THE ANNIHILATION OF FISH
In Charles Burnett’s long-awaited 1999 comedic masterpiece, James Earl Jones and Lynn Redgrave star as eccentric boarding house neighbors who find an unexpected connection. After a 19-year-long odyssey, this never before released gem finally comes to theaters in a new 4K restoration.
SHOWTIMES
APR 18 | FRI
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SYNOPSIS
In Charles Burnett’s long-awaited 1999 comedic masterpiece, The Annihilation of Fish, Obediah “Fish” Johnson (James Earl Jones) is an aging Jamaican widower who has spent decades wrestling an invisible demon named Hank. De-institutionalized, he takes a bus to Los Angeles and finds lodging in the eccentric boarding house of Mrs. Muldroone (Margot Kidder). There Fish meets Poinsettia (Lynn Redgrave), who has moved from San Francisco, fleeing her spurned long-dead fiancé, composer Giacomo Puccini. The two lodgers become friends, playing endless games of gin that Poinsettia always wins. Fish persuades her to referee his demonic wrestling matches — Hank does not fight fair…
Shot in 1999, The Annihilation of Fish screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September of that year and was acquired for distribution. But following one bad review in Variety, the distributor canceled the film’s release. For almost a quarter of a century, The Annihilation of Fish has been unavailable on all media — it has never been distributed on 35mm, DCP, VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, television, or streaming.
In 2003, Burnett asked Milestone Films (distributor of his films Killer of Sheep and My Brother’s Wedding) to try to acquire the rights for The Annihilation of Fish. Thus began a 19-year-long odyssey that included researching and contacting distributors, producers and heirs, lawyers, the US Treasury Department, and finally the California bankruptcy court.
Director
Charles Burnett
WITH
Run Time
1 hour, 48 minutes
Released
Re-Released: February 14, 2025
Distributed by
HEARING AND VISUAL ASSISTANCE
Assisted Listening
Country
United States
SUBTITLES
None
RATED R
for some sexual content
REVIEWS
“A tale of two troubled souls who find each other, the movie has become an even stronger tribute to the people (not to mention the art) we so easily push aside.”
“A modest movie modestly told, ‘The Annihilation of Fish’ sneaks up on you; it’s as stealthy as Fish’s demon and can pack just as powerful a wallop.”
“…this film is the essence of what makes [director] Charles Burnett’s hold on the American mythos peerless and exceptional.”