Film

‘My hard-won advice: never get into an elevator alone with Terry Gilliam’

Actor Ellen Barkin hits out at the film director who said the anti-sexual violence #MeToo campaign is creating a ‘world of victims’

British film director Terry Gilliam said in an interview that women who met up with Harvey Weinstein ‘knew what they were doing’. File photograph: Stephane De Sakutin/AFP/Getty

Tue Mar 20 2018 - 08:18

Actor Ellen Barkin has hit out at Terry Gilliam after leading criticism of the director and former Monty Python member's "mob rule" comments on the #MeToo campaign.

Barkin, who acted in Gilliam's 1998 movie Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, stated: "My hard won advice: never get into an elevator alone with Terry Gilliam."

Gilliam had triggered a backlash after an interview in which he described #MeToo as creating “a world of victims” and that women who met up with Harvey Weinstein “knew what they were doing”.

“Harvey opened the door for a few people, a night with Harvey - that’s the price you pay.”

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He added: “It’s like when mob rule takes over, the mob is out there, they are carrying their torches and they are going to burn down Frankenstein’s castle. It’s crazy how simplified things are becoming.”

Gilliam's comments sparked an immediate backlash, with the writer and director Judd Apatow tweeting that they were "idiotic and dangerous", while Barkin posted: "Terry Gilliam, you talk too much."

Gilliam’s representatives have not yet responded to a request for comment.

Actress Asia Argento has also slammed Monty Python star Gilliam.

The Italian actress and filmmaker, herself a Harvey Weinstein accuser, said she was “disgusted” by the Monty Python member’s controversial remarks.

Argento — who was one of the first actresses to go public with her Weinstein allegations — wrote on Twitter: “Angered, disgusted by Terry Gilliam’s views on #metoo.”

She revealed the pair shared the same director of photography, Nicola Pecorini, adding: "I hope Gilliam hasn't forgotten how Weinstein hated Nicola's cinematography (he considered it too dark) and how the monster subsequently fired him.

She added: “Gilliam went on shooting his shit.”

“Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty,” she added in another post.

In October, Argento alleged she was assaulted by Weinstein while working on the 1998 film B Monkey.

The film was distributed by Miramax, a company co-founded by Weinstein.

Weinstein has “unequivocally denied” all allegations of non-consensual sex.

Earlier, director Judd Apatow labelled Gilliam’s comments “idiotic and dangerous”.

“He wasn’t in those rooms. He doesn’t know how aggressive and violent and terrifying he (Weinstein) was. Who is he to say it was some sort of offered deal? He should be ashamed of himself,” Apatow wrote on Twitter.

“I think Terry Gilliam is spewing nonsense. These were not transactions.

“His comments about that aspect of this are shameful,” Apatow added.

Comedian Sarah Silverman and actor Kim Sherrell also criticised Gilliam with the former calling for him to understand empathy.

“Terry Gilliam may wanna turn those feelings of fear & uncertainty he’s getting from #metoo/#timesup and realize ”Ohh this is how life has been for THEM til now... huh. Wow. Damn.“ See? Now it’s empathy,” Silverman wrote on Twitter.

Sherrell labelled Gilliam “insensitive” and accused him of “ruining Monty Python forever”. –Guardian and PA

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