A compilation of Monty Python's most memorable
early sketches edited together into a single film. COMEDY
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Monty Python's And Now
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I think it's fair to say that Monty Python are responsible for so many Americans being fans of British comedy. They had a way with characters and scenarios that nobody else could do and their chemistry was so palpable you could cut it with a knife. Before they did their three classic movies, they released this anthology of their best sketches from the first two seasons of their BBC sketch show Monty Python's Flying Circus. Needless to say, it's absolutely hilarious and resurrects a number of classic bits that had me holding my sides from beginning to end.
Of the six comedic geniuses behind Monty Python, my favorites were always John Cleese and Eric Idle. For some reason, these two tickled my funny bone more than the rest, although Graham Chapman came awfully close. They all excel in this compilation film, from the "Dead Parrot" to the "Upper Class Twit of the Year Award." One of my favorites from the show made it into the film and was funnier than ever, "Self-Defense Against Fresh Fruit," in which Cleese angrily teaches a class of men how to protect themselves if someone attacks them with a number of different fruits, from bananas to cherries, both red and black. Of course, there were some that fell flat. There always are in anthology films. After all, they can't all be winners. I thought that "The Lumberjack Song" wasn't that great, among others, but overall it's a very funny film for British comedy fans. For longtime Monty Python fans, it's a must-see, as it gives you a look at the way they compose a movie, so you can see how Holy Grail and Life of Brian came to life using the same methods. I think this compilation deserves to stand alongside the rest of their hilarious films. Hell, without it, we may never have gotten the Holy Trinity. |