Monty Python Fans

tamadrm

Platinum Member
I just watched a series of TV shows the other day on cable,about the British comedy group some of you are familiar with.

They had a series of TV shows on the BBC from that late 60's and were some of the best innovative and original comedic skits on the planet.

I live in the US,so I only became aware of their genius in the early 70's ,thanks to public television.It was a Sunday night must watch for me and a few friends.

They also did live shows and had several hit movies.The surviving 5 members of Monty Python were interviewed,as well as several celebrities,which also gave personal commentary during the series of shows which examined the TV series as well as all of their movies.

One of the toughest questions asked was: what was your favorite skit,and what was your favorite movie.

Mine has to be between the "Lumber Jack" and "Dead Parrot" skit.( the "Lumber Jack skit,actually starts with the "Barber Shop" skit,which is also hysterical )

My favorite movie still has to be "Monty Python and the Holy Grail",with "The Life of Brian" a close second.

Something shocking was revealed during the series,and that was the BBC in a cost cutting move,used to erase TV tapes,and reuse them to save money.One of the troop found this out,and bought all of them from the BBC,who no doubt,would have erased all of them....and all of their art,would have been lost forever.

After watching something that great and innovative,I can't imagine never to have seen it in the first place.

If you're aware of the Pythons,please comment ,and if you're not...then ...for the love of it all,please check out youtube, for some sheer comedy genius.

Steve B
 
I liked the "Ministry of Silly Walks" skit as well as the movie "Life of Brian".
Ditto on PBS Sunday nights in the 70's!
 
Monty Python gets me into so much trouble. My best friend (also a Pythonite) and I were at a friend's birthday do, when somebody mentioned two sheds. We absolutely COLLAPSED, crying with laughter, and everybody else was completely baffled and thought we were horrifically rude. In fact I'm snorking to myself as I'm typing this, it was possibly the funniest thing that has ever happened in my life (you had to be there). Don't even think of mentioning mattresses, otherwise I'll have to get into the fish tank and sing.

If you ever get the chance, go and see Spamalot. I detest musicals with a passion that I normally reserve for golf, but it's quite quite brilliant. The last time I went, there were some people in the audience who brought their own coconut shells, which I wished I'd thought of, and will definitely think of the next time I go.

One of my internet personas (Magenta is only one of them) has the surname Apricot. Any Pythonite worth their salt will know immediately what my legally-recognised surname is. Yes, I've got it bad.

Oh and one last thing (though I could go on and on - oh wait, I already have): if you aren't familiar with the Penguin On The TV sketch, check it out. It's me and my best friend, according to our husbands.
 
Pure comedy genius. I was fortunate as a kid in the 70s to have really hip friends who were into Python. Like others, I was exposed thanks to public television. Flying Circus would run late nights on PBS with minimal censoring/editing. But what really blew my mind was seeing the films (also on PBS). I remember watching Holy Grail with my father and we were laughing non-stop, abdominal pain from all the guffaws.

"How many sparrows does it take to carry a coconut...."
 
Monty Python gets me into so much trouble. My best friend (also a Pythonite) and I were at a friend's birthday do, when somebody mentioned two sheds. We absolutely COLLAPSED, crying with laughter, and everybody else was completely baffled and thought we were horrifically rude. In fact I'm snorking to myself as I'm typing this, it was possibly the funniest thing that has ever happened in my life (you had to be there). Don't even think of mentioning mattresses, otherwise I'll have to get into the fish tank and sing.

If you ever get the chance, go and see Spamalot. I detest musicals with a passion that I normally reserve for golf, but it's quite quite brilliant. The last time I went, there were some people in the audience who brought their own coconut shells, which I wished I'd thought of, and will definitely think of the next time I go.

One of my internet personas (Magenta is only one of them) has the surname Apricot. Any Pythonite worth their salt will know immediately what my legally-recognised surname is. Yes, I've got it bad.

Oh and one last thing (though I could go on and on - oh wait, I already have): if you aren't familiar with the Penguin On The TV sketch, check it out. It's me and my best friend, according to our husbands.

The exploding Penguin on the T.V. skit.I just watched it yesterday along with a scene from "The Life of Brian" when Cleese as a Roman Centurian,catches Graham Chapman writing graffiti, improperly in Latin on a wall, "Romans go Home",and proceeds to correct his spelling and conjugation.

Just remember...never attack a man with a banana.:):)

Steve B
 
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It's only a flesh wound!
 
I wanted to re-name my house Caer Bannog, but Mr Madge wouldn't let me.
 
I'm a big fan of course, although I am an equally big if not even bigger fan of its spiritual predecessor the Goon Show...any fans of that here? And then there's related things like the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band who were part of the same 'scene' as it were.

I tend to think of these things as part of a lineage which to my reckoning starts with Edward Lear but maybe it goes back further than that. Swift, perhaps?
 
I'm a big fan of course, although I am an equally big if not even bigger fan of its spiritual predecessor the Goon Show...any fans of that here? And then there's related things like the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band who were part of the same 'scene' as it were.

I'm not hugely keen on the Goons, but I proudly possess the entire oeuvre of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. Sheer class.
 
Something shocking was revealed during the series,and that was the BBC in a cost cutting move,used to erase TV tapes,and reuse them to save money.One of the troop found this out,and bought all of them from the BBC,who no doubt,would have erased all of them....and all of their art,would have been lost forever.

I have heard of that. In fact, because of that, we have precious few Doctor Who episodes from the first ten years.

I just watched "Not The Messiah" on Netflix. If you haven't yet, you MUST see it. It is Eric Idle's oratorio on the Life of Brian. The ending was unbelievable, here's a hint: "I never wanted to be a Roman Emperor...". I saw Spamalot when it was brand new starring Tim Curry, David Hyde-Pierce and Hank Azaria. I liked it, but I like the movie and TV shows better. I still think "Meaning of Life" is my all-time #1 favorite movie, of any genre. I find it interesting that many people say they did not care for it that much, yet they can recite many many scenes from it. My high school was essentially the American version of the high school in the movie, except it was not a boarding school. Other than that, frighteningly similar.


Jete la vache! Jete la vache!
 
I just subbed for a couple shows of Spamalot here in Portland. Basically, it's the musical version of The Holy Grail. It got me reinvigorated about Monty Python, searching through my stacks of old VHS tapes for the M.P. shows I taped off the tube when I was younger. Good stuff, and perfect timing that you bring it up.

My FAVORITE moment was one of the intros, where a man was swimming in to the camera from very far away, and you're watching him struggle and gasp, and after about a minute he finally gets to the shore, collapses, looks to the camera and says, "It's...." at which point they cut to the opening sequence. Perfect example of some of their tension and (non-)release, and how they take things really far to the point of absurdity.
 
I just subbed for a couple shows of Spamalot here in Portland. Basically, it's the musical version of The Holy Grail. It got me reinvigorated about Monty Python, searching through my stacks of old VHS tapes for the M.P. shows I taped off the tube when I was younger. Good stuff, and perfect timing that you bring it up.

My FAVORITE moment was one of the intros, where a man was swimming in to the camera from very far away, and you're watching him struggle and gasp, and after about a minute he finally gets to the shore, collapses, looks to the camera and says, "It's...." at which point they cut to the opening sequence. Perfect example of some of their tension and (non-)release, and how they take things really far to the point of absurdity.

I am truly envious of that gig!
 
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