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Stars: James Earl Jones, Lynn Redgrave, Margot Kidder, Tommy Redmond Hicks, Ronald F. Hoiseck, Linden Chiles | Written by Anthony C. Winkler | Directed by Charles Burnett

There are few more recognisable actors in cinema history than James Earl Jones. His iconic voice brought Darth Vader to life, but he starred in many feature films during his illustrious career, including Blood Tide and The UFO Incident.

As James Earl Jones’ career was winding down at the turn of the century in 1999, he starred in one of his last on-screen roles in The Annihilation of Fish. Surprisingly, this film has never been released on home video, until now. Kino Lorber is now giving this offbeat romantic film a Blu-ray debut!

Obidiah “Fish” Johnson (James Earl Jones), a Jamaican widower recently released from a mental hospital, despite his continuing battles against an invisible demon named Hank. Relocating to Los Angeles, he moves into the boarding house of eccentric landlady,...

Charles Burnett’s little-seen 1999 dramedy The Annihilation of Fish is a curious outlier in the filmography of a director best known for his lyrical realism and interest in the ways that people’s characters are informed by their surroundings and history. Here is a story of old, lonely souls each possessed of a form of mental illness that only further isolates them until circumstances bring them together, at which point they navigate each other’s foibles in ways that gradually allow them to confront their own.

Obadiah “Fish” Johnson (James Earl Jones), a Jamaican immigrant and widower who’s regularly assaulted by an invisible demon named Hank, journeys from New York to Los Angeles and ends up lodging in a house alongside Poinsettia (Lynn Redgrave), who’s spent years in an imagined relationship with the long-dead Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini. Their landlady, the widowed Mrs. Muldroone (Margot Kidder), is...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

The Annihilation of Fish (Charles Burnett)

Essentially a lost film, legendary director Charles Burnett’s 1999 feature The Annihilation of Fish mostly lived on the festival circuit (and in bootlegs) for a quarter-century until a recent miraculous restoration by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation. Despite featuring recognizable leads in James Earl Jones and Lynn Redgrave, one bad review from an influential critic (who seemed strangely wary of the film’s tonal risk-taking) was enough to sink its commercial prospects for potential distributors. A mental-illness romantic comedy of sorts, the film has a strangeness that may be potentially alienating to some, but it seems inexplicable, years later, that a work which so movingly wears its heart on its sleeve...

The Annihilation of Fish.The cinematic event of the year so far is the rerelease of Charles Burnett’s long-unavailable romantic masterpiece, The Annihilation of Fish (1999). It has weathered Todd McCarthy’s snide, vicious Variety review that sealed its obscurity until now. McCarthy falsely claimed it was “a drear moment in the careers of all concerned” and even had the temerity to suggest that “theatrical release other than via self-distribution is out of the question.” Whatever reputation it’s had up until this point has been due to the burning-candle cinephiles on Letterboxd and online film boards who have claimed it an unjustly forgotten work. We now know how right the burners were: Fish is a sophisticated, beautifully acted, and innovative romantic comedy for grown-ups. Unfortunately, because of that disastrous McCarthy review, Fish did not get the wide distribution it so obviously merited until now. It’s too late for its stars,...

It was just last week we published an interview with the great Charles Burnett, whose 1999 drama The Annihilation of Fish was finally resurrected and is now rolling out in theaters. This spring, Kino Lorber will now give another one of his newly restored films a theatrical roll-out, teaming with Milestone Films. Burnett’s 1977 landmark masterpiece Killer of Sheep, which was his UCLA thesis film, has been newly restored in 4K and will now open on April 18 beginning at NYC’s Film Forum. The new 4K restoration also restores the original soundtrack in its entirety, including the original closing song, Dinah Washington’s performance of “Unforgettable.”

Here’s the synopsis: “The story centers on Stan (Henry Gayle Sanders), a slaughterhouse worker battling exhaustion and disconnected from his wife, his children, and himself. Stan and his neighbors struggle just to get by, let alone get ahead. Only the kids, leaping from roof to roof,...

The Big Bang Theory had a very storied tradition of featuring a lot of great actors and celebrities that hold a lot of importance in geek culture in its episodes. Be it Mark Hamill, Will Wheaton, or Stephen Hawking, the cast had the opportunity to co-star with a slew of Hollywood and science legends, but one in particular was a little extra special.

James Earl Jones (right) in The Big Bang Theory || Credit: CBS

James Earl Jones had an extended cameo in The Big Bang Theory, and among the things that he and Sheldon did, was prank Carrie Fisher. This was made just a little bit sweeter for both the guest stars, given the fact that despite them being in their most iconic roles in the Star Wars franchise, and playing father and daughter no less, the two of them never really met on set.

James Earl Jones only voiced Vader,...

It’s not coming from a major studio, but there actually is a new romantic comedy getting a U.S. theatrical release this Valentine’s Day weekend — never mind that it was shot more than 25 years ago. The late James Earl Jones and Lynn Redgrave star as aging neighbors turned tender lovers in “The Annihilation of Fish,” newly restored in 4K from Kino Lorber and Milestone Films.

Playing New York now before expanding to Los Angeles and select cities, the film not only finds two terrific actors — three, including Margot Kidder — working at the top of their games, but also sees them united with director Charles Burnett. Once limited to laurels within the independent film community, Burnett’s name has been canonized in recent years, after the re-premiere of his UCLA thesis film “Killer of Sheep” — a funny, haunting and altogether ineffable slice of neorealism set in L.A.’s Watts neighborhood.

Essentially a lost film, legendary director Charles Burnett’s 1999 feature The Annihilation of Fish mostly lived on the festival circuit (and in bootlegs) for a quarter-century until a recent miraculous restoration by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation. Despite featuring recognizable leads in James Earl Jones and Lynn Redgrave, one bad review from an influential critic (who seemed strangely wary of the film’s tonal risk-taking) was enough to sink its commercial prospects for potential distributors.

A mental-illness romantic comedy of sorts, the film has a strangeness that may be potentially alienating to some, but it seems inexplicable, years later, that a work which so movingly wears its heart on its sleeve would be denied the audience it deserved. Burnett, a straight shooter, joined us over Zoom to discuss the film’s new path as well as the state of cinema and, frankly, American society today.

The Critics Choice Association (Cca) has announced the lineup of presenters for the 30th annual Critics Choice Awards. The likes of Jackie Chan, Lupita Nyong’o, and Kathryn Hahn will all present, in addition to Jesse Eisenberg, star of “A Real Pain,” which nabbed three Critics Choice nominations at this year’s awards.

The full list of presenters includes: Aldis Hodge, Allison Tolman, Chase Stokes, Craig Robinson, David Alan Grier, David Harbour, Ewan McGregor, Jackie Chan, Jesse Eisenberg, Jimmy O. Yang, Josh Groban, Justine Lupe, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Keri Russell, Kristen Bell, Lupita Nyong’o, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Matt Bomer, Melissa Rauch, Meredith Hagner, Michelle Yeoh, Natasha Lyonne, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Brosnahan, Randall Park, Rufus Sewell, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shanola Hampton and Wendi McLendon-Covey.

The awards ceremony, hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler, will broadcast live from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.

The debate on whether bad reviews can make or break a movie is one that will probably never end, but for one particular title it's hard not to argue that a lukewarm reception affected its distribution. In 1999, romantic flick The Annihilation of Fish debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival — and then the distributor decided to cancel its release because the initial reception pointed at a possibly bad box office performance. Practically lost for over 25 years, the movie is getting an overdue release in movie theaters with a 4K restoration.

The Tcl Chinese Theatre will host benefit showings of two films: “Superman” and “2001: A Space Odyssey,” with 100% of the ticket sales and concession sales to be donated to L.A. wildfire victim relief. Both featured films will play in the Tcl Theatre’s main auditorium.

Richard Donner’s “Superman,” which originally premiered at the Chinese Theatre in 1978, will screen Saturday, Jan. 25 at 3:30 pm, presented in 4k. Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” will screen Saturday, Jan. 25 at 7pm, presented in IMAX.

Proceeds from both screenings will benefit the American Red Cross, Los Angeles Fire Foundation, Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association and the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers foundation. Tickets run $25 and available for pre-booking via the Tcl Chinese Theatre website.

Friday, Jan. 17 Lost Charles Burnett Film, ‘The Annihilation of Fish,’ To Release in Theaters for First Time

“The Annihilation of Fish,” directed by Charles Burnett, has...

Damn! I totally effed up and scheduled our podcast season debut tonight, completely forgetting that the MoMA Charles Burnett retrospective also begins tonight! And with his masterpiece too, Killer Of Sheep, which I Still haven’t seen on the big screen, and really want to. I have the recently released DVD issue, but, I think this is a film I’d really love to see in a theater, in all its gritty black and white glory.

Anyway… I already alerted you to this about 2 or 3 weeks ago, so consider this a reminder! MoMA sent out the below press release which details the entire retrospective.

But I’ll break it down for you:

What is it? Charles Burnett is being feted at MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art, here in New York City) with a series titled Charles Burnett: The Power To Endure.

When is it? April 6-25, 2011.

Where is it?...

Have you purchased your tickets yet?

I already alerted you to this 2 weeks ago week I believe it was. Consider this a reminder! MoMA sent out the below press release which details the entire retrospective.

But I’ll break it down for you:

What is it? Charles Burnett is being feted at MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art, here in New York City) with a complete retrospective titled Charles Burnett: The Power To Endure.

When is it? April 6-25, 2011.

Where is it? At MoMA of course – specifically, the Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters.

How much will each screening cost you? $10 adults; $8 seniors, 65 years and over with I.D. $6 full-time students with current I.D.

The full lineup follows below. As can be expected, Killer Of Sheep, My Brother’s Wedding, To Sleep With Anger, The Glass Shield, and other of his most known films, will screen.

But of most...

Aloe Entertainment, Img and Schroeder-Ptacek Productions are set to bring the story of Barack Obama's mother to the screen in a feature-length documentary which Charles Burnett ("The Annihilation of Fish," "Quiet as Kept") will be directing. "Stanley Ann Dunham: A Most Generous Spirit" is the title and the film will show how Dunham raised a young Obama in Indonesia and Hawaii. Also part of the story is her pioneering work in the field of Third World microfinance which assists small entrepreneurs, mostly women, in developing countries.