Sunday Sinema: A Fish Called Wanda

Can't Touch This!
John Cleese

And now for something politically incorrect in every little way...Yes!

A Fish Called Wanda [Blu-ray] (10/3)

In 1988, John Cleese, former Python and the mastermind behind Fawlty Towers, teamed up with the veteran Ealing Comedy director Charles Crichton (The Lavender Hill Mob) to produce another classic of British comedy.

Cleese plays Archie Leach, a weak-willed barrister who finds himself embroiled with a quartet of ill-matched jewel thieves - two American con artists played by Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline, Michael Palin's animal-loving hitman and London gangster Tom Georgeson - when Georgeson is arrested. Only he and Palin know the whereabouts of the diamonds, prompting plenty of farce and in-fighting as well as some embarrassing nudity and the unfortunate demise of some innocent pooches...

Wanda/Fish/Wanda/Fish
Jamie Lee Curtis 

Nominated for three Academy Awards and winning one for Kline's outstanding supporting turn as the psychopathic Otto, A Fish Called Wanda has stood the test of time, earning its rightful place among its creators' remarkable comedy pedigree.

Features

- Brand-new 4K restoration from the original negative, produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release

- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation

- Original English mono audio (uncompressed LPCM)

- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing

- Commentary by writer and star John Cleese

- Brand-new appreciation by Vic Pratt of the BFI National Archive

- Brand-new interviews with composer John Du Prez, production designer Roger Murray Leach, executive producer Steve Abbott and makeup supervisor Paul Engelen

- John Cleese's Final Farewell Performance, a 1988 documentary on the making of A Fish Called Wanda featuring interviews with actors Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Palin, Kevin Kline and director Charles Crichton

- Something Fishy, a 15th anniversary retrospective documentary featuring interviews with Cleese, Curtis, Kline and Palin, executive producer Steve Abbott and director of photography Alan Hume

- Fish You Were Here, a documentary on the film's locations hosted by Robert Powell

- 24 deleted/alternative scenes with introductions by Cleese

- A Message from John Cleese, a tongue-in-cheek introduction recorded for the film's original release

- Gallery

- Trivia track

- Theatrical trailer

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Booklet featuring writing on the film by Sophie Monks Kaufman

Pre-order at MVDshop.com or on Amazon 

Paging Madonna: For "Valley Of The Dolls" Remake

Madonna: I Am Helen Lawson Hear Me Roar!

"Boobies, Boobies, Boobies" - Neely O'hara "Valley of the Dolls"

Rumor has it that 20th Century Fox are courting Madonna to play the indomitable aging diva Helen Lawson in a remake of "Valley of the Dolls." 

Given the infamous quote above spouted in the original by Patty Duke as Neely O'Hara and Madonna's obvious affinity for the role, the Big M is a dead on choice for Helen...Here is the 411!

The “new” Valley of the Dolls, will have a decidedly different “spin” on the original with L.A.’s music business being a big part of the story, particularly with the Neely O’Hara character (Patty Duke) the up and coming star who makes it big and has a major fall from grace. One of the writers of the new VOTD is Paul Rudnick, who did the “First Wives Club” and “In and Out." There will be a dark comedy aspect to the film.

Actresses on the “A List” for this movie are Anne Hathaway, perfect as the prim Anne Welles, Jennifer Lawrence as Jennifer North (the fallen Angel played by Sharon Tate) and Emmy Rossum as Neely O’ Hara,  and producers are lobbying hard to get Madonna to play the aging Broadway star Helen Lawson, a role intended for Judy Garland in the original movie.

Lindsay Lohan: I'm Neely O'Hara!

I love all the choices especially the one of  Jennifer Lawrence, one of my favorite actresses who would be dead on as Jennifer North. But if you really want to make this happen I would personally cast Lindsay Lohan as Neely O'Hara, no offense Emmy Rossum, just sayin'....