book on this wonderful artist in the future.

[Anthony McGill · Rating 5 out of 5]

DELIGHTFULLY WACKY.
Difficult to adequately review this spectacular film book. Although it is about Wes Anderson's seven films from "Bottle Rocket" through to "Moonrise Kingdom"* there is just so much more to explore in this extraordinary, quite wacky publication.

Essays and interviews by Mark Zoller Seitz, amazing illustrations by Max Dalton and endless fascinating stills from all the films plus a potpourri of relevant items from old films, books, magazines, catalogs and advertisements that will have you intrigued and wanting to keep returning again and again to marvel at all this content.

You don't have to be a Wes Anderson fan or have seen all his films** to love this beautifully designed Abrams book. A remarkable work but one of those books you have to have to fully appreciate its merits. A scrapbook containing never ending delights!

* Films included: 'Bottle Rocket' (96), 'Rushmore' (98), 'The Royal Tenenbaums' (01), 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou' (04), 'The Darjeeling Limited' (07), 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' (09) and 'Moonrise Kingdom' (12).
** Regret to advise, I haven't seen any of the films mentioned but loved every page of this enchanting book. !?!
But I have seen and loved his later movie 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' which is also available in marvelous book form like this one.

[Colby Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good behind the scenes photos and props but not much insight into the creative process of Wes Anderson.

[DJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

More 4.5 stars than the full five, but a WIN through and through.

The beauty of this book isn't so much in the interview style of this book between Seltz and Anderson (think EW or GQ type interview styles). The true beauty lies in the full-color images and the drawings. I spent MOST of my time on this book browsing the images...then I'd remember that I forgot to read and have to go back.

As a fan of most of Anderson's films, this book is a real gem. Moments from some of his best films are shared, tidbits of what it took to get that movie from page to screen are shared. Stories of how Bill Murray was won over, Jason Shwartzman, and Owen and Luke Wilson trivia make this book even more special.

There are influences I could spot a million miles away. But it's those others that have showed me something I missed before. Something new to explore. I learned some things, have been inspired by others...even found out one of my favorite movies was an Anderson film. (When I first watched it, I had no idea...not until I had my hands on this book all these years later...TOTAL DUH MOMENT)

I would say this is perfect for anyone looking to get into film making. I would say this is PERFECT for someone who LOVES the brilliance of Wes Anderson movies. This is just perfect. My only complaint would be that it needs more...all the way up to The Grand Budapest.

*A NON-FICTION NOVEMBER BOOK: I noticed all my non-fiction books are film/movie/TV related. IDK.*

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a pleasure to flip through, but not a great pleasure to read all the way through. The interviews read like someone trying to impress the director and the reader with his knowledge of obscure French films and his recall for the minutiae of Anderson's films. It's like watching a Portlandia sketch where a character is pretentiously trying to one-up someone else's cinematic expertise.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great edition to any Wes Anderson fan's library, with great photos and interesting insight into each of the director's movies.

I did give this book 4 stars however, based on the fact that many of the questions in the book seemed like the author just trying to seem overly intellectual and insightful about the films and never getting any real confirmation or denial from Anderson (besides a constant "Hmm") about many of his theories. I found that to be quite annoying when he could have been asking more questions about the making of the films and Wes' particular reasoning behind certain shots than bloating his own ego.

Or maybe Wes Anderson isn't the best interviewee. And just likes to be cryptic.

Still a great read though and worth the time.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful visual package wrapped around lacklustre essays and interviews. Each of Anderson's first seven films gets a short essay and a lengthy interview buttressed with a wonderful collage of film stills, production art, original drawings, as well as images from various influences and inspirations. The book excels when it limits itself to these aspects and falters when it tries for much analysis. Seitz has good instincts and analyses, but is done no favours by the interview format opposite Anderson, who naturally believing in letting the film's meaning speak for itself and not whatever his intentions might have been, gives very little in return in those parts of the discussion. Such a beautiful book object, though, that whatever is lacking in the text and is doubly made up for in the visuals.

[Ajay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look into the mind of a modern day auteur, charting the evolution of a cinematic history with movie stills, behind the screen photographs, and some random musings on what makes a movie a Wes Anderson movie.

[Christiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great behind the scenes look for fans. I loved all the full color shots and the size of the book. My one annoyance about it was the amount of fangirling Seitz did during his interviews and the frequency of his interjections about what Seitz personally thought Anderson was trying to do instead of sticking to the facts. Eg.

Seitz: How did Danny Glover come to be cast in The Royal Tenenbaums?
Anderson:He's...great in Witness. Do you remember him in that?
Seitz: I remember him vividly

Like, ugh, Seitz. Keep it together, man. He's so busy showboating the movies he's seen that could be compared to Anderson's that I think he missed the fan questions like "How close are you with all the Wilsons?" and "do you always have people in mind for parts or do you sometimes hold open auditions?" and "tell me about your personal fasion style". I should probably write the next one for these burning questions.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic. Since Anderson doesn't like to talk about his creative motivations or his personal connections to his work, having a friend throw theories at him to tease out reactions is the perfect strategy. If you are interested in how Anderson stitches his stories together, you will love this book. It is surprising and subtly motivational throughout. The layout of the book - behind the scenes pictures and images from Anderson's biggest inspirations - are lush enough for this to function as a picture book.

I've stopped pretending I understand why people don't like Wes Anderson movies. What is wrong with you people? Highly recommend this book.

[Brent Legault · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photos are and illustrations are lovely, but I think that Mr. Seitz is a bit too in awe of his own voice and certainly his own theories for my money. His comments and questions provoked more hmmms from Mr. Anderson than anything else (or maybe that's just the way Anderson responds to anyone's questions). Somewhere in the middle of the interview on The Royal Tanenbaums I more or less started to skip over the bold-typed questions and just read any of Anderson's longer answers, longer than hmmm.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Seitz's habit of trying to get Anderson to agree with his own reading of Anderson's films can be grating at times, this really is a worthwhile read if you have even a passing interest in a person I would consider one of the top filmmakers in the world today. Particularly intriguing is Anderson's thoughts regarding the relationship between story and mood given the director's almost obsessive attention to production design. I would have liked to have known a little more about Anderson's relationship with Owen Wilson, who was so integral to the early films in particular.

[Joe Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must have for any Wes Anderson film, if for no other reason than the images are outstanding. But you also get a nice long interview related to each film, giving insight from Wes himself. Loved it.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheer gorgeousness... I rave on further on my blog because I like to write even if no-one reads it ;)

[Glendon Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved this book second-hand, falling apart, from one of my professors late in my degree - but despite being a beloved part of my collection I've never actually cracked it open until now.

More than just a coffee table book, Seitz's interviews with Anderson take up much of the text. Rather than a deep dive into any particular themes, Seitz's conversations with Anderson have the feeling of two professional friends catching up; largely, this book is interested in the process of creation. They discuss influences, shooting techniques, the development of style. In charting what is now the first half of Anderson's career, Seitz depicts the origin of an American auteur. The chapters on Bottle Rocket and Rushmore are certainly the most interesting in this regard, with Anderson uncharicterstically open the rough-and-tumble nature of those productions.

In fact, the thing most surprising to me about Anderson through these interviews is how distinct he seems from the perfectionist, dollhouse-crafted perception we generally have of him. Seitz is continually curious about how Wes comes to the specificity of his craft, but Anderson's answers all evoke a Mallick-esque pursuit of the "feel" of a thing rather than any particular idea. To this end, it's maybe less surprising that Michael Mann is such an influence on Anderson, the perfect meld of intricate craft and ephemeral "vibe." As depicted here, Anderson is a true artist-poet, waiting for the ideas to come in their fullness, and pursuing the dream that his constructed dollhouses represent, rather than the things themselves. There is an effortlessness to his nature that belies just how intricate his process certainly is. His work emerges out of the contradictions between the comfortable and the convoluted. I'd be curious to pick up Seitz' later publications and see just how he tracks Anderson's continuing evolution beyond the success of Grand Budapest Hotel - ending this book with Moonrise Kingdom feels a bit like the quiet before the storm.

[Nau · Rating 3 out of 5]

maybe for non-film enthusiast, this book will bored you as heck since it's full of explanations and interviews with Wes Anderson himself. but if you love film studies, then you should read this because it's really useful and had a full depth explanations about Wes Anderson's style in directing a film, from the symetrical film shooting until creative process in screenplay writing. too bad The Grand Budapest Hotel and the upcoming Isle of Dogs explanation aren't included here. but who knows, maybe Matt Zoller Seitz will make another books to explain those films!

rated 3.5 for this

[Gorobets Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Странное впечатление от книги: половина «рассказов от самого режиссера» это мнение Сайтца, на которые Андэрсон реагирует Hm.. Вот и у меня такое же впечатление от прочитанного. Критик навязывает свое мнение, режиссер в большинстве с этим не согласен, и никак не комментирует своего партнера по разговору. Но спасибо за какие-то технические детали и некоторые факты из истории создания фильмов.

[Austenn Akers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book i’ve always meant to read but never got around to it. Sadly, it held up only as aesthetic decor that i had mildly flipped through but after watching Wes’ latest movie, French Dispatch, i was inspired to read through this book of interviews on all his movies from Bottle Rocket to Moonrise Kingdom. Throughout this book you really gain even more appreciation to Anderson’s attention to detail. From his music choices that are more than just aesthetic, but tell stories. His desire to shoot all film. His doing-the-most with making miniature scaled scenes in place of doing CGI. And his ability early on to rope in huge actors while he didn’t have a very big budget. All around, you feel inspired after reading this, and if you’re already a Wes Anderson fan you’ll love him all the more.

[Kaj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-Read because of Wes Anderson retrospective. Still as insightful and beautifully made.

[tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

про moonrise kingdom не дочитала, мб чуть позже это сделаю
в целом книга — конфета, рада, что благодаря ей начала снова увлекаться кино

[Kati Munroe · Rating 2 out of 5]

For film buffs only, probably. Or more pretentious types.

[Joe Raczka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matt Zoller Seitz: Three paragraphs of interpretation of the work of Wes Anderson.

Wes Anderson: Hmm.

[Jason Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of art, essays, and interviews (all condicted by author and film critic Matt Zoller Seitz) covers every one of Wes Anderson's first seven movies (Bottle Rocket to Moonrise Kingdom.) Absolutely indispensable for any fan of the director.

[Sofia Carmosino · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fucking LOVEEEEE Wes Anderson and like also snoopy was in this book so it was so fucking fire

[Maryana · Rating 3 out of 5]

very intrigued by Wes Anderson & his work. didn’t love the interviews/author’s notes, felt like they focused too much on the author & his experiences with Wes. will I still buy it? probably yes. nobody reads the text in coffee table books anyways.

[Santiago Zubieta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art in this book is wonderful and playful enough to earn five stars and my heart.