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Koko: A Talking Gorilla

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In 1977, acclaimed director Barbet Schroeder and cinematographer Nestor Almendros entered the universe of the world's most famous primate to create the captivating documentary Koko: A Talking Gorilla. The film introduces us to Koko soon after she was brought from the San Francisco Zoo to Stanford University by Dr. Penny Patterson for a controversial experiment—she would be taught the basics of human communication through American Sign Language. An entertaining, troubling, and still relevant documentary, Koko: A Talking Gorilla sheds light on the ongoing ethical and philosophical debates over the individual rights of animals and brings us face-to-face with an amazing gorilla caught in the middle.

Special Features

-New, restored digital transfer supervised and approved by director Barbet Schroeder
-New video interview with Schroeder
-Alternate French-language audio track with optional English subtitles
-Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
-PLUS: A new essay by author Gary Indiana and an homage to Koko from Marguerite Duras

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Beat me by a minute.

I spent that minute looking at the cover art, trying to figure out if I was awake or dreaming.

Wow, way to follow up those last two Barbet Schroeder films, Criterion. I would have expected something like this to be on Home Vision were they still around.

When I saw the title, I thought another cult schlocker might have escaped the Eclipse pen, but now the overwhelming thought on my mind is: Eh?

To be fair, I can imagine it'll be a very engaging, interesting film, but it seems like the sort of thing one might happen to watch on TV one evening - a Horizon special or something. It just seems like a rather C-list selection - a little-known documentary on a rather obscure topic by a not-especially distinguished director.

Grumbling has been moved to the Criterion 2006 thread. If you want to complain about the quality of titles being announced, you know where to stick it.

Koko's Official Website

Unfortunately, the natural DVD supplement to this film would have been the 1999 PBS Nature documentary, A Conversation with Koko, but it's already been released on DVD (and I doubt PBS would license it out).

Also see this article which details the bizarre sexual discrimination lawsuit filed by two female former employees of the Gorilla Foundation, who alleged that they had been required to bare their breasts to Koko (who is female, BTW). The lawsuit was dismissed last December.

I'm looking forward to seeing this.

I haven't seen this since elementary school, and I actually remember liking it, but then again, I was 7.

weirdest thing about these two dvds being announced...i had a dream last night where i was at the criterion page and i saw the new titles announced and they were all random films...dont know the titles...i just remember thinking "wtf"? no offense to the movies, just never heard of them

Now I'm going to express some disappointment. In all honesty I've found Koko to be quite fascinating ever since I was young and I know there's a lot of stuff out there on the subject so I figured with this release there'd be prime-pickings for supplements. But alas, just a Schroeder interview and an alternate French track I won't listen to.

Ah well, at least it's a cheaper one. I've actually become more fascinated with this film after reading more about it and I'd really like to see it now. Plus my wife wants it, so it doesn't feel like too much of a gamble.

and an homage to Koko from Marguerite Duras

Hot!

Couldn't they dig up something to clue us in on what the monkey's been up to the past 25 years?

I'm definitely intrigued, never knew about this documentary, though wouldn't be surprised if I've seen it without being aware that it was Barbet's as I definitely would never switch the channel on Koko.

skuhn8 wrote:Couldn't they dig up something to clue us in on what the monkey's been up to the past 25 years?

Exactly. Other than dying and losing a baby (which she apparently expressed being depressed about--or was it a cat??) I know nothing else about what she's been up to and I thought a supplement like that would be great (though, true, the interview might mention something, or at least the booklet, but still...)

What about Cheetah the monkey from the Tarzan films. he just celebrated his 75th. I must sat, though this is a much wlecome surpise, surprisingly out of nowhere. The only thing I can compare this release to in the collection is with For All Mankind since that was originally a National Geograhic.

I, too, was hoping for a "Koko on Koko" featurette on this one. I'd think anyone watching this would be interested on her thoughts from back during the making of the film.

As it stands, I had a jones to rent this a few weeks ago, and my current all-DVD rental place informed me it wasn't out. I was convinced HVE put it out with "More." Oh well, at least it's coming now.

-BJ

edgarnazaretian wrote: no offense to the movies, just never heard of them

I can maybe understand not having heard of KoKo, since it's a bit older, but you've seriously never heard of Yi Yi despite the enormous amount of praise it has received since its release? That makes me sad.

Everytime Andre gets sad an angel masturbates.

The Invunche wrote:Everytime Andre gets sad an angel masturbates.

Wow. Angels have remarkable self-control? I wonder if it's a sin in heaven, or whether "guilty" angels just fly around smashing into one another?

Perhaps we can start a new topic:
Anyone up for some cattiness about criterionforum.org?

I look forward to seeing this much more than I look forward to seeing Andre masturbate. Or wait, I don't see that on the supplements list - am I misisng something? *rocks back and forth*

jcelwin wrote:Perhaps we can start a new topic:
Anyone up for some cattiness about criterionforum.org?

That didn't take long.

bunuelian wrote:I look forward to seeing this much more than I look forward to seeing Andre masturbate.

That's angels masturbating, not me.

DVD Beaver review is up and, surprisingly, it appears this release is not progressive and has combing issues. This would certainly be disappointing.

DVD Beaver is timing out, as of 23:00 GMT.

A non-progressive Criterion transfer is 2006 is disturbing. First Midnight Cowboy, now this.

What struck me is that Gary stated that this is the first purely nonprogressive CC dvd, which is incorrect. Off the top of my head NANOOK & HAXAN are both interlaced transfers.