Unreleased for over 25 years, Charles Burnett’s surreal romantic comedy The Annihilation of Fish starring James Earl Jones, Lynn Redgrave, and Margot Kidder is finally made available by Kino Lorber and Milestone Films from a new 4K restoration by UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation.
The Production: 4/5
Obadiah “Fish” Johnson (James Earl Jones) is a Jamaican-American elder freshly released from a mental institution, finding a new home at a Los Angeles apartment run by a Mrs. Muldroone (Margot Kidder). Another tenant soon joins, Poinsettia (Lynn Redgrave). She has left San Francisco to get away with her passionate lover – the ghost of Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, whom she has attempted to marry to no avail. Soon, both Fish and Poinsettia get to know each other and fall in love. Except Fish has his own problem – an invisible ghost named Hank, who he wrestles with several times a day.
The Annihilation of Fish was directed by Charles Burnett, creator of wonderful independent films such as Killer of Sheep and To Sleep with Anger. This film shares more in common with the latter, with a lovely sort of magical realism. As with every single film he ever appeared in or lent his voice to, James Earl Jones is magnificent in this. As silly as the premise sounds, I could almost see Hank at times because he made it real. Lynn Redgrave is also wonderful, with a bit more silly of a role as Poinsettia, breaking into opera at times and refereeing the Fish vs. Hank wrestling bouts. What’s incredible is that this is still a compassionate look at mental illness, perhaps used as a metaphor for the spiritual scars many old souls receive over the years. I’m reminded of the equally wonderful 1971 film They Might Be Giants starring George C. Scott, as a former judge who believes he’s Sherlock Holmes after experiencing the grief of losing his wife. Is it so bad that some people need to escape from reality to heal? The chemistry between Jones and Redgrave is wonderful, both complementing their own manias.
Apparently, due to a single negative review, the producers bailed out on releasing The Annihilation of Fish back in 1999 and it sat on the shelf for the last quarter-century. This is unfortunately a recurring problem with Burnett’s films, either due to music rights, financiers pulling out, or just disinterest. If you love To Sleep with Anger, I feel that this film shares a similar sort of surrealism rather than the more neo-realist approach Burnett took with Killer of Sheep. I highly recommend seeing the film, even if it’s admittedly a bit weird. But who could possibly say no to seeing James Earl Jones playing a character who wrestles a demon?
Video: 4.5/5
3D Rating: NA
Long-unreleased, Kino Lorber and Milestone Films backed a full theatrical re-release with a new 4K restoration by UCLA Film & Television Archive and The Film Foundation. While I suspect “restoration” is meant to be some marketing sizzle (anything that gets people to see Charles Burnett’s films!) as it’s an unreleased film, the original 35mm camera negative was utilized. Colors are natural-looking, with lovely warm tones indoors and outdoors. There is a light layer of grain on the image and excellent contrast. It’s a gorgeous transfer with barely any visible dust or scratches. The only negative I can think of would be that the opening titles and the dissolves are more contrasty, appearing to be from duplicate negative. Presented in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with a robust AVC encode that sticks to around 35-40 mbps.
Audio: 4.5/5
The original 5.1 and stereo soundtracks are provided as DTS-HD MA audio tracks. While not the most active tracks, dialogue is clear, music is mixed in delicately. It didn’t seem like there is much surround activity on the 5.1 track. I preferred the 2.0 stereo track over the 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are included.
Special Features: 4.5/5
Audio commentary by director/writer Charles Burnett, moderated by film scholar Maya Cade. An excellent track with Burnett going into his creative process, working with a great cast (they mention Jones’ passing, so this must have been recorded recently). Some insight on the filming of a scene involving goat curry is particularly funny.
The Final Insult (1997) [57:37 HD upres from SD] – Burnett’s 1997 shorter feature shot on MiniDV centered on L.A.’s homeless, taking a neo-realist approach that blurs the lines between fiction and documentary. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.
Q&A with Burnett, moderated by film scholar Raquel Gates [30:03 HD] – Recorded at Brooklyn Academy of Music Cinemateque on Feb. 15, 2025. Unfortunately, Burnett’s audio is mixed very low and it’s difficult to hear his voice.
Theatrical Trailer (1:43 HD)
Overall: 4.5/5
The Annihilation of Fish is a strange film with an excellent cast, just waiting to find an audience. A great “restoration” with plenty of added supplemental content (including an entire extra film) make this a highly recommended release.
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