MontyPython Tagged Articles at Cinematical

I'm not known to be the sentimental type, but occasionally even I can get a little choked up (and trust me it can come at the oddest times). Well, the other night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon I had one of those moments when that goofy little girl I used to be and the goofy grown woman I am today came together to watch Eric Idle perform Always Look on The Bright Side of Life with Fallon's house band, The Roots -- who to my delight joined in on the trademark whistling refrain. The troupe was on Late Night to celebrate their NY Reunion show to mark the 40th anniversary of the comedy troupe and to promote the Pythonathon on IFC this Sunday.

Watching The Life of Brian as a child guaranteed that most of the jokes went right over my head, but it's effect was lasting, and I was never able to look at my Sunday school lessons the same way again. The flick was even charged with blasphemy when it was originally released, but over time has been recognized as one of the best British comedies ever made.

It's been a long time (30 years to be more precise) since Idle and Chapman climbed up on those crosses for the final musical number in the story of Brian, but when I watched this clip it didn't matter, and I was right back to being that little geeky girl I used to (and probably always will) be.

After the jump: Forget about your sin - give the audience a grin. Enjoy it - it's your last chance anyhow...

Where has the time gone?

The Independent reports that Monty Python will celebrate their 40th anniversary this October. As part of the festivities, Royal Albert Hall will host a one-night-only performance on the 23rd of Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy). You may have heard of this -- it's Eric Idle and John Du Prez's wildly funny 1-hour oratorio based on Monty Python's Life of Brian. But this one-night-only deal is even more irresistible than usual -- Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, and Terry Gilliam will perform in it. Unfortunately, John Cleese can't make it, which is a damned shame.

Nevertheless, here I thought that I was lucky that Idle's first cousin is Toronto Symphony Conductor Peter Oundjian, which led the world premiere to happen right in the T-Dot.

As Idle describes the oratorio: "It ranges in reference from Handel, through a naughty Mozart duet, to the Festival of Nine Carols, Bob Dylan, and the classic finale 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.'" (How could Dylan and Python possibly come together? You can see Idle's spin after the jump.)

For those of us who won't be there, The Independent reports that a documentary called Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) is on the way, while Variety reports that there will be anniversary events in Hollywood and New York called "An Evening With Without Monty Python."

What's your favorite Monty moment?

When I was growing up, my parents really didn't go in much for children's entertainment. Sure, if the TV was free I could get my fix of Jem, but otherwise, I was just going to have to watch whatever my parents felt like watching -- and my Dad loved -- and I mean loved -- Monty Python. So while most kids were glued to Saturday Morning Cartoons, I was in front of the boob tube watching a crappy video copy of Monty Python and The Holy Grail -- but here's the weird thing, I loved it.

Since 1975, devotees and self-pronounced geeks have been quoting the film into the ground. Annoying? Maybe, but how can you not love lines like, "Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government"? Grail was technically Python's first "proper" film that wasn't comprised of their sketch comedy format, and it was no easy task getting it into theaters. Python had money problems, the weather was hardly cooperating, and Graham Chapman was in the midst of incredibly difficult detox -- none of which would make for a very happy set, but, you would never know by what's on the screen.

Python's retelling of one of the most classic figures in English history has remained with me over the years, and while my favorite moments may have changed, it's as funny as when I first sat down to watch it with the folks. So maybe at the age of 8, I was convinced the rabbit gag was the funniest thing ever, but here I am in my 30's and now the anarcho-syndicalist peasants have moved up the list. But the important thing is that nothing will ever diminish my respect for one of the greatest comedies ever made.

Holy Grail Trivia:

• The original script had Arthur and his knights finding the Holy Grail at Harrods.

• Pink Floyd were such big fans of Monty Python's Flying Circus, they used funds from The Dark Side of the Moon to help Python with the financing.

• The inspiration for the killer rabbit (Run Away!!) came from an actual panel in the Cathedral of Notre Dame. In a series of images depicting the faults of man, cowardice is shown with a knight running away from a rabbit.

One time's shocking boundary-breaker is a future time's child's play. That's just the way things go. What shocks us one day will usually become common place (or at least not controversial) at some point in time. But some towns, they know how to be stubborn.

According to the BBC, it seems that a little UK town called Aberystwyth really doesn't appreciate Monty Python's Life of Brian, and it's been banned for the last 29 years. But that's not the kicker -- one of the actors in the film is now the mayor. Sue Jones-Davies, who played Judith Iscariot/Brian's girlfriend, is now the mayor of the town and is on a mission to get the ban lifted.

Meanwhile, Reverend Stuart Bell is completely against the idea, claiming that every Christian he talks to in the town wants the ban upheld. He then goes on to talk about how he loves Jesus more than his wife and how he wouldn't go see a film that makes fun of his wife either. Of course, he's never seen the film (just "a small clip, that's all").

Will Mayor Sue be the town's Kevin Bacon? We'll have to wait and see.

Movie-turned-musicals didn't do so well at the Tony Awards last night, but that doesn't mean people are going to stop adapting films for the stage. For instance, according to The Daily Telegraph, John Cleese is turning his hit movie A Fish Called Wanda into a musical. He's currently writing it with his 24-year-old daughter, Camilla, who he claims is even funnier than he is. He also jokes that they're going to attempt to write the songs themselves, but he thinks they're going to be no good, so he'll likely be bringing in a lyricist. For now, in its early stages, Cleese says they're simply working out the story (which shouldn't be too difficult, as it already exists in film form).

The Daily Telegraph somewhat speculates that Cleese is working on the project for two reasons: one, he didn't make any money off Spamalot, because he apparently agreed to waive his royalties, thinking the musical adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail wouldn't do well; two, he's currently divorcing from his third wife. Tabloid gossip aside, and ignoring the fact that Cleese may have been 'taking the piss', are we ready for A Fish Called Wanda: The Musical? And if that's a success, would a Fierce Creatures: The Musical be not far behind?

Like most hardcore movie nerds, I'm a huge Monty Python fan. And while I do own that massive Flying Circus box set, the goody-laced Monty Python Live! double feature, and even a few of their old albums ... my Python movies are my very favorite pieces of the collection. (I don't really count And Now for Something Completely Different as a "true" movie, and the Live at Hollywood Bowl concert flick is included in the MP Live! set.) So basically that only leaves three actual Monty Python movies: The legendary Monty Python and the Holy Grail (awesome Special Edition right here), the inconsistent but frequently hilarious The Meaning of Life (SE here), and the first ninth second Monty movie out of the gate...

Life of Brian! And if you wanted to own a solid version of this movie on DVD, you had to invest about $35 on this (really excellent) Criterion Collection release. (Or you could opt for this bare-bones and lame-transfer DVD.) But as of November 7 you'll have another option! According to DVDActive.com, Sony will release Life of Brian: The Immaculate Edition on that date, and you Pythonites should have a ball with what's included.

In addition to the main feature (which is just as hilarious today as it ever was), we'll also get TWO Python commentaries (one with Gilliam, Idle and Jones; the other with Cleese and Palin; unfortunately Chapman is still dead), a two-hour animated original script "readthrough" (!), an all-new 60-minute behind-the-scenes documentary (and I'm sure they'll cover the original controversy surrounding the film), five deleted scenes, some goofy old radio ads, and (as they say) more! Finally my Python Cinema Trilogy will be ... upgraded! (Again!) To those who already own the Criterion set, the question is this: Are the new doco and the nifty-sounding 'readthrough' piece worth the price of the platters? Because I'm pretty sure the rest of the goodies CAN be found on that Criterion release.

Over at quigspot.com is a listing of what the blogger deems the "Ten Most Obnoxiously Overquoted Movies." He says in the intro: "Nothing makes a great movie suck like people quoting it day in and day out for months at a time. It's the go-to route used by individuals who aren't clever enough to come up with their own material, made worse by them thinking (thanks to the select few that laughed at their referencing) they've suddenly become the most hilarious stand-up comedian since George Carlin." I agree to some extent, but while it's true that quoting movies is not the most enlightened form of comedy, it can be a lot of fun. The key is to stick to obscure quotes -- avoid "Luke, I am your father" and "Say hello to my little friend." At a party, an obscure quote that someone else recognizes can help you recognize a kindred spirit, and snag you a new friend or even a romance. Still, there are some movies that get quoted far too frequently, and it becomes particularly hard to deal with once they're embraced by the "frat guy" crowd, as almost all of quigspot's choices are.

The ten selected overquoted films are: 10) Office Space (good call, but the boss' voice is just too much fun to do. Quoting this one simply has to be done sometimes, especially in an office setting), 9) Monty Python movies (disagree -- I don't hear Python quotes much these days), 8) Wedding Crashers (definitely getting obnoxious, especially at bars), 7) Anything with Samuel L. Jackson (Snakes on a Plane, absolutely), 6) The 40 Year-Old Virgin (maybe, but when the lines are that funny, who can argue?), 5) Anchorman (see #6, although "I'm kind of a big deal" has reached the end of the line), 4) The Austin Powers series (yup), 3) Borat (Should have been #1 -- some guy dressed as Borat at a Halloween party I attended stayed in character the entire night and almost drove me to murder), 2) Napoleon Dynamite (absolutely) and the choice for the #1 most obnoxiously overquoted movie is ... 300.

Movies I'm guilty of quoting? 1) Wayne's World -- whenever anybody orders Chinese food, I can't resist throwing in "I'll have the cream of sum yung guy." I'm also a fan of "If Benjamin were an ice cream flavor, he'd be pralines and dick." 2) The Naked Gun series. Endless possibilities really, but my favorite is "Like a midget at a urinal, I was going to have to stay on my toes." 3) Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski -- literally every line of both is gold. Which movies do you love to quote? And which movies do you think get quoted too frequently?

Nothing gets folks worked up like a list, especially one focusing on movies -- a subject everyone has strong opinions on. The latest is a ranking of the "50 Greatest Comedies of All Time," according to the readers of The Guardian. First, let's look at their Top Ten: 1) Monty Python's Life of Brian, 2) Airplane!, 3) This is Spinal Tap, 4) Some Like It Hot, 5) Withnail and I, 6) Blazing Saddles, 7) The Big Lebowski, 8) Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 9) Duck Soup, 10) Young Frankenstein. Not perfect, but a pretty solid bunch. Keep in mind The Guardian is a British publication, which explains the abundance of Python and the high ranking of the funny-but-certainly-not-6th-greatest-comedy-of-all-time Withnail. I must say, I don't know anyone who would put Life of Brian at #1. I don't even think it's the funniest Python movie, that honor would go to Holy Grail. Great to see Young Frankenstein, Airplane! and Lebowski in particular ranked so high, though.

Looking at the rest of the list, I was glad to see that a lot of my personal favorites made the cut -- Planes Trains and Automobiles, Uncle Buck (I love me some Candy), Raising Arizona, Anchorman, Kingpin, The Naked Gun, The Blues Brothers, I could go on. I've got some quibbles -- where's Broadcast News? Office Space? Ferris Bueller's Day Off? Animal House? Vacation? -- but only a few of their choices really stood out to me as undeserving. For example, I did a triple take when I saw Meet the Fockers on there. People! Meet the Parents (which didn't even make the cut) sure, but Fockers? What the Fock? Oh well.

Comedy is highly subjective, so a list on this subject is never going to please everyone. A comedy list is extra difficult because it's hard to decide if you're supposed to choose based on number of laughs or quality of the film. (Although, since it's comedy, shouldn't those be one and the same? It seems most don't think so, especially judging by comedy's constant neglect at the Academy Awards). Plus there's the whole generational issue. With some exceptions, what was funny 80 years ago might not hold up laugh-wise today. I'll just come right out and say it -- The General is an important part of film history, sure, but it ain't funny. What would you remove from the Guardian list? And what'd they forget?

There aren't too many movies that necessitate sequels. Unless a movie is part of a pre-proposed series or is an adaptation of a series of books, it should probably be able to stand alone. But a lot of sequels come from movies that are perfect by themselves -- sometimes the sequels compliment nicely; sometimes they are easily ignored; occasionally they actually take away from the previously regarded original.

It isn't often that a movie screams out for a sequel, but I think I've come up with seven that at least whisper a request for one. Two actually have source sequels that they would be adapted from. One has a lot of history to mine material from. Three of them have been discussed at length at different points in time by makers of the original(s). The problem is that none of these sequels is likely to ever grace your DVD player let alone your local theater. For whatever reason, they simply have too much against them in the minds of studio execs. For now, though, we can dream.

1. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (sequel to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)

Even with the incredible cast and the surprisingly faithful-enough script, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was not the epic that I was hoping for. It also wasn't the blockbuster that Disney was hoping for. The filmmakers, Garth Jennings and Nick Goldsmith (aka Hammer and Tongs) and the necessary actors had signed on for the sequel, to be adapted from Adam's follow-up, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, but it appears to be dead in the water. Despite my few reservations with the first film, I would love to see the sequel, as well as the rest of the series (they could end before The Salmon of Doubt, I guess). I remember being bored with some of the prehistoric Earth sequences in Restaurant, but I think they'd make for great cinema. In any event, I think Martin Freeman and Mos Def were a great duo in the original, and they alone should have been propelled to stardom following its release. Maybe they can appear in something else together.

For anyone who is as big a Terry Gilliam fan as I, the following might need to be read while sitting down. According to Variety, Handmade Films, the production company co-created by George Harrison, is set to remake Time Bandits, which Gilliam made for the company twenty-five years ago. Possibly my first introduction to the fantastic film maker and also to many of the Monty Python cast, the film is very dear to me as both a Gilliam fan and as a child of the '80s. It tells of a young boy who travels through time and space with a group of little people who have stolen a special map from "the Supreme Being" in order to guide them on a tour of events throughout history, robbing from characters as diverse as Agamemnon, Robin Hood and Napoleon along the way.

Without Gilliam's cooperation and without the cast, which originally included Sean Connery, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Ian Holm and the finest bunch of diminutive actors ever, I just can't imagine how good a Time Bandits redo could be, though I will say that if Handmade reuse Gilliam and Palin's script, it won't be too terrible. I'm not that excited about whatever kind of computer effects they might employ, however.

Handmade, now headed by Patrick Meehan with a production arm led by former Nelson Entertainment exec Anthony Rufus-Isaacs, is supposedly looking to remake more of its older films and in addition to Time Bandits is also working on an update of The Long Good Friday, which originally starred Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren, and a new version of Mona Lisa, which also starred Hoskins, to be directed by Larry Clark.

[via Cinema Blend]