by-way-of-wes-anderson

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The Phoenician Scheme (2025)

Director: Wes Anderson

Cinematographer: Bruno Delbonnel

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Moonrise Kingdom (2012) dir. Wes Anderson

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Catch Michael as Bjorn in The Phoenician Scheme, NOW playing in theaters.

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by the way, hypothetically?

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i just saw this wes anderson movie

it was pretty good but my zsa-zsa ended up looking like tony stark

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Moonrise Kingdom (2012) dir. Wes Anderson

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I finally got to see The Phoenician Scheme at the movie theater tonight. I will spoil nothing for anyone, only that I really enjoyed it. I also cried at the end but that's not a given for everyone.

A non-spoiler opinion is that it was one of Wes' more visceral movies. Another is that Michael Cera was, indeed, a lovely choice. I could have done with more Jeffrey Wright but that's just me because he's my favorite addition to the Wes Anderson Regulars.

Also, can't believe they actually got to use those paintings. It makes me think people trust Wes with museum pieces. Which makes sense, but it makes me glad.

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It's too on-the-nose but I think part of me has always wished that Wes used The Beach Boys' "We'll Run Away" in Moonrise Kingdom.

Or more Beach Boys in general. But it wasn't That Kind of Movie.

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Moonrise Kingdom (2012) dir. Wes Anderson

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Moonrise Kingdom (2012) dir. Wes Anderson

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Songwriter and Beach Boys member/founder Brian Wilson passed away today, June 11th, 2025. His songs shaped the musical landscape for decades to come.

Wes Anderson used "Heroes and Villains" and "I Get Around" in the soundtrack for Fantastic Mr. Fox, both of which were composed by Wilson alongside Van Dyke Parks and Mike Love respectively. The film also uses a recording of the Beach Boys' rendition of "Old Man River", employing the striking and mesmerizing harmonies for which the group was known.

On a personal note, I grew up with the Beach Boys music. I went through a phase in my life as a child where I named trios after the Wilson brothers: Carl, Dennis, and Brian. There is something so comfortingly haunting about Brian Wilson's composing and arranging. Something about his early music, from their musical standpoint alone, captured what it felt like to be a child in all of the beauty, fun, and fear that growing up contains.

When my family rented Fantastic Mr. Fox to watch for the first time, I didn't want to see it at the time. I went up to my room to dilly-dally about. I didn't know a thing about Wes Anderson at the time, but in a few minutes I did. Rising up from the floorboards came "Heroes and Villains". I was surprised and at first thought maybe it wasn't the movie at all, just my dad putting the song on (which really wouldn't have been odd -- he's always putting on the Beach Boys).

It was my first clue that this Wes Anderson person would become so important to me. I still love his use of the Beach Boys in Fantastic Mr. Fox. It both makes perfect sense and is incredibly odd.

Wes Anderson often includes characters who are a bit pre-occupied with genius and being dazzling (a little like Mr. Fox), and whatever anything else in his life was, Brian Wilson was really a musical genius and his music will be treasured for ages.

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THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME | Behind the scenes via Focus Features

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Moonrise Kingdom (2012) dir. Wes Anderson

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Conrad/Jones modern AU wedding 💞

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ASTEROID CITY (2023) dir. Wes Anderson

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jason schwartzman and edward norton in asteroid city (2023) dir. wes anderson