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16 items from 2013
Blu-ray: Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life 30th
13 June 2013 12:50 PM, PDT | Disc Dish | See recent Disc Dish news »
Blu-ray Release Date: Oct. 8, 2013
Price: Blu-ray $19.98
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
30 years after the comedy movie was shown in theaters, Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life is available on high-definition Blu-ray with a new reunion featurette.
The film is a throwback to the British troupe’s older TV show Monty Python’s Flying Circus. In The Meaning of Life, the players thread together a number of sketches examing… well, life.
John Cleese (Winnie the Pooh), Michael Palin (Arthur Christmas), Terry Gilliam (Brazil), Terry Jones (TV’s The Legend of Dick and Dom), Eric Idle (Shrek the Third) and the late Graham Chapman (Yellowbeard) deal out the laughs in such iconic scenes as “The Miracle of Birth,” “Live Organ Transplants” and “The Autumn Years.”
The Blu-ray contains two new special features:
“The Meaning of Monty Python: 30th Anniversary Reunion,” an hour-long conversation with the whole team talking about the last movie they made together. »
- Sam
‘The Sopranos’ Leads WGA List of Top TV Series
2 June 2013 11:51 PM, PDT | Variety - TV News | See recent Variety - TV News news »
The Writers Guild of America on Sunday unveiled its list of the “101 Best Written TV Series of All Time,” topped by HBO’s “The Sopranos.”
The mob drama created by David Chase (pictured above right with “Sopranos” star James Gandolfini) led the list over such perennial faves as “Seinfeld” (which ranked No. 2), “All in the Family” (No. 4), “Mash” (No. 5) and “The Wire” (No. 9).
On the other end of the list was a three-way tie between the original NBC “Late Night with David Letterman,” FX’s “Louie” and HBO’s intense prison drama “Oz.”
The list, the results of online voting by members of the WGA West and WGA East, immediately spurred debates over the rankings and omissions. The TV tally was a follow-up to the WGA’s “101 Greatest Screenplays” member survey conducted in 2006.
The WGA’s complete list of TV series follows:
1
HBO
Created by David Chase
2
Seinfeld »
- Cynthia Littleton
Monty Python’S The Meaning Of Life On Blu-ray October 8
30 May 2013 7:48 AM, PDT | WeAreMovieGeeks.com | See recent WeAreMovieGeeks.com news »
To celebrate the 30th anniversary, re-live every side-splitting comedic moment, every outrageous vignette and every tasteless joke, as Monty Python’S The Meaning Of Life commands your attention once again. The classic Python film will debut on Blu-ray™ on October 8, 2013 with Digital Copy & UltraViolet™, and is packed with extra features including a nostalgic cast reunion featurette The Meaning of Monty Python: 30th Anniversary Reunion, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.
The Meaning of Life brought all the loyal Pythonites back together, sharing writing responsibilities as they returned to their much loved sketch show format, with Terry Jones directing and John Goldstone producing. Bringing to life roles ranging from The Grim Reaper to the legendary Mr. Creosote are John Cleese (Faulty Towers; A Fish Called Wanda) Terry Gilliam (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; Brazil), Eric Idle (What About Dick?, Shrek the Third), Terry Jones (Life of Brian, Monty Python and the Holy Grail »
- Michelle McCue
Watch: 'Monty Python' Star's Second Amendment Joke
20 May 2013 8:06 AM, PDT | Huffington Post | See recent Huffington Post news »
British comedian Eric Idle took a swipe at former President George W. Bush and the Second Amendment as he counseled graduates in his commencement address at Whitman College on Sunday.
"No body gets irony anymore, as we are now living in the post-ironic age," Idle said in his speech. "Once George Bush gets a library, our irony is dead."
Idle, best known for his role in "Monty Python's Flying Circus," spoke at Whitman partly because his daughter, Lily, was graduating from the private college in Walla Walla, Wash., this year.
"I don't want to be too controversial today because I know you Americans are a bit sensitive, plus you have a lot of guns," Idle said to rounds of laughter. "A quick word on the Second Amendment, which I understand, but I think I can promise you, we Brits are not coming back. So you don't need that many muskets. »
- The Huffington Post
Michael Palin, Bafta 2013 winner: 'My life has been a series of lucky accidents'
4 May 2013 4:10 PM, PDT | The Guardian - TV News | See recent The Guardian - TV News news »
The actor and presenter on winning a Bafta lifetime achievement award, life after Monty Python and why he's not finished yet
Michael Palin has a measured view of his latest prize. He's delighted to win a Bafta fellowship – of course he is; it's the most prestigious award the Academy bestows – "but my lifetime's not over yet," the 70-year-old says firmly. Palin is firmer than you would imagine, nowhere near as twinkly or boyish as he seems on the telly. "I got my first lifetime achievement award years ago [a British Comedy award in 2002], and I was very excited, but then I got a sense of: Well, can one get a second lifetime award?"
In the decade since his life's work was first honoured, he has presented six hit travel series, written a novel, published two sets of diaries and served as president of the Royal Geographical Society. Add in the preceding decades' work and you »
- Alice Fisher
Samia Ghadie to set up Corrie v Emmerdale netball game
1 May 2013 4:00 AM, PDT | Virgin Media - TV | See recent Virgin Media - TV news »
Michael Palin Cbe is to be presented with the Fellowship Award at the BAFTAs. The multi-talented TV personality will receive the prestigious accolade in recognition of his influential work over the years, most famously his various roles in British series 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' alongside Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle and Terry Jones. Speaking about the prize, Michael, 69, said: ''A BAFTA Fellowship is a very high honour for anyone working in television. I'm well aware that any success I've had is down to team-work. I've been blessed throughout my career with the inspiration and support of others. The »
Watch: Terry Gilliam's Debut 1968 Short Film 'Storytime'
13 March 2013 9:49 AM, PDT | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
Terry Gilliam went on to direct such great films as “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” “Brazil” and “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” (to name just a few), but he began his career primarily as an animator. Before moving to England he was a strip cartoonist on Help! magazine, and then after making his trip across the pond one of his first gigs was as an animator for sequences on the children’s TV show “Do Not Adjust Your Set” which starred future Pythons Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Terry Jones, as well as other future comedy icons like David Jason. It was during the same period that Gilliam directed the first of his two pre-'Holy Grail' animated shorts, “Storytime.” The film contains three loosely connected animated segments – “Don the Cockroach,” “The Albert Einstein Story” and “The Christmas Card” – with the latter actually originally created specially for the "Do »
- Joe Cunningham
Life advice
21 February 2013 7:09 AM, PST | The Guardian - Film News | See recent The Guardian - Film News news »
Films aren't there just to exercise your eyes while you shovel popcorn into your mouth; they can change your life. Here's one reader's pick of movie bons mots – now send us yours
This week's Clip joint is by Guardian reader Matt Clough. If you've got an idea for a future Clip joint, drop an email to adam.boult@guardian.co.uk
Films hold a command over our emotions like few other mediums; they make us laugh, they make us cry, they even make us angry ("Why is Michael Bay making another film about sentient sports cars?") However, some films go further and leave us with food for thought, or even a whole new outlook on life. Here are my top five film quotes to live your life by.
The Godfather: Part II: 'Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer'
Michael Corleone's piece of inherited family wisdom in The Godfather: Part II »
- Guardian readers
Jennifer Saunders blasts Viva Forever! critics and Psycho was a comedy
12 February 2013 9:51 AM, PST | The Guardian - TV News | See recent The Guardian - TV News news »
Also this week, Mrs Brown's Boys causes a heart attack and Harry Hill comes to the rescue
This week's comedy news
Johnny Vegas has claimed that Daniel Kitson made him quit standup – but is vowing to return and find "closure". "Kitson is the reason I stopped stand-up," the comedy website Chortle quotes Vegas as saying at the Leicester comedy festival. "I did three gigs with him. On the first, I thought, 'This is brilliant, I've got to pull my socks up and get my act together.' On the second, I felt I'd gone 15 rounds with the comedic Mike Tyson. And on the third, I felt I'd seen comedy take its next evolutionary step … I thought I would never have the talent to match that." Vegas also addressed his unease with fame, saying that "the most fun I had was with gigs where I was a complete unknown and »
- Brian Logan
Jennifer Saunders blasts Viva Forever! critics and Psycho was a comedy
12 February 2013 9:51 AM, PST | The Guardian - Film News | See recent The Guardian - Film News news »
Also this week, Mrs Brown's Boys causes a heart attack and Harry Hill comes to the rescue
This week's comedy news
Johnny Vegas has claimed that Daniel Kitson made him quit standup – but is vowing to return and find "closure". "Kitson is the reason I stopped stand-up," the comedy website Chortle quotes Vegas as saying at the Leicester comedy festival. "I did three gigs with him. On the first, I thought, 'This is brilliant, I've got to pull my socks up and get my act together.' On the second, I felt I'd gone 15 rounds with the comedic Mike Tyson. And on the third, I felt I'd seen comedy take its next evolutionary step … I thought I would never have the talent to match that." Vegas also addressed his unease with fame, saying that "the most fun I had was with gigs where I was a complete unknown and »
- Brian Logan
A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman – review
9 February 2013 4:04 PM, PST | The Guardian - Film News | See recent The Guardian - Film News news »
This 3D celebration of the life of the gay, alcoholic, comic surrealist and doctor Graham Chapman (who died of throat cancer in 1989) is a ragbag of songs, sketches and extracts from Chapman's unreliable memoirs, illustrated in a variety of styles by 14 teams of animators. It's a hit-and-miss affair, never particularly funny, but rarely conventional, with vocal contributions from all the other Pythons except Eric Idle. The biggest laughs are raised by John Cleese during his speech at Chapman's memorial service.
AnimationBiopicsComedyMonty PythonComedyPhilip French
guardian.co.uk © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds »
- Philip French
Extended Thoughts on ’101 Dalmatians’ and ’102 Dalmatians’
9 February 2013 2:00 AM, PST | SoundOnSight | See recent SoundOnSight news »
101 Dalmatians
Directed by Stephen Herek
Written by John Hughes
Starring Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, Joely Richardson, Hugh Laurie
102 Dalmatians
Directed by Kevin Lima
Written by Kristen Buckley and Brian Regan & Bob Tzudkier and Noni White
Starring Glenn Close, Gerard Depardieu, Eric Idle
How lazy are we willing to allow filmmakers to be in the modern age? This is an era when an homage is a knife’s edge away from being a blatant rip-off, a time when remakes and reboots are so common that it would be news if there was an extended period when each movie opening in theaters was wholly original, at least in that it wasn’t based on a book, musical, TV show, board game, etc. Perhaps a more pointed question specific to this column would be, how lazy are we willing to let a remake of a beloved classic be? Remakes, in general, are a »
- Josh Spiegel
'Monty Python' Returns … with Aliens … and Robin Williams
6 February 2013 8:08 AM, PST | NextMovie | See recent NextMovie news »
As the old adage goes, you can never have too much "Monty Python." (Ok, so maybe it's not a proper adage, per se, but that doesn't make it any less true.) Which is why we were pretty jazzed to hear that there's a new Python flick in the works. Pause for a moment of silent reflection.
So what is this next installment all about anyway? Aliens. Duh. The film will be a science fiction story in which the Pythons play extra-terrestrials who grant wishes to humans… just to see what happens. What could go wrong?
Oh, also: comedy genius Robin Williams has signed on to play a talking dog.
Yes, a talking dog. He'll join John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Terry Jones (who will also direct). In other words, this is pretty much every Python fan's ultimate fantasy. Well, except that Eric Idle has yet to officially hop on board, »
- Elizabeth Durand
Mad Max's Weekend Movie Guide: 'Hansel & Gretel' & More
25 January 2013 7:00 AM, PST | NextMovie | See recent NextMovie news »
"The popcorn you are eating has been pissed in. Film at eleven." – 'The Kentucky Fried Movie' (1977)
Greetings from the apocalypse! If you lost some fingers to frostbite while walking down the driveway to get your mail, don't panic, that's perfectly normal for this time of year … on the east coast, anyway. A few bits of drudgery opening at the multiplex will numb your brain even more than the cold, but lucky for you I've scouted out some alternative routes towards weekend moviegoing satisfaction.
Friday, January 25
There was a minute or two in the late '90s/early '00s when The Farrelly Brothers were the undisputed heavyweight champions of comedy, but after round-one knockouts like "The Heartbreak Kid" and "The Three Stooges" they're officially classified "punch-drunk." Now it seems Peter Farrelly has made a movie so bad even his brother Bobby's not involved, and it's called "Movie 43." Taking »
- Max Evry
'Spamalot' at Playhouse Theatre, London - Review
18 January 2013 6:16 AM, PST | Digital Spy | See recent Digital Spy - Movie News news »
Monty Python fans will love this London musical, infused as it is with vintage sketches and nods to the great British troupe's classic Holy Grail movie. Indeed, fittingly for a show created by comedy gods, Eric Idle plays the Almighty - though not in person: his appearance is limited to a video projection that nonetheless is a pleasant addition to the show. Stephen Tompkinson (who TV viewers will know from various primetime shows including Drop The Dead Donkey or Wild At Heart) is effective as King Arthur, adept at clowning and convincing as the exasperated leader of a higgedly-piggedly set of idiot knights. Familiar scenes abound and those with even the slightest knowledge of Python will recognise the Knights of Ni, a deadly attack-rabbit and - inarguably one of the show's highlights - the fabulous and thickly-accented French soldiers who (more) »
- By David Moynihan
Tenacious D wants to create its own "Super Bowl of comedy-rock" festival
17 January 2013 10:15 AM, PST | avclub.com | See recent The AV Club news »
Tenacious D says it’s working on rounding up all its comedy-rock cohorts for a mega-festival to be held later this year. Festival Supreme is tentatively scheduled for October 19, 2013 at the Santa Monica Pier. So far only the D are confirmed to appear, but Jack Black and Kyle Gass tell Rolling Stone they’re aiming to construct “a fuckin’ Super Bowl of comedy-rock,” with dream acts like Flight Of The Conchords, The Lonely Island, Zach Galifianakis, Spinal Tap, Eric Idle, Tim Minchin, Neil Hamburger, Tim And Eric, people from Mr. Show, and South Park’s Matt Stone and »
2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2001 | 2000 | 1998 | 1997
16 items from 2013
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