Gilliam on Gilliam (Directors on Directors) (Hardcover)

by Terry Gilliam (Author), Ian Christie (Author, Editor) "What are your earliest memories?..." (more)
Key Phrases: development hell, effects supervisor, New York, Twelve Monkeys, Fisher King (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Terry Gilliam achieved fame as the iconoclastic animator and founder-member of the Monty Python team, and collaborated on the Monty Python film projects before setting off on his own cinema career. He discusses his work in this book, which includes examples of his drawings and storyboards.

About the Author
Ian Christie is the co-editor of Scorsese on Scorsese and the author of Arrows of Desire: The Films of Powell and Pressburger.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 294 pages
• Publisher: Faber & Faber (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0571191908
• ISBN-13: 978-0571191901
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #420,056 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, flawed, and funny, February 15, 2000

By	Paul Kedrosky (Vancouver, BC Canada) - See all my reviews

As someone said on the back cover (neatly stealing my idea), Gilliam on Gilliam is like something Phillip Dick might have written. It is paranoid, neurotic, nutty, and fascinating look at filmmaker Terry Gilliam.

It is, truly, Gilliam on Gilliam, with the book in total an interview with the filmmaker. Gilliam talks about the battle for Brazil, his frustrations in the early Python films (was was stigmatized as the arty image guy), and his intricate intentions in later films.

Most interesting to me, other than how it reminded me of how much of his films, sadly, I had forgotten, was how much visual work he puts into his films. That is relatively clear from screen, but even more apparent after you read through this book.

Equally interesting to the biz geek in me was reading Terry's pitched battle for budget credibility. After having budget troubles on two films (Brazil and Baron Munchausen), Gilliam had a financial scarlet letter to sport and it has been tough for him to convince the studios that he is not a risky budgetary bet. Hard to believe that such a prolific and successful filmmaker could still be auditioning, but there it is.

Anyway, an interesting and informative book. Not for those who are mildly interested, but a treat for Gilliam geeks who want the inside skinny on everything from De Niro's bizarre behavior in Brazil, to the casting of Jon Pryce, to underlying mythic chain operating in The Fisher King.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great! (For Gilliam fans, that is...), April 11, 2001

By	Pedro Pontes "pulpman2" (Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil) - See all my reviews

If you happen to be a Terry Gilliam fan, you have to read this. If you don't happen to be a Gilliam fan, but are an aspiring filmmaker, this is an invaluable source of insight. Hell, there are many pros who should read this!

Reading these interviews puts you inside the creative mind of a filmmaking genius (yes, I dare say that). There's a reason for everything that's on the screen, and one understands that Gilliam's knack for weirdness is a little more than that... there's more to his filmmaking virtuosism (wild camera angles and moves) than there is when they make it in your average Nike comercial. If you wanna know what I mean, well, read the book.

Also, I don't recommend this much to Python fans. Certainly, a good part of it talks about the Python days, but it doesn't talk about their creative process much - it's more about the making of the films and Gilliam's animations.

4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gilliam is just Gilliam, May 15, 1999

By A Customer

One of the most interesting director that the world of cinema give to us. This book it's an insight view, a dive in the mind of the visual art of Terry Gilliam. If you are a fan of his work this book it's kind of a Bible and if you are not a fan, this book will open your mind to one of the more magical directors in the history of this art.