During dismal times, a funny movie can lift your spirits. One of my go-to funny movies is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I first saw it in 1975 when it first came out. Loved it! I used my University of Wisconsin Student ID to get a reduced rate at the local movie theater. I saw Monty Python and the Holy Grail twelve times.
Then I bought the VHS version (remember them?). Later, I bought the DVD version. And finally, I bought the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray version. The constant among all these versions: silliness. I enjoy the silly jokes, the surreal storyline, and the wacky characters.
And, this Blu-ray Disc is full of funny features:
Terry Jones Introduces the Outtakes
Enlightening Commentaries by Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones, Plus General Complaints and Back-Biting by John Cleese, Eric Idle & Michael Palin
Join Michael Palin and Terry Jones in their Special Documentary: The Quest For The Holy Grail Locations
Monty Python And The Holy Grail In Lego!
Japanese Version
How To Use Your Coconuts (An Educational Film)
BBC Film Night
Terry Gilliam Introduces His Lost Animation Reel
Meanwhile, King Arthur & Sir Bedevere…
Elephant & Castle
Run Away!
The Tale of Sir Robin
The Tale of Sir Lancelot
Three Mindless Sing-Alongs
Henry 4th
Cast Directory Photo Gallery
Holy Grail Blu-ray Credits
Are you a Monty Python fan? GRADE: A
MP is spotty for me! Some great bits and some snoozers! I’ve never seen this movie, or any of their movies for that matter, but I have seen clips!
Bob, I think you would enjoy MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL. It occasionally shows up on some of the movie channels.
The Python TV show debuted here on the Educational Channel at 11:30 on Sunday nights. In those days I watched TV in bed with earplugs while my wife slept beside me… until I woke her up laughing at the Dead Parrot Sketch!
Dan, the Dead Parrot Sketch is classic!
There are only two things needed to make this a PERFECT film — The Department of Silly Walks and the dead parrot.
Jerry, The Department of Silly Walks still cracks me up!
I’m trying to remember if either of those or both are in AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT…, the low-budget film re-do of some of the first two seasons’ sketches from the tv series, out in ’71 or ’72.
A huge fan…we have all the shows and movies on dvd and watch (especially the shows) frequently. My favorite MP skit is the one about criminals Doug & Dimsdale Pirhana (clearly modeled on the Krays). My favorite part of MPATHG is the running joke about how the coconut got to England which then becomes a running joke about wing velocity of a sparrow. And, of course, Brave Sir Robin.
Deb, I started watching MONTY PYTHON on our local PBS station back in the 1970s. Sometimes I laughed at their antics, other times I was flummoxed by cultural differences in humor. But, as far as I’m concerned, MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL is my favorite.
This is my favorite movie of theirs. Love the dead parrot sketch. I think John Cleese is my favorite Python. Loved Fawlty Towers and A Fish Called Wanda.
Steve, I have A FISH CALLED WANDA in my Watch Real Soon queue. Hilarious movie!
Always Look on the Sunny Side of Life. Not so easy these days. Even Jackie – not usually a big Python fan – loved SPAMALOT.
Besides the bits mentioned, there is Palin’s great “Lumberjack Song” and “No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!” and much more. You must have enjoyed the “Summarize Proust” contest. I also love Cleese’s “Self Defense Against Fresh Fruit” bit.
Jeff, Diane saw SPAMALOT in Las Vegas at the Wynn with Katie and Carol (Diane’s sister). A year later, SPAMALOT showed up in Buffalo. Loved it and still listen to the soundtrack CD.
I meant “Bright Side” of course. Not that there is one.
I’m a fan, but it’s been way too long since I’ve seen this. I also love Cleese, and Fawlty Towers. My favorite episode of that was the builders.
Looks like this is well worth the cost. I might get it with some “stimulus” $$. I plan to use some of it to tip my hair stylist, manicurist, and paper deliverer, some to donate to Dems for the election (I’ve already done some, but this will add to it and this time include whoever gets the presidential nod) and for donation to a local food bank.
Maggie, Diane was due for a haircut by her hairstylist, but of course all the spas and barbershops are closed here. Diane put a check in the mail to her stylist saying: “Pretend you cut my hair.” Her stylist called Diane on the phone in tears. She was wondering how she was going to make it and suddenly Diane’s check made her solvent again. We all need to help small business owners as much as we can.
I actually was able to “catch” my mail deliverer and gave her $20 Don’t know how to get $$ to hair and nail person will check into that a check now is a good idea I had my hair done on the 10th of March so have a month and 1/2 to go till I NEED a cut but want to ensure the shop stays open (a one person shop)
C-
Rick, humor is tricky. Some people love Monty Python, other people don’t.
True enough. I used to enjoy Mr. Bean and May I Serve You?
Indeed, different strokes…PYTHON a revelation for young me, never liked ARE YOU BEING SERVED” nor MR BEAN much at all. Atkinson’s BLACKADDER is a mixed bag, but some of it brilliant.
Much as I enjoy certain of Rowan Atkinson’s works (BLACK ADDER for one), Mr. Bean is not one of them.
Did you mean ARE YOU BEING SERVED? That was one of my parents’ favorites, which always amazed me, because it was not their usual taste at all.
Yes, that’s what I meant.
I’m not sure why I liked it, but I found it entertaining. Not that I watched it more than once a week, when it was on PBS. I do have DVDs of RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY which I could watch.
Rick, I may dig out my RUMPOLE OF THE BAILEY, too!
RUMPOLE was pretty consistently good.
I love most british comedies (PG Wodehouse is my fav.) but I never saw the attraction in Mr. Bean. I got so tired of “served” as our pbs station played that for probably 15 years.
We didn’t have much of this British humour on German tv, but I liked it – saw most of the sketches over the years, even some Mr Bean.
my favourite was Time Bandits – so absurd …
PYTHON did a German-language special, which one can see in various circumstances.
Funniest comedy ever made. Some years back I visited the castle in Scotland where many of the scenes (including the Trojan Rabbit) were filmed. It was a religious experience.
Evan, I loved the castle scenes!
BULLETIN: if anyone hasn’t seen it, and wants to, I just noticed that BBC America is showing it tonight at 8, repeated at 10.
/end BULLETIN
Jeff, thanks for the update.
Alas, for no good reason, they ran the broadcast- censored cut, that I first saw on THE CBS LATE MOVIE ca. 1977. All the intentionally unconvincing gore, none of the nudity and little of the off-color language.
PYTHON began running on the western Massachusetts PBS station, WGBY Springfield (as opposed to WGBH and WGBX Boston) on Saturday nights in 1975, So I would happily fry my eyeballs in 1975-76 on Sats watching CBS from 8-11 (THE JEFFERSONS, DOC–both of which I thought were OK enough–then an uptick with THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, THE BOB NEWHART SHOW (my favorite of the the prime time offers), and THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW, then over to WGBY for PYTHON, then over toe NBC for NBC’S SATURDAY NIGHT (as it was called then, since ABC had a bomb of a primetime series called SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE WITH HOWARD COSELL that first season)…SNL for three weeks, then the excellent, 20/30sish-skewing and acerbic newsmagazine WEEKEND on the fourth week. At age 11, tv manna.
Of course, a season or so before, ALL IN THE FAMILY and M*A*S*H at their best were on at 8 and 8:30, but not yet PYTHON nor SNL in the later hours.
Now all that package could use would be a Carol Cleveland and Connie Booth commentary track, since both those key and undervalued (by those casually acquainted with PYTHON and post-PYTHON) women were in the film.