8 ½ - Fellini (CRITERION/DVD5/NTSC)

Exhausted by his anxieties and his last box-office success, the famous Italian auteur, Guido Anselmi, finds himself with his back to the wall. Having lost hope in his latest in-the-making film, and for fear of becoming the laughingstock of the Italian film industry, Guido retreats to a peaceful spa town to rest and find inspiration. Instead, Anselmi can't find a moment's peace, as there, too, his inner circle of relatives, friends, and associates keep pestering him: his wife, his mistress, and his producer, who begs him to get the film made. Now, stuck in a persistent, seemingly perpetual creative rut, Guido can only find solace in the hazy realm of dreams. Can troubled Guido find his muse? Will the blocked director accept himself for what he is and find salvation?