The Fisher King (1991)

Damn it. Robin Williams is dead. When I heard the awful news, I knew “The Fisher King” was the first film I wanted to watch, honoring the man. This is his greatest performance as Parry, a former academic who suffers a mental collapse after the murder of his wife, and lives homeless on the New York streets. The unstable gunman was set off by a shock jock radio host (Jeff Bridges) who decries yuppies on air, but lives in a NYC flat as lifeless as the moon. The main action of Terry Gilliam’s pitch-black drama/comedy takes place three years after when Parry saves Jack from suicide. Jack, realizing Parry’s downfall, commits to “saving” Parry. Serving his own ego. Dig the 15-minute midsection where Parry –- taken in by Jack -- woos his dream woman (Amanda Plummer) at dinner then walks her home, only to suffer a breakdown, pleading, “Let me have this,” to his demons. What follows is Williams’ finest moment. Also dig Williams’ perfectly told tale of a lonely, turmoil-stricken king. It’s a heartbreaking moment that now ought to leave any person in tears. Bridges, in the lead role, is excellent as always. A full daft feast. A

Tideland (2006)

Even before the depraved fantasy drama “Tideland” begins, director/co-writer/ex-Python Terry Gilliam appears on screen to warn his audience: “This is a rough film. It deals with a child in terrible situations. You probably will hate it.” How prophetic. Here, a young girl is shoved through a ringer so demoralizing it makes the “Saw” films seem quaint. I stopped the movie four times, only willing to continue for hope of a silver lining. In a theater I would have walked out. And I dig dark films of all stripes. But not this+

The film begins with 9-year-old Jeliza-Rose (Jodelle Ferland) cooking heroin fixes in the kitchen for her junkie parents, a tepid rock star (Jeff Bridges) and a shrieking Courtney Love freak (Jennifer Tilly). Mom dies. Father and daughter flee for the farm house where he was raised. Then dad ODs, and rots in a chair. Jeliza-Rose idles her lonely time playing with four severed dolls heads that talk to her. Are the voices her imagination, or the beginning of schizophrenia? We never know.

Our girl is not alone for long. A second abusive, shrieking woman (Janet McTeer) appears, dressed all in black. She dumps more misery on Jeliza-Rose, who is so desperate for attention and oblivious of abuse that she laps it up. Had enough? Gilliam is not through yet. (The movie is based on a novel of the same name.)

McTeer’s Wicked Witch embalms the father for Jeliza-Rose to cuddle with, and the woman has a mentally disabled adult brother (Brendan Fletcher) who takes a liking to Jeliza-Rose. The girl, age 9, laps up this attention, too. Yes, Gilliam goes there. Our young girl and her adult buddy become “kissy buddies.” When he straddles her in bed, and they play tongue flicks --- that was the third time I stopped the film. The fourth time: McTeer physically attacks the girl. If you add in Ferland’s elementary Miss Scahlett accent, I had a fifth reason to quit watching.

Gilliam is a twisted master of the outlandish macabre, be they brilliant (“Brazil”) or failed (“The Brothers Grimm),” but here, he’s just a twisted fuck. He thinks he’s entertaining us with deep childhood angst, oddball special effects, swooshing cameras and his over-acting cast. Gilliam insists his film is brave and artistic because it’s “from a child’s innocent perspective.” Bullshit. He’s an adult, and he should know better. “Tideland” wallows in child-endangering filth, and serves up talking squirrels as a joke. F

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (2009)

The most shocking scene of Terry Gilliam’s dark, nightmarish “let’s make a deal” film comes early: Heath Ledger is first seen hanging by his neck from a bridge during a miserable London night. Nearly two years after his death, Ledger’s mere presence still inspires awe. But, here, it’s for all the wrong reasons. Ledger plays Tony, a man with apparent amnesia found in his awful state by the daughter (Lily Cole) and employee (Andrew Garfield) of the centuries-old, traveling storyteller Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer). The group’s find is lucky, as Tony provides a boost to their business, centuries past its expiration date. Hounding the group is Mr. Nick (Tom Waits), Satan himself, who’s the card dealer to the not-so-good doctor’s addiction to betting. The film, like any Gilliam treat, is a wondrous shifting, warping Rubik’s Cube. Yet, Ledger died mid-production, so in the alternate world scenes, his Tony is played by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. Fascinating concept, but hurtful. As tragedy smashes down (happy endings are not guaranteed), the film loses dramatic payoff as the final Tony just isn’t the Tony we've come to love. It isn't Ledger. B

Brazil (1985)

"Brazil" is George Orwell to the max, with sickly twisted Monty Python humor and a shocking bit of violence, smash-mixed for an extra sharp jab at a futuristic life under a corporate/government microscope. It is the hands-down best Terry Gilliam time warp/mind screw, and the man likes to screw with minds. Jonathan Pryce is the hero -- a cubicle cog battling and yet loyal to his incompetent boss (Ian Holm) and his rich mother (Katherine Helmond) -- who finds himself falling in love with (or is stalking) a beautiful woman (Kim Geist) who may be a terrorist. The supporting cast includes Jim Broadbent, Robert De Niro, Michael Palin, and a creepy/funny Bob Hoskins. The film is a delirious and literal fever dream, where fantasy sequences meld into the "reality" going on in the mad world where all is gray, and life is one paperwork form after the other, and the world is soulless. If Gilliam's long 140-odd minute version is a mess (repetition, scenes that dead end) under certain viewing, it's a fuckin' brilliant one. A masterpiece, even. A

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Watching "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" for the third time in one week, maybe a few dozen times over all, it makes one want to repeal every "A+" I've given to 99 percent of the films I've ever reviewed. Essentially, this film is a gift from God, or maybe the Dark One from downstairs.

The perfect comedy (OK, the original "The Producers" is my ultimate favorite comedy, but still), "Holy Grail" is the Python's crowning achievement of absolute absurd humor. Forget plot details or character round ups, the film's title says it all. From the opening scene of King Arthur and Patsy not riding on horses as they gallop toward a castle, it's an absolute hysterical satire that rips England's and all WASP's eternal love affair with themselves.

The Pythons, with Michael Palin and Graham Chapman as the stand outs, wreck havoc all that is holy, and they deserve halos and wings for it. It's not for everyone's taste, either you love Python, or you don't. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't. (My wife hates it, but I still love her.)

A favorite scene? I can't say. I change my mind every time I watch it, but the king/gay son/dumb guards wedding fiasco, complete with a mass murdering John Cleese, leaves me in tears every time. An absolute classic, if it's possible to wear out a DVD, I'll do it to this one. Oh, and the irrelevant animation by Terry Gilliam -- it's still not topped as far as imagination and giddy fun. A+