Terry Gilliam on Monty Python's Personal Bests

Taking in everything from Tideland to his experiences with the Weinstein brothers, the American Python talks candidly about his career

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You'll hear him before you see him - there's no mistaking that infectious, lunatic giggle. What never comes across in printed interviews is just how much laughter attends any conversation with Falstaffian cult director Terry Gilliam, Hollywood's perennial fall guy, unbroken optimist, honorary Brit, all-round good egg. So you'll just have to imagine it. With the release of Monty Python's Personal Best boxset, he granted channel4.com/film an exclusive and characteristically candid interview, on subjects ranging from Python to 2006's challenging Tideland and his most recent bete noirs, the "monstrous" Weinstein brothers.

Any particular favourites among your Personal Bests?
I always liked the 'Black Spot' - this was censored by the BBC. A prince has a black spot on his face and later dies of cancer. The spot goes off and falls in love with another black spot and then moves into a nice neighbourhood, full of little black spots. But their neighbours, the white spots, clearly don't like them. I thought that was quite a sweet one.

One of my favourites is the one with the unseen ambulance, whose siren echoes round the hills until it finally bursts into shot and ker-splats someone.
That's a fairly silly one. I agree, I quite like it because it's all about timing - a lot of timing and very little animation!

Talking about censorship, were there any other animations that fell under the spotlight?
Yes, someone's having trouble with their telephone line, and we cut to a repairman up a telegraph pole. Then the camera pulls back and we realise it's one of several crosses - and the crucifixion is taking place.

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