There are a lot of Blu-rays and DVDs coming out today, so let’s get on with it, shall we?
My top pick for the week is Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. This was a gem of a film and, although I would like to have seen what it would have been like if Heath Ledger had survived to finish it, it turned into something tremendous. And really, for a filmmaker to come up with a cohesive film after the lead dies with only a couple of weeks of filming under his belt is nothing short of creative genius. And the replacements all actually shine. In fact, this is some of the best (and maybe only) acting Johnny Depp has done in quite a while. Which is another odd point, how did this movie not do better based on Johnny Depp and Heath Ledger’s star power? In any event, Tom Waits as the devil steals the show. I give this my highest recommendation to you if you’ve ever loved a Terry Gilliam film in the past.
Next on the list is a little sci-fi gem we like to call David Lynch’s Dune. It’s hitting a Blu-ray release. This film has its pros and cons, but if nothing else it’s fun and it’s great to watch Kyle Machlachlan in his second greatest David Lynch role.
This one is something of a gem: We have three of the biggest and best names in filmmaking in the 50s and 60s together for a film I’d never even heard of. Sidney Lumet directing Marlon Brando in a Tennessee Williams adaptation called The Fugitive Kind. That’s a powerhouse trio and I’m a little surprised I’ve not heard of them before. I’ll be putting a review up in the next week of the film. Criterion puts it out, though, so it’s sure to be at least interesting.
Two sort of big mindless action releases on Blu-ray today: Armageddon and Tombstone. I liked Tombstone a lot more than Armageddon. Reviews of both should be up by the end of the week. And let’s be honest, Armageddon did give us this though, so I’m eternally grateful:
Last on the list for the day is the remastered DVD version of BBC’s Pride and Prejudice. It is my ardent suggestion that you bone up on this film before the forthcoming Pride and Prejudice and Zombies film comes out.