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Biogilliamography

There are few people on this planet who are truly original. One of them is Terry Gilliam.

In the book "Dark Knights and Holy Fools: The Art and Films of Terry Gilliam," author Bob McCabe tries to capture the story of Gilliam's inventive career, exemplified by his cut-out animation on Monty Python's Flying Circus and his Academy Award-nominated films.

The result is somewhat like a coffee mug made out of ice - it looks nice, but isn't very effective.

The pictures in the book are plentiful, spanning almost every aspect of Gilliam's work. From his early work as a struggling artist in New York to the literal "lounge lizard" effect in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," this book is packed with vivid, full-color pictures on every page. Many pictures have not been seen before, as they are from Gilliam's own personal collection.

However, the glaring problem with the images results from the lack of explanatory information.

For example, a Monty Python fan could deduce that the sketched doctor's outfit is related to the film "Brazil." However, without a caption, the meaning of the sketch could be misinterpreted.

Nevertheless, the content of the book provides poignant information - particularly the interviews with Gilliam on each of his films. Gilliam comments on his movie "The Fisher King," which was his first film without Monty Python.

"I finally grew up," he said. "I became a real boy."

The book also presents information and comment on other works that Gilliam is interested in making, but have yet to get off the ground. In addition to "Don Quixote," Gilliam is interested in making his film version of "A Tale of Two Cities," and a

sequel to "Time Bandits."

Despite the informative interviews and artwork,"Dark Knights and Holy Fools" lacks in one important area - a filmography of completed works.

McCabe wrote that the material is covered better elsewhere, but it reads more like a summary than in-depth information. For instance, the well-publicized "Brazil" conflict between Gilliam and Universal Studios is mentioned, but not fully explored.

Unfortunately for those interested in his Monty Python work, the book barely touches on the subject.

This book gives a good overview of Gilliam's work, which is great for anyone unfamiliar with him, and offers a feast of great pictorial accompaniment.

However, a true Gilliam fanatic hungers for every bit of morsel on this master of media and is going to be left famished.