MTV Movies Blog › the imaginarium of doctor parnassus

1. "Avatar" ($75 million)
2. "Sherlock Holmes" ($65.4 million)
3. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel" ($50.2 million)
4. "It's Complicated" ($22.1 million)
5. "Up in the Air" ($11.8 million)

This holiday weekend, "Sherlock Holmes" fell victim to one of the classic blunders, and no, it wasn't: "Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line." Instead, Warner Bros. and the decision makers behind the sleuth supreme's onscreen rebirth made the mistake of going up against James Cameron's "Avatar," the 3D action epic that won first place for its second week in a row. Read more...

Tags Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel, avatar, It's Complicated, sherlock holmes, the imaginarium of doctor parnassus, up in the air

This Friday is Christmas, a day in which millions will go to the movies following their gift-giving and other holiday rituals, and as usual there are plenty of new releases opening wide for them to choose from. There's something for the kiddies, something for the adults and something for both action-fiends and classic literature buffs. And of course there are those who'll be catching up on or returning to the beautiful 3D world of "Avatar."

But for audiences looking for something less mainstream, there are also a few new titles out in limited release. Of these, one will be expanding its scope to play nearer to you in coming weeks, while the other two are available for viewing on demand through most cable services. So keep them each in mind and seek them out when and if you can. Read more...

Tags Police Adjective, Ricky, the imaginarium of doctor parnassus

I'm intrigued by "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus." Director Terry Gilliam is one of my all-time favorites, even if his output over the past decade -- just two movies, "The Brothers Grimm" and "Tideland" -- has left a lot to be desired. Still, we're talking about the guy who successfully adapted Hunter S. Thompson's book "Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas." Who gave the world classics like "Brazil," "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and "Time Bandits." Surely there's some benefit left to extinguish any doubts, right?

There certainly is if you've seen the latest trailer for "Doctor Parnassus," which is filled with mind-bending eye candy. Even if you can't figure out what's going on, you'll have a hard time not being dazzled by what you see. And with the movie serving up the late Heath Ledger's final screen performance, you've got yet another reason to believe we're in for something good. That's why we've given the latest trailer the Freeze Frames. So sit back, relax and enjoy this commentary-fueled glimpse at Gilliam's latest psychedelic voyage.

Tags terry gilliam, the imaginarium of doctor parnassus, Video

--I love Sci Fi Wire's crazy, crazy list features. The cereal one from the other day is going to be tough to top, but today's "movie and TV clowns that scared the hell out of us" is pretty fantastic. Or it would be, if clowns didn't already scare the crap out of me. Kudos for including Pennywise from Stephen King's "It" and -- more importantly -- the Killer Klowns from "Killer Klowns from Outer Space." Another door?!?! (Sci Fi Wire)

--All this month, Cinematical is highlighting the top bad guys in movies -- "Villains We Love," as they call it. Today's pick is a special one for me, since it comes from Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas." MTV Gore Girl Jenni Miller writes of villain Oogie Boogie, "He's a singing, dancing sack full of worms with a striped tongue." That sounds about right. Head over to Cinematical for a great meditation on the glory of Oogie Boogie. (Cinematical) Read more...

Tags terry gilliam, the imaginarium of doctor parnassus, tim burton

There's a new trailer out today for director Terry Gilliam's latest effort, "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus." The movie, which features the final screen performance of Heath Ledger, hits theaters on Christmas Day of this year. Gilliam has always been possessed of an odd cinematic vision, and it's on full display in this new trailer. Check it out below.

Tags heath ledger, terry gilliam, the imaginarium of doctor parnassus

Terry Gilliam still wants to return to his long-suffering dream project "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote," but he appears to have accepted that the show will have to go on without former leading man Johnny Depp. The man who almost directed "Watchmen" will finally release his delayed film "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (starring Heath Ledger) in October and plans to then turn his attention back to "Quixote," even if that means abandoning his other film "The Zero Theorem."

"I'm about to sit down this evening with Tony Grisoni and see if all the bits we've been doing in this last couple of weeks are enough to keep us happy and say that's it," Gilliam told his online fanzine Dreams. "Basically, we are pretty much there on the script and then Jeremy Thomas and I have been moving ahead on different deals." Read more...

Tags johnny depp, terry gilliam, the imaginarium of doctor parnassus, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, the zero theorem

Now that he’s an Oscar winner, one would think that the world is even more eager to see Heath Ledger’s final performance. One would think that the addition of several of Hollywood’s hottest actors would make the film even more desirable. But judging by the trouble director Terry Gilliam is having as he tries to find distribution for “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” one would be wrong.

This past weekend, Ledger’s family accepted his Oscar and then came backstage to discuss the deceased star. And according to them, “Parnassus” is going to be something special.

“We've seen some [of it],” explained Heath’s sister Kate Ledger, revealing that director Terry Gilliam recently provided a special mini-screening for the actor’s immediate family. “We have seen a little bit of footage.” Read more...

Tags heath ledger, terry gilliam, the imaginarium of doctor parnassus

Heath Ledger's posthumous win was undoubtedly the most emotional moment of this year's Oscars ceremony. It wasn't just the pain of seeing his family accept his award, but also the feeling that this was the final farewell to the talented actor, and his now legendary performance in "The Dark Knight."

However, as everyone knows, Ledger's Dark Knight performance wasn't his last. The actor was filming Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" at the time of his death. The film was nearly scrapped until Jude Law, Johnny Depp, and Colin Farrell stepped forward to take over the role, which was hastily rewritten to accommodate multiple performances.

The film is now complete, but it's future is still uncertain. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is having trouble finding a U.S. buyer and distributor. Read more...

Tags colin ferell, heath ledger, johnny depp, jude law, terry gilliam, the imaginarium of doctor parnassus