Terry Gilliam Discusses Taking On Hollywood | The Dick Cavett Show

Terry Gilliam talks about the reason he left Hollywood, losing creative control and his feud with Sid Sheinberg over his 1985 classic film, 'Brazil'.
Date aired - September 20, 1991 - Terry Gilliam
#TerryGilliam #MontyPython #DickCavett
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Dick Cavett has been nominated for eleven Emmy awards (the most recent in 2012 for the HBO special, Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again), and won three. Spanning five decades, Dick Cavett’s television career has defined excellence in the interview format. He started at ABC in 1968, and also enjoyed success on PBS, USA, and CNBC.
His most recent television successes were the September 2014 PBS special, Dick Cavett’s Watergate, followed April 2015 by Dick Cavett’s Vietnam. He has appeared in movies, tv specials, tv commercials, and several Broadway plays. He starred in an off-Broadway production ofHellman v. McCarthy in 2014 and reprised the role at Theatre 40 in LA February 2015.
Cavett has published four books beginning with Cavett (1974) and Eye on Cavett (1983), co-authored with Christopher Porterfield. His two recent books -- Talk Show: Confrontations, Pointed Commentary, and Off-Screen Secrets (2010) and Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic moments, and Assorted Hijinks(October 2014) are both collections of his online opinion column, written for The New York Times since 2007. Additionally, he has written for The New Yorker, TV Guide, Vanity Fair, and elsewhere.
#thedickcavettshow

[@TechnicJunglist]

I adore Gilliam. He's a man of integrity & fights for his vision. Brilliant man.

[@gringochucha]

Regardless of whether you like his films (and I do), Terry Gilliam is a hero of filmmaking and creative expression.

[@cooterswift916]

Yeah but he hates black people

[@gringochucha]

@@cooterswift916 Does he now?

[@zingzangspillip1]

He had some rather unfortunate and derogatory things to say about Black Panther.

[@frankrogers2968]

@@zingzangspillip1 So if you don't like Black Panther then you don't like Black people?

[@zingzangspillip1]

I didn't say that. I love Terry and I usually agree with him, but his comments about Black Panther were unfair and mostly incorrect.

[@nerdbot4629]

Him and Tarantino are the most enthusiastic filmmakers ever

[@gabrielp9646]

Tarantino was a student of Terry Gilliam.

[@7trumpets608]

They worship Satan.

[@HoriaNeagu]

Don't forget Orson Welles!

[@angieando3376]

Brilliant man… I admire his wild imagination and artistic skills… he no longer considers himself an American, he moved to England decades ago!

[@0Imtheslime0]

Gilliam is a mad genius..

[@TechnicJunglist]

I wish we got a collab w him & Kubrick.

[@scentline]

What a class! You don’t see this kind of sophticated humor and deep culture anymore from comic TV talk shows today.

[@tinderbox218]

One of my all-time favorite human beings. Sitting with one of the best interviewers.

[@HardRockMiner]

Terry is a genius. Watch any Monty Python or Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and tell me you think I'm wrong.

[@iododendron3416]

I'd rather watch Fisher King and agree with you.

[@HoldenNY22]

I really liked 12 Monkeys.

[@andrewherbert8125]

3:14 spots button...4:41 kills button...7:47 body of button handed over...what a trilogy

[@jaegermah]

This guys amazing. Didn’t know who he was, but damn glad I clicked this.

[@malenotyalc]

He was one of the original Monty Python (British show started in 1969, but damn if it still isn't funny today). 12 Monkeys (1995), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) are two of my favorite films he directed.

[@fourlightsorchestra]

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and the Fisher king are two of my favorites from him. 12 Monkeys and Fear and loathing are also incredible. Saw those both in the theater when they came out. His style is this great blend of low brow pop culture and real art. The dude makes fantastic pictures.

[@LambClone]

Dick Cavett and Terry Gilliam. My favourite interviewer, and my favourite all round creative :)

[@pbrsteve5974]

The happy ending version of Brazil completely negates the entire meaning behind the film. Glad the intended ending is intact.

[@gringochucha]

@Richard Gleaves Interesting. I’ve never seen the phony cut, but that does make sense in a twisted, “Brazilian” way.

[@MarkLipka]

*How can I know for sure WHICH version of Brazil I've seen?*

[@RFC3514]

Terry Gilliam, winner of the Golden Button Award.

[@gart9680]

The Fisher King, for me, is up there with his best.

[@Gabrielecgomes1]

Early 90's Dick Cavett was the best Dick Cavett, these interviews are so funny lol

[@dmontes133]

Gilliam is brilliant and original. We need that desperately now days, in the world of ripoffs.

[@ruly8153]

I love how his movies all have great posters. Just looking up Terry Gilliam movies and looking at all of them you can tell he’s a special director

[@ruly8153]

When it comes to personality and spirit.... no one can challenge Terry Gilliam

[@PRR5406]

An American genius filmmaker, loved everywhere except America. A man who lives what he morally believes.

[@StephanieJ777]

Dick Cavett is such a babe. ❤️🍀

[@ResistanceQuest]

Great little moment

[@Deepurplerain]

Time and budget aren't big enough for Gilliam but even the little we witness is brillant

[@hypercomms2001]

Living in London, Terry Gilliam, like Stanley Kubrick, has found a place as far away as possible from Hollywood as one could get...

[@brettrosen8628]

I love the movie Brazil

[@Isayonelove]

It's a shame they wouldn't know the value of these tapings in the internet age, they might've kept the tape running and just talked... and talked... and talked...

[@gardensofthegods]

@islanti Yeah , Dick Cavett was really good with people... he made them feel calm and didn't make them feel rushed... he didn't usually interrupt and was able to get them to open up .

[@hippiecheezburger5457]

I think a film like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a masterpiece even if it’s a bit underrated and cult status, I think he captured Thompson’s gonzo journalism perfectly

[@DerAykac]

That movie is´t underrated at all.

[@Conn30Mtenor]

Guys like Gilliam create art. Hollywood is only capable of churning out sequels and superhero CGI schlock.

[@panzram31614]

Fear and Loathing in Tinseltown...

[@liammcooper]

"I made a little film called Brazil" proceeds to be a 4 hour long sprawling dystopic epic. I'd be curious to see what he considers a 'big' film

[@theodorerooseveltsantlers270]

When comedians and talk-show hosts weren't part of the establishment.

[@benbleed]

THE COMFY CHAAAAIR???!!!!

[@iododendron3416]

Cardinal Fang surely has changed.

[@malenotyalc]

Nobody expects the SPANISH INQUISITION!

[@johnnybgoodeish]

For any cinematographer, every Gilliam film is required watching; for almost every Hollywood blockbuster, they are immediately forgettable.

[@richardburnett-_]

Better now than ever.

[@terrysimpson3681]

Holy cow !. The things he was saying about Hollywood are a lot worse now....Some. Not all. They are so easily assimilated over time. Manipulated ....

[@tempestfury8324]

Truth! When Brazil was released in the US, my older brother said it's playing at a small theatre in Berkeley. So we went. Like most Gilliam films...I loved it! It's like how early Japanese anime was castigated into the midnight movie or Creature Features or the "independent" rascals of film. And Hollywood hated it! Terry Gilliam fought the dungeon boss Hollywood. It's not unlike a businessman rocking the boat of lifelong US politicians by becoming President.

[@truefreedom9308]

seems like a cool guy

[@zerpblerd5966]

The Fisher King Baron Munchausen Brazil masterpieces

[@ManInTheBigHat]

Valentina Cortese just died in July 2019.

[@chronosschiron]

she saw this lol

[@lynchmaleideal]

Kris B This interview was 1991.

[@tarnopol]

I can't say that you have to be this confrontational to get a film done in Hollywood, but it helps! :)

[@MichaelColombo]

The white socks distracted me way more than the button.

[@geoff3103]

Sid def could've used Ned Tanen in this situation!

[@fungames1594]

Dolemite actually made movies on his own, then later Hollywood came to him to make money. He is the trendsetter.

[@acchaladka]

I always assumed Terry G was English or British, yet his accent...where is he from? I know nothing it seems.

[@brainsareus]

He's American. The only Python guy who was not a Brit.

[@gardensofthegods]

He's originally from Minneapolis . I know it's kind of mind-blowing when you realize he's an American... there's a very good documentary that talks a little bit about each member of Monty Python from birth and educate and everything that happened before they became Monty Python.

[@gardensofthegods]

I can't think of the name of it but there's a very good documentary that talks about each member of Monty Python and tells briefly of their childhood ... it's very good and tells everything about before they were Monty Python... I just can't think of what it's called but it should not be hard to find here

[@gardensofthegods]

I wonder if he somehow jinxed himself , he hasn't had much luck with some of his films in the past few years . Anyway he looks like he would be a really fun person to know

[@malenotyalc]

Well he's 79 years old. Be 79 and tell us you put out a film the previous year (2018) and then talk ;)

[@gardensofthegods]

@@malenotyalc yes I know he's getting up there in age I'm just making a simple statement it seems that for quite some time now he has been having problems .

[@gardensofthegods]

@@malenotyalc personally I like the guy ..I have always liked him but I just think he did somehow Jinx himself .

[@malenotyalc]

Well the way I see it most creative people like him get bored doing the same thing over and over. Thus, unlike a person that is motivated by greed or fame, rather than artistic satisfaction, he doesn't say oh that particular movie did really well, lets do another just like it. Instead, I'm sure tons of executives approach him wanting him to do similar movies (that were successes) that are more commercially viable, and he says no.

[@malenotyalc]

Also garden of the gods is a cool place in Colorado Springs that everyone should check out ;) Went there as a 5 year old and then in my 20s - still amazing.

[@thebaronpaddington6068]

hi-gate for the love of God!

[@doyoumind9356]

Heygate is Walworth area

[@Sangria]

You can now add ...Taking On (BLACK) Hollywood...

[@steveconn]

Brazil was overrated. Time Bandits was his masterpiece; a hundred times the imagination of Star Wars and a fraction the publicity.

[@TheBestCommenterEVER]

I would say his masterpiece is The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. I would say that's the most magical film I've ever seen in my life.

[@aaronstark5060]

I think Brazil deserved every bit of praise that has ever been heaped on it.

[@bornin6473]

I saw Brazil when it came out and it was ignored so much I was lucky to even know it existed. On the way out afterwards I locked eyes with a stranger on the way out and we nodded to each other as if we'd just experienced something life-changing. We'd still say hi on the street if we saw each other later. How many films do that?

[@alphabetaxenonzzzcat]

Yeah - tend to agree that Brazil is overrated. I think because of the controversy over how it was tampered with by the studio - that's where all the hype and praise mostly comes from. I actually think 12 monkeys is his best film.

[@Gannooch]

have nothing against the other celebs that were on this show but is this channel ever going to show the Dick Cavett shows where he interviews Jackie Gleason or Art Carney? How about any Honeymooners actors that were part of the main cast? These are rarities much like these.

[@ccatalano4236]

No idea who Terry Gilliam is but his face kind of reminds me of the late, great Glen Campbell.

[@steveconn]

Vastly more talented than Glen Campbell. Directed Time Bandits, Twelve Monkeys, Dr. Parnassus, etc.

[@Rangernewb5550]

One of the founders of Monty Python

[@ccatalano4236]

@@steveconn You must be kidding. Nothing against Monty Python (English humor has never been my cup of tea -- OTOH, I absolutely adore Jewish humor) or those movies but your "vastly more talented" statement is nothing less than absurd. I can only speculate that you're ignorant of the incredible instrumental, vocal and even acting talents that Glen Campbell possessed.

[@ccatalano4236]

@@Rangernewb5550 Thanks P.S. Trivia: Did you know that "Jack Ryan" was actor "Jack Lord's" real name? LOL

[@bencummings5304]

@@ccatalano4236 Terry Gilliam cannot sing, write songs and play guitar. He can animated, draw and direct with the best though, and is far better than Glen Cambell at doing that.

[@panderson9561]

I had no idea Terry Gilliam directed that movie, until now.

[@thefakenewsnetwork8072]

Long live communism and eugenics

[@daniel3030ha]

Cocaine is one hell of a drug

[@bornin6473]

TG was never into drugs! He's into creativity. He doesn't use drugs and that's why he's still creative today, not burnt out.

[@jefferyjones3277]

Kinda crazy when you grow up watching his movies and then he says black kids shouldn’t feel inspired by something positive. And I’m black. That def hurt.

[@sznd]

They will always let you down so you should never look up to them

[@analyticalmindset]

Never trust me. You can be cordial , but always be on your toes

[@zoetropeguardian]

I just read what he said as I missed it. I do feel he expressed his points quite poorly as he didn't come across as clear as he should have. How I took it though is I think what he meant was more in line with that it's a Marvel movie. Marvel movies have usually followed a very strict formula that works because of it. It's easy to guess what's going to happen and you know you're in for a safe controlled experience. For someone like him Marvel movies feel like the antithesis of what he tries to do in his work of doing a different experience every time out. You never know what you're going to get. You see it a lot with Star Wars these days. Just because they have stormtroopers and x-wings all of the time now doesn't automatically make it Star Wars. These things were very personal for George Lucas who created it but now they're being used in a way that takes away the original intentions. So the artistic merit behind it is loss. It's like what Martin Scorsese said but Terry explained worse. That all said I do think on a personal level what Black Panther set out to do was a good thing. It's one of the few Marvel movies I feel that had a more noble intention than the rest. It's very important to give everyone a chance to tell their story. Black stories need to be told just like everyone else's. Especially black superhero stories as while there have been ones in the past the genre has been more dominated on the big screen by white people. There's no way around that. I can see why Terry would take issue since it seems to be more so issues with Marvel as a whole and how it's been used to take artistic vision out of the equation. It's rare to see it used any differently these days. I think sometimes you have to take a work for what it is and not necessarily group them all together. Not all Marvel movies will be the same and I think Black Panther is one of the few exceptions. Maybe one of only two others. It's so great it gave a geninue platform and will inspire young black boys and girls. This compared to stories that replace different races instead of giving stories like a Black Panther or Spike Lee film the platform are day and night different. Every story deserves to be told regardless of race and why sincerity is so important.