This weekend Jim and I finally got to see The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. For weeks it appeared it would not be playing in St. Petersburg or even Tampa FL. As surrounding cities and small towns had it listed and we still did not, I was getting ready to move. Well, okay maybe not but I was really disappointed and a bit disgusted.

I mean it’s a new Terry Gilliam film that happens to have Tom Waits playing the devil and Heath Ledger starring in it despite passing away before the film’s completion. If that weren’t enough Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell step in as Heath Ledger’s character with ‘altered appearances’. This deserves at least a little hype, no? Yet, so many people haven’t even heard of it let alone know it is in cinemas now. I just don’t get it.

So, I’m making it my job tonight to implore you to go see this film. It’s brilliant. A masterpiece, even. Seriously. I had a huge grin and a dropped jaw through much of this visually stunning, highly amusing, imaginative, well acted film, just-go -freaking-see-it film.

I hear that Dr. P may have a couple of Oscar nominations, so perhaps after the Awards everyone will run out to see it or rent it when it’s released on DVD like they did with Pan’s Labyrinth. I hope so. It deserves some recognition and most of all to simply be seen. If it’s playing in your area I highly recommend seeing it on the big screen over waiting for the DVD. It’s that kind of movie. To those of you that trusted me and rented or even went and bought MirrorMask and loved it, trust me one more time. It’s in the same vein, I think.

Here’s an interview with Terry Gilliam on the film’s support site.

That’s all for now. Haiku away…

<3 calan