Welcome to the Weekly Movie Thread, your place on the Avocado to discuss films with your fellow commenters. Want to make a recommendation? Looking for recommendations? Want to share your opinions of movies, both new and classic?
This year, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the beloved Terry Gilliam short film, The Crimson Permanent Assurance.
This short film had originally meant to be an animate segment in the film that follows directly after it, Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. Gilliam, however, convinced the other members to have it set apart from the film. He thought the way he would end up directing the segment to be a poor fit. It was longer, and it was going to use a different style of cinematography. Shoot, if you pull up a Youtube comment section, you will find people claiming this is not a Monty Python bit.. not realizing that the Pythons themselves appear as the besuited execs of the Very Big Corporation of America.
Gilliam got his wish, and he made his short film about elderly accountants taking on hotshot 80’s Wall Street whippersnappers and turning their firm into a pirate ship.
Of course, that little film couldn’t contain the Crimson Permanent Assurance and these pirates end up invading the main film in one segment. One that reveals people aren’t wearing enough hats.
Terry Gilliam went on to direct movies on schedule and under budget… or so it would have been… if certain theories about artistic license hadn’t been so disastrously wrong.
Today’s bonus prompt:what is your favorite short film?