'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus' Whaddup?

Mother of God ! Is THIS the END of Gilliam?!

( sounds of gunfire)

He lost it awhile ago.

FEAR & LOATHING and BRAZIL are two films I love, but... he has lost it.

TIDELAND was hands-down the most maddening and one of the most offensive films I've ever seen, and barely anything offends me. I've never hated a film that much.

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No matter what has happened or may in the future, THE FISHER KING is one of my favorite movies.

With Don Quixote, The Brothers Grimm and Tideland, Gilliam's been out of it for over a decade.

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I think he gets the heir to Stanley Kubrick award, though. It is possible to be too smart/obsessive to make relate-able movies.

Kubrick HIMSELF gave the "mantle" to Paul Thomas Anderson after having seen MAGNOLIA. PTA firmly established himself shortly thereafter with THERE WILL BE BLOOD, an outright homage to Kubrick (particularly the last scene).

I really don't think Gilliam is in the same league. Or anywhere near it.

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P.S. Robert Altman also gave PTA this distinct honor. You know you're good if Kubrick and Altman praise you above all others.

He was on the set for months during EYES WIDE SHUT and Kubrick told Cruise he must work with this "genius" which is why Cruise agreed to take a supporting role in MAGNOLIA (remember, this was when Cruise was king of the lalaland). PTA recounts the story a few places, I believe the Director's Commentary for BOOGIE NIGHTS and also the documentary on MAGNOLIA. I doubt he actually has ever said outright that he is Kubrick's heir, but besides Spielberg and Lynch who were really his contemporaries, Kubrick never allowed another director to observe him on set like he did PTA and PTA made TWBB for Kubrick, though he had long since passed.

Also, Kubrick left PTA the NAPOLEON script and research materials in his will and if you know anything about Kubrick's later career you know how big of a deal that is and true confirmation of the PTA/Kubrick legacy.

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Updated On: 12/21/09 at 12:00 PM

Oh, pish-posh. In 100 years they will talk about THERE WILL BE BLOOD like we talk about BARRY LYNDON and BOOGIE NIGHTS like we talk about NASHVILLE.

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Pish posh indeed. They'll only talk about MAGNOLIA like we talk about NASHVILLE if there's such a colossal erosion of audience intelligence that IDIOCRACY will be viewed as a documentary.

Granted, THERE WILL BE BLOOD is a brilliant film, the best of the decade, and there's nothing in Anderson's filmography up to that point to indicate that he had it in him to create it. The vile BOOGIE NIGHTS and the bloated Altman knockoff MAGNOLIA aren't exactly indicators of talent.

And yes, Joe, people talk about BARRY LYNDON when they wish to discuss great films.

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I can't blame anyone for having a hard time with BARRY LYNDON. The very slow pace can be a turn off. But I always find that if I just relax and let it take me where it wants to take me I'm always blown away by it.

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