- published: 06 Nov 2015
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Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam ( /ˈɡɪliəm/; born 22 November 1940) is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil (1985), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), The Fisher King (1991), 12 Monkeys (1995), and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998). The only "Python" not born in Britain, he took British citizenship in 1968.
Gilliam was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Beatrice (née Vance) and James Hall Gilliam, who was a traveling salesman for Folgers before becoming a carpenter. Soon after, they moved to the nearby Medicine Lake.
The family moved to Panorama City, California, in 1952. Gilliam attended Birmingham High School where he was class president and senior prom King, was voted "Most Likely to Succeed", and achieved straight A's. During high school, he began to avidly read Mad magazine, which was then edited by Harvey Kurtzman; this later influenced his work.
Actors: Stephen Fry (actor), Steve Punt (actor), Steve Punt (actor), Steve Punt (actor), Steve Punt (actor), Steve Punt (actor), Michael Cochrane (actor), Simon Greenall (actor), James Laurenson (actor), Simon Greenall (actor), Rupert Vansittart (actor), Mark Heap (actor), Alex Macqueen (actor), Jane Jackson (miscellaneous crew), Geoffrey McGivern (actor),
Plot: In 1979 the Monty Python comedy team return from making their film 'Monty Python's Life of Brian' in Tunisia. Premiered in America the film is pilloried by ultra-right religious groups for its depiction of Christ. In England the Popular Peoples' Church of St Sophia (whose members include a Tourette's sufferer who shouts out swear words) find a copy of the script in a dustbin and lobby the British censor for its suppression, leading to many local councils banning its screening. Death threats follow and Michael Palin - "the nicest man in Britain" - has his effigy burned on his front lawn. Finally crazed TV programmer Alan Dick persuades Palin and co-star John Cleese to defend the picture on a late night chat show against the Bishop of Southwark and religious commentator Malcolm Muggeridge. Thanks to Cleese's reasoning the Pythons are seen to triumph, winning over the Popular Peoples' Church. A later encounter with God will show how the film's controversy paved the way for other artistic endeavours which prompted protest. Brilliant characterisations are vitiated by a satirical 'treatment' including animated sequences and irritating attempts at surreal wit when a documentary style treatment would have sufficed. Several of the Pythons were hostile to the film, summed up in the floor manager's comment. "Another fantasy sequence...lame".
Keywords: 1970s, banned-film, blasphemy, censorship, christian-fundamentalism, christian-sect, christianity, england-uk, film-censorship, great-britain