THE FISHER KING

CRITERION TOP TEN

Just for fun.  I included discs from all formats I've collected over the years and have included sentimental choices even though the quality may have been subsequently surpassed.  

10.  THE FISHER KING (1991) - Laserdisc

THE FISHER KING
Directed by Terry Gilliam.  Written by Richard LaGravanese
Starring Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer
1993, 137 minutes, Color, Rated R, 1.85:1

Terry Gilliam collaborated with Criterion for a number of special edition laserdisc and DVD releases for many of his films in the 1990's.  He almost made my list three times, which for a top-ten would have been pretty sweet for him.  In the end, however, I decided to limit him to just one film in the top ten.  While the other two films--BRAZIL and THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN--were actually more impressive Criterion special editions, FISHER KING was more meaningful to me as a collector.  Since this is all really about me anyway, I went with this one over those two.  For the record, Criterion also released special editions of THE TIME BANDITS, FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, as well as special editions of MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, and MONTY PYTHON AND THE LIFE OF BRIAN.

THE FISHER KING was one of the few current movies I ever bought from Criterion.   Meaning, it wasn't a critical rescue of a forgotten classic but was a full-blown special edition of a movie that had not long before played first run in a theater.  The Criterion Collection began on laserdisc in 1984 to celebrate "classic" films. Their first two releases were KING KONG and CITIZEN KANE. Subsequent years saw releases like THE 39 STEPS, HIGH NOON, and THE SEVENTH SEAL. Criterion pioneered the concept of special features for home video releases--they were the first to include a commentary which appeared on their KING KONG disc.  So when they started releasing current films and adding special features to them it was news.  Criterion ultimately released a number of current releases--films that were more POPULAR than CLASSIC--and it also almost always engendered the same response from certain folks.  Responses like,   "ARMAGEDDON is a classic? Really?"  Still, they also put out films like SHINE, BOOGIE NIGHTS, THE GAME, CHASING AMY, CRASH, SLING BLADE, THE ENGLISH PATIENT, EVITA, TRAINSPOTTING, DEAD PRESIDENTS, DAMAGE, BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA, THE PLAYER, BOYZ N THE HOOD. While some of these films never interested me, I appreciated the fact that they were out there.

At the start of the movie, Bridges is a DJ in the mode of Howard Stern who makes a living by putting people down and saying outlandish things.  He makes an offhand comment to a caller that yuppies should be killed and the caller takes him seriously.  One of the people he kills is Robin Williams' wife, and seeing her killed in front of him snaps him.  Later when Bridges,  disgraced and drunk, is saved by Williams who now lives on the street drifting in and out of reality, he finds a path to redemption.  He at first tries to help Williams' character as a way of trying to make himself feel better but grows to like him.  A quest for the holy grail figures into the plot, as does a "red knight", both parts of Williams' elaborate alternate reality.  The red Knight is more or less a depiction of the reality of his wife's death, and every time Williams sees it he runs away in terror.  Oh, and did I mention it's also a love story?

THE FISHER KING was, at the time, an anomaly in Gilliam's filmography for two reasons.  First, all of his previous films had originated with him meaning he had co-written everything he had filmed up to that the point this film was made.  After the Sturm und Drang of MUNCHAUSEN--that film had a fascinating and depressing production history that I won't get into here--he was handed a script so good that he couldn't turn it down.  The way Gilliam tells it, he was given two scripts--one was a big surefire hit, the other was THE FISHER KING.  He says he gave up on the first script and started reading KING fully expected to give up on that as well.  Two hours later he knew he had to make the movie. Whether this is really how it happened I don't know, but regardless is sounds good.  Gilliam brings considerable exuberance to the making of this film that makes it a joy to watch.  True, on paper KING sounds like an immense downer, and perhaps in lesser hands it may have turned out that way. In Gilliam's hands, the depressing aspects give the story dramatic weight that helps elevate it rather than weigh it down.

This leads us to the second anomaly that THE FISHER KING represents in the Gilliam filmography:  it is much more emotionally realistic than many if not most of his other films.  True, it has an   exaggeration of style typical of Gilliam films, employing wide angles, cluttered production design, and a childlike sense of wonder in certain scenes.  It also has Robin Williams riffing like only he can while still playing the "serious" moments very well.  We have grief, anguish, cross dressing singers, mythical (imaginary) knights and true love co-mingling very successfully.  In many ways, THE FISHER KING is unlike any other movie I have seen, and I mean that in a good way.

The acting in this film is way above average, a testament perhaps to the way above average script. Jeff Bridges gives a great performance--one of a series of great performances he gave in the early 90's*.Robin Williams gives a deeply rendered performance that is not diminished in any way by his subsequent fate.  It is a performance of gentle playfulness and full-on heart-rending despair. Rounding out the cast is Mercedes Ruehl and Amanda Plummer.  All shine brightly, in part because of the wonderful writing, but also from what they bring to it.

I don't think this was ever re-issued on Criterion DVD and for a while was only available in the U.S. on a bare-bones Blu-Ray.  Criterion has subsequently released the film on Blu-Ray, but I have not seen it.  At the time the laserdisc was released it was still reasonably new and director Terry Gilliam was excited to talk about it so his commentary was quite good.  Also included were some deleted scenes, some costume tests, and some still frame galleries.  Criterion spent some time in the 1990's helping affirm Gilliam's status as a serious filmmaker by producing great editions of his films.  Note, these screen captures are not from the laserdisc.

* AMERICAN HEART, THE VANISHING and FEARLESS if you are wondering.

HD Roundup

Quick blurbs about things I recorded from a variety of HD channels...

CAPOTE
Directed by Bennett Miller.  Written by Dan Futterman
Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Clifton Collins, Jr., Catherine Keener
2005, 114 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1

Long and reasonably engrossing, but I didn't enjoy it.  Can you still admire films you don't enjoy?  I guess so.  I mean, where is it written that you have to enjoy what's good for you?   Trouble is, I can't see how this was good for me.  Still, Philip Seymour Hoffman was really good at playing the little guy.

FIRE IN THE SKY
Directed by Robert Lieberman.  Written by Tracy Torme
Starring D.B. Sweeney, Robert Patrick, Craig Sheffer, Peter Berg, Henry Thomas, Noble Willingham, James Garner.
1993, 1109 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1 (Super 35)

This looked good in HD, but I didn't get much out of it this time around. Robert Patrick was good in it, though.  It deals with an supposed alien abduction.  Seems pretty tame and silly now compared to things like DARK SKIES and the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY flicks.  Additionally, the movie overtly cheats with the facts--Robert Patrick's character passes a lie detector test in the movie that the person in real life failed.  Good sound mix, though.  Filmed in Super 35, which usually means shot full frame and matted for theatrical presentation.  For this viewing it was matted to a 2.35:1 ratio, but I have seen it at other times opened up (that is, not widescreen).

SURVEILLANCE
Directed by Jennifer Lynch.  Written by Kent Harper and Jennifer Lynch.
Starring Julia Ordmond, Bill Pullman, Pell James
2008, 97 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1

Directed by Jennifer Lynch and starring Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond.  I saw where this was going about 10 minutes into it.  Ultimately, I didn't think it made sense.  It's a low budget film that tried to be a mind-fuck but it just doesn't work.  It's always a pleasure to see Ms. Ormond, however.  She was great in SMILLA'S SENSE OF SNOW.

TROPIC THUNDER
Directed by Ben Stiller.  Written by Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller & Etan Cohen
Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Steve Coogan,
2008, 107 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1

This was funny for about five minutes but is much too long and convoluted.  Robert Downey, Jr. was a hoot, however.  Tom Cruise is not funny, though.  I never need to see this again.  I'm not sure if I saw the longer unrated version, but if I did maybe the shorter theatrical version would have been better for me.

WILD, WILD WEST
Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld.  Written by S.S. Wilson, Brent Maddock, Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman
Starring Will smith, Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, Salma Hayek, M. Emmet Walsh, Ted Levine
1999, 106 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13, 1.85:1

I wanted to see if this was as awful as I remembered it.  It is.  As much as I like Kevin Kline, he was incredibly wrong for this.  Will Smith is okay.  Kenneth Branagh is technically good, but the character he plays is so off-putting it's hard to enjoy it.  For that matter, the entire film and setup is pretty painful so maybe no one could have made it work.  Very unfunny and not very exciting to boot.  Pointless special effects.  The best part of the movie is Salma Hayek's ass, one cheek of which is briefly shown unadorned of clothing.  I know, I know--politically incorrect to say but it's really quite nice.

AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS
Directed by Joe Roth.  Written by Billy Crystal & Peter Tolan
Starring Julia Roberts, John Cusack, Billy Crystal, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Hank Azaria, Stanley Tucci, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Seth Green, Rainn Wilson
2001, 102 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13, 2.35:1

Billy Crystal, Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta Jones from a few years ago. I dunno, I liked it but I already forget what it was about.

BABYLON, A.D.
Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz.  Written by Mathieu Kassovitz, Eric Besnard, Joseph Simas
Starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh
2008, 90 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1

Pointless.  ELYSIUM reminded me of this movie.

GET  SMART
Directed by Peter Segal.  Written by Tom J. Astle & Matt Ember
Starring Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terrence Stamp, James Caan, Bill Murray,
2008, 110 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13, 1.85:1

Had a couple of chuckles, but pretty painful.  Anne Hathaway is watchable, as always.

HANCOCK
Directed by Peter Berg.  Written by Vincent Ngo & Vince Gilligan
Starring Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman,
2008, 92 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13, 2.35:1

This was a weird movie.  It has almost NO energy and just sort of lumbers along.  It seemed much longer than its short running time would suggest.  There was probably a good idea for a movie somewhere in here.

YANKS
Directed byJohn Schlesinger.  Written by Colin Wellan & Walter Bernstein
Starring Richard Gere, Lisa Eichorn, Vanessa Redgrave, William Devane
1979, 138 minutes, Color, Rated R, 1.85:1

Richard Gere movie from 1979.  It was, um, I guess 'boring' would be the word I'm looking for.  I was interested because it was a Schlesinger film and I'm now attuned to Lisa Eichorn, but it didn't do much for me.  However, thinking about it now I want to watch it again so I guess it did something right.

THE PRINCESS DIARIES
Directed by Garry Marshall.  Written by Gina Wendkos
Starring Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway, Hector Elizondo, Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore
2001, 115 minutes, Color, Rated G, 1.85:1

Ostensibly I recorded this as a movie we could watch with our young daughter, but truth be told I like Anne Hathaway.  It helps that the movie was well-made and legitimately funny.

AFTER DARK, MY SWEET
Directed by James Foley.  Written by Robert Redlin, James Foley
Starring Jason Patric, Rachel Ward, Bruce Dern
1990, 114 minutes, Color, Rated R, 2.35:1

Jason Patric, Rachel Ward, Jim Thompson story. Dark, noir-ish, and generally well made if you're in the right mood.  Murky cinematography, which is entirely fitting to the story.

THE COCA-COLA KID

Directed by Dusan Makavejev.  Written by Frank Moorhouse & Denny Lawrence
Starring Eric Roberts, Greta Scacchi, Bill Kerr, Chris Haywood
1985, 98 minutes, Color, Rated R, 1.85:1

This is one seriously odd movie, from Eric Roberts' VERY strange lead performance (which grows on you the more times you see the film) to the blunt use of black comedy in the oddest places, this movie would seem to be the definition of "acquired taste".  Still, parts of it are quite funny and it's never boring.  Greta Scacchi gets fully nude several times, which is sure to allow many to overlook the film's faults.  The film never lives up to its initial promise, as it loses steam and focus the farther it gets into the plot.  It also has one of the most patently bizarre endings for a relatively mainstream movie that you will find.

It's hard to say what this movie is really "about".  Maybe it's not supposed to be about anything.  Roberts plays a Coca Cola salesman/marketing specialist trying to increase sales in Australia.  He meets some strong opposition from a local soft drink maker--T. George McDowell--who has successfully kept Coca-Cola out of his region for many years.  Roberts looks upon it as a challenge and becomes determined to win the soft drink battle at any cost.   The film doesn't ultimately develop this storyline, however.  In fact, it kind of peters out after a while and the film slowly becomes more interested in a love story between Roberts and Scacchi.  

It strikes a somewhat uneasy balance between wacky comedy and endearing drama.  At times, it seems like it's going to work better than it eventually does.  On my most recent viewing, I noticed some continuity issues that may indicate some juggling of scenes in the editing stage.   Of particular note is the musical number that was obviously intended to be earlier in the proceedings.  Also, Roberts' character gets into a fight at one point and his injuries come and go for a bit, although this may simply be sloppiness in the filmmaking process.

Perhaps the fact that it is based on two short stories accounts for the lack of overall cohesiveness. There are some wildly idiosyncratic moments that come from left field that ultimately do more harm than good--including a very strange coda.  It's also possible that I entirely missed the point of the movie the five or six times I've watched it.  I dunno.  The film features attractive actors and a few laughs.   I probably will watch this again sometime, however, so that should stand as my recommendation.

Viewed more recently, Robert's performance seems almost like a template for Matthew McConaughey's performance in THE WOLF OF WALL STREET.  Just saying, is all.

THE FINAL PROGRAMME

Directed by Robert Fuest.  Written by Robert Fuest
Starring Jon Finch, Jenny Runacre, Sterling Hayden
1973, 89 minutes (original US running time was 81 minutes), Color, Rated R, 1.77:1

Based on the book by Michael Moorcock, this film concerns itself with a microfilm containing a blueprint for the perfect human, or the "final programme" as it is known in the story.  Jerry Cornelius (Finch) plays the son of the man who developed the programme, and spends much of the film trying to find it.  Along the way he meets many strange characters, and it all takes place in a future where society is in the process of falling apart.

This was released in the US as THE LAST DAYS OF MAN ON EARTH.  It is a very, very strange movie, but full of great ideas that may get lost in the shuffle due to the constant disorienting flow of action, colors and oddball characters.  I found the US version nigh incomprehensible but the UK version released on DVD is 8 minutes longer, so I was hoping for better results.  It's still incomprehensible but it definitely flows better.  Sterling Hayden appears in a scene completely cut out of the US version.

I have read the book this is based on, so I had a pretty good idea of the plot, but, well, it's still hard to follow.  Definite cult possibilities, however, as it is never boring and now features R-rated language and nudity.  Perhaps this gets better and better the more times you watch it, but so far I've only noticed nominal gains in repeat viewings.  Still, it says something that I am still watching it from time to time.

A CANTERBURY TALE

Written and Directed by Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger. 
Stars Eric Portman, Sheila Sim, Dennis Price.
1944, 124 minutes, B&W, not rated.

Three people--A 'Land Girl', an American GI, and a British soldier--are travelling together and stop in a small town.  They are on their way to Canterbury. The town they stop in is being plagued by a mysterious "glue-man", who pours glue on the hair of girls dating soldiers after dark. The three band together and attempt to track him down.  They center their attentions on the local magistrate, an eccentric figure with a strange, mystical vision of the history of England in general and Canterbury in particular.

I loved this movie.  A slight tale, I suppose, but it's an intelligent and sentimental look at bucolic English life. Like most Powell & Pressburger films, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes this such a good experience, but it's undeniable that the film casts a magical spell.   The context makes it even more impressive--it was filmed in England during the War.  While there are soldiers and the war itself is ever present in the background, for the most part one forgets about it.  Which was, I guess, the point.  The Criterion DVD looks really good.

VISITORS (2003)

Directed by Richard Franklin.  Written by Everett De Roche.
Starring Radha Mitchell, Susannah York, Ray Barrett.
2003, 100 minutes, Color, Rated R.

This was Richard Franklin's last movie.  Franklin was an Australian filmmaker whose most famous movie was perhaps PSYCHO II (1982), but he made some great movies before and some good movies after that one.   Perhaps his best achievement was ROAD GAMES (1981) but I also quite enjoy PATRICK (1978). He didn't quite parlay the success of PSYCHO II into a "A"-list Hollywood career, and by the 1990's had returned to making films in Australia.

VISITORS is a psychological tale of a woman trying to sail around the world alone.  She's stuck in a dead calm and may be going bonkers.  I thought this was pretty good--not great, but very decent.  It's hurt a bit by obvious stage work (that is, the boat is obviously on a stage and not on open water) and a poor ending, but overall I found it quite effective.  There are a number of legitimately good jumps.  This feels more like a TV-movie than a theatrical film, but it good for what it is.

It was filmed in Super 35 and the DVD I viewed was full frame, but it looked pretty good zoomed in on my widescreen monitor. It was released theatrically at 2.35:1 and the tighter framing works in enhacing the claustropbic aspects of the setting.

CUTTER'S WAY

Directed by Ivan Passer.  Written by Jeffrey Alan Fiskin. 
Starring Jeff Bridges, John Heard and Lisa Eichhorn.
1981, 105 minutes, Color, Rated R.

While there is a murder in this and the bulk of the plot is spent trying to solve who did it, it's not really a murder mystery.  Based on the novel Cutter and Bone by Newton Thornburg, the main three characters (Jeff Bridges, John Heard and Lisa Eichorn) are pretty unlikable, but very believably drawn.  Well, perhaps not Jeff Bridges, who seems a bit uneasy in his role but Eichorn and Heard are very good.  Bridges is on his way to being the leading man of AGAINST ALL ODDS, but can't quite pull off the confidence needed here.  In hindsight, however, you can see that it's coming for him.

The title character "Cutter" is an ANGRY one-armed Vietnam vet who takes to the mystery as a potential source of personal redemption.  The movie is ultimately about lost dreams and something of a downer.  This doesn't mean it isn't well made.

It was one of the last United Artists films, too.  It was made a little after HEAVEN'S GATE.  Czech director Ivan Passer had made the underrated SILVER BEARS (1978) previously to this film, was an odd choice for this film.  Well worth seeking out.