The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

[Edgy MD]

An ancient monk (Christopher Plummer), rumbling through London in sideshow gypsy caravan, duels with the Devil (Tom Waits) for high stakes. High stakes indeed!

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Between the truly stunning images, visual splendor, smirky humanism, and a parade of borderline-transcendent parts aiming for but not quite adding up to a real insight or realization... I'd say this is a strong contender for most Gilliam-y movie ever.

[Edgy MD]

Not to mention the Gilliam tendency to be undercut by a mid-shoot disaster.

Wonderful visual thoughts haphazardly assembled, leading to appealing peeks into an inarticulate vision of an unclear pantheon. It gets an almost from me. Heath Bell's disappearance wasn't even the real problem, so much as too much seemingly conceived on storyboards and in the editing room. The presumed script that underlied it all was almost invisible.

[Vic Sage]

Edgy DC wrote: Not to mention the Gilliam tendency to be undercut by a mid-shoot disaster. Wonderful visual thoughts haphazardly assembled, leading to appealing peeks into an inarticulate vision of an unclear pantheon. It gets an almost from me. Heath Bell's disappearance wasn't even the real problem, so much as too much seemingly conceived on storyboards and in the editing room. The presumed script that underlied it all was almost invisible.

it's a mess, but not without significant pleasures. I've watched a 2 to 3 times, and each time i can't stop watching, but always feel like "wow, what the hell was that?" Yet compelled to see it again. like a cold sore i can't stop flicking with my tongue.

[Frayed Knot]

"[it's] like a cold sore I can't stop flicking with my tongue" -- Vic Sage, Crane Pool Press

I can't imagine why the marketing department for this movie didn't use that quote in their newspaper ads.

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: "[it's] like a cold sore I can't stop flicking with my tongue" -- Vic Sage, Crane Pool Press I can't imagine why the marketing department for this movie didn't use that quote in their newspaper ads.

More people would read reviews written like that.

I accidentally gave this a three before reading the thread and got the movie wrong. I'd thought I'd saw it because for 6 months everytime I saw my Grandma she'd ask me the name of the movie since it was Heath Ledger's last project or whatever. But I confused it in my head with that weird toy-store movie with Natalie Portman.

sounds like i'd enjoy giving it a once over though. Stunning images..should I download it on Blu-ray/HD then?

[Vic Sage]

No, that was "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457419/
a really stilted, overripe bit of fantastic treacle that would be better left unwatched.

as to DR. PARNASSUS, if your going to bother downloading it, i'd recommend best possible version (Blue-Ray/HD) to fully appreciate its qualities.

[Edgy MD]

A half a star?

Sheesh, it was messy, but it wasn't' sadistic or hateful.

[Vic Sage]

More people would read reviews written like that.

Tell that to the Crane Pool Press. I'm looking for a new gig.