SEE "THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR PARNASSUS" IN A THEATRE WTH QUALITY SOUND SYSTEM

Poster
Click on picture to enlarge
Picture retrieved at the
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus fans' support site

Heath Ledger as Tony in his final movie
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Click on picture to enlarge
Picture from Sony Pictures Classics

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Written, Produced and Directed by Terry Gilliam

Promotion of a Movie Makes a Difference to How Many Show Up

This post is about Terry Gilliam's movie The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and therefore all the people involved in this work of imagination and creativity. But this post is unlike the reviews that give you the synopsis of the movie in their own words. And here is one of the best. But I am going to take on addressing frustration that I have about this movie not being duly promoted by its USA distributor, Sony Pictures Classics, while also including some general frustrations in the USA and money being our guide. Perhaps, our master.

All is not equal in the world of what is pushed upon us versus what is not. Solely because something is promoted, put in our faces, reported doesn't mean it is worthy of our attention. The opposite is also true. There are things, stories worth our time and money that get minimal attention and sometimes no telling or promoting. This movie is one of those. It has received minimal supportive promotion by its distributor.

On the Whole

I cannot express how exasperated I am with how backwards we have gotten in the United States of America. Our media can take an important story, such as Haiti's earthquake and repeat it 24 hours a day, until I can't take anymore and my solution becomes to shut off the TV. An important story of a 7 year genocide can be marginalized and basically ignored by a media who shies away from such stories of real reality and airs way too many mind-numbing "reality" shows. News media has morphed into entertainment outlets, using the 20 minutes a night with time split between national and world news with the category of pop news, which more appropriately belongs on Entertainment Tonight.

Money Makes the World Go Around - Or Does It?

On the whole, "we" have decided that the deciding factor in what is important and best - is what makes the most money. Life is all about money or it isn't. I am going to go out on a limb and say "Life is not all about money". The important things in life are about truth, integrity, humanity, caring for nature, beauty, appreciating it, imagination and creativity.

In a Nutshell

So many undeserving movies get funding for publicity so that the public will go to see them. And many of those movies serve to dumb us down. And then there are movies like Doctor Parnassus that deserve appreciation, viewers and, for sure, funding for publicizing it – so that the public knows it is there for the enjoyment. What a pity the world gets shortchanged because a distributor decides not to really distribute the big screen experience that this Gilliam movie merits.

It is a shame that Sony Pictures Classics bought the rights to this movie and are not promoting it - at least where I live, there has been not one trailer on TV for Parnassus. People won't go to a movie, they haven't heard is out there.

I have thankfully had the opportunity to have The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus available to me in a theatre 45 miles away. I saw it the opening night, January 8, 2010 in Providence, Rhode Island's independent film, one-screen cinema, at the Avon Cinema. I saw it there five times, twice watching back-to-back screenings (paying each time). And each time I stayed all the way to the very end. And each time, I listened for the ring tones that Johanna, a wonderful Heath Ledger fan, mentioned to me in an email. But I just never heard them. I wondered about this and tried to figure it out. When I took my neighbor girl to see it, we both listened and heard nothing. I studied the music credits to try to get a clue.

Later, I read that they happened after the last credit left the screen and the screen went dark. Read about it here.
Here is a portion of Theresa's post from The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus.support site:
...I had noticed after the credits when the screen went dark that the score of the film played in what sounded like cell phone tones coming from every direction... I ... asked Terry Gilliam about the score being played in cell phone tones. He said, “To me it is the sound of many, many people trying to call Heath on Tony’s cell phone. Unfortunately, he still doesn’t seem to be picking up. One blogger/reviewer said it brought tears to his eyes. Obviously he got it.”

Not All Theatres Are Equal

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus closed at the Avon Cinema January 21, which I considered unthinkable, being the date of the night that Heath Ledger took an accidental lethal mixture of prescription drugs two years ago. Therefore dying before the completion of the shooting of this movie. He was pronounced dead January 22. For me, it was like, he died the 22nd and so did my chance - and everyone else's in Rhode Island - to see his final movie, again.

Then, I googled "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus in Rhode Island theatres" and found that it was playing in Providence at Providence Place at a complex, Providence Place Cinemas 16 & IMAX. It started there January 22, 2009 - as I say, the two year anniversary date of Mr. Heath Ledger's passing. It was a phoenix for me. I couldn't have gone on the the 22nd or 23rd, but immediately I made mental plans to change my schedule, so that I could go yesterday to see it at the 2:35 p.m. screening.

So, I left the house an hour before it was to begin, maneuvered my car around the maze of the multi-tiered parking garage and hopefully parked in a spot that I could easily locate later. By the time I got inside the many-leveled mall, and asked a willing stranger to help me figure out how to find my way up three flights of escalators, then an extra set to the theatre floor itself, I still had five plus minutes to spare.

I walked up to the ticket counter under imposing spacial ceilings and darkened, liberally spacious while cavernous floor plan. Tuesdays are "bargain" day. And what a bargain! $6 only. I said simply Parnassus. And got an unknowing look from the young girl. So, I lengthened the name and said Doctor Parnassus. Another blank look was her response. So I said it all: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. She shook her head affirmatively and got halfway through saying The Imaginarium... herself, while pressing the right buttons to deliver the ticket for me.. We exchanged six dollars and a ticket. Number 10 was where I was headed, first door on my left.

Still I arrived early inside number 10. I had been once or twice here before. Beautiful theatre, stadium seating. I had my pick of seats. Straight out from the the center portion of the screen, center seat.

Just let me jump to what I experienced

This was a whole new movie for me. It was, in some ways, like I was "seeing" it for the first time. I saw things I never saw before. Well, noticed. Maybe, it was because, now I wasn't just there mourning the loss of someone I had learned to love. Learned to love after he passed away. You see, this is the first movie of Heath's that I had the privilege to experience on the big screen. I have seen almost everything he has done on dvd. Probably the only thing I haven't seen now is the soap he was on. But I had seen this movie five times in the other theatre, that specializes in independent type movies.

But this was different. The picture wasn't any clearer. I would hope that someday the definition could be, well more defined. But the sound. The sound! The fabulous sound in this theatre was different. Sublime. Compared to the Avon Cinema it was out of this world. I heard things that I never experienced the first five times that I saw Doctor Parnassus. The surround sound was sensational. And so needed to fully appreciate this work of Mr. Gilliam's.

I cannot not praise it enough.

And I heard the ring tones.

I heard the ring tones!

Ahhh... Finally.

Cool.

It was wonderful to see this movie in a theatre that was equipped with a great sound system. No offense to the Avon. However. Not all theatres are equal. This contrast of an experience was proof to me.

And if I had only had the other experience I would have never known. Just like I don't know what it is like to see those beautiful Canadian landscapes in Brokeback Mountain filling in for Wyoming or Montana or ? on a big, sweeping screen. And with a beautiful sound system.

Okay, let me say this: This movie was. so. much. better ~ when I saw it in a good quality theatre. It is not enough to see it in just any theatre. If you can, see it in a theatre with an up-to-date sound system. But, of course, do see it. Seeing it only on your TV can't give you the experience this movie deserves. Well, maybe you have a large screen, high definition and surround sound. I don't. But even if you do, it is worth you going to a theatre to see it the way it was meant to be experienced. I am a convert now to a dvd not being the way to see movies. (But I will still continue watching my Heath Ledger dvds over and over. You can't beat the special features on the dvds, at least.)

I am going again tomorrow to see The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. On the walk out after the movie, I asked - and hopefully, the ticket person is right - this movie will be here at least one additional week. We'll see. I wasn't the only person in the theatre on bargain Tuesday at 3:35 p.m., but there were only about twenty of us there. But school is on and it was that time of day when people wouldn't ordinarily fill the seats.

But, like I said: People won't go to a movie, they haven't heard is out there.

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Want to see some fabulous clips of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus?

From the Sundance Channel:

Terry Gilliam - Up Close and Fantastical

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Clip 7

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Clip 1
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Clip 2
Dialogue:
What exactly do you all do here?

We tell the eternal story.

And what is that exactly?

The story that sustains the universe.
The story without which there is nothing.

Nothing... You mean, you stop telling the story
and the whole universe ceases to exist?

You make it sound so simple.

And you believe it?

We are ordained for this task.

This is incredible to me - that you can believe something
that can so easily be disproved

Oh, I don't think so.

We'll see.

Clip 3

Clip 4

Clip 5

Clip 6 Colin Farrell as Tony

Clip 7 - Heath as Tony

Clip 8 "He's Come to Collect" - Christopher Plummer and Verne Troyer

Part 1 of 3 interview with Terry Gilliam

Part 2 of 3 part interview with Terry Gilliam

Part 3 of 3 part interview with Terry Gilliam

4 Songs from the Soundtrack

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Trailer of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

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Tribute to The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
by jopicca, Johanna

Click post title to go to a special tribute of Heath
in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
by jopicca, Johanna

My Heath Tribute Section

I love this tribute.....
the music has found a home in my heart
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Uploaded by prissson

I'm There Too

I see myself in you
In everything you do
And when you’re all alone at night
You know I am by your side
Cause I’m there too

I see me in your eyes
And I’m tears you cry
And when you fall apart
And are dying from a broken heart
I’m there too

I see your footsteps in the sand
As you journey on across this land
But if you should fall on your way
Then I will carry you that day
Cause I’m there
I’m there too
Yeah I’m there too

I see your face in mine
And I know there’ll come a time
When you will take my hand
And I will understand
That you’re there too

When you will take my hand
And I will understand
That you’re there
You’re there too

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I love you now and until forever ends.....