James Earl Jones and Lynne Redgrave Battle Demons In The Annihilation of Fish: A Lovely DVD Rental

As an intern at a film company, I had the opportunity to read the script for The Annihilation of Fish many years ago. I have since read literally hundreds of scripts and in that time have strongly recommended only four for production. Fish was at the top of my strongly recommend list. I am so very pleased to say that this wonderful cast and beautiful direction made the script come to life in a vibrant, memorable picture. It was a lower budget labor of love so had a very limited theatrical release but thanks to Netflix and other DVD rental venues, this film is a gem you can rent and love.

James Earl Jones gives an outstanding performance as Fish. A Jamaican immigrant, Fish is a longtime janitor at Grand Central Station. Retired, he’s worried that suddenly he has no use in life. A friend back in Jamaica went insane when he lost his use, so Fish was nervous it might well happen to him, too. He explains one day when he came home, he saw "a most heinous demon in the hallway lookin' up some poor unsuspectin' woman's dress." 

Knowing he couldn't allow such a despicable act, he took it upon himself to wrestle the demon. This demon now continues to come back to harass good people. Due to the fact that no one in the world sees the demon “Hank” but Fish, Fish lands in an institution for the insane. The movie begins as Fish is released from the institution. He comes to Los Angeles to try to start fresh and lands in a boarding house run by Mrs. Muldroone.

Mrs. Muldroone, played elegantly by an almost unrecognizable Margot Kidder, tends the weed in the garden that caused her husband's heart attack. She takes on this unusual boarder asking whether he has any insidious habits or vices. She's thrilled that a man his age keeps in shape by wrestling.