Saturday, September 15, 2007

Stardust, pleasant dreams

Wow, I just saw a great film that just wasn't pushed by its studio. Granted, Paramount had a ton of marketing push behind Transformers all summer, but they could have, and should have, put some real marketing dollars behind Stardust. A little research shows this was the little fantasy movie that could. Its been out since August 10 and been in the top 10 each week since release (numbers aren't in this week yet).

It's a fairy tale, pure and simple, but a wonderful one that entranced me, my wife, and my children. If you are a fan of The Princess Bride, you'll love this film. It has the same irreverence while still being true to everything that makes people smile at the thought of their favorite fairy tale.

Where do I start? This movie had production value out the wazoo. I mean, the costumes alone were not only unique for each character, but the fabrics were custom made for at least seven of them. Elaborate sets, visual effects, costumes...

...And the cast! Ian McKellen, Peter O'Toole, Rupert Everett, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, Robert De Niro, Ricky Gervis...

Dare I mention the story was originally written by Neil Gaiman? How about this, the first line from the book: "There was once a young man who wished to gain his Heart's Desire." or this, the first line from the movie: "A philosopher once asked, "Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human?" Pointless, really...”Do the stars gaze back?" Now *that's* a question."

Both really summarize the movie.

See this movie on the big screen, while you still have a chance... and then buy the DVD.

Wow, I just pimped someone else's movie. I don't do that often and, frankly, its the only film from this summer of block busters that I've done this for. Even Transformers...

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