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Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam is a director frequently pigeon holed, but who remains most famous for a fantastical visual flare and a dystopian outlook. Whilst fantasy is a constant theme in his work, he does not exclusively make genre films, and many of his more realistic films hold an emotional depth and realism, a fact aided significantly by the A-List acting talent he can attract to films which, by Hollywood standard, are low budget.
Terry Vance Gilliam was born in Minnesota, USA in the 1940s, though since the 1960s he has lived in London and is now a UK national. A cartoonist and TV animator for a number of years, he came to prominence for the trademark cut out animation on television's Monty Python's Flying Circus between 1969 and 1974. Although left to his own devices initially, as the four series progressed he became more actively involved in the troupes output, and became the co-director of their first film " Monty Python And The Holy Grail".
The success of Holy Grail and the burgeoning Monty Python "brand" helped him scrape together financing for Jabberwocky, a mud splattered and decaying medieval adventure tale starring Michael Palin, which was more akin to Gormenghast than Lewis Carroll. His next film Time Bandits, where an optimistic boy finds himself part of a pessimistic group of time travelling dwarf robbers (co-written with Michael Palin) proved more commercially profitable.
On the back of this success he made Brazil, an epic dystopian fantasy of a bureaucratic nightmare "somewhere in the 20th century". Universal, the US distributors of the film, had great difficulty in accepting such a downbeat and (for the 1980s) lengthy movie, resulting in a lot of public and private battles between Gilliam and the studio. As a result there was a very limited US release and various alternative versions were created at the time.
Gilliam's next film garnered just as much controversy, but this time for its scale rather than its subject. "The Adventures of Baron Münchhausen", a pure fantasy adventure based on German tall tales, cost twice as much as it was budgeted for, a fact that was laid at Gilliam's door by press coverage at the time despite him not being the producer. In terms of box office press coverage also decided it had under performed, but in the US at least it had a limited run.
"The Battles of Brazil" and the cost of Muchhausen have tarnished Gilliam's career ever since, making funding his own projects an increasingly difficult prospect. Aside from one attempt to film " The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" that was scuppered by a back injury suffered by Jean Rochefort, all of Gilliam's subsequently completed projects have not been originated by him, though some have been scripted by him. Every one of them have made money and most have garnered critical acclaim however - the academy award winning Fisher King, Twelve Monkeys, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, The Brothers Grimm and Tideland.
2007 saw production started on the first Gilliam-originated film since Münchhausen - The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus. After all exterior London shooting was completed its star, Heath Ledger, was found dead at his apartment in New York. This tragedy - a personal one for Gilliam, a friend of Ledger since directing him in Brothers Grimm - has delayed but not stopped production on the movie. Various aspects of Ledger's character will now be played by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell.
News |
What members say |
Filmography
Terry Gilliam - news / articles
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Gilliam's doubts over directing future -
2 January 2012
-Director Terry Gilliam has hinted his 2009 project The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus could be his final film as he doubts he will "ever make a movie again".-The former Monty Python star directed the cult comedy troupe's big screen outing Monty Python and the Holy Gr
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Gilliam: 'Financing for Quixote has collapsed' -
7 September 2010
-Director Terry Gilliam has opened up about the extent of the "financial hiccup" which has threatened to derail plans for his troubled Don Quixote movie, confessing the investment completely "collapsed" earlier this summer (10).-
-The filmmaker has spent more than a de
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Top 10 Terry Gilliam -
27 August 2010
on and the Holy Grail- (1975) -
-After years of ground-breaking TV comedy, the first proper Monty Python film saw Terry Gilliam step behind the camera, co-directing alongside fellow Python Terry Jones, with the whole team bringing their sketch-show-honed
Terry Gilliam - what members say
review by A customer from Wirral
Ace 20 September 2003
review by from Yorkshire, England
Great in its day, but now very dated 21 August 2006
review by from Oxford, England
Possibly the most quotable movie ever 29 October 2004
Terry Gilliam - filmography
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The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
(2011)
Starring: Robert Duvall
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate: 
An advertising executive, who finds himself unstuck in time, unwittingly travels between modern day London and 17th century La Mancha, where he participates in the adventures of Don Quixote, who mistakes him for Sancho Panza.
 
84%
from 15 members
Currently unavailable
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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
on DVD
(2009)
Starring: Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate: 
Watch now: Unavailable
Set in the present day, director Terry Gilliam's fantastical morality tale follows the traveling show of the mysterious Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) -- a man who once won a bet with the Devil himself, and possesses the unique ability to guide the imagination of others. Many centuries ago, Dr...read more »
59%
from 32,938 members
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The Brothers Grimm - Blu-ray
(2005)
Starring: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Lena Headey
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate:
Watch now: £2.49
Director Terry Gilliam, who brought his magical storytelling talents to such films as Time Bandits and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, sets his sights on the Brothers Grimm, turning their life into a playfully grim fairy tale all its own. Set in early 18th Century French-occupied Germany, The ..read more »
59%
from 2,513 members
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Tideland
on DVD
(2005)
Starring: Janet McTeer, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Tilly
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate: 
Watch now: Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant
Based on the novel by Mitch Cullin, TIDELAND follows the story of young Jeliza-Rose (Jodelle Ferland), the daughter of junkie parents Noah (Jeff Bridges), an aging rock-and-roller, and Queen Gunhilda (Jennifer Tilly), a mean-spirited chocoholic. After her mother overdoses, Jeliza-Rose and Noah move ..read more »
57%
from 7,182 members
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The Brothers Grimm
on DVD
(2005)
Starring: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Lena Headey
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate:
Watch now: £2.49
Director Terry Gilliam, who brought his magical storytelling talents to such films as Time Bandits and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, sets his sights on the Brothers Grimm, turning their life into a playfully grim fairy tale all its own. Set in early 18th Century French-occupied Germany, The ..read more »
55%
from 46,415 members
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Lost in La Mancha
on DVD
(2002)
Starring: Jean Rochefort, Terry Gilliam, Jean Rochefort
Director: Keith Fulton, Louis Pepe
Certificate:
Watch now: Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant
Directed by Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe, LOST IN LA MANCHA documents Terry Gilliam's disaster-prone attempt to make THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE, a film largely based on the classic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. The movie first encounters difficulties in its preproduction stage, starting with an ..read more »
62%
from 5,871 members
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BBC Great Comedy Moments
on DVD
(2001)
Starring: David Jason, Ronnie Barker, Ronnie Corbett
Certificate:
This compilation DVD brings together nearly two hours of the funniest comedy scenes from the many classic BBC programmes. Includes clips from the likes of Blackadder, Morecambe and Wise, Only Fools And Horses, Porridge, Some Mother's Do 'Ave 'Em, Steptoe and Son and more.
63%
from 541 members
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Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
(1998)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Cameron Diaz
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate: 
FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS is a whirlwind of a movie, a wacky, drug-laden story backed by a fist-pumping rock & roll soundtrack featuring everything from Wayne Newton and Tom Jones to Combustible Edison and Dead Kennedys. Journalist Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) heads to Las Vegas to cover a ..read more »
64%
from 21,161 members
Not currently released
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Twelve Monkeys - HD
(1995)
Starring: Madeline Stowe, Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate:
When a man enters a hospital claiming to have journeyed back in time from the year 2025 to stop a killer virus from exterminating mankind, a beautiful psychologist decides he might be more than delusional. Terry Gilliam populates this labyrinthine, apocalyptic film with twisted characters and eerie ..read more »
78%
from 559 members
Not currently released
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Twelve Monkeys - Blu-ray
(1995)
Starring: Madeline Stowe, Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate:
When a man enters a hospital claiming to have journeyed back in time from the year 2025 to stop a killer virus from exterminating mankind, a beautiful psychologist decides he might be more than delusional. Terry Gilliam populates this labyrinthine, apocalyptic film with twisted characters and eerie ..read more »
77%
from 1,984 member
Not currently released
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Twelve Monkeys
on DVD
(1995)
Starring: Madeline Stowe, Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate:
When a man enters a hospital claiming to have journeyed back in time from the year 2025 to stop a killer virus from exterminating mankind, a beautiful psychologist decides he might be more than delusional. Terry Gilliam populates this labyrinthine, apocalyptic film with twisted characters and eerie ..read more »
72%
from 45,347 members
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The Fisher King
on DVD
(1991)
Starring: Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges, Mercedes Ruehl
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate:
Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges) a self-obsessed 'shock jock' who thinks he has it all, is about to hit rock bottom. The cult personality spends his time on the radio insulting and berating his listeners, but when one caller takes Jack's advice literally and opens fire on a New York City nightspot, Jack ..read more »
68%
from 8,211 members
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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
on DVD
(1988)
Starring: John Neville, Jonathan Pryce, Eric Idle
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate: 
Watch now: Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant
In TIME BANDITS, director Terry Gilliam told a fantastical story filled with heroes and villains seen through the eyes of a small boy. In BRAZIL, Gilliam focused on a fantasy world created by a young man trapped in a totalitarian state. With THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN, Gilliam tells the ..read more »
65%
from 6,331 members
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The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - Blu-ray
(1988)
Starring: John Neville, Jonathan Pryce, Eric Idle
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate:
Watch now: Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant
In TIME BANDITS, director Terry Gilliam told a fantastical story filled with heroes and villains seen through the eyes of a small boy. In BRAZIL, Gilliam focused on a fantasy world created by a young man trapped in a totalitarian state. With THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN, Gilliam tells the ..read more »
67%
from 776 members
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Brazil - Blu-ray
(1985)
Starring: Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate:
BRAZIL is Terry Gilliam's masterpiece. The film, cowritten by Gilliam, playwright Tom Stoppard, and Charles McKeown, is set in a futuristic society laden with red tape and bureaucracy. When a bug (literally) gets in the system, an innocent man is killed, leading mild-mannered Sam Lowry (an ..read more »
82%
from 35 members
Not available for rental
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Brazil
on DVD
(1985)
Starring: Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate:
BRAZIL is Terry Gilliam's masterpiece. The film, cowritten by Gilliam, playwright Tom Stoppard, and Charles McKeown, is set in a futuristic society laden with red tape and bureaucracy. When a bug (literally) gets in the system, an innocent man is killed, leading mild-mannered Sam Lowry (an ..read more »
68%
from 19,755 members
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The Secret Policeman's Ball - Private Parts
(1984)
Starring: Connie Booth, Graham Chapman, John Cleese
Director: Roger Graef
Certificate:
This film is a selection of highlights from the previous Policeman's Ball stage benefits for Amnesty International. The show includes sketches by the members of Monty Python with noted comedian Peter Cook, as well as musical numbers by Pete Townshend, Phil Collins and Bob Geldof.
56%
from 6 members
Currently unavailable
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Time Bandits
on DVD
(1980)
Starring: Shelley Duvall, Ian Holm, Katherine Helmond
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate:
Plunging headfirst into history, director Terry Gilliam fearlessly brings the logic of children's fairy tales to bear as he navigates through myth and legend in a bizarre, ingenious retelling of THE WIZARD OF OZ. A boy and six good-natured little persons careen through time-twisting interactions ..read more »
69%
from 12,663 members
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Time Bandits - Blu-ray
(1980)
Starring: Shelley Duvall, Ian Holm, Katherine Helmond
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate:
Born from the brilliant minds of Monty Python's Terry Gilliam and
Michael Palin, Time Bandits is a British masterstroke in fantasy
adventure. When a young boy's wardrobe shapeshifts into the gateway of
another world, he finds himself embroiled in a series of eccentric
encounters with famous ..read more »
69%
from 770 members
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Monty Python's Life Of Brian
on DVD
(1979)
Starring: Michael Palin, Carol Cleveland, Gwen Taylor
Director: Terry Jones
Certificate:
Monty Python delivers a scathing, anarchic satire of both religion and Hollywood's depiction of all things biblical with their second--and tightest--full-length film. The setting is the Holy Land in 33 A.D., a time of poverty and chaos, with no shortage of messiahs, followers willing to believe in ..read more »
78%
from 60,642 members
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Jabberwocky
on DVD
(1977)
Starring: John Le Mesurier, Rodney Bewes, Brenda Cowling
Director: Terry Gilliam
Certificate:
Opening with a quote from Lewis Carroll's classic nonsensical poem, Terry Gilliam's JABBERWOCKY is a darkly comic medieval masterpiece about a monster wreaking havoc on helpless villages. Michael Palin stars as Dennis Cooper, a happy-go-lucky ne'er-do-well stock taker who becomes the unlikely hero ..read more »
61%
from 3,088 members
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Terry Gilliam facts
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...This is exactly what you would expect of visionary Terry Gilliam. A dark, humorous, moving film that will haunt you for a long time to come.
I don't need to review the st...
