While browsing this week’s new DVD releases, I was quite surprised to see a 20th Anniversary release of The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Terry Guilliam’s take on the classic chronicle of tall tales. It doesn’t surprise me that the film is getting a much deserved rerelease (and Blue Ray Edition!), but that “20th Anniversary” bit made me do a double take. Yet another reminder that I’m getting old.
I distinctly remember when the movie came out as that weekend I was hanging out with my Uncle Wes and he offered to take us to the movies and I got to pick the film. The only two movies that were appropriate for 10 year old me on that April weekend were Munchausen and the Jim Belushi/dog love story K-9. As half my family is involved with breeding/training/supplying dogs, it seemed best to honor that tradition through moviegoing, so I ended up going to the later. And that was the film that changed my life and turned me towards a life of law enforcement and… Oh, wait, it’s the 80’s fantasy stuff that forever shaped my sensibilities. Maybe I should have gone with law inforcement…? I bet it pays better.
Anyway, I didn’t get a chance to see Munchausen in the theater, as it completely tanked and disappeared after 1 week, but I did not forget it. When the film finally came out on VHS (how quaint!) I absolutely loved it. In fact, this was the first time I remember actually wishing I’d seen a movie in the theater first. After one viewing, Munchausen became part of my video store standby movies — one of the short list of films that I’d rent a third, fourth or twentieth time, when the new releases didn’t excite me. It earned its place right next to Labyrinth, Excalibur (mom didn’t know about the sex), Great Muppet Caper, Star Wars, and a handful of others that I never tired of watching.
Munchausen is far from a perfect film — it drags at times, and a lot of jokes fall flat — but it has some absolutely inspired moments (like the execution scene), and some gorgeous fantasy images that will haunt me all my life. Things like the Baron’s ship sailing over the sands of the moon or the terrifying angel of death (it ranks somewhere between the depictions of death in Watership Down and Seventh Seal for causing childhood trauama). It’s been a few years since I’ve watched Munchausen, so maybe when I finally break down and get a PS3 with BlueRay, I’ll get this disc to break it in.
In the meantime, if you’ve never seen it, or need a refresher, here’s the trailer:
8 responses so far ↓
1 Kristi O. // Apr 10, 2008 at 5:49 am
I’ve never heard of this ‘Baron Munchausen’ film, but I have seen and I love The Great Muppet Caper.
I think it was the first Muppet film I saw (It was either that or The Frog Prince) and it’s definantly my favorite Muppet Movie. I’m going to have to find a dvd of it somewhere, I haven’t seen it in years. The TV stations seem to favour Muppets Take Manhattan over it.
PS. God, the notion of VHS makes me feel old for some reason (And I’m only 18). It’s so strange to walk into a thrift store and see things like the Harry Potter movie on VHS. Now I get to tell my Grandkids about how when I was little, we had to rewind our movies before watching them, and then walk up hill’s both ways to return them to the video store.
2 Jake Forbes // Apr 10, 2008 at 11:48 am
Heh - I remember when there was still a Beta section in the video store and if you weren’t careful, you could get the wrong version by mistake. Like this one time I rented Mac and Me, the thoroughly lame ET clone, only to find the wrong format in the case. I had to walk up hill both ways TWICE just to watch that stinker.
3 Crystal // Apr 10, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Yep, my favorite childhood movie, Beauty and the Beast, is VHS and it is almost time to update to DVD. Heheh
4 Mollie // Apr 10, 2008 at 7:14 pm
I think my dad told me about this one, it’s probably on the long list of movies he wants me to see…I’ll have to check with him on it, ’cause this looks hilarious. Did see Watership Down though, but it didn’t quite traumatize me
My favorite childhood movie…Hunchback of Notre Dame (weird child, very weird) I still love it though XD Labyrinth was one too, but someone taped over part of it…ignorants
5 Cristin // Apr 11, 2008 at 7:39 am
Ohhhhhhhh! Thank you for reminding me of this film! It was on TV once when I was little and I started watching it. I remember a little girl looking up at him and saying his name. I was really into it (even though that’s all I can remember) but then I had to go somewhere with my Mom and I missed most of it. Totally forgot about it until now. It’s totally on my queue!
6 jess // Apr 11, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Ah Baron… before we knew how ugly Uma’s feet were…
http://www.elclavo.com/blogs/burro/UmaVenus.jpg
7 tanuki // Apr 11, 2008 at 4:32 pm
I caught Munchausen on video a while back, and despite Gilliam’s typically meandering plot and Sarah Polley’s horribly wooden acting, I enjoyed it overall — in fact I remember thinking wistfully “This is what movies *could* be like.”
I particularly enjoyed the sequence on the moon, and the whimsical tone which was perfectly in keeping with the source material. And John Neville in the title role was absolutely wonderful.
8 Liz // Apr 22, 2008 at 5:27 pm
For the longest time I thought this movie was a dream I had when I was a kid.. hehe
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