British Comedy Guide

Best Terry Gilliam film?

I was just thinking we don't have a specific thread on this leviathan of the British film industry (I know he's actually a septic but could he be any more English?) He worked with some absolute legends and his films have always had a wit, cleverness and surealness that amazed. Not only that but he proved big ideas small budget, can beat big budget no ideas hands down.

His Sootyj's top 3 from the great man.

1 Time Bandits.
2 Brazil (the proper depressing version).
3 Life of Brian (I know it's Python but his grubby finger prints are all over it)

N.B. this is no particular order.

Brazil.

1. Brazil
2. Twelve Monkeys
3. The Fisher King

Shit can't believe I missed 12 Monkeys that's ace.

Indeed. Slacker. ;)

And you chose The Fisher King over Time Bandits.....

Man that's low.

It's not really a Terry Gilliam film but Lost in La Mancha is a great cautionary tale for all filmmakers

Quote: sootyj @ January 31 2009, 2:20 PM GMT

And you chose The Fisher King over Time Bandits.....

Man that's low.

TFK is awesome. I love it. :P

TB is great though, don't get me wrong.

No room for Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas either..

At the risk of being shot, I thought the source material for Fear and Loathing was weak.

TB has got a certain something. Some how Handmade and Gilliam persuaded some of the best actors in the UK to have a bloody good laugh. Connery, Gielgud and so on.

Also what a fabulous central idea for a film.

TB is a great fantasy film, I'd put it above FALILV in my list, but I prefer the story and sentiment of The Fisher King over it.

And Brazil will always be top. Yeah, a little depressing, but awesome none-the-less.

I probably haven't seen enough for my opinion to count. But I loved Fear And Loathing. I own a copy of Tideland and haven't got around to watching it, but from the parts I have seen (I always skip though films after buying them to check they're not scratched or broken) it looks beautifully made.

I'm very much looking forward to The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. As sad as Heath Ledger's death was, I feel it may have made the movie all that better. Given Gilliam's normally odd directing style, I think working with several actors playing the same part will probably add to the almost off-putting nature some of his films tend to have.

Brazil kinda left me cold. It was good, but after all the hype surrounding it I was a little sad about it. Then again, I was feeling rather ill when I watched it so wasn't concentrating very hard. It actually reminded me more of Orson Wells' The Trial than 1984! (Although that just add to my point that maybe I wasn't concentrating hard enough!)

I don't know that there is hype around Brazil. I always think of it as a Black Comedy/Fantasy film.

Before watching it I had definitely been told many times how amazing it was and whenever slightly kooky sci-fi is mentioned it tends to be at the top of a lot of people's lists. Maybe 'hype' isn't quite the word, but I'd definitely heard many good things from many different sources about the film before watching it, and although I'd hesitant from calling it a cult film it does seem to have the cult-ish type of image.

Ah. It probably is a cult film, and it's not to everyone's tastes.

Quote: Griff @ February 1 2009, 4:39 PM GMT

1. Time Bandits
2. The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen
3. Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

Munchausen over Brazil? This thread throws up some unusual answers.

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