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Lost in La Mancha Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 18 Reviews)

felt like giving Gilliam a hug and organizing a fund-raiser FULL SKULL BABY!

to enable him to complete his movie and i don't even like the story of Don Quixote that much! But what very little of the Gilliam's Don Quixote we are able to see of the movie is enough to left one hungry for more (which makes La Mancha worth buying all by itself, really, as even a taste is better than none)... It IS a shame that the movie can not be completed not because it is heatbreaking (which it is) but because proves Gilliam he IS a real visionary and his movie is a real masterpiece and it is everybody's loss that the movie is not completed...

Lost in LA mancha is known for showing the sad and ugly side of movie business but actually it also still manages to show the magic and glamour of it in the dedication and spirit the crew show through out. The project is clearly Gillam's baby, and the way he visions and plans every aspect of it is breathtaking... His chuckle at the "high" points of the production process (which actually was stresful thorough-out) is suprisingly up-lifting and shows an unyielding fighting spirit that throughly enjoys and savours what he is doing no matter what. And the fact that, even at such horrible conditions and such short time the crew and actors were able to work their magic immediately says a lot about their proffessionalism and talent...

Sure La Mancha documents the story of a failure, but it does actually leave the viewer with the feeling that this was not the end but the beginning and somehow, someday Gilliam's Don Quixote will make a legendary come-back... Given he actually managed to bought his script yet, maybe even sooner than later!

But no matter what the faith of Don Quiote is, one thing is certain: La mancha is a must-see for anyone who would call themselves a fan of movies as it is the most sincere, insightful and "real" look into the making of a movie...

Terry Gilliam's fumble FULL SKULL BABY!

This documentary follows Terry Gilliam's failed attempt to make a film based on Cervantes' novel Don Quixote. The film follows the rising wave of disasters that culminate in the canceling of the film only 2 weeks into production.

I think this documentary should be watched by all aspiring filmmakers who can see how bad things can get on a film shoot. There was only one major problem with the film: lack of personal conflict. Everyone who has taken part in a bad shoot knows the amount of back-biting, cover-your-ass, and blame assignment behavior that occurs. Except for a few brief scenes, we don't really see any of this. Whether the cast and crew were on their best behavior while on camera or the documentary filmmakers decided to censor this in editing, these common scenes are noticeably absent.

One interesting opinion I reached while watching the film was that the 1st Assistant Director (1st AD) almost certainly should have been fired. For one, the location scouting was horrendous. Anyone who has ever done location scouting knows that for such a major exterior shot, daily noise pollution and environmental factors should have been checked first hand.

Additionally, when the extras didn't attend their weekend rehearsal (making impossible a shot on the assigned day), the 1st AD had no idea. It strikes the viewer that Terry Gilliam likes the 1st AD and stood by him because the AD was as disorganized as the director. It made me think of the classic line in Spinal Tap: "It's not your job to be as confused as Nigel, is it?"

All in all, an excellent behind the scenes look at an attempt to make a film with a large scope.

Dan Rahmel
Author: "Nuts and Bolts Filmmaking"

future filmmakers beware FULL SKULL BABY!

Terry Gilliam is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most visionistic fimmakers of all-time.With that said it breaks my heart seeing this documentary but am glad i did.It's about gilliams attempt in making The Man Who Killed Don Quixote,a movie that the great Orson Welles made an attempt at as well but also fell victim to 'Acts of God',as this film demonstrates the same.I recommend this to any movie fan as it shows what goes into making a film from post-production on,something i'm sure most people take for granted. As a dreamer of making my own films one day,I also recommend the same dreamers and future film directors to see this as it also shows how much strength,mentally and physically,you need to get into the business.This is not to scare you out of your dream, but to show you what it takes.Johnny Depp is the big name here and you get to see him at work as well.Just the couple of scenes that were filmed of him are funny as hell,which breaks my heart even more knowing that those scenes will never be used else where.Yes it's heart-breaking,but it's also entertaining.I won't go into anymore detail of what happens in this film as you need to see it for yourself.Yet another Gilliam film added to my library.

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