The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - Clip 3

A third clip from Terry Gilliam's new film.

Thanks to Pam for sending me the link.
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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - Clip 2

A second glimpse at Terry Gilliam's latest dream.

Thanks to Pam for sending me the link.
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Verne Troyer - How cool?

Verne Troyer (a.k.a. "Mini-me" in the Austin Powers films) at Thursday's AMFAR benefit bash in Cannes. He's starring in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Source: Hollywood Elsewhere

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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - Teaser Trailer

This is more of a promo reel than a proper trailer, but it has lots of concept art, some footage from the film and lots more. Can't believe I've not seen it before.

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New photos from The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Check out these new photos from Terry Gilliam's new film. It just looks better and better. They show Heath Ledger as Tony, Christopher Plummer as Dr. Parnassus, Lily Cole as his daughter Valentina, Verne Troyer as his sidekick Percy, and Tom Waits as the Devil himself, Mr. Nick.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a modern-day fantasy adventure in which Dr. Parnassus has the extraordinary gift of inspiring the imaginations of others. Helped by his traveling theatre troupe, including his sarcastic and cynical sidekick Percy and versatile young Anton, Parnassus offers audience members the chance to transcend mundane reality by passing through a magical mirror into a fantastic universe of limitless imagination. However, Parnassus' magic comes at a price. For centuries he's been gambling with the devil, who is coming to collect his prize - Parnassus' precious daughter, Valentina on her birthday.



Looks like it's going to be brilliant.

Source: First Showing

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Johnny Depp and Heath Ledger talks about The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Heath also talks about Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life. Thanks to Pam for sending me the links.

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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - Our first glimpse of Heath Ledger in action

This is the first 15 second preview of Terry Gilliam's new film shown at Cannes opening night festival.

Thanks to Pam for sending me the link.

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Terry Gilliam and Don Quixote will ride again

Terry Gilliam is reviving his passion project The Man Who Killed Don Quixote nearly a decade after his first attempt was derailed according to Variety.

Gilliam's first stab at adapting Miguel de Cervantes' classic 17th century romantic tale was blighted by everything from freakish bad weather, which destroyed the sets, to lead actor Jean Rochefort's chronic back problems.

If you want to know more about what happened with that then watch the excellent Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe’s documentary Lost in La Mancha.

Now Gilliam is teaming up with Brit producer Jeremy Thomas to bring his long-cherished project to the big screen.

Gilliam and screenwriter Tony Grisoni (check out my interview with Tony about his work on Red Riding), who also wrote the first version, have rewritten and updated the script. The new film will revolve around a filmmaker who is charmed into joining Don Quixote's eternal quest for his ladylove, becoming an unwitting Sancho Panza.

"I'm not so much a filmmaker as someone who gets possessed by an idea and it doesn't leave me until I make the film," Gilliam told Variety. "I commit myself to it so fully."

Gilliam is also in talks with Johnny Depp, who had been set to star in the first ill-fated attempt as a modern-day ad exec who travels back in time and is mistaken for Sancho Panza by Don Quixote. Scheduling concerns are seen as the biggest obstacle to Depp's participation this time.

Gilliam is hoping to start shooting "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" next spring.

The main role of Don Quixote has yet to be cast.

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The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus - Ledger and Depp

Above is a photo of Heath Ledger in Terry Gilliam's next film. The bottom picture is of Johnny Depp who plays the same character. The middle picture shows Christopher Plummer as the titular Doctor. Thanks to Pam for sending me the pics.


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The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus - Photos from Terry Gilliam's new film

Terry Gilliam is one of those true visionary people who only come along once in a blue moon. Even if you don't like the story he is telling your eyes still love the journey he takes you on. I do love a bit of Gilliam and I am really looking forward to his latest film.

DVD Forum debuted these four images and they are excellent.

It was Heath Ledger’s final film, and after his death Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell joined the production to complete the picture by filling in for Ledger, playing his character in a series of fantasy sequences.

Above is Christopher Plummer as the titular Dr Parnassus. Below is Lily Cole as his daughter Valentina.


Terry Gilliam chats with Plummer above and below is Heath Ledger as Tony.

Yet what is the film all about? Harry Knowles over on AICN has seen it and here is his description of the first 15 minutes.

The film opens in modern day London as a horse drawn turn of the last century amusement called THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS is being pulled through the streets. There are homeless littering the sidewalks. The Imaginarium pulls up outside of a tavern called MEDUSA. Drunken British assholes pouring out. When the Imaginarium begins to unfold… its flashing lights and painted banners unfurling… a figure takes the stage, looking like a turn of the century Mercury, this is Andrew Garfield playing Anton, a lovesick grown up Puck, serving as the Imagnarium’s Barker. Enticing the drunken street rats to watch this Victorian attraction.

But these are drunkards, intoxicated into a stupor of self-amusement. Hurling bottles, screaming unintelligible BS. Meanwhile, the Imaginarium is showing us more.

There seems to be a comatose bearded man with some marks on his face sitting in a lotus position on a clear Plexiglas thing with a pillow atop – to give a not so convincing version of a levitated stoop. Then the strangest 2 legged smoke shooting creature that reminded me briefly of Jeremy Hilary Boob, Ph.D. When it stands erect and turns around – we realize it is Verne Troyer, who later we’re introduced to as Percy, Dr Parnassus’ anchor to reality… kinda. The last member of the Imaginarium we’re introduced to is the utterly stunningly beautiful Valentina (UK’s stunning fiery redheaded Lily Cole) - she is Parnassus’ daughter.

The Imaginarium performance was lacking. It wasn’t connecting to the drunken rats. Things begin to get out of hand when a real bold ass of a drunk, who looks like a grown version of Francie Brady from THE BUTCHER BOY, but isn’t. He marches on the stage, throwing Anton and Percy off the stage. Parnassus is still in a trance, and the drunk starts chasing Valentina around – threatening to rape her. Back stage of the Imaginarium is dark and scary. Cut out trees. Then they go through this split mylar mirror thing – and suddenly there seems to be an unnatural amount of space. An endless distance of cut out painted trees, but in a real earthen landscape. He’s chasing after Valentina, who is teasing and drawing him in further. He trips and lands face first into a mud puddle, and as he wipes the mud from his face, his face is no longer his face. He’s an idealized version of himself.

Next the Drunk ends up in an impossibly large pile of beer bottles… and he looks about – and suddenly the cut-out trees are no longer cut out, but fantastically intricate veiny trees – impossibly large. That’s when the hand-monkeys swinging on bioluminescent vines begin buzz bombing the fella. Once the hand-monkeys grab him he’s lifted up above the trees, above the Earth itself, the bioluminescent vines are actually the enormous beautiful tendrils of space-borne jellyfish shooting their way through the cosmos. Turns out the hand-monkeys are the drunk’s friend – and he is dumped at the base of an impossibly large amount of steps up the mountain of some impenetrable greatness – which to ascend would give you the culmination of your very existence itself. Fulfilling the very meaning of it all. The drunk stumbles in the vague direction of this thing, when suddenly this Bowler Hat pub forms behind him – promising one last drink before his ascent… No sooner does he enter the establishment than it explodes. And Parnassus snaps from his trance, yells at his daughter – and the cops begin searching for the missing man, who, of course, is nowhere to be found.

15 minutes in, my mind was blown!

The two-hour film apparently features amazing visuals, but the storyline is rather complex, centering on Plummer as Dr. Parnassus, a man who runs a traveling sideshow with his daughter, a young barker, and a sidekick, played by Verne Troyer. Tom Waits plays the Devil, with whom Parnassus makes a Faustian bargain, and Ledger's character joins the troupe after they find him hanging from his neck under a London bridge.

How does that grab you? Sounds like his Monty Python animations come to life.

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The Zero Theorem - Full synopsis for Terry Gilliam's mysterious Sci-Fi film

Quiet Earth dug up this juicy synopsis for the Terry Gilliam directed sci-fi film, The Zero Theorem, starring Billy Bob Thornton.

Qohen Leth, a socially maladjusted "cubicle zombie" with a genius for computer work, is waiting for a phone call. His entire life has been consumed with the wait for this call. He doesn’t know the nature and origin of the call, but he knows it will provide him with the purpose that he has long lived without.

Qohen is given a special project by his corporate managers. His task is to solve a mysterious theorem that has stumped, and mentally broken, the long list of computer geniuses that were previously assigned the job.

Living in an Orwellian corporate world where "mancams" serve as the eyes of a shadowy figure known as Management, Qohen works on a solution to the strange theorem while living in isolation in his home—the shattered interior of a fire-damaged chapel.

His isolation and work are interrupted by a gorgeous, sexy woman who has recently befriended him named Bainsley. They communicate and make love via a tight, translucent, red virtual reality suit. An unlikely torrid romance develops, in which Bainsley has gotten Qohen to open up and come out of his shell like never before.

Qohen is occasionally visited by Bob, the rebellious whiz-kid teenage son of Management. These visits seem to be orchestrated by Management to keep control of Qohen's progress on the project. But Qohen and Bob become friends, and start to dig deeper into the meaning of the Zero Theorem. Bob lets it slip that Bainsley has been hired by Management to help control him, and, as a result, when Bainsley earnestly tells Qohen she’s going to run away and pleads with him to come with her, he coldly rejects her.

As work on the project reaches a critical point, it becomes clear that the key to both the theorem's final solution and the source of a much-awaited phone call actually reside within Qohen himself. He holds the answer to the theorem and his own long-awaited epiphany. Bob modifies the virtual reality suit and creates a program that will carry Qohen on an inward voyage, a close encounter with the hidden dimensions and truth of his own soul, wherein lie the answers both he and Management are seeking. The suit and supporting computer technology will perform a sort of inventory of Qohen's soul, either proving or disproving the Zero Theorem.

But the program doesn’t work and Qohen must find the answer within himself, as no machine can truly search the human soul. Qohen is now able to solve the Zero Theorem and find the meaning of his life. He burns the church and takes off with Bob on a search for Bainsley, the one person who has given his life true meaning.

Sounds pretty amazing and I can see Gilliam bringing his vivid imagination to good use.

Photo by Eddy Briere.

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Hunter S Thompson and Johnny Depp back in the day

As you all know Johnny Depp is filming an adaption of Hunter S Thompson's The Rum Diary.

Depp also starred in the excellent adaption of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas that Terry Gilliam directed.

Pam sent me these great photos of Depp and the father of Gonzo journalism at a signing during the time of the film's release. Great photos.


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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - When will Heath Ledger's last film be released?

We all know Heath Ledger won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his part as The Joker. However, what is going to happen to his final film? Apparantly it is still looking for a distributor. The Hollywood Reporter have a good article about it's fate and here is a bit of it.

A number of U.S. buyers during the summer and early fall were said to be interested in acquiring stateside rights -- Lionsgate and Overture were reportedly among the potential suitors -- but word of a potential deal quickly quieted down.

That has fueled all sorts of rumors in indie circles, ranging from dissent over finances on the producers' side to an extended and messy post-production session to outsized expectations on the part of filmmakers.

Many of those rumors have yet to be substantiated. But the film has nonetheless run into more concrete obstacles.

The presence of a key marketing element like Ledger does indeed make sellers and investors aim for higher dollar figures -- especially true for a film whose budget is thought to be upward of $20 million.

And as much as buyers might covet the Ledger aspect, the pic still presents a marketing challenge. Gilliam has grown more experimental in recent years, and experts say that retailing "Parnassus" as a Ledger film risks running a word-of-mouth problem with general audiences unaccustomed to that kind of material.

A U.S. deal is expected shortly, with a mini-major or larger indie expected to make the play. (The movie does already have a deal for Mandate International/Lionsgate to release it in the U.K., where Gilliam tends to fare better, and is expected to open there in the summer. Other territories, from Japan to Spain, have been presold to international distribs as well.)

Still, the absence of a sale for an icon's last movie nearly six months after talks began speaks to the difficulty of selling art house films to the domestic market, as buyers wait until later in the production process, take fewer bets and offer lower prices. "This movie stars Heath Ledger in his final performance -- it will get a deal and come out in the U.S.," said one indie film veteran. "But it's no accident that it's taking this long."

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UPDATED: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - New Poster

On the day of the Oscars, when Heath Ledger will more than likely win Best Supporting Actor, I bring you a teaser poster / artwork from Heath's final film - Terry Gilliams The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Once again Pam has done all the hard work and found this and passed it on to me so I can share it with all of you. Thanks Pam.

It's a lovely poster with all the principle cast shown - Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Christopher Plummer and Tom Waits amongst others.

UPDATE: Cinematographer Nicola Pecorini worked on the film and he published the above picture on his site.

Below is Christopher Plummer as the titular Doctor Parnassus.

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La Jetee - The full thing

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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - Poster for Heath Ledger's last film by Terry Gilliam

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BAFTA 2009: Interview with Terry Gilliam

An interview with Terry Gilliam at the BAFTA 2009 film awards ceremony after receiving the Academy Fellowship Award. Awarded annually by the Academy, the Fellowship is the highest accolade bestowed upon an individual in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film.

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Terry Gilliam to make Zero Theorem with Billy Bob Thornton. One of them won't be going to the toilet right for a week!

/film have the news that Terry Gilliam has also been working with producer Richard Zanuck and screenwriter Pat Rushin on Zero Theorem.

Tout Le Cine now have the news that the film will start shooting on 1st May. Gilliam has also got to get The Man Who Killed Don Quixote out of the way as well.

Zero Theorem is set to star Billy Bob Thornton as a tormented, reclusive genius trying to find final answers to the many enigmas of existence.

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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - Teaser trailer

Thanks to Pamela for sending this teaser of a teaser trailer for Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present day. It tells the story of Dr Parnassus and his extraordinary 'Imaginarium', a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others, Dr Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. Long ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr Nick, in which he won immortality. Many centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his first-born reached its 16th birthday he or she would become the property of Mr Nick.

Valentina is now rapidly approaching this 'coming of age' milestone and Dr Parnassus is desperate to protect her from her impending fate. Mr Nick arrives to collect but, always keen to make a bet, renegotiates the wager. Now the winner of Valentina will be determined by whoever seduces the first five souls. Enlisting a series of wild, comical and compelling characters in his journey, Dr Parnassus promises his daughter's hand in marriage to the man that helps him win. In this captivating, explosive and wonderfully imaginative race against time, Dr Parnassus must fight to save his daughter in a never-ending landscape of surreal obstacles - and undo the mistakes of his past once and for all.

Starring: Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits, Lily Cole, Andrew Garfield, Verne Troyer, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law

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The Immaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - First shot of Heath Ledger in Terry Gilliam's latest

Outnow-CH had the photo from what will be Heath Ledger's final film. Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell all joined the film after his death to play different aspects of his character. Christopher Plummer and Tom Waits also star.

Dr Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. Long ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr Nick, in which he won immortality. Many centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his first-born reached its 16th birthday he or she would become the property of Mr Nick. Valentina is now rapidly approaching this ‘coming of age’ milestone and Dr Parnassus is desperate to protect her from her impending fate. Mr Nick arrives to collect but, always keen to make a bet, renegotiates the wager. Now the winner of Valentina will be determined by whoever seduces the first five souls ...

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