ANYWAY... this post is about the works of one Mr. Terry Gilliam, in no way a favorite director of mine, but I DO enjoy some of his films.
I think I'm going to take this blog and opportunity to talk about Monty Python too, because, love it or hate it, the British comedy troupe was a major driving force in modern comedy. So, here we go, let's have some fun, shall we?
Terry Gilliam was born in 1940 in Minnesota, making him the only member of the Monty Python comedy troupe NOT to be born in Britain (see, my title makes sense). Gilliam began as an animator before going to Europe and joining the Monty Python group.
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy troupe from 1969 to 1983. The Pythons consisted of John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Gilliam. The group created the influential sketch comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus that ran on the BBC from 1969 to 1974, the show launched the group and set them up for larger fame and movies and stage shows, albums and musicals. The group wrote and performed their own material and popularized absurdist comedy that influenced everything from Saturday Night Live to The Mighty Boosh. The films that were created by Monty Python were And Now For Something Completely Different (1971), Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979), Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (1982), and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983). Even after the breaking of Python, many of the members went on to work together. One major Python collaborator who was never part of the troupe was Neil Innes.
However, this post is supposed to be about the post-Python career of Terry Gilliam, so let's get back to all that business...
The first film Gilliam directed was Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which he co-directed with Python Terry Jones. I'm assuming that you've all seen this film (or at least heard the quotes from it WAY too many times), however, if you haven't, I would recommend it, it's a classic and really explains Monty Python. Gilliam even played the small role of Patsy in the film. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071853/synopsis
Gilliam's first post-Python film was called Jabberwocky (1977). Starring Python alum Michael Palin as a boy in medieval times who has to slay the mythical dragon from the Lewis Carroll poem, who killed his father. I haven't seen the film so I have no first hand opinion of it, however, any opinion I have gathered is mixed. On one hand, the film did horrible with critics and horrible at the box office, on the other hand, it's a cult classic, so really, I'd say see it if you're a huge Gilliam fan. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076221/plotsummary
Gilliam's second film was Time Bandits (1981), and lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) for you, I HAVE seen this one! The film tells the story of a little boy who ends up getting pulled through time and space by a group of dwarves and their time and space map, eventually having to fight evil. The film is actually fairly entertaining (I remember watching it with my brother, he seemed to dig it too), they continually run into a couple named Vincent and Pansy (Michael Palin and Shelley Duvall, respectively), and a slew of famous characters from history and fiction such as Robin Hood (John Cleese), Napoleon (Ian Holm) and King Agamemnon (Sean Connery, yeah, that's right, Sean Connery), and they also end up on a ship that turns out to be the hat of a giant Polynesian man. Throughout the entire movie they're running from The Supreme Being (who is pretty much God) and eventually fall into the hands of Evil (more or less the Devil). I'd say this film is worth a watch, it's not the best film in any way, or even the best Gilliam film but it's funny and has all the whimsical style of Gilliam, it's a good (and more light hearted) introduction to his style, give it a shot, it's also one of the three Gilliam films to be included in the Criterion Collection. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081633/synopsis
Brazil (1985) was Gilliam's third film, and questionably, one of his best. It tells the story of a man in a dystopian country where the world is run by a tyrannical bureaucracy and runs on out of date and broken down machines, he rebels and ends up considered a terrorist. The film has been considered one of the best cinematic versions of George Orwell's 1984, even though it was not based on the book (however, it was heavily inspired by it). Many titles were proposed, such as 1984 1/2, but ultimately the film was named Brazil after the song that repeatedly appears throughout it, "Aquarela do Brasil". This film is the second of Gilliam's three films to be included in the Criterion Collection. Even though it didn't do very well outside of Britian, it became a major cult classic. I would recommend this film also (for I have also seen it), the film is a good combination of dystopian sci-fi and fantasy (I mean, the guy flies around on Icarus wings more or less). If you want a weird film with a decent political theme then check this one out, simple as that. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088846/synopsis
1988 brought Gilliam's next film The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Even though his three films after Jabberwocky aren't actually related, Gilliam considers them a trilogy, he calls "The Trilogy of Imagination", the reason for this is that he sees it as a telling of life through the imaginations of men of different ages. Time Bandits being a child, Brazil being a middle aged man, and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen being an old man. It tells the story of an old man named Baron Munchausen who tells his story of heroism in flashbacks and eventually saves a city from the Turks. The film was nominated for four Oscars (even though it won none), but only had a limited US release. I've never seen the film so I can't say how good it is personally, but it seems as entertaining and whimsical as Gilliam's movies before it. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096764/synopsis
In 1991, Gilliam directed The Fisher King, starring Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges. It tells the story of a shock-jock who ends up helping a homeless man whose life he inadvertently ruined. The film did very well critically and, even though I've never seen it, I'd like to. I'd say see it, it sounds like a very touching film. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101889/synopsis
Next up is another Gilliam film I have never seen, 12 Monkeys (1995). The film tells the story of a criminal that is repeatedly sent to the past in an attempt to stop the outbreak of a virus that will force Earth to migrate underground. The film also received positive critical reviews and is another film I'd like to see eventually. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114746/synopsis
Now at this point you're probably saying, "this kid has seen like, no Gilliam films, what the fuck is he writing this for?" well, we're coming up on, probably my favorite Gilliam film (and probably the reason I'm writing this), and THAT film is...
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), the film that is based on, what is considered, possibly one of the most impossible books to make a film out of. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a 1971 novel by Hunter S. Thompson. It's a fictional retelling of a drug induced trip Thompson and his attorney made to Las Vegas to cover a sporting event. For the longest time, the book was thought to be one that could never be adapted into a movie (along with Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs, which was eventually made into a film by David Cronenberg). After many thoughts and false starts, the film was put into the hands of Gilliam and, in my opinion, he did an excellent job with it. As I have already stated, this film is my favorite Gilliam film (at least out of the ones I have seen). The film was a box office failure but has since become a cult hit and is the third Gilliam film to be included in The Criterion Collection. Johhny Depp does a good job of portraying a spastic Raoul Duke and Benicio del Toro plays an, at times, psychotic Dr. Gonzo. The drug hallucination scenes were done well (Gilliam's odd fantasy style fits the drug imagery great), and it follows the story as perfectly as a movie CAN follow a book. The film as a classic midnight movie and a hit with a wide audience (as it should be), really if you haven't seen this film, you really should, go out and see it. Even though The Fisher King, 12 Monkeys and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas were not actually related, Gilliam considers them his "Trilogy of Americana" since they were written by other people and take place in North America, they also focused less on fantasy. ANYWAY... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120669/synopsis
Gilliam's film after that was 2005's The Brothers Grimm, which I HAVE also seen. It tells the story of two brothers who go around and tell stories then set up supernatural creatures to rid small towns of. Eventually they get hired to solve a REAL supernatural mystery. The film was okay but very childish and I don't know if I'd really recommend it, it's not one of Gilliam's best works, not too impressive. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0355295/synopsis
2005 also saw the release of Tideland. I have never seen the movie but it seems very dark and I'd like to, it actually sounds better than The Brothers Grimm was. If you see it before me, tell me how it is. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410764/plotsummary
Finally is Gilliam's most recent film (and Heath Ledger's final film), The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009). It tells the story of an old immortal who can let people live their wildest dreams for a short amount of time, however, he has to attempt to save their souls from The Devil (Tom Waits). For this power though, he has to save so many souls or his daughter is forfeit to The Devil. When I heard that it was Ledger's final film appearance I had to see the film, and knowing that Tom Waits was in it only raised my excitement, unfortunately, it did not deliver. The film is not bad, don't get me wrong, it's just so painfully simple, there's no depth to it like a lot of other Gilliam films and overall the film wasn't great. I would say watch it, but don't be like me and get disappointed. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1054606/synopsis
Gilliam's next film will be The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, I don't know if I'll go see it, but if I DO, I'll let you know how it is.
Another fun fact was that Gilliam was supposed to direct the Harry Potter series but ultimately did not get it, fun fact! yeah... fun fact...
ANYWAY, there she is! The post on Terry Gilliam, hope you enjoyed it a bit, keep tuned in, and much like the title of the show were any Monty Python stars started, Do Not Adjust Your Set! there's more to come!
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