The Only Thing That Can Save 2009
Wed, January 7, 2009 Alright, so that's not entirely true. There are lots of things with the potential to make 2009 amazing. The only one that I care about, however, is the TBA-release of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Most people only know it as the project that Heath Ledger was working on at the time of his death-- but the Dark Knight hype made sure that most people have heard nothing about this film at all.
Heath Ledger as Tony
After a significant re-write and the addition of Colin Farrell, Jude Law and Johnny Depp to the cast, the movie forged on despite the loss (and in honor of) Heath. Luckily the premise of the movie, as a fantasy involving multi-universes and lots of bizzarre visuals, allowed for the main character to be played by four different actors. The movie's namesake, Doctor Parnassus (played by Christopher Plummer) has made a deal with the Devil for immortality and the ability to send the audience of his sideshow into alternate realities and dream worlds. After going sour on the deal-- seriously who would think that was a good idea?-- the Devil takes his due in the form of the good Doctor's daughter. Naturally, Dr. P and his merry band of misfits (and a stranger- the character played by Heath et al) embark on a mad dash to chase the Devil through parallel universes on a quest to rescue the girl. 
Tom Waits as Mr. Nick (The Devil)
Now, most would guess 'the all-star hunk cast' as my reason for being excited for this movie. You all think I'm shallow, don't you? I don't see movies just for the eye candy. (Though it can't hurt) What really drew me to this movie was the casting of Tom Waits in the role the The Devil. If you know anything about Tom Waits, you'll be excited by this idea as well-- and if you know nothing about Tom Waits, you should be ashamed of yourself. I'm very excited to see Waits in a role that is an integral part of a film, and one with the potential to put him in the kind of bizarre world that he inhabits in his music.
Terry Gilliam's direction always brings a surreal flavor-- see Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Twelve Monkeys. Now with the added element of co-writing the film alongside Charles McKeown, we have the potential to see Gilliam's strange view of reality in full freedom. From the few set-photos floating around the interwebs, the film already looks visually fantastic. Eye candy all around.
Though an official release date hasn't been set according to IMDB, most sources agree that it'll be sometime in 2009. Keep your eyes open. I'm not sure this film will get the press it deserves as it's already criminally unknown-- and check back here for updates!
