Terry Gilliam

[Bartwald]

With The Brothers Grimm coming soon to the theatres I think it'd be nice to talk about the pre-Grimm films made by this fine director. Not easy to choose the best one, right? I know it wasn't easy for me: Monkeys, King, Brazil - love them all! Monty Python And The Holy Grail still wins, though: surely not as mature or not as complex as Gilliam's recent stuff, it nevertheless is one of the best comedies ever and a movie that I'm very sentimental about.

[Pulpmariachi]

Monty Python and the Holy Grail is too funny. But I have to go with Brazil. Despite all the fighting it took to bring to screen (and probably one of the contributing factors of Gilliam leaving the US), it really is his masterpiece. Darkly funny and in need of many watchings to figure out what's going on. The dream sequences are masterful and the reality is harsh and grueling. The ending is brilliant.

Gilliam has been, and always will be, the pioneer of the visual style. I saw this one board where someone was like, "This film reminds me of a Tim Burton film," which I rolled my eyes at, since, well for one, their styles are really different (though both kinda come from some of the same areas).

Time Bandits is probably one of the greatest, most underrated kids' movie ever, not to mention one of the best time traveling movies ever. Plus, it has George Harrison songs which is always an upper.

And for all this, we can't forget his brilliant animation, can we?

[Bartwald]

Brazil surely is one of Gilliam's most powerful films - and the ending there especially. I also agree that the styles of Gilliam and Burton differ way too much to say the movies of one are in the vein of the other's.

[Quorthon]

I went with 12 Monkeys even though I do so love Holy Grail and Fear and Loathing.

12 Monkeys is wackiness and time travel interwoven psychotically.

Also, I haven't seen Brazil. Just parts of it, not the whole deal. Maybe I'll rent it this weekend...

[Heineken Skywalker]

Went with HOLY GRAIL and if you don't agree, I fart in your general direction. ;D

Definitely one of the most original directors working today. Liked at least "parts" of all of these, but haven't seen JABBERWOCKY yet.

[Bartwald]

heinekenskywalker said:

Definitely one of the most original directors working today. Liked at least "parts" of all of these, but haven't seen JABBERWOCKY yet.

Jabberwocky is not bad but not a contender in comparison with Holy Grail: it's much more plot-driven but not half as funny as Grail.

[LivingDeadGirl]

Went with Fear & Loathing...12 Monkeys would be second.

[DrLenera]

Ah,Gilliam,what a great filmmaker! I went with Brazil,one of my favourite films ever. Almost every scene,almost every shot,has something interesting in it. The idea of a future where bureacracy is out of control was really quite accurate,at least if you live in Britain at the moment! Despite the film's oddness,I think one can always relate to the idea of a person trapped by the system who dreams of a fantasy life. Amazing film,I have the Criterion DVD set which includes the awful 'Love Conquers All' version which was hacked to bits,anyone else seen this?

Also love 12 Monkeys,Holy Grail,hell,I love them all,even Jabberwocky,which has some helarious scenes and a terrific monster.

[Bartwald]

drlenera said:

...Also love 12 Monkeys,Holy Grail,hell,I love them all,even Jabberwocky,which has some helarious scenes and a terrific monster.

The Jabberwocky monster, yes: what wonderful ideas you can have when the budget is low, huh?

[Pulpmariachi]

I don't own the Criterion edition of Brazil, but I've seen that Love Conquers All version. I don't know, who could actually see that as something good?

I never really thought it took place in the future though, I was thought it was some alternate world kind of thing.

[Termination]

Have seen these & own;

Monty Python And The Holy Grail
Twelve Monkeys
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

I picked Fear And Loathing. One of the most fucked up films ever made. ;D

[Bartwald]

I'm surprised no one voted The Fisher King - a great and weird film, too.

Also: has anyone seen Lost In La Mancha - the doc on Gilliam's unfinished film with Johnny Depp? Pretty good.

[mabuse]

Like most people my age-range (I'm 37, crusty-old), I saw "Time Bandits" (1981) first. Ironically, I saw a trailer for "Holy Grail" at the same-theater, but was too-young to see it.
I had a vague-idea who Gilliam was when I saw "Bandits"--that he did the bawdy cartoons for Python, which my family and I watched on PBS in the 1970s. You-know, back when TV could occasionally be unpredicatable. :0) It wasn't until seeing "Brazil" in 1985 at a local indie (when the word "indie" meant something) theater that I really KNEW who he was as a director. The last I heard, Brazil played in a total of 200 American-theaters, which tells you how much Universal backed it at-the-time. It did fine worldwide. I cannot complain about his subsequent work, you can only do a film like Brazil once, because it would kill you to do more.
Brothers Grimm, I feel, is a genuine return-to-form, but it is obvious that working for the Weinsteins is dangerous to your creative-health. Ask Wes Craven sometime. Now THERE is a director who has seen better-days. Anyway, I love Brothers Grimm, it is a wonderful-addition to Terry's body-of-work, just don't be unfair with comparisons to his other-work. He basically outfoxed the Weinsteins in a few thematic-areas, like David Lynch's portrayal of Dino De Laurentis in "Mulholland Drive." Best-part: he had Angelo Badalamenti do the part. Producers are evil-incarnate. If you supp with the Devil, use a long-spoon. :0)

[DrLenera]

Anyone else seen Brother's Brimm? As a Gilliam fan,I loved it,and it certainly didn't look too meddled with. It seemed like a return to the style of earlier stuff like Jabberwocky and Time Bandits,with the addition of some {variable} CGI. Loved the references to various fairytales. I don't why this has flopped,I think it's an extremely entertaining movie.

[frankenjohn]

1. Brazil
2. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
3. Time Bandits