18. Terry Gilliam (1940 - )
American-born Terry Gilliam was officially naturalized as a British citizen, thus making his inclusion in this list pretty much a given. Though not as quintessentially British as some of the other characters on this roaster, Gilliam's cinematic creative imagination can perhaps only be matched by the poor devil's bad luck when it comes to the production of his movies. Whether it's studios giving him migraines over his finished product, actors dying untimely deaths right in the middle of production or just your usual natural disaster destroying his sets, legend has it that Terry Gilliam might be cursed. And so the films he has been able to deliver, be they successful or not, have always been a cinematic event. Starting off with the Monty Python crew, directing one of the greatest modern cult classics with Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas and going all-out guns blazing with his masterpiece Brazil, Gilliam has a wonderful visual eye and his movies are often unforgettable. Except Brothers Grimm, you can forget that one.
Must See: Brazil (1985)
17. Thorold Dickinson (1903 - 1984)
Along with Humphrey Jennings, Thorold Dickinson has the greatest English name of any major British filmmaker and yet no one would blame you for not knowing it. He's made nine features to his name and with Gaslight, Next of Kin and Queen of Spades, Dickinson showed off his mastery of subjects that are worlds apart. Whether it's English war propaganda infusing the nation with courage when facing a dangerous enemy, a claustrophobic look of domestic terror or an uncanny supernatural tale of bargaining with the devil, Dickinson has gone down in the British film history books as one of the livelier and more original voices of his generation. For his work within and without the film industry, including a stunt in the film division of UN's Department of Public Relations, Dickinson has made a lasting contribution on Britain's cinematic landscape.
Must See: Gaslight (1940)
16. Nicholas Roeg (1928 - )
Beloved London-born auteur, Nicholas Roeg has unquestionably made his presence known amongst the vibrant and colorful personalities of the British film industry. His Dont Look Now not only appears in TIME OUTs 100 Best British Films list but tops it and hes got three others in there too. Take that! Known and praised for emotively raw films that are as visually daring in their experimental approach as they are unfaltering when questioning the morals of its characters, Roegs filmography is extensive and hes easily become one of the most popular and talked about British filmmakers of our time. For immortalizing the cockney Enlishness of Mick Jagger in Performance, creeping us out with his supernatural tale of parenthood in Dont Look Now and imagining what an encounter between Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein, Joe DiMaggio and Joseph McCarthy would look like in Insignificance; Nicholas Roeg sits pretty and deservedly at number 16.
Must See: Dont Look Now (1973)