It’s not too often you get to interview a living legend, but sitting across from Christopher Plummer in a hotel room in New York City a few weeks ago, I was smiling like a kid on Christmas.  That’s because before I understood what a movie was, I had already seen his work, as I grew up watching The Sound of Music with my family every holiday season.  And while most eighty year olds might slow down, Plummer has delivered some of his best work these past few years.  If you haven’t seen Mike Mills‘ Beginners, Michael Hoffman‘s The Last Station, Terry Gilliam‘s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus or Pixar’s Up (he voices Charles Muntz), I strongly suggest checking them out.  I’ll be shocked if Plummer doesn’t get nominated for an Oscar for Beginners.

The reason I got to speak with this great actor is for David Fincher‘s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Plummer plays Henrik Vanger, a wealthy old man who’s been haunted by the disappearance of his beloved niece for the past forty years.  As most of you know, Dragon Tattoo is the first in Stieg Larson’s Millennium trilogy and it centers on a disgraced journalist (Daniel Craig) who’s hired by Vanger to investigate the mysterious disappearance.  Rooney Mara plays Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant young hacker who teams up with Craig.  During the interview, Plummer talked about the last few years, acting in films and in the theater, working with Fincher, voicing Charles Muntz in Up, how he almost played Prospero in Michael Powell‘s unrealized adaptation of The Tempest, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to read or listen to the interview.

Amazon’s Gold Box Deal of the Day is The Sound of Music (45th Anniversary Blu-ray/DVD Combo Limited Edition) for $32.99 (which is 63% off).  For details on what’s included in the box set and tons of pictures, hit the jump.  Like all Gold Box Deals, it’s only for today.  Remember, if you spend over $25 you get free shipping.

Finally, Amazon usually posts a lot of great DVD and Blu-ray deals towards the end of the year.  Like last year, I’ll post the highlights as I find them.

Movie musicals are one of the oldest genres of film.  They have been in existence ostensibly since the beginning of the medium.  Since the first “talkie”, we have seen just about every iteration of what a musical could be, from Singin’ in the Rain to South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut. In 1965, the film adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway musical The Sound of Music hit theaters and took the country by storm. Adjusted for inflation, it’s the third highest grossing film of all time (just behind Gone with the Wind and Star Wars at numbers one and two respectively). America instantly fell in love with the lovable outsider Maria and her burgeoning relationship with Captain von Trapp and his seven musically inclined children. Thus, a classic was born. Now, 45 years later, the film has been meticulously restored and released in high-definition on Blu-ray. My review after the jump.

It’s never too early to announce a holiday release.  After all…it’s already February!  So to let you know The Sound of Music is coming to Blu-ray this holiday season, Fox Home Entertainment sent over a trailer.  While I kid about the early announcement, I’ll give credit to whoever cut the 40 something second trailer as it’s really well done.  Check it out after the jump.