Terry Gilliam has established himsef as one of the movie world's most inventive and visionary filmmakers. A veteran of the famous British comedy troupe Monty Python, Gilliam is well known for his outrageous animation work for the group. His cartoons have often been cited as a sort of preview of his own unique filmmaking style. But his work as a director of visually stunning, thought-provoking films has long since eclipsed his output during the Monty Python days. As Michael Wilmington remarked in the Chicago Tribune, "Wild, lavis, bursting at the seams, set in outrageously cluttered worlds where past, present and future seem to crisscross delightfully, Gilliam's films look like nobody else's." Indeed, Gilliam's cinematic efforts, which include Time Bandits, Brazil, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The Fisher King, and 12 Monkeys, all bear the unmistakable stamp of a man fascated by mythology, contemporary society, and spectacular--if often nightmarish--imagery.

Gilliam...