As the world was slowly coming to terms with the devastating scale of the tragedy taking place in Norway over the weekend, news broke of a smaller-scale, but no less tragic event in Camden. At the ridiculously young age of 27 years old, Amy Winehouse had passed away, leaving behind memories and recordings of a singing voice and a performing ability that is surely peerless within her generation.

At times like this, as we mourn the loss of so imperious a talent and lament the waste of such rare potential, our minds turn to others cut off in their prime, people whose lives were lost before they had really got going. So I offer a few examples of screen actors who were lost to us before they had reached the heights to which they undoubtedly would have ascended. This is of course not to say that I don’t grieve the loss of many others, that their deaths are not also truly tragic. The sad truth is that far too many to number have died before their time from the worlds of music, film, television and the like. Even Mozart was only 35 when he died.

Heath Ledger (1979-2008) – Heath Ledger first showed that he had masses of charisma in his effortless performance in Ten Things I Hate About You, one of the more successful updates of Shakespeare’s work (The Taming of the Shrew in this case) and then grasped leading man status with both hands for A Knight’s Tale. A patchy film, to be sure, but Ledger was undoubtedly excellent in it. Ledger went on to give us excellent work in Monster’s Ball and Brokeback Mountain before his breath-taking performance in The Dark Knight achieved the unthinkable – putting Jack Nicholson’s performance as The Joker in the shade.

It was an incredibly immersed performance and even now after multiple viewings, his scream of “look at me!” to a terrified captive, or his licking of his lips as he circles Maggie Gyllenhaal lose none of their power. That he should pass away before the film was even released, much less before he could receive the accolades his performance so richly deserved is just one of a multitude of injustices wrought by his premature passing. Such was his talent and screen presence, he would undoubtedly have gone on to become one of his generations most acclaimed actors. A great and tragic loss.

River Phoenix (1970-1993) – Phoenix is another actor lost to us in his 20′s, this time only aged 23. Too young by far. Phoenix already had over 20 titles to his credit, before he succumbed to a speedball outside the Viper Rooms in LA. Stand By Me, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and My Own Private Idaho stick out most noticeably from his CV, but there are forgotten gems like his disarmingly natural and unaffected work in Sneakers and Mosquito Coast to treasure as well.

He was already well on his way to making that tricky transition from child star to adult actor and seemed to have a long and fruitful career ahead of him. In many ways the quality of what he already had under his belt and the obviousness of how much there was still in the locker to come out made it all the more heart-rending that he should pass away so young.

James Dean (1931-1955) – Dean made it to a year older than Phoenix before passing, this time in a car accident. He left behind quite a volume of TV work, but only three credited film roles – Rebel Without A Cause, Giant and East of Eden. Yet in those three roles, he created an indelible impression that would last down the decades since. Look at those films now and it is incredible how well his performances stand up today, in the face of very different (most would say better) acting techniques.

Dean was clearly a man before his time, giving us glimpses in the mid-1950′s of a naturalistic approach to acting that only Brando, Clift and Newman would come close to among his peers. Dwelling too long on his passing generates only frustration that he was denied the opportunity to build up a bigger body of work. It would have been fascinating to see what he could have achieved.

Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) – Norma Jean Mortenson lived to the comparatively ripe old age of 36, but as with the other people in this list, it is not so much the age that is tragic, as the sense that the people concerned were only just hitting their stride. Dismissed far too often as a ditzy blonde with no real talent beyond her striking looks, Monroe undoubtedly suffered from almost crushing insecurity yet still produced enduring performances that showed massive promise. Forget the Playboy shoot, the dalliances with the Kennedys and the unsuccessful marriages and consider instead Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Some Like It Hot and The Misfits.

Playing to the cliched impression of her, Some Like It Hot actually represents impressive comedic work from Monroe and although she was always going to be left a little in the shadow by Curtis and Lemmon (who wouldn’t be), I defy you to not ache with melancholy at her rendition of “Through With Love”. Her work in The Misfits was no less impressive, easily holding her own when squaring off against Clark Gable and Montgomery Clift. Her candle undoubtedly burned out long before her legend.

John Belushi (1949-1982) – Belushi doesn’t necessarily spring to mind as someone who died young, perhaps because his dishevelled appearance and care-worn face belied his relative youth. But young he was, younger than me in fact, when he passed away. Although his IMDb page lists over a dozen credits, he will be chiefly remembered for Animal House, Saturday Night Live and The Blues Brothers and frankly, rightfully so.

His comic timing, his dead-pan expression, his demolition of a folk guitar on the stairs of his frat house, his dropping of Carrie Fisher in the mud, his wiggling of his eye-brows while spying on scantily-clad sorority girls. He was undoubtedly a force of nature and would I am sure have gone on, like so many of his peers, to show himself as an accomplished and versatile dramatic performer as well. It could have been so very different. What a waste.

Here at HeyUGuys, we aim to provide you with an all-encompassing look into the world of film. Whether you’re a fully-fledged cineaste, or just possess a casual interest, there’s something for anyone with our alternative A-Z of cinema, which starts today and runs through the week.

If you’ve ever wondered just what it is an Executive Producer does, or maybe if you’ve heard the ambient sounds of Tangerine Dream in an 80’s film favourite without knowing who you were listening to, this is the list for you!

Here are the letters F-J…

Fat City (1972) is an American character-based drama film directed by John Huston, and star’s Stacy Keach, Susan Tyrrell and a young Jeff Bridges. The film is based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Leonard Gardner, who also wrote the screenplay. Tyrrell received an Oscar nomination for her role as Keach’s bitter, alcoholic, sometime partner.

Set in Stockton, California (and shot mostly on location there too) the film offers a sobering glimpse at broke, disillusioned working-class figures on the edge of society. Keach plays a boxer past his prime who meets a younger wannabe fighter (Bridges) whom he takes under his wing, which eventually inspires the older pugilist to attempt to get back into the ring himself.

Director John Huston (1906-1987) was a filmmaker who worked on a wide variety of material throughout his career, ranging from classic Hollywood fare like The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The African Queen and The Maltese Falcon, to more grounded low-key, intimate pictures alongside the 70’s new wave like Fat City and 1979’s Wise Blood.

Gary Busey (1944 -) is an American actor who has appeared in over 120 films. He is arguably best known for two surfing-themed features, both two decades apart (1978’s Big Wednesday and 1991’s Point Break).

In 1988, Busey was severely injured in a motorcycle accident in which he was not wearing a helmet. At first thought to be minor, Busey’s brain injury was later diagnosed as having a greater effect on him than first realised, causing an affliction which makes the sufferer speak and act impulsively. As outlandish as this may seem, you only need to watch YouTube footage of Busey at any recent premiere or awards ceremony to see that there is something amiss.

Although he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in 1978 for his role in The Buddy Holly Story, it’s been a case of diminishing returns for the last decade or so (where he’s cropped up in a number of cheap B-movies), although his surreal recurring cameo appearances on Entourage are frequently hilarious (no doubt exacerbated by his current mental state!).

Hollywood Walk of Fame (The). These popular tourist attractions can be found adorning a series of sidewalks along both sides of a 15-block segment of Hollywood Boulevard and a 3-block segment of Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Serving as a permanent public monument to the achievements of figures from the entertainment industry, there are over 2,400 tiled and brass-lined stars across a combined 1.7 miles of pavement.

The stars recognise an eclectic mix of actors, musicians, directors, producers, musical and theatrical groups and even popular fictitious characters, and are said to attract around ten million visitors annually.

Many of the more egocentric celebrities who possess a star there probably breathed a sigh of relief when a $4.2 million restoration of the Walk was initiated in 2008. This came about mainly due to the wear and tear suffered over the years – from minor cosmetic flaws to damage severe enough to pose a potential trip hazard for member of the public. At least 778 stars will eventually be repaired or replaced during the ongoing project.

Ichi the Killer (2001) is an adaptation of a popular manga comic which follows the hunt for a missing Yakuza boss by his fellow gang members, lead by the mutilated and masochist Kakihara (a visual precursor to Heath Ledger’s Joker). They cross paths with the mysterious Ichi, a shy and repressed soul with a dark childhood secret, whose alter-ego is a frighteningly effective psycho killer.

The film is very much in line with the Japanese horror (aka J-horror) from a decade or so back, and features liberal lashing of sexual violence and gore, all tied together with the most twisted comic book-inspired protagonist ever to grace screens.

Director by the tremendously prolific Takashi Miike (who at one point in the mid-noughties, was averaging four or five films a year!!) Ichi the Killer could be considered tame by his usual standards, but there is still enough here to entertain, disgust and enthrall in equal measure. A direct-to-video sequel and animated prequel followed a couple of years later.

Jerry Harvey (1949-1988) was the founder of the Z Channel, a US cable channel launched in the mid-seventies which was renowned for showing a wide range of eclectic and otherwise unobtainable film. It was also one of the first pay-to-view cable stations in America. Harvey was someone who ate, breathed and slept cinema, championing films which had been missed or largely ignored by the mainstream.

Coming across as a kind of cineaste groupie, he managed to befriend a number of his idols (including such luminaries as Sam Peckinpah and Robert Altman) before his personal life spiraled out of control, leading to tragic circumstances which resulted in Harvey shooting dead his second wife before turning the gun on himself.

A documentary about his life and accomplishments was made in 2004. Directed by John Cassavetes’ daughter, Alexandra, Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession features talking heads from contemporary filmmakers and fans of the long-defunct channel, including Jim Jarmusch, Alexander Payne and Quentin Tarantino.

Check out A-E here.

**Read all the posts in our ‘Love Theatrically’ series here.**

#11 – “BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN” (2005)

Directed by Ang Lee

If there’s one thing you can’t criticise Ang Lee for it’s lack of directorial diversity. In the last fifteen year alone he’s tackled Jane Austin, 70′s melodrama, the American Civil War, Qing Dynasty wuxia, erotic espionage and Marvel’s decidedly non-jolly green giant. What’s even more applaudable, therefore, is the sheer quality of his back catalogue with each successive film seemingly bringing with it not just a new genre but further proof of Lee’s directorial finesse and cinematic range.

So it’s somewhat disheartening to recall the tidal wave of controversy and media coverage “Brokeback Mountain” initially courted upon its release simply for being that “gay cowboy movie”. Look past such short-sighted pigeonholing, however, and Ang Lee’s adaptation of Annie Proulx’s 1997 novella emerges as one of the most tender, passionate and above all human love stories of the past decade.

Yet for a film that is so fuelled by love the “L” word itself is never spoken with much of the passion and yearning expressed by mere actions. For what we have here is a deeply forbidden love played out in the Midwest of the Nineteen Sixties where the sexual revolution has yet to hit and two lovers are ultimately forced to deny their true feelings and face the demoralizing conventions of married life.

A great deal of the film’s success can be attributed to the dual performances from Gyllenhaal and Ledger who imbue Jack and Ennis with a raw vulnerability that is as powerfully magnetic as it is heartbreakingly tragic. But plaudits should also be handed out to the sterling supporting cast with both Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway delivering wonderfully nuanced performances as Alma and Lureen the respective wives caught up in this affair and Randy Quaid as Joe Aguirre, the deeply homophobic rancher whose hiring of Jack and Ennis unwittingly sets the story in motion.

Beautifully lensed by Mexican born cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto the sweeping vistas and lush panoramas seem at once to echo the candour and honesty of Jack and Ennis’ flourishing  relationship adding a heightened sense of freedom, release and emotional abandon to their precious time together and one that subsequently works in stark contrast to their time apart and the ritualistic ennui of everyday life that sees these two lovers forced to adhere to soul-crushing ideals and expectations. For whilst the all-encompassing triumvirate of homophobia, bigotry and prejudice are very much at the forefront of their minds Jack and Ennis are equally fighting against the monotony and stagnation of their increasingly unsatisfactory lives.

And thus “Brokeback Mountain” emerges a desperately sad story of two wasted lives. Jake ultimately becomes a sell-out, working for his obnoxious father-in-law selling farm machinery whilst Ennis turns into a grumpy and taciturn old cowpoke and their true selves become ever more poignantly inaccessible with each unsatisfactory holiday they spend together. When Ennis visits Jack’s parents near the end of the movie and silently weeps over the sight of a bloodstained shirt the sheer breadth of emotion, remorse and sorrow contained within such a simple action is testament to the undeniable talent of the late, great Heath Ledger.

A rare talent Ledger is likely to be remembered more for his jaw-dropping performance as the Joker in “The Dark Knight” yet as Ennis he delivers what is, quite possibly, one of the finest performances of the last decade imbuing his performance with an unflinching frankness and honesty. A quiet and stoic man Ennis is both deeply troubled and scared about his feelings for Jack, his fears borne from a childhood memory involving the torture and murder of a suspected homosexual. “My dad, he made sure me and my brother saw it.”, Ennis tells Jack, “For all I know, he did it.”

Arguably Lee’s most accomplished film to date “Brokeback Mountain” is an achingly tragic masterpiece that offers us a universal love story that is sure to break even the toughest of hearts. Ultimately, Jack and Ennis’ tale is one of deep regret and how such regret can not only touch the lives of those afflicted by it, but everyone else around them.

“Bottom line is … we’re around each other an’ … this thing, it grabs hold of us again … at the wrong place … at the wrong time … and we’re dead.”

Track #4 – “HE WAS A FRIEND OF MINE”

Written and Performed by Willie Nelson

I’ll admit it right now, although it will become clear as you read the review, I’m a Gilliam fan. Time Bandits was my first love, and through the epic Orwellian nightmare of Brazil to the future imperfect of Twelve Monkeys every new journey I take with Gilliam is a pleasure to behold. When he spoke at the BFI late last year Gilliam spoke enthusiastically about the then-unreleased Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and his passion and playfulness were tangible, and every frame of the film, now out on DVD, is testament to the man’s imagination and capability.

You’ll know the tragedy which lies at the heart of Parnassus and it is difficult to attempt to let Heath Ledger disappear into his character in the film, though it is an inexhaustible performance of dislocation and delirium and as he finds himself attached to the mysterious travelling sideshow of the titular Doctor and his company of players it is both his past, and that of the good Doctor himself which Gilliam threads together in the narrative.

The grimy, lewd London streets are populated with the crude and boisterous and the archaic travelling show trundles through the various locations (including a B&Q very close to where I live) with a slow, uncertain destination and it allows the characters to launch to the fore as the initial confusion gives way to an active and absorbing mystery, coloured by some truly sublime flights of fancy once we are through the stage mirror. The trailers gave a good indication of what to expect from Gilliam’s fantastic visions on the other side, and it is the mixture of a partly seductive, partly terrifying alternate world which gives the film its visual flavour.

Andrew Garfield (recently seen with his head in a computer box in Spike Jonze’s outstanding short I’m Here) is truly mesmerising in his role as one of the Parnassus players, and this gives me great hope for his forthcoming turns in Never Let Me Go and the Fincher/Sorkin Facebook film The Social Network. His work here is riddled with pathos and frenzied confusion, never out of place and acting as a sole anchor of sanity in this strange bubble of madness which is travelling around London. Lily Cole is perfect as the wide-eyed daughter of Parnassus, Valentina, and hopefully will become one a member of Gilliam’s regulars and avoiding the more obvious St. Trinians fare. She and Christopher Plummer as the mercurial Doctor have a number of excellent scenes together and act as the heart of the film.

Ledger’s Tony is a wonderful creation of Gilliam and co-writer Charles McKeown and while I would be loved the opportunity to see Ledger complete his role and play Tony while in the Imaginarium itself Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law give decent performances, gracefully respectful to Ledger and the rest of the cast and complete what is a stunning cast at top form. Special mention must also go to Tom Waits as the enigmatic and garrulous Mr. Nick, giving a performance of pitch perfect phantasmagoria – the film is worth watching for him alone.

Gilliam’s imagination is brought to life with the help of some outlandish CGI which only occasionally threaten to overwhelm your senses, yet everything in the real world is broken and beautiful and given real weight by a fine script and wonderful performances. It is not an easy film, and by that I mean it will engage you morally and emotionally and is all the more rich for it. Few directors are willing to challenge you and with Parnassus it is as if Gilliam has grabbed you by the arm and is running breathlessly through his imagination with eagerness and excitement, and while it may be a struggle to keep up , the journey is most definitely worth taking.

The DVD extras are listed below, and while there is an inevitable focus on Ledger there are some wonderful featurettes on Gilliam himself, which are worth buying this DVD for alone.

• Feature Introduction by Terry Gilliam
• Heath Ledger & Friends
• Heath Ledger Interview
• Heath Ledger Wardrobe Test with optional commentary by Terry Gilliam
• Director’s Commentary
• Deleted Scene with optional commentary by Terry Gilliam
• The Imaginarium of Terry Gilliam
• Building the Monastery
• Behind the Mirror
• UK Premiere Featurette

Our friends over at /Film have revealed the US poster for Terry Gilliam’s latest flight of fantastical fancy The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and it is a marked improvement on the UK’s Harry Potter-esque ad.

We’ve featured other one sheets from other countries recently, notably the beautiful Korean one and the starkly radiant Japanese version, and I love the different visions the marketing companies are using to embody Gilliam’s beautifully imagined world.

Click on the image to the left to see the full version, Parnassus opens in the US on Christmas Day – give yourself the best present you’ll get this year and get down to your local cinema.

]]> http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2009/11/09/new-us-imaginarium-of-dr-parnassus-poster-revealed/feed/ 2 http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2009/11/06/korean-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus-poster/ http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2009/11/06/korean-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus-poster/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:00:22 +0000 David Sztypuljak http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/?p=3695

They keep on churning these posters out but every single one is completely different from the last and they all look great! Thanks to LiveforFilms, here’s the latest poster (click to enlarge) for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and this time it’s the Korean one.

Parnassus stars Christopher Plummer, Heath Ledger, Lily Cole, Andrew Garfield, Verne Troyer, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and is directed by Terry Gilliam.

I wouldn’t normally post new posters for a movie that’s already come out but then I had to remind myself that The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus doesn’t come out in the US until Christmas day! Seems crazy we get it so much earlier but then again, it’s usually the other way round.

This poster is the Japanese poster and it looks excellent. Usually they seem to rehash images from previously released images but as far as I’m aware this one is brand new and shows Heath Ledger kneeling in front of the magic mirror – Click it to enlarge.

The movie also stars Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Verne Troyer and Christopher Plummer.

Source: LiveforFilms

This week, finally, sees the release of Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. The titular Parnassus sold his daughter’s soul to the devil, and now she is reaching 16, the devil is due to collect. Parnassus hopes a stranger, Tony, holds the key to saving her.

Gilliam’s productions have a tendency towards misfortune, and The Imaginarium was no exception. The tragic death of Heath Ledger, of course, overshadows trivialities like film production and distribution problems, and i’m sure Gilliam’s thoughts were with the family of his friend, and not his movie. A question mark did, however, hang over the future of the project. Eventually, Heath’s friends stepped in and the show went on.

That wasn’t that though, as Gilliam struggled to obtain a distribution deal, with companies reluctant to gamble on an independent fantasy movie in the current economy. For some film-makers, this might have put them off for life. But Gilliam has a wealth of experience with strife.

It all started off quite well, and the Python movies were reasonably simple, within the usual parameters of any production. Even Time Bandits went pretty smoothly by all accounts. It wasn’t really until the end of Brazil, namely post-production, that Gilliam’s troubles really started.

Universal, who were distributing the film in the US, felt that the downbeat ending wasn’t being well received by test audiences. There was extensive re-editing to give a happier conclusion, which greatly angered Gilliam. Following a long period of time with no release in sight, Gilliam fought back. Using his own money, he bought a full page advertisement in Variety magazine demanding Brazil be released with his own original cut. When that didn’t work, Gilliam had private screenings of his version, unsanctioned by Universal. After Brazil was named ’best picture’ by the LA Film Critic Association, a compromise was reached, and Gilliam re-cut the film for release.

Things went from bad to worse with The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, which was somewhat of a fiasco from start to finish. The producer, Thomas Schuhly, felt the movie could be made in Italy at a fraction of the budget of a UK production. But when the crew arrived, it became obvious the producer was completely dis-organised and under-prepared. Amid an escalating budget, the insurance company took over, and set a date for the end of production. The company wanted Gilliam replaced, but distributor Columbia insisted Gilliam be allowed to continue.

Compromises had to be made over several sequences to reduce costs, but shooting was finally completed. Due to Gilliams previous problems with Brazil, and the presence of a new CEO at Columbia, Munchausen had a limited run in the US at a handful of theatres. From a final budget of reportedly $46 million, twice the initial $24 million agreed by Columbia, it took just $8 million in the US. The Munchausen saga earnt Gilliam a Hollywood black mark.

Twelve Monkeys didn’t fare too badly in comparison. Burnt by his Munchausen experience, Gilliam was adamant not to go over budget. Without the budget for sound stages, production staff had to find abandoned buildings to use. There were technical problems with many of the futuristic props, as they were built from scavenged materials. Disaster almost struck when Gilliam chose to go horse riding during production and had a near-fatal accident. He was then brow-beaten into filming two endings for the film, neither of which were his original vision for the final shot. The studio wanted to test both an ending that tied the story up a bit at the end, and one that left it all open. During the post-production, the time-travel element made editing a bit of a headache, with continuity management a real difficulty.

Some of Gilliam’s problems have been productions that didn’t happen. He has twice tried to put together a project to adapt the Watchmen graphic novel, but it didn’t work out – author Alan Moore even told him it was unfilmable. Gilliam also had plans for a sequel to Time Bandits, but as several of the original actors had died that didn’t work out either.

Probably the biggest disaster was Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. Production did actually begin, but as soon as they started filming, a flood subsequently destroyed much of the set. Located near a military base, the engine noise of jets flying overhead rendered most of the audio recording unusable. Lead actor Jean Rochefort then suffered a herniated disc. Having spent seven months learning English and preparing for the role, Rochefort was literally irreplaceable. The whole production was cancelled, resulting in a $15 million insurance claim.

Gilliam is now gearing up to retry Don Quixote again, and has recently announced he has found his lead actor. With Parnassus now reaching theatres, maybe things are starting to look up again for Gilliam.

Is Terry Gilliam cursed? No. Instead, he is a visionary film maker. This means that he will always clash with major studios, as he will always be following his artistic vision, as the executives instead focus on their bottom line. Whilst the studios want to make movies for the masses, Gilliam wants to make art that appeals to himself. And as his unique ideas lend themselves best to exotic filming locations, Gilliam’s projects will always be at the mercy of the harsh and problematic environments. It’s the nature of the beast, and to be honest, i don’t think Terry Gilliam would want it any other way.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus opens this Friday 15th October here in the UK. It goes on limited release on 25th December in the US.

Bazmann

Here’s an amazing new UK poster which was released today by Yahoo UK for Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. The poster (click it to enlarge) shows mainly Lily Cole but if you have a look round the poster, you’ll notice most of the cast popping up! It’s a bit like Where’s Wally!

The movie is released Friday and I can’t wait to see it! It also stars Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Verne Troyer and Christopher Plummer.

I’m afraid those of you in the US will have to wait until Christmas day to see it. For once we get something first!

Sony Pictures Classics has released eight great new posters for Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. I’ve embedded them below which you can click to enlarge.

These go along nicely with the new trailer that was released for the movie a couple of days ago. Parnassus stars Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits, Lily Cole, Andrew Garfield, Verne Troyer, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law.

We’ve waited a long time for this and it’s finally out next Friday, 16th October.

As the days count down until we have our chance to catch up with HUG favourite Terry Gilliam,  we have a US trailer released. It is very similar to the UK trailer posted a while back but any excuse to see this remarkable world Gilliam will be leading us through.

October the 16th is the release date here in the UK, and the trailer, which offers only the barest hints as to the psychadelicious Imaginarium and its inhabitants, is a wonderful piece of work and its available apres la jump.

For Gilliam fans there’s an excellent in-depth interview with the man himself over at Vice – if you’re a fan of his it’s well worth your time. Check it out here.

Check out the trailer below or head over to Yahoo for the HD version.

A day at home has allowed me to catch up with a couple of films and a couple of TV shows. Friday Night with Jonathan Ross last week had Verne Troyer on to talk about his latest projects. Obviously a big one was his upcoming role in the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and working with Heath Ledger. Troyer was obviously emotional about Ledger’s tragic death which happened during filming of this movie. Troyer has a tattoo on his hand in dedication to Ledger which I thought was a really nice sentiment.

During more lighter parts of the interview, he talks about the possibility and probability of an Austin Powers 4 and then moves on to his visit to the Playboy mansion which Ross was quite keen on finding more about!

I’ve embedded the interview below which is broken into two parts.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is released 16th October and I can’t wait to see it!