Dreams: The Terry Gilliam Fanzine
January 24, 2008 7:58 AM Subscribe
I spent a week on the set of "Twelve Monkeys" in Philly years ago and was truly impressed by how sweet he was--- very low-key and supportive.
He had a crack team surrounding him--all the crew and especially his A.D. were in perfect synch with his vision; he had done his "homework" (all the pre-production planning) so well, he could afford to focus on his actors.
(Probably helped that he was on pretty heavy painkillers-- he'd fallen off a horse (!?) the week before and had gigantic bruises across his face and body; you could see how much it hurt him to walk...)
This is not meant to impugn what he did, however. Anybody who can make a very young and coltish Mr. Pitt feel comfortable around a somewhat, errrr, demanding Mr. Willis is more than a fine director: he's a miracle worker!
posted by Dizzy at 8:28 AM on January 24, 2008 [1 favorite]
He had a crack team surrounding him--all the crew and especially his A.D. were in perfect synch with his vision; he had done his "homework" (all the pre-production planning) so well, he could afford to focus on his actors.
(Probably helped that he was on pretty heavy painkillers-- he'd fallen off a horse (!?) the week before and had gigantic bruises across his face and body; you could see how much it hurt him to walk...)
This is not meant to impugn what he did, however. Anybody who can make a very young and coltish Mr. Pitt feel comfortable around a somewhat, errrr, demanding Mr. Willis is more than a fine director: he's a miracle worker!
posted by Dizzy at 8:28 AM on January 24, 2008 [1 favorite]
Two great books about Gilliam's struggle to make two of his early films. The Battle of Brazil and Losing the Light. I recommend both if you're into film and a fan of early Gilliam.
posted by notmydesk at 8:28 AM on January 24, 2008
posted by notmydesk at 8:28 AM on January 24, 2008
I love this man's art.
But, He has the worst luck. Hang in there Fella.
Remember the "Time Bandits" Line, "Dead? No excuse for laying off work".
posted by djrock3k at 8:41 AM on January 24, 2008
But, He has the worst luck. Hang in there Fella.
Remember the "Time Bandits" Line, "Dead? No excuse for laying off work".
posted by djrock3k at 8:41 AM on January 24, 2008
I wasn't aware of those books but if you add to them the documentaries Lost in La Mancha and The Hamster Factor then Gilliam has got to be one of the most documented [and unluckiest] directors around.
posted by meech at 8:47 AM on January 24, 2008
posted by meech at 8:47 AM on January 24, 2008
Gilliam on Gilliam is another good read for Gilliam aficionados.
And djrock3k is absolutely right. Watch Lost in La Mancha to see Gilliam's bad luck and the curse of Quixote hit head-on.
posted by Dr-Baa at 8:49 AM on January 24, 2008
And djrock3k is absolutely right. Watch Lost in La Mancha to see Gilliam's bad luck and the curse of Quixote hit head-on.
posted by Dr-Baa at 8:49 AM on January 24, 2008
Gah. I hadn't realized DR. PARNASSUS has *just* started shooting with Heath Ledger.
It's getting to the point that he should pay a voodoo priestess to lift the curse already. I'm still upset that his version of GOOD OMENS never got off the ground. Reading "Dreams" is one of those things that gets my hopes stratospherically high only to have them constantly dashed.
Was I the only one who watched LOST IN LA MANCHA and thought, god, this is someone who needs to raise money on the internet - not those bimbos who beg for people to help pay off their credit cards. Shouldn't he be getting some "Spamalot" bank or something?
posted by Gucky at 8:56 AM on January 24, 2008
It's getting to the point that he should pay a voodoo priestess to lift the curse already. I'm still upset that his version of GOOD OMENS never got off the ground. Reading "Dreams" is one of those things that gets my hopes stratospherically high only to have them constantly dashed.
Was I the only one who watched LOST IN LA MANCHA and thought, god, this is someone who needs to raise money on the internet - not those bimbos who beg for people to help pay off their credit cards. Shouldn't he be getting some "Spamalot" bank or something?
posted by Gucky at 8:56 AM on January 24, 2008
When I saw the Gilliam Film/Heath Ledger connection and then saw that they pulled the plug on production and sent everyone home I couldn't help but think of the Lost in La Mancha debacle.
Ledger ends up dead and Gilliam's film is scrapped yet Tom Cruise lives and MI3 gets made.
I want to see the manager of this place. I don't like how they run things around here.
posted by Sr_Cluba at 10:32 AM on January 24, 2008 [4 favorites]
Ledger ends up dead and Gilliam's film is scrapped yet Tom Cruise lives and MI3 gets made.
I want to see the manager of this place. I don't like how they run things around here.
posted by Sr_Cluba at 10:32 AM on January 24, 2008 [4 favorites]
I love the guy (although I wasn't big on his last thing)... Watching him in Lost in La Mancha nearly broke my heart. The movie business is insane.
posted by chuckdarwin at 10:38 AM on January 24, 2008
posted by chuckdarwin at 10:38 AM on January 24, 2008
I want to see the manager of this place. I don't like how they run things around here.
the manager is the people who buy movie tickets. they buy Tom Cruise's product, they don't buy Gilliam's. it's very simple. if Gilliam's film made half a billion dollar and could sell McDonald's and Starbucks tie-in, he'd be home free, Brad Pitt would replace Ledger, and his film would go on smoothly.
instead.
and frankly, as much as I love -- no, almost fetishize -- Gilliam's work, I find this "bad luck" thing re: Parnassus to be in terrible taste: Gilliam is still alive and (I presume, and hope) healthy. Ledger is, I presume, embalmed, waiting to be flown to Australia to his funeral and his grave.
if you ask me, "bad luck" and all, I'd rather be Gilliam than Ledger.
posted by matteo at 11:00 AM on January 24, 2008
the manager is the people who buy movie tickets. they buy Tom Cruise's product, they don't buy Gilliam's. it's very simple. if Gilliam's film made half a billion dollar and could sell McDonald's and Starbucks tie-in, he'd be home free, Brad Pitt would replace Ledger, and his film would go on smoothly.
instead.
and frankly, as much as I love -- no, almost fetishize -- Gilliam's work, I find this "bad luck" thing re: Parnassus to be in terrible taste: Gilliam is still alive and (I presume, and hope) healthy. Ledger is, I presume, embalmed, waiting to be flown to Australia to his funeral and his grave.
if you ask me, "bad luck" and all, I'd rather be Gilliam than Ledger.
posted by matteo at 11:00 AM on January 24, 2008
if you ask me, "bad luck" and all, I'd rather be Gilliam than Ledger.
Which is to say, you'd rather have considerable amounts of bad luck on a near-daily basis than have one REALLY bad day.
People comment on Gilliam's luck because the man has an established pattern of things falling apart around him. Ledger didn't have that sort of reputation. If I got hit by a bus and killed today, people would probably call it "tragic", but if a bird took a crap on me every time I stepped out the door, they'd call me "unlucky", even though I'd much rather face a daily crap-shower than be hit by a bus.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 1:05 PM on January 24, 2008 [1 favorite]
Which is to say, you'd rather have considerable amounts of bad luck on a near-daily basis than have one REALLY bad day.
People comment on Gilliam's luck because the man has an established pattern of things falling apart around him. Ledger didn't have that sort of reputation. If I got hit by a bus and killed today, people would probably call it "tragic", but if a bird took a crap on me every time I stepped out the door, they'd call me "unlucky", even though I'd much rather face a daily crap-shower than be hit by a bus.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 1:05 PM on January 24, 2008 [1 favorite]
I love Terry Gilliam, not only because watching his animation as a young child is a large factor in my aesthetic and sense of humor to this day, but because his core vision as a storyteller is so essentially humane.
His hero is the big hearted underdog with vision far more rich and grand than life who does everything in he can to act upon that vision with conviction and passion. No matter what ill befalls him or how "crazy" he is perceived to be, he carries on because he knows what he holds in his heart is wonderful. In a sense, Gilliam is the hero of his own life, and because of that, he can never truly fail.
posted by louche mustachio at 4:07 PM on January 24, 2008 [1 favorite]
His hero is the big hearted underdog with vision far more rich and grand than life who does everything in he can to act upon that vision with conviction and passion. No matter what ill befalls him or how "crazy" he is perceived to be, he carries on because he knows what he holds in his heart is wonderful. In a sense, Gilliam is the hero of his own life, and because of that, he can never truly fail.
posted by louche mustachio at 4:07 PM on January 24, 2008 [1 favorite]
Gilliam is the reason I actually pay attention to who's directing a given movie - since I tend to, like most people, place more weight on the actors and the screenplay. But he has a visual style that pulls you in.
The only way I can think to describe it is that in a Gilliam film, you'll see a character who seems quirky and somewhat insane, and you think of them the way the other characters in the movie would. Then, seemingly by magic, by the end of the film you've gone insane with this character. And you realize they're not the insane ones. Everything around them is insane, and they're the only ones with the sense to ask "what the fuck is going on?" or at least try to make it a manageable reality.
Gilliam not only gives these outcasts hope, but perspective. It's that perspective that's really saved my sanity, and if I ever meet the man I'll be sure to give him a solid "thank you".
posted by revmitcz at 5:53 PM on January 24, 2008 [1 favorite]
The only way I can think to describe it is that in a Gilliam film, you'll see a character who seems quirky and somewhat insane, and you think of them the way the other characters in the movie would. Then, seemingly by magic, by the end of the film you've gone insane with this character. And you realize they're not the insane ones. Everything around them is insane, and they're the only ones with the sense to ask "what the fuck is going on?" or at least try to make it a manageable reality.
Gilliam not only gives these outcasts hope, but perspective. It's that perspective that's really saved my sanity, and if I ever meet the man I'll be sure to give him a solid "thank you".
posted by revmitcz at 5:53 PM on January 24, 2008 [1 favorite]
Before even knowing what a Terry Gilliam was, I was 4 or 5 years old, and had the flu and I was up late, and what was on PBS (the only station my parents'd trust their kid with) but Monty Python. I had no idea what I was watching, only that it didn't make sense and I loved it. Then I saw Terry Gilliam's animations, and something changed in my brain that night. Just checking in; will read the links later. Thanks.
posted by not_on_display at 11:06 PM on January 24, 2008
posted by not_on_display at 11:06 PM on January 24, 2008
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posted by psmealey at 8:00 AM on January 24, 2008