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Monty Python - The Beatles of Comedy
"Bring out your dead!" Monty Python and the Holy Grail will go down in my personal history, as my favorite comedy of all-time. I doubt very seriously if it will ever be topped, though Caddyshack is a close second. I can think of no other film that I can recite verbadum -- much to the dismay of my family. Fortunately a love for all things Python has been passed on to my son, so Monty Python will live on for generations to come in the Smythe household.
Most likely, my facination with Monty Python orginated during my formative years when "The Holy Grail" was first released in theaters. I had not heard much about this comedy troupe from the UK before. After seeing "The Holy Grail" I began to seek out everything I could about Monty Python including watching each and every episode of "Monty Python and The Flying Circus".
For my generation, there were two entertainment events that made a life long impact. "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" in 1975 and "Star Wars" in 1977. Ask anyone who was a teenager during that period of time and you will hear much agreement.
This fan lens is my way of sharing my love for Python with you. I certainly hope you enjoy it. I've still got a lot to do so come back and check it out often. Now, go find me a shrubery, one with a nice path...
Monty Python at a Glance
From Wikipedia
Monty Python, or The Pythons, is the collective name of the creators of Monty Pythons Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. A total of 45 episodes were made over four series. The Python phenomenon developed from the original television series into something much larger in scope and impact, spawning touring stage shows, four films, numerous albums, several books and a spin-off stage musical, and launching the members on to individual stardom.
The television series, broadcast by the BBC from 1969 to 1974, was conceived, written and performed by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. Loosely structured as a sketch show but with an innovative stream-of-consciousness approach (aided by Terry Gilliams animations), it pushed the boundaries of what was then considered acceptable, both in terms of style and content.
The group's influence on comedy has often been compared to The Beatles' influence on music. A self-contained comedy team responsible for both writing and performing their work, they changed the way performers entertained audiences. The Pythons' creative control allowed them to experiment with form and content, discarding the established rules of television comedy. Their influence on British comedy of all kinds has been apparent for many years, while in America it has coloured the work of many cult performers from the early editions of Saturday Night Live through to more recent absurdist trends in television comedy. 'Category: wiktionary - :pythonesque|Pythonesque' has entered the English lexicon as a result.
There are differing accounts of the origins of the Python name although the members agree that its only 'significance' was that they thought it sounded funny. In the 1998 documentary Live At Aspen the group implied that 'Monty' was selected as a gently-mocking tribute to Field Marshal Lord Montgomery, a legendary British general of World War II; requiring a "slippery-sounding" surname, they settled on 'Python'. On other occasions Idle has claimed that the name 'Monty' was that of a popular and rotund fellow who drank in his local pub; people would often walk in and ask the barman, "Has Monty been in yet?", forcing the name to become stuck in his mind. These explanations aside, some believe that 'Monty Bodkin', the name of a character in several books by humourist P. G. Wodehouse, served on some level as an inspirationMonty Python...
Argument Clinic!
Blessed are the Cheesemakers!
I thought instead of creating a poll on your favorite Monty Python film, I would mix it up a little and have you choose your favorite Python
Great Monty Python stuff from Amazon
Some call me Tim!
The Latest Yahoo News on Monty Python
Still in the news after all these years
With the smash Broadway Musical hit Spamalot the Pythons are still going strong.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byMonty Python on Youtube
Vote for your favorite
Compare the original Dead Parrot Sketch with one created by Nigerian Scam Artists.
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Monty Python - Dead Parrot 4 points
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Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch, scammer style! 1 point
Monty Python Memorabilia from eBay
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You will find the best Monty Python memorabilia at eBay.
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Monty Python Members - Featured Lenses
I will eventually add lenses for all of the members of Monty Python-
Eric Idle
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Eric Idle was the nicest of the six members of Monty Python. He was born in the North of England well when I say the nicest he wasn't absolutely the nicest. Michael Palin is generally recognised as being the nicest. Actually Terry Jones is pretty nic...
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Terry Gilliam
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Terry Gilliam is a film director who first came to public attention with the British comedy troupe Monty Python's Flying Circus, where he first became known for his cut-out animations. With the expansion of the Pythons into feature films, he be...
Monty Python Blog Posts
From Google Blog Search
- mental_floss Blog ยป Monty Python: Hilarious & Touching Clips from ...
- On October 4, 1989, founding Monty Python member Graham Chapman, star of both Holy Grail and Life of Brian, died from cancer. At his memorial service, the remaining Pythons eulogized Chapman in truly appropriate style ? by cursing, ...
- PA Editors Blog: Monty Python in Berlin
- Well I have got to go, but in the spirit of Monty Python, let me quote a "pundit" who warned that from 1989 we have seen in China the rise of "Leninist Capitalism" which has now replaced the Soviet menace as the main threat to freedom ...
- Martin Lewis: Chris Christie Rips Off Monty Python, Troupe ...
- Within an hour of the story appearing, the Christie commercial using pirated footage of a Monty Python skit was scrubbed from the campaign's website and their separate campaign site on YouTube. The only evidence left was the tell-tale ...
- Monty Python and The Holy Grail Plays This Week At The Hollywood ...
- A contender for the funniest film ever made, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a glorious spoof of every po-faced historical epic ever made. A milestone in British film comedy, it features all six Pythons in multiple roles as Arthur ...
Monty Python Vids
Are you in the Monty Python Fan Club?
Share your stories, sightings, thoughts, rants, raves...
American Cinematheque wrote
Hey Monty fans! Come join us at the Egyptian Theatre on Thursday, June 26th at 7:30 for the premiere of "The Seventh Python" and "The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band 40th Anniversary Concert", featuring Neil Innes in person! Take part in this rare event, as part of our 9th annual Mods and Rockers series presented by the American Cinematheque. Visit http://www.americancinematheque.com/archive1999/2008/Egyptian/Mods_n_Rockers_2008.htm#SEVENTH%20PYTHON
for more information. Hope to see you there!
Posted June 20, 2008
sydneyrite wrote...
monty python is great, their comedies is the greatest. id love to see them in a broadway show.
http://ticketstoseats.com
Posted April 14, 2008
ali11 wrote...
I adore the black humour the Monty Pythons do (did). I also like Fawlty Towers (Sitcom) and "A fish called Wanda"
Posted January 04, 2008
cbwa1234 wrote...
S'gotta be Eric Idle... I mean, have you seen Spamalot??? He's gotsta be the cleverest Python ever!
Posted December 21, 2007
collegeforkatie wrote
I had to vote for John Cleese as my favorite because not only is he funny, he has the best body of work. He used to appear everywhere in the '80s. I especially liked him in "A fish Called Wanda" when he appears as a reluctant wife-cheater with Jamie Lee Curtis as his romantic interest. He's funny!
Posted December 13, 2007
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