Director: Terry
Gilliam
Notable Cast: Jodelle
Ferland, Brendan Fletcher, Janet McTeer, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Tilly, Dylan
Taylor, Wendy Anderson, Sally Crooks
Terry Gilliam is a director who rarely sacrifices his vision
of a film for anyone. That includes the audience. Sometimes it lends itself to
a critically acclaimed film that finds a dedicated and enthusiastic audience (Brazil), sometimes it results in a
rather intriguing cult film like Imaginarium
of Doctor Parnassus, and sometimes it results in a film like Tideland. Even though the director has always
pursued eclectic and unusual films for his filmography, Tideland remains the black sheep that never really found its
audience. There are those out there that love the film, certainly, but for the
most part this was a film that fizzled out due to diverse reactions from both
fans and critics. This is also the reason that it was so surprising when Arrow
Video announced that they would be releasing a new Blu Ray for the film.
Gilliam has had his fair share of material released in iconic collectors’
releases (even the hit or miss Jabberwocky received a prestige Criterion
Collection release,) but Tideland
represents a film in his catalog that really does draw lines in fans. It’s also
a film that is very much deserving of a reassessment now that the film is over
ten years old.