Monty Python legend/old man yelling out cloud John Cleese recently appeared on BBC One’s Morning Live to promote the stage revival of Fawlty Towers that’s currently playing in London. Cleese doesn’t act in the play, but he scripted the adaptation, hence why it’s billed as “John Cleese’s Fawlty Towers” (an unforgivable act of Connie Booth erasure).
Cleese also took the opportunity to discuss the production of the original series, specifically how it was as stressful and chaotic as Basil Fawlty’s hotel. “There wasn’t time to hang around — we had two hours to record that show,” Cleese recalled. “We started at 8 and finished at 10, and if it wasn’t in the can, there wasn’t an ending to the show.”
Cleese also claimed that the hurried schedule frequently led him to worry that episodes wouldn’t be completed: “Whenever there was a break,...
Cleese also took the opportunity to discuss the production of the original series, specifically how it was as stressful and chaotic as Basil Fawlty’s hotel. “There wasn’t time to hang around — we had two hours to record that show,” Cleese recalled. “We started at 8 and finished at 10, and if it wasn’t in the can, there wasn’t an ending to the show.”
Cleese also claimed that the hurried schedule frequently led him to worry that episodes wouldn’t be completed: “Whenever there was a break,...
- 10/25/2024
- Cracked
Contrary to John Cleese’s baffling suggestion that Monty Python’s Flying Circus was somehow banned, the show has been widely available on Netflix since 2018. The popular streamer has also been the home of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python’s Life of Brian and various other Python specials and documentaries. Oh, and Eric Idle’s bizarre faux radio play What About Dick?
But all that is about to change.
The entire Python catalog will disappear from Netflix on November 1st, meaning that a lot of folks may be spending Halloween night binging 50-year-old comedy sketches. This marks the end of the much-publicized association between Netflix and the Pythons, which not every member of the group has been super-happy about.
Since Netflix has failed to renew its deal with Monty Python, the iconic comedy troupe’s back catalog was free to find a new digital home. As reported...
But all that is about to change.
The entire Python catalog will disappear from Netflix on November 1st, meaning that a lot of folks may be spending Halloween night binging 50-year-old comedy sketches. This marks the end of the much-publicized association between Netflix and the Pythons, which not every member of the group has been super-happy about.
Since Netflix has failed to renew its deal with Monty Python, the iconic comedy troupe’s back catalog was free to find a new digital home. As reported...
- 10/23/2024
- Cracked
Shout! Studios has reached an agreement with Mercury Studios Media Limited to license exclusive U.S. and Canadian distribution rights including AVOD, SVOD, broadcast, theatrical and non-theatrical distribution rights for a catalog of Monty Python films, specials and performances.
This includes perennial favorites such as the landmark sketch comedy TV series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” recently restored and available for the first time across all platforms in HD, and comic masterpieces “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” and “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” which marks its 50th anniversary in 2025.
Shout’s CEO Garson Foos said: “Since the earliest days of the company, Shout! has been dedicated to celebrating the best entertainment that pop culture has to offer and has sought to be a trusted home for beloved films and series. Iconic and iconoclastic, Monty Python has long been at the top of that list. We are fans first and foremost,...
This includes perennial favorites such as the landmark sketch comedy TV series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” recently restored and available for the first time across all platforms in HD, and comic masterpieces “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” and “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” which marks its 50th anniversary in 2025.
Shout’s CEO Garson Foos said: “Since the earliest days of the company, Shout! has been dedicated to celebrating the best entertainment that pop culture has to offer and has sought to be a trusted home for beloved films and series. Iconic and iconoclastic, Monty Python has long been at the top of that list. We are fans first and foremost,...
- 10/22/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
John Cleese is best known as a member of the British comedy troupe Monty Python. Let’s look back at the Oscar-nominated funnyman and his 12 greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1939 in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, England, Cleese rose to prominence thanks to the British sketch series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” which ran for four seasons on the BBC from 1969-1974. The troupe — which also included Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin — revolutionized comedy with their surreal, experimental sketches, the best of which were assembled into the film “And Now for Something Completely Different” (1971). This led to other cinematic outings, including “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975), “Life of Brian” (1979) and “The Meaning of Life” (1983).
Cleese achieved big screen success of his own with “A Fish Called Wanda” (1988), which he wrote and starred in as an uptight English barrister who becomes entangled in an elaborate...
Born in 1939 in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, England, Cleese rose to prominence thanks to the British sketch series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” which ran for four seasons on the BBC from 1969-1974. The troupe — which also included Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin — revolutionized comedy with their surreal, experimental sketches, the best of which were assembled into the film “And Now for Something Completely Different” (1971). This led to other cinematic outings, including “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975), “Life of Brian” (1979) and “The Meaning of Life” (1983).
Cleese achieved big screen success of his own with “A Fish Called Wanda” (1988), which he wrote and starred in as an uptight English barrister who becomes entangled in an elaborate...
- 10/18/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
It’s no secret that the Monty Python bond isn't super-strong right now. And the reason why it’s no secret is because a lot of the inter-Python bickering has transpired on social media. Eric Idle and John Cleese made headlines for posting snide comments about one another, the result of Idle’s vocal discontentment with the handling of Monty Python’s finances. It’s basically the British comedy equivalent of watching your parents fight.
While the Idle-Cleese feud has certainly garnered a lot of attention recently, it isn’t exactly a fresh phenomenon. Not only is this not the first time that Idle and Cleese have squabbled, it’s not even the first time that they’ve squabbled in front of all their social media followers.
The two Pythons also beefed way back in 2011. And it will probably come as a shock to precisely no one that it was also about money.
While the Idle-Cleese feud has certainly garnered a lot of attention recently, it isn’t exactly a fresh phenomenon. Not only is this not the first time that Idle and Cleese have squabbled, it’s not even the first time that they’ve squabbled in front of all their social media followers.
The two Pythons also beefed way back in 2011. And it will probably come as a shock to precisely no one that it was also about money.
- 10/18/2024
- Cracked
As Eric Idle continues to promote his new book The Spamalot Diaries — technically it’s an old book that’s been dusted off and published — the Monty Python legend recently stopped by The Daily Show to chat about it with host Jordan Klepper.
Klepper admitted to being a huge Python fan, telling Idle, “I would not be doing comedy in this world if it wasn’t for you and the folks at Monty Python. Thank you.” Klepper also joked that “there was a 15-year period before I actually got legitimate employment in comedy — and during those 15 years I would have cursed you on the streets. But once I found a little bit of employment in comedy, now you’ve become a hero once again.”
As the conversation progressed, Klepper brought up Idle’s Python frenemy John Cleese, who the host noted has “been prickly about modern woke audiences.” For context,...
Klepper admitted to being a huge Python fan, telling Idle, “I would not be doing comedy in this world if it wasn’t for you and the folks at Monty Python. Thank you.” Klepper also joked that “there was a 15-year period before I actually got legitimate employment in comedy — and during those 15 years I would have cursed you on the streets. But once I found a little bit of employment in comedy, now you’ve become a hero once again.”
As the conversation progressed, Klepper brought up Idle’s Python frenemy John Cleese, who the host noted has “been prickly about modern woke audiences.” For context,...
- 10/11/2024
- Cracked
Unless Frank Sinatra somehow rises from the grave and can convince them all to show up at the same live telethon, the surviving members of Monty Python likely aren’t going to be patching things up anytime soon. And as long as they keep giving interviews, journalists are seemingly going to keep asking them about the group’s perpetually-simmering tension.
Eric Idle, who has a new book out all about the making of Spamalot, recently chatted with the AARP. When asked about his friend, former Beatle and Life of Brian backer George Harrison, Idle shared that the former Beatle once gave him some invaluable life advice. “He cheered me up when my first marriage was breaking up by telling me I was going to die,” Idle explained. “Which is good advice. Fuck it. Every day you’re lucky.”
On the subject of the Beatles, Idle was asked whether or not...
Eric Idle, who has a new book out all about the making of Spamalot, recently chatted with the AARP. When asked about his friend, former Beatle and Life of Brian backer George Harrison, Idle shared that the former Beatle once gave him some invaluable life advice. “He cheered me up when my first marriage was breaking up by telling me I was going to die,” Idle explained. “Which is good advice. Fuck it. Every day you’re lucky.”
On the subject of the Beatles, Idle was asked whether or not...
- 10/8/2024
- Cracked
It’s been 35 years and three days since Monty Python star Graham Chapman passed away from complications related to cancer, but John Cleese hasn’t forgotten how good he roasted the late legend at the memorial service.
When Monty Python’s resident leading man left this world on October 4, 1989, he left a hole in the world of absurdist comedy that hasn’t been filled to this day. Between his sketch work on Monty Python and the Flying Circus and his monumental performances as the main characters of Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Chapman achieved a level of comedic immortality in which his work is still constantly quoted, discussed and appraised as some of the finest artistry in the history of humor in film. As such, when the credits rolled on the Pythons’ cheeky, openly gay and iconically irreverent lead actor, it didn...
When Monty Python’s resident leading man left this world on October 4, 1989, he left a hole in the world of absurdist comedy that hasn’t been filled to this day. Between his sketch work on Monty Python and the Flying Circus and his monumental performances as the main characters of Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Chapman achieved a level of comedic immortality in which his work is still constantly quoted, discussed and appraised as some of the finest artistry in the history of humor in film. As such, when the credits rolled on the Pythons’ cheeky, openly gay and iconically irreverent lead actor, it didn...
- 10/7/2024
- Cracked
On Wednesday, actress Riley Keough (who is on just about every daytime and late night show this week) will chat to Seth about her memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown co-written with her late mother Lisa Maries, she is joined by actor Eric Idle. Plus what’s happening the rest of this week on the […]
Late Night With Seth Meyers: Riley Keough, Eric Idle...
Late Night With Seth Meyers: Riley Keough, Eric Idle...
- 10/7/2024
- by Riley Avery
- MemorableTV
Poor Eric Idle. And by “poor Eric Idle,” I mean literally poor — the former Monty Python star is once again lamenting his lack of riches, telling The Times U.K. that “these days everything in showbiz is on YouTube or Spotify so I do have to earn a living. I’d love to retire, but, alas, I can’t.”
He blames his old Python pals, specifically the fiscal mismanagement of the group’s earnings, but doesn’t want to get into it. “I’m not getting involved in a to and fro, for me it’s not very important,” he explained. “Sad to say I don’t really care because I’ve got a lot of other things to do in my life.”
None of that stopped Idle from getting involved in a to and from earlier this year on social media, complaining on Twitter that, “We own everything we...
He blames his old Python pals, specifically the fiscal mismanagement of the group’s earnings, but doesn’t want to get into it. “I’m not getting involved in a to and fro, for me it’s not very important,” he explained. “Sad to say I don’t really care because I’ve got a lot of other things to do in my life.”
None of that stopped Idle from getting involved in a to and from earlier this year on social media, complaining on Twitter that, “We own everything we...
- 10/7/2024
- Cracked
While the surviving members of Monty Python are no longer a working comedy team, they have been producing a ton of “why does everyone in Monty Python hate each other?” content this year. Eric Idle and John Cleese have been publicly feuding on social media, Cleese has been needling Michael Palin during interviews and the ghost of Graham Chapman has allegedly been haunting Cleese, possibly in a Christmas Carol sort of deal.
Most recently, Palin has been busy promoting the latest installment of his published diaries, and naturally, the press has been asking him about the current state of the Pythons’ emotional well-being. His response wasn’t exactly encouraging.
“I’ve given up trying to hold together that original family,” Palin told Andrew Marr of Lbc. He went on to explain that the Pythons tended to get along best when they were producing material, but not so much afterwards. “The thing was,...
Most recently, Palin has been busy promoting the latest installment of his published diaries, and naturally, the press has been asking him about the current state of the Pythons’ emotional well-being. His response wasn’t exactly encouraging.
“I’ve given up trying to hold together that original family,” Palin told Andrew Marr of Lbc. He went on to explain that the Pythons tended to get along best when they were producing material, but not so much afterwards. “The thing was,...
- 10/4/2024
- Cracked
This year’s Transformers One takes the lore and explores how both Optimus Prime and Megatron went from practically brothers to becoming bitter enemies. But back in 1987, an epic movie version of the popular animated television show would bring their battle to the big screen for the first time. It’s Transformers: The Movie on this episode of Revisited.
The Background and the plot
The Transformers cartoon from 1984 was one of several children’s shows that was made explicitly to sell toys. It joined the likes of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, G.I. Joe and Voltron. However, this is a good example of “if you can make a product that’s cool enough, we won’t dwell on the shallow corporate reason for its existence.” Kids everywhere in the 80s loved the varied vehicles and characters and the creativity of unfolding and switching parts to turn it into a fighting soldier robot.
The Background and the plot
The Transformers cartoon from 1984 was one of several children’s shows that was made explicitly to sell toys. It joined the likes of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, G.I. Joe and Voltron. However, this is a good example of “if you can make a product that’s cool enough, we won’t dwell on the shallow corporate reason for its existence.” Kids everywhere in the 80s loved the varied vehicles and characters and the creativity of unfolding and switching parts to turn it into a fighting soldier robot.
- 10/2/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
The hands down funniest crucifixion scene in all of movie history came at the end of Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Just as the titular not-the-messiah has abandoned all hope, a fellow crucifixion victim, played by Eric Idle, suggests that he cheer up, and proceeds to belt out the now-iconic tune “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”
In the years since the movie came out, the ironically-peppy number has become a sort of anthem for Idle, who even performed it during the closing ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics.
But the song that’s made so many people so happy (and a whole lot of Christian fundamentalists very unhappy) was recorded just one day after Idle experienced a personal tragedy: the death of his good friend, legendary drummer Keith Moon. According to Idle, he hugged Moon the day he died, and had to record a Disney-esque ditty soon afterwards.
In the years since the movie came out, the ironically-peppy number has become a sort of anthem for Idle, who even performed it during the closing ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics.
But the song that’s made so many people so happy (and a whole lot of Christian fundamentalists very unhappy) was recorded just one day after Idle experienced a personal tragedy: the death of his good friend, legendary drummer Keith Moon. According to Idle, he hugged Moon the day he died, and had to record a Disney-esque ditty soon afterwards.
- 9/29/2024
- Cracked
Twenty-five years ago, Disney made a huge mistake that forever ruined one of their greatest attractions and is still loathed by fans!
Disney is usually good when it comes to making over some classic attractions. It’s always a risk, as fans hate change, and altering things can lead to a backlash. We saw it with Splash Mountain becoming Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, but it worked out well for fans. Likewise, Maelstrom becoming Frozen Ever After turned into a hit.
However, there’s a very good reason why Disney fans are wary of changing a ride. Because 25 years ago, the company attempted a makeover of a long-standing Epcot attraction that, in the minds of so many, destroyed it forever. It’s still astounding how bad it was and why Journey Into Your Imagination is a shame for Imagineering.
The Magic of Imagination
One of the original Epcot Center opening pavilions,...
Disney is usually good when it comes to making over some classic attractions. It’s always a risk, as fans hate change, and altering things can lead to a backlash. We saw it with Splash Mountain becoming Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, but it worked out well for fans. Likewise, Maelstrom becoming Frozen Ever After turned into a hit.
However, there’s a very good reason why Disney fans are wary of changing a ride. Because 25 years ago, the company attempted a makeover of a long-standing Epcot attraction that, in the minds of so many, destroyed it forever. It’s still astounding how bad it was and why Journey Into Your Imagination is a shame for Imagineering.
The Magic of Imagination
One of the original Epcot Center opening pavilions,...
- 9/26/2024
- by Michael Weyer
- Along Main Street
Some of the least funny SNL sketches from the past decade have been the cold opens, namely those that consist mostly of lightly rewritten versions of recent speeches, congressional testimonies, or interviews by politicians. One gets the sense that these skits are built to do nothing more than play on the audience’s mere recognition of what’s being referenced, patting us on the back for being in the know while vying for our laughter.
While Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night does, unlike those sketches, at least include some honest-to-goodness jokes, it often gives into the same pandering instincts. For instance, the film openly invites SNL aficionados and comedy nerds to point at the screen in collective recognition at the events and lore of the show’s past and nod along with pride in their knowledge.
Written by Reitman and Gil Kena, the film offers us a glimpse of John Belushi...
While Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night does, unlike those sketches, at least include some honest-to-goodness jokes, it often gives into the same pandering instincts. For instance, the film openly invites SNL aficionados and comedy nerds to point at the screen in collective recognition at the events and lore of the show’s past and nod along with pride in their knowledge.
Written by Reitman and Gil Kena, the film offers us a glimpse of John Belushi...
- 9/25/2024
- by Derek Smith
- Slant Magazine
Warning: This article contains descriptions of self-harm.
While Monty Python remains beloved to this day, John Cleese isn’t without his share of adversaries — including one of his oldest friends and collaborators and the family of the World War II hero that he turned into Basil Fawlty. But topping all of those feuds was the time Cleese angered an entire city in New Zealand.
Back in 2005, the George of the Jungle 2 star visited New Zealand for his “My Life, Times and Current Medical Problems” tour, which he promoted by getting into bed with a female newscaster, as is New Zealand custom, I guess?
Play
But during his trip, Cleese wasn’t too enamored with the city of Palmerston North, and he didn’t hold back while expressing that opinion in a podcast he recorded for his website. Cleese called the town the “suicide capital of New Zealand” and suggested “if...
While Monty Python remains beloved to this day, John Cleese isn’t without his share of adversaries — including one of his oldest friends and collaborators and the family of the World War II hero that he turned into Basil Fawlty. But topping all of those feuds was the time Cleese angered an entire city in New Zealand.
Back in 2005, the George of the Jungle 2 star visited New Zealand for his “My Life, Times and Current Medical Problems” tour, which he promoted by getting into bed with a female newscaster, as is New Zealand custom, I guess?
Play
But during his trip, Cleese wasn’t too enamored with the city of Palmerston North, and he didn’t hold back while expressing that opinion in a podcast he recorded for his website. Cleese called the town the “suicide capital of New Zealand” and suggested “if...
- 9/20/2024
- Cracked
As his daughter predicted, John Cleese's self-imposed exile from Twitter/X didn’t last long. To be fair, the Monty Python star managed to stay silent (save for a couple of retweets) for nearly nine days before deciding to fire new shots at archenemy and former comedy compatriot Eric Idle.
The latest grenade lob continues a social media feud from earlier this year. Idle publicly complained that the group’s relative lack of riches was due to mismanagement by Terry Gilliam’s daughter, Holly, who runs the company that steers Monty Python projects. Cleese, Michael Palin and (surprise) Terry Gilliam came out in support of Holly at the time. Cleese said that he found her to be “very efficient, clear-minded, hard-working and pleasant.”
What sparked the flames again? Deadline reports that Idle created “a fresh post on X (once Twitter),” accusing Cleese of firing former manager Jim Beach and installing Holly.
The latest grenade lob continues a social media feud from earlier this year. Idle publicly complained that the group’s relative lack of riches was due to mismanagement by Terry Gilliam’s daughter, Holly, who runs the company that steers Monty Python projects. Cleese, Michael Palin and (surprise) Terry Gilliam came out in support of Holly at the time. Cleese said that he found her to be “very efficient, clear-minded, hard-working and pleasant.”
What sparked the flames again? Deadline reports that Idle created “a fresh post on X (once Twitter),” accusing Cleese of firing former manager Jim Beach and installing Holly.
- 9/19/2024
- Cracked
Earlier this year, a sad truth for fans of Monty Python was unveiled when a feud between members Eric Idle and John Cleese was made public. Idle would profess that the brand had been mismanaged due to Cleese firing former manager Jim Beach and appointing Terry Gilliam’s daughter, Holly, in the position. Eric Idle revealed that funds have dried up from his Monty Python days, writing, “I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded. Python is a disaster. Spamalot made money 20 years ago. I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age.”
Back in February, Idle made it clear on social media when he posted, “I don’t mind but once they put Gilliams daughter in as Manager and Cleese fires Jim Beach, well it’s over.” A fan responded to the situation by inquiring why other members didn’t get a say on the management replacement decision.
Back in February, Idle made it clear on social media when he posted, “I don’t mind but once they put Gilliams daughter in as Manager and Cleese fires Jim Beach, well it’s over.” A fan responded to the situation by inquiring why other members didn’t get a say on the management replacement decision.
- 9/19/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
John Cleese and Eric Idle are continuing to duke it out on social media.
The Monty Python legends exchanged barbs earlier this year, locking horns over their estrangement after Idle complained that he still had to work because Python’s earnings had dried up.
Idle blamed the mismanagement of the Python brand on Terry Gilliam and his daughter, Holly. The latter runs Hdg Projects, which manages Python and helped stage Monty Python Live (mostly) – One Down Five to Go, the group’s 2014 reunion shows at the O2 in London.
Cleese, along with Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam, later made clear that they endorsed Holly’s management. “I find her very efficient, clear-minded, hard-working, and pleasant,” Cleese said.
Now, in a fresh post on X (once Twitter), Idle has accused Cleese of firing former manager Jim Beach and installing Holly. He said this was the reason their relationship was “over.”
I...
The Monty Python legends exchanged barbs earlier this year, locking horns over their estrangement after Idle complained that he still had to work because Python’s earnings had dried up.
Idle blamed the mismanagement of the Python brand on Terry Gilliam and his daughter, Holly. The latter runs Hdg Projects, which manages Python and helped stage Monty Python Live (mostly) – One Down Five to Go, the group’s 2014 reunion shows at the O2 in London.
Cleese, along with Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam, later made clear that they endorsed Holly’s management. “I find her very efficient, clear-minded, hard-working, and pleasant,” Cleese said.
Now, in a fresh post on X (once Twitter), Idle has accused Cleese of firing former manager Jim Beach and installing Holly. He said this was the reason their relationship was “over.”
I...
- 9/19/2024
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
While most news about Monty Python these days tends to involve bitter financial disputes and long-simmering tensions blowing up on social media, there’s at least one recent Python-centric story that’s unquestionably heartwarming. And no, we don’t mean John Cleese’s decision to quit Twitter.
There’s currently a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to pay for a statue honoring Terry Jones, which is to be erected on the promenade in Colwyn Bay, Wales where the late Monty Python member lived until he was nearly five. Jones, of course, passed away in 2020 due to complications of a rare form of dementia, which he was diagnosed with in 2015 — although his death still hasn’t stopped him from booking acting jobs.
The GoFundMe campaign, dubbed “A Python on the Prom,” seeks to raise £120,000 for the bronze sculpture. Run by Jones’ family and the Conwy Arts Trust, the campaign was...
There’s currently a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to pay for a statue honoring Terry Jones, which is to be erected on the promenade in Colwyn Bay, Wales where the late Monty Python member lived until he was nearly five. Jones, of course, passed away in 2020 due to complications of a rare form of dementia, which he was diagnosed with in 2015 — although his death still hasn’t stopped him from booking acting jobs.
The GoFundMe campaign, dubbed “A Python on the Prom,” seeks to raise £120,000 for the bronze sculpture. Run by Jones’ family and the Conwy Arts Trust, the campaign was...
- 9/12/2024
- Cracked
It’s certainly not uncommon for filmmakers to tell autobiographical stories in their work, such as how Steven Spielberg has used dinosaurs, aliens, ancient Biblical relics and aliens a few more times to process his parents’ divorce.
One movie that most people likely don’t tend to think of as autobiographical is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. After all, it’s not like any of the Pythons ever survived any bovine catapult attacks or bloodthirsty bunny rabbit skirmishes.
But an autobiographical reading of The Holy Grail has just been floated — and not by some unhinged fan, but by Eric Idle.
In a new interview with The New Yorker, Idle chatted about a number of different topics, including his apparent financial difficulties, and the state of his relationship with fellow Python John Cleese. But much of the discussion was focused on Idle’s upcoming tour, as well as his newest book,...
One movie that most people likely don’t tend to think of as autobiographical is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. After all, it’s not like any of the Pythons ever survived any bovine catapult attacks or bloodthirsty bunny rabbit skirmishes.
But an autobiographical reading of The Holy Grail has just been floated — and not by some unhinged fan, but by Eric Idle.
In a new interview with The New Yorker, Idle chatted about a number of different topics, including his apparent financial difficulties, and the state of his relationship with fellow Python John Cleese. But much of the discussion was focused on Idle’s upcoming tour, as well as his newest book,...
- 9/9/2024
- Cracked
Eric Idle is addressing Monty Python’s money troubles and his “poor” relationship with his comedy troupe colleague John Cleese.
In a new interview in The New Yorker, the 81-year-old discussed how he’s been anything but, well, idle in his octogenarian years due to feeling cash strapped.
Idle had posted in February, “I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously … I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded. Python is a disaster. [Their musical] Spamalot made money 20 years ago. I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age.” He also appeared to blame the comedy troupe’s asset manager, Holly Gilliam, member Terry Gilliam’s daughter, for the state of their finances. Cleese also posted that he “loathed and despised” Idle, then later said he was only joking.
Idle says his comment about the group’s finances was,...
In a new interview in The New Yorker, the 81-year-old discussed how he’s been anything but, well, idle in his octogenarian years due to feeling cash strapped.
Idle had posted in February, “I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously … I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded. Python is a disaster. [Their musical] Spamalot made money 20 years ago. I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age.” He also appeared to blame the comedy troupe’s asset manager, Holly Gilliam, member Terry Gilliam’s daughter, for the state of their finances. Cleese also posted that he “loathed and despised” Idle, then later said he was only joking.
Idle says his comment about the group’s finances was,...
- 9/9/2024
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The roll out of Oasis’ much-hyped reunion tour has been a real nightmare for fans. Ticket prices landed somewhere between the cost of Fabergé eggs and black market organs, thanks to Ticketmaster’s “Dynamic Pricing.” Liam Gallagher responded to the controversy in the most Liam Gallagher way possible, by instructing his fans to “Shutup.” I guess we should just be happy that he didn’t threaten to stab anybody in the eye.
But this is far from the only controversy that the band has weathered. We all know about the time Noel Gallagher claimed that Oasis was “bigger” than The Beatles, but what about the time they screwed over one of The Rutles?
In 1994, Oasis released the song “Whatever,” a “standalone Christmas single” that came out between their debut album Definitely Maybe and the hit follow-up (What's the Story) Morning Glory? The song was a success, debuting at number three on the U.
But this is far from the only controversy that the band has weathered. We all know about the time Noel Gallagher claimed that Oasis was “bigger” than The Beatles, but what about the time they screwed over one of The Rutles?
In 1994, Oasis released the song “Whatever,” a “standalone Christmas single” that came out between their debut album Definitely Maybe and the hit follow-up (What's the Story) Morning Glory? The song was a success, debuting at number three on the U.
- 9/6/2024
- Cracked
Are liberal snowflakes too sensitive to laugh at Terry Jones’ many gender-bending characters without crying about “transphobia,” or are conservatives too stupid to understand that those anarcho-syndicalist peasants from Monty Python and the Holy Grail were basically the medieval Antifa?
Sadly, we’ve reached the stage in the comedy culture wars where such questions apparently must be asked whenever John Cleese opens Twitter and participates in whichever political debate rages the loudest at the moment. Despite being best known for his work in the iconoclastic, anti-establishment and counter-cultural comedy troupe Monty Python, Cleese’s personal politics have been hard to keep straight in the last 10 years as he’s raged against the rise of “wokeness” on the U.K.’s version of Fox News while simultaneously criticizing the American alt-right and its figureheads in inflammatory Twitter threads like this one that went viral over the holiday weekend.
On Monday, Cleese...
Sadly, we’ve reached the stage in the comedy culture wars where such questions apparently must be asked whenever John Cleese opens Twitter and participates in whichever political debate rages the loudest at the moment. Despite being best known for his work in the iconoclastic, anti-establishment and counter-cultural comedy troupe Monty Python, Cleese’s personal politics have been hard to keep straight in the last 10 years as he’s raged against the rise of “wokeness” on the U.K.’s version of Fox News while simultaneously criticizing the American alt-right and its figureheads in inflammatory Twitter threads like this one that went viral over the holiday weekend.
On Monday, Cleese...
- 9/3/2024
- Cracked
Eric Idle and John Cleese’s recent social media feud garnered a lot of attention from fans, but it’s far from the first time that the two Monty Python members squabbled. As one resurfaced interview clip illustrates, their behind-the-scenes tension goes back decades, and once involved an argument over drinking urine.
One of the most infamous lost Python sketches is “Wee-Wee Wine Tasting,” which was filmed for the Season Three episode “E. Henry Thripshaw's Disease” but ultimately cut from the broadcast. As Idle recalled in the 1990 documentary Life of Python, the sketch, which he wrote with Michael Palin, found a refined gentleman visiting a wine cellar, and taking guesses as to the contents of his glass (Pouilly Fumé? Médoc?) only to be constantly informed that the wine is, in fact, “wee-wee.”
While most members of the Pythons got behind the “very silly” sketch, Cleese was vehemently opposed to it and,...
One of the most infamous lost Python sketches is “Wee-Wee Wine Tasting,” which was filmed for the Season Three episode “E. Henry Thripshaw's Disease” but ultimately cut from the broadcast. As Idle recalled in the 1990 documentary Life of Python, the sketch, which he wrote with Michael Palin, found a refined gentleman visiting a wine cellar, and taking guesses as to the contents of his glass (Pouilly Fumé? Médoc?) only to be constantly informed that the wine is, in fact, “wee-wee.”
While most members of the Pythons got behind the “very silly” sketch, Cleese was vehemently opposed to it and,...
- 8/22/2024
- Cracked
Who’s laughing now?
After filing for bankruptcy and canceling its latest edition earlier in 2024, the revered international comedy festival Just for Laughs is making a comeback.
The fest returns in Sydney, Australia, from Nov. 18-28, 2024, under its new owner ComediHa!, which acquired Just for Laughs in June after it was forced to slash its staff and sell select assets. Trevor Noah, Eric Idle and Brad Williams are among the performers in Sydney, as well as Melanie Bracewell, who will host the All-Star Gala.
Jfl then moves to its 17th edition in Bermuda, from Jan. 22-24, 2025, followed by a stint in Vancouver from Feb. 13-22.
Of course, Just for Laughs will return to Montreal, where it originated in 1983, from July 16-27. In a press release, new owner ComediHa! stressed that maintaining Jfl’s presence in Montreal is one of its “top priorities,” adding, “With an eye towards the future, the...
After filing for bankruptcy and canceling its latest edition earlier in 2024, the revered international comedy festival Just for Laughs is making a comeback.
The fest returns in Sydney, Australia, from Nov. 18-28, 2024, under its new owner ComediHa!, which acquired Just for Laughs in June after it was forced to slash its staff and sell select assets. Trevor Noah, Eric Idle and Brad Williams are among the performers in Sydney, as well as Melanie Bracewell, who will host the All-Star Gala.
Jfl then moves to its 17th edition in Bermuda, from Jan. 22-24, 2025, followed by a stint in Vancouver from Feb. 13-22.
Of course, Just for Laughs will return to Montreal, where it originated in 1983, from July 16-27. In a press release, new owner ComediHa! stressed that maintaining Jfl’s presence in Montreal is one of its “top priorities,” adding, “With an eye towards the future, the...
- 8/21/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Although somewhat tame by today’s standards, when Monty Python’s Life of Brian was released in 1979, it was considered to be among the most offensive — and blasphemous — films ever made. While no strangers to controversy, Monty Python faced a backlash like never before with their third film, in which they relentlessly mocked organized religion via a biblical epic parody about a man named Brian who is mistaken for the messiah just because he’s Jesus’ neighbor.
Forty-five years after its initial release, Life of Brian is still regarded as a classic, and many consider it to be the best, most sophisticated work the Pythons ever did. Here’s how it all came about, how angry it made everybody and why it’s stood the test of time…
45 Jesus Christ: Lust for Glory
Life of Brian was first conceived when the Pythons were on the publicity tour for Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Forty-five years after its initial release, Life of Brian is still regarded as a classic, and many consider it to be the best, most sophisticated work the Pythons ever did. Here’s how it all came about, how angry it made everybody and why it’s stood the test of time…
45 Jesus Christ: Lust for Glory
Life of Brian was first conceived when the Pythons were on the publicity tour for Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
- 8/18/2024
- Cracked
I think it's fair to say that Monty Python movies, much like the TV show from which they sprung, are all great. The absurdist brilliance of "Monty Python's Flying Circus," which ran on the BBC from 1969 to 1974, saw comedians John Cleese, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam rewrite the rules of comedy. Alongside regular collaborators Carol Cleveland and Connie Booth, the Monty Python troupe established themselves as true comedic geniuses, leading to a run of feature films that remain just as beloved to this day as the "Flying Circus" itself.
Chief among those films is 1975's "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," a deconstruction of the British national identity by way of an irreverent retelling of Arthurian legend. The film was and is much more than its oft-quoted catchphrases would suggest, with the Python boys turning their subversive eye towards British history and sending up...
Chief among those films is 1975's "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," a deconstruction of the British national identity by way of an irreverent retelling of Arthurian legend. The film was and is much more than its oft-quoted catchphrases would suggest, with the Python boys turning their subversive eye towards British history and sending up...
- 8/17/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
In the "Simpsons" episode "Homer Simpson, This is Your Wife", Homer (Dan Castellaneta) becomes obsessed with the crisp images on an HDTV and decides he has to purchase one. To get the money, he enlists his family into a reality TV series called "Mother Flippers," wherein the matriarchs of two families swap places. Marge (Julie Kavner) is sent to live with the dandyish Charles Heathbar (Ricky Gervais), while Homer welcomes Charles' stern wife Verity (Tress MacNeille). Over the course of the episode, Charles develops a crush on Marge, while Verity will begin developing a romance with Marge's sister, Patty (Kavner).
"This is Your Wife" aired during the 17th season of "The Simpsons," so the series was already enormous and influential. Indeed, "This is Your Wife" only came into being because the makers of "The Simpsons" were fans of the British TV series "The Office" and wanted to meet its creator and star,...
"This is Your Wife" aired during the 17th season of "The Simpsons," so the series was already enormous and influential. Indeed, "This is Your Wife" only came into being because the makers of "The Simpsons" were fans of the British TV series "The Office" and wanted to meet its creator and star,...
- 8/5/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
In 1977, Dolly Parton’s career was on enough of an upward trajectory that she was performing for audiences of celebrities. At a show in New York, a number of big names turned up to watch Parton sing. While Parton is confident in her abilities, she admitted that getting in front of this crowd was a daunting task.
Dolly Parton performed to an audience of celebrities at one concert
In 1977, Parton geared up to play three shows at New York’s Bottom Line. This was a big opportunity for her, as it gave her a chance to perform songs from her more pop-centric album New Harvest … First Gathering. Parton had been performing in front of audiences for years at this point, but the show in New York felt like a new frontier. It didn’t help that there were many highly recognizable faces in the audience.
Dolly Parton | Bettmann/Contributor via...
Dolly Parton performed to an audience of celebrities at one concert
In 1977, Parton geared up to play three shows at New York’s Bottom Line. This was a big opportunity for her, as it gave her a chance to perform songs from her more pop-centric album New Harvest … First Gathering. Parton had been performing in front of audiences for years at this point, but the show in New York felt like a new frontier. It didn’t help that there were many highly recognizable faces in the audience.
Dolly Parton | Bettmann/Contributor via...
- 8/4/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In a less stupid world, the most controversial part of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony would have been when the Minions were callously drowned for our amusement. Instead there’s now a major controversy brewing involving “dancers and drag queens” forming a tableau that some people interpreted as being representative of The Last Supper.
Catholic leaders have called it a “mockery of Christianity,” despite the fact that it was actually supposed to be a depiction of the Greek God Dionysus and the “Feast of the Gods.” Yeah, apparently Christians don’t have a monopoly on dinner parties thrown by deities.
Although, as far as we know, this is the first time that Dionysus has been represented as a ginger Dr. Manhattan.
Of course, even if it was supposed to be The Last Supper, the iconic religious tableau has been the subject of parody and revision for decades without sparking the...
Catholic leaders have called it a “mockery of Christianity,” despite the fact that it was actually supposed to be a depiction of the Greek God Dionysus and the “Feast of the Gods.” Yeah, apparently Christians don’t have a monopoly on dinner parties thrown by deities.
Although, as far as we know, this is the first time that Dionysus has been represented as a ginger Dr. Manhattan.
Of course, even if it was supposed to be The Last Supper, the iconic religious tableau has been the subject of parody and revision for decades without sparking the...
- 7/29/2024
- Cracked
In what has become the Drake-Kendrick feud for the AARP crowd, John Cleese just keeps beefing with his old Monty Python pals. Even after the dust seemingly settled on his social media spat with Eric Idle, Cleese recently took a random shot at Michael Palin for being “boring” — big talk from the co-star of George of the Jungle 2 and Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure.
Palin fired back at his old A Fish Called Wanda co-star, pointing out that his so-called “boring” qualities are what made Cleese’s over-the-top characters funny. “You had to have someone selling the parrot, or someone in the argument sketch to play off,” Palin argued.
Because these legendary comedians keep talking to journalists instead of, say, some sort of group therapist, Cleese recently sat down for an interview with BBC Radio 2 presenter Romesh Ranganathan, and once again found a way to dunk on his colleague.
Palin fired back at his old A Fish Called Wanda co-star, pointing out that his so-called “boring” qualities are what made Cleese’s over-the-top characters funny. “You had to have someone selling the parrot, or someone in the argument sketch to play off,” Palin argued.
Because these legendary comedians keep talking to journalists instead of, say, some sort of group therapist, Cleese recently sat down for an interview with BBC Radio 2 presenter Romesh Ranganathan, and once again found a way to dunk on his colleague.
- 7/22/2024
- Cracked
There’s been a lot of discussion lately about the interpersonal conflicts within Monty Python, even despite the fact that they haven’t performed as a group in 10 years, two of them are dead and the surviving members are old enough to join up with Hell’s Grannies.
It all started with a back-and-forth social media feud between John Cleese and Eric Idle, which led to Cleese stating that they have “always loathed and despised each other.” While he later claimed to be joking, Cleese, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam then celebrated Palin’s 81st birthday without Idle. This was soon followed by Cleese randomly calling Palin “boring,” forcing Palin to defend himself on national television.
All of which seems like a lot of drama for four octogenarians.
While promoting his Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Live! Tour, Idle was asked by Now to Love about his friendship with his fellow Pythons.
It all started with a back-and-forth social media feud between John Cleese and Eric Idle, which led to Cleese stating that they have “always loathed and despised each other.” While he later claimed to be joking, Cleese, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam then celebrated Palin’s 81st birthday without Idle. This was soon followed by Cleese randomly calling Palin “boring,” forcing Palin to defend himself on national television.
All of which seems like a lot of drama for four octogenarians.
While promoting his Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Live! Tour, Idle was asked by Now to Love about his friendship with his fellow Pythons.
- 7/18/2024
- Cracked
The origin story of Fawlty Towers has become the stuff of comedy legend, stemming from a 1970 Monty Python tour that took the troupe to the English seaside town of Torquay. There John Cleese was “fascinated” by the manager of a local hotel, who treated guests as if they were a “nuisance.”
The business in question was the Gleneagles Hotel, and the real-life proprietors were Donald Sinclair and his wife Beatrice. While the Pythons were guests, Sinclair allegedly chastised Terry Gilliam’s American table manners and tossed Eric Idle’s briefcase outdoors because he “thought it might be a bomb” (it “actually contained an alarm clock”).
Cleese’s wild stories have been corroborated by Michael Palin’s diaries. He recorded that “Mr. Sinclair, the proprietor, seemed to view us from the start as a colossal inconvenience.” So all the Pythons moved to another hotel after just one night, except for Cleese,...
The business in question was the Gleneagles Hotel, and the real-life proprietors were Donald Sinclair and his wife Beatrice. While the Pythons were guests, Sinclair allegedly chastised Terry Gilliam’s American table manners and tossed Eric Idle’s briefcase outdoors because he “thought it might be a bomb” (it “actually contained an alarm clock”).
Cleese’s wild stories have been corroborated by Michael Palin’s diaries. He recorded that “Mr. Sinclair, the proprietor, seemed to view us from the start as a colossal inconvenience.” So all the Pythons moved to another hotel after just one night, except for Cleese,...
- 7/16/2024
- Cracked
Shelley Duvall, known for her roles in The Shining and Nashville, died of diabetes complications on Thursday in Blanco, Texas, at the age of 75.
“My dear, sweet, wonderful life, partner and friend left us last night. Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away beautiful Shelley,” said her partner Dan Gilroy in a statement.
Duvall was known as the late director Robert Altman’s protege in the 1970s and 1980s. After meeting the infamous director while filming Brewster Cloud, Duvall went on to star in five more of his films, including McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Thieves Like Us, Nashville, Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson and 3 Women. She also starred as Olive Oyl in Altman’s Popeye.
“[Altman] has great confidence in me,” she told the New York Times in 1977. “And a trust and respect for me, and he doesn’t put any restrictions on me or intimidate me,...
“My dear, sweet, wonderful life, partner and friend left us last night. Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away beautiful Shelley,” said her partner Dan Gilroy in a statement.
Duvall was known as the late director Robert Altman’s protege in the 1970s and 1980s. After meeting the infamous director while filming Brewster Cloud, Duvall went on to star in five more of his films, including McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Thieves Like Us, Nashville, Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson and 3 Women. She also starred as Olive Oyl in Altman’s Popeye.
“[Altman] has great confidence in me,” she told the New York Times in 1977. “And a trust and respect for me, and he doesn’t put any restrictions on me or intimidate me,...
- 7/13/2024
- by Ava Lombardi
- Uinterview
Legendary actress Shelley Duvall has sadly passed away at the age of 75. Movie fans know her best for her stellar work as Wendy Torrance in The Shining, and for playing Olive Oyl in the big-screen version of Popeye — although her work in the Harland Williams vehicle RocketMan has yet to be fully-appreciated.
Anyone who grew up in the ‘80s or ‘90s likely also remembers Duvall as the host and creator of Faerie Tale Theatre, one of the most bizarre, charming and idiosyncratic children’s shows in the history of TV. Each episode presented an hour-long, live-action adaptation of a familiar (or occasionally not-so-familiar) fairy tale, featuring a double-take-inducing cast of Hollywood legends and upstart comic stars.
Where else could you find Elliott Gould playing a giant in Jack and the Beanstalk, or Joan Collins as a witch trying to capture Hansel and Gretel? Or Howie Mandel as a character named...
Anyone who grew up in the ‘80s or ‘90s likely also remembers Duvall as the host and creator of Faerie Tale Theatre, one of the most bizarre, charming and idiosyncratic children’s shows in the history of TV. Each episode presented an hour-long, live-action adaptation of a familiar (or occasionally not-so-familiar) fairy tale, featuring a double-take-inducing cast of Hollywood legends and upstart comic stars.
Where else could you find Elliott Gould playing a giant in Jack and the Beanstalk, or Joan Collins as a witch trying to capture Hansel and Gretel? Or Howie Mandel as a character named...
- 7/11/2024
- Cracked
It’s been exactly 10 years since Monty Python (minus the late Graham Chapman) began their final run of live shows at London’s O2 Arena, pleasing their legions of fans while also allowing the group to pay off their mounting legal debts — not to mention Terry Jones’ mortgage and John Cleese’s alimony.
The first of 10 total performances occurred on July 1, 2014, and found the group reviving iconic routines like “The Dead Parrot Sketch,” “The Lumberjack Song” and “Argument Clinic.” Monty Python Live (Mostly) also featured some deeper cuts like “Llamas” and “Anne Elk’s Theory on Brontosauruses.”
The initial reviews weren’t exactly raves. The critical consensus seemed to be that it was both undeniably thrilling to see the Pythons performing again, presumably for the last time, yet also kind of sad to see creaky versions of classic sketches mounted by aging comedy legends who were, by their own admission,...
The first of 10 total performances occurred on July 1, 2014, and found the group reviving iconic routines like “The Dead Parrot Sketch,” “The Lumberjack Song” and “Argument Clinic.” Monty Python Live (Mostly) also featured some deeper cuts like “Llamas” and “Anne Elk’s Theory on Brontosauruses.”
The initial reviews weren’t exactly raves. The critical consensus seemed to be that it was both undeniably thrilling to see the Pythons performing again, presumably for the last time, yet also kind of sad to see creaky versions of classic sketches mounted by aging comedy legends who were, by their own admission,...
- 7/1/2024
- Cracked
In 2023, comedian and broadcaster Jon Holmes was diagnosed with prostate cancer – which came as a bit of a surprise because quite frankly he was far too busy for all of that nonsense. After a very odd, intense, unexpected, ridiculous year, Jon realised that men don’t tend to talk openly about the preposterous indignity of dealing with cancer. So he decided he would, with other men who have been through it.
In a new eight part series for BBC Radio 4, Jon Holmes Says The C-Word, Jon will be joined by comedians Stephen Fry, Mark Steel, Richard Herring, Matt Forde, and Eric Idle, actors Colin McFarlane and Ben Richards, rock star and The Alarm frontman Mike Peters, and journalists Jeremy Langmead, Nick Owen, and Jeremy Bowen as they share their own personal experiences of undergoing cancer treatment.
Jon Holmes says: “If there had been a podcast like this when I...
In a new eight part series for BBC Radio 4, Jon Holmes Says The C-Word, Jon will be joined by comedians Stephen Fry, Mark Steel, Richard Herring, Matt Forde, and Eric Idle, actors Colin McFarlane and Ben Richards, rock star and The Alarm frontman Mike Peters, and journalists Jeremy Langmead, Nick Owen, and Jeremy Bowen as they share their own personal experiences of undergoing cancer treatment.
Jon Holmes says: “If there had been a podcast like this when I...
- 6/19/2024
- Podnews.net
In a scene worthy of one of his animated works, Terry Gillam took to a stage covered in crashed paper planes at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on Sunday to receive its honorary Cristal award and give a masterclass about his animated works.
Gilliam was last in Annecy, where its audience has a tradition of bombarding the stage with paper planes, in 1975 with Miracle of Flight. The anarchic comedy about mankind’s different attempts to fly debuted in the shorts competition but did not win a prize.
“Do you know how long it’s taken me to get this f**king award… They’ve finally let me in… I think they know I might not be around next year,” joked the director as he received the trophy.
The French lakeside animation festival, running from June 9 to 15, is set to welcome close to 16,000 animation professionals this year, many of them...
Gilliam was last in Annecy, where its audience has a tradition of bombarding the stage with paper planes, in 1975 with Miracle of Flight. The anarchic comedy about mankind’s different attempts to fly debuted in the shorts competition but did not win a prize.
“Do you know how long it’s taken me to get this f**king award… They’ve finally let me in… I think they know I might not be around next year,” joked the director as he received the trophy.
The French lakeside animation festival, running from June 9 to 15, is set to welcome close to 16,000 animation professionals this year, many of them...
- 6/10/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Nearly a lifetime ago, in 1975, Terry Gilliam submitted his five-minute short film “Miracle of Flight” to the Annecy Animation Festival in France.
An absurdist gem about homo sapiens’ disastrous desire to take to the skies — using the same cut-out technique made famous by the irreverent interstitials and opening credits Gilliam designed for the British sketch comedy series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” — the film screened, but won no prizes.
Suddenly, half a century later (as “Miracle of Flight” might put it), Annecy corrected the oversight by awarding Gilliam an Honorary Cristal. Turns out, it’s a much nicer trophy — considerably bigger and far easier to dust — awarded in appreciation of lifetime achievement in the field.
“Can you believe how long it has taken me to get this fucking award?” Gilliam joked in mock outrage. “I think they know I might not be around next year.” But the director of “Time Bandits,...
An absurdist gem about homo sapiens’ disastrous desire to take to the skies — using the same cut-out technique made famous by the irreverent interstitials and opening credits Gilliam designed for the British sketch comedy series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” — the film screened, but won no prizes.
Suddenly, half a century later (as “Miracle of Flight” might put it), Annecy corrected the oversight by awarding Gilliam an Honorary Cristal. Turns out, it’s a much nicer trophy — considerably bigger and far easier to dust — awarded in appreciation of lifetime achievement in the field.
“Can you believe how long it has taken me to get this fucking award?” Gilliam joked in mock outrage. “I think they know I might not be around next year.” But the director of “Time Bandits,...
- 6/10/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Jeannette Charles, an actress whose uncanny resemblance to Queen Elizabeth II launched a movie career that included scene-stealing moments in National Lampoon’s European Vacation, The Naked Gun, and Austin Powers sequel Goldmember, died June 2 at a care home in Great Beddow in Essex, England. She was 96.
Her death was announced by daughter Carol Christophi to UK publications The Mirror and The Standard. “Mum was a real character and a force of nature,” Christophi said in a statement. “She had an amazing life.” In an interview with UK radio station Lbc, Christophi said, “She was always respectful of the Queen and adored the Royal Family. We will miss her dearly.”
In a 2022 essay for The Guardian, Charles explained how she began her career as a lookalike. “Before I had children,” she wrote, “I’d worked as an au pair and a typist, but I’d always wanted to act. I’d been in amateur productions,...
Her death was announced by daughter Carol Christophi to UK publications The Mirror and The Standard. “Mum was a real character and a force of nature,” Christophi said in a statement. “She had an amazing life.” In an interview with UK radio station Lbc, Christophi said, “She was always respectful of the Queen and adored the Royal Family. We will miss her dearly.”
In a 2022 essay for The Guardian, Charles explained how she began her career as a lookalike. “Before I had children,” she wrote, “I’d worked as an au pair and a typist, but I’d always wanted to act. I’d been in amateur productions,...
- 6/5/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Jeannette Charles, the Queen Elizabeth II look-alike who played the British monarch for laughs in National Lampoon’s European Vacation, in the first Naked Gun movie and in the last Austin Powers film, has died. She was 96.
Charles died Sunday at a hospice facility in Great Baddow, Essex, England, her daughter, Carol Christophi, announced. “Mum was a real character and a force of nature. She had an amazing life,” she said. “She was always respectful of the queen and adored the royal family.”
Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, also at age 96.
Charles spent more than four decades doubling for the head of state before she wound down her career in 2014.
“I think the first time I was recognized [as the queen] was on a trip [in 1971] to Capri in Italy, with my Italian pen friend Florence,” she recalled in a 2012 interview. “Someone shouted ‘Princess Elizabeth’ in Italian, my friend explained her majesty had...
Charles died Sunday at a hospice facility in Great Baddow, Essex, England, her daughter, Carol Christophi, announced. “Mum was a real character and a force of nature. She had an amazing life,” she said. “She was always respectful of the queen and adored the royal family.”
Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, also at age 96.
Charles spent more than four decades doubling for the head of state before she wound down her career in 2014.
“I think the first time I was recognized [as the queen] was on a trip [in 1971] to Capri in Italy, with my Italian pen friend Florence,” she recalled in a 2012 interview. “Someone shouted ‘Princess Elizabeth’ in Italian, my friend explained her majesty had...
- 6/5/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Terry Gilliam has been to Cannes with three of his own films since 1983, but one of his favorite memories of the festival takes him back to that very first time, at the 36th edition, as the co-writer and co-star of Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. Along with Graham Chapman and the film’s director Terry Jones, he’d emerged from the Carlton hotel’s iconic entrance, then bedecked with promotion for the upcoming Bond movie Octopussy, to encounter a camera crew. Jones started grabbing people at random, shouting, “Who Ees Monty Python???” in a ridiculous foreign accent, and got so carried away that, when they reached the hotel’s famous terrace, he accidentally did it to Gilliam too.
The crowd loved it, and the day only grew stranger. Out on the Carlton’s jetty, they gave an interview to British news channel ITN, with Jones hiding behind Graham...
The crowd loved it, and the day only grew stranger. Out on the Carlton’s jetty, they gave an interview to British news channel ITN, with Jones hiding behind Graham...
- 5/20/2024
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
In the late eighties/ early nineties, shortly after they did Predator together, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John McTiernan and writer Shane Black were all set to team on a big-budget movie adaptation of the DC comic book Sgt. Rock. This is why, at the end of Predator, Black is seen reading a Sgt Rock comic during the cast roll. According to author Nick de Semlyan’s new book, “The Last Action Heroes” (buy it here), the project was heavily developed in ’88 and ’89, only to be demolished by an unlikely candidate – Monty Python’s John Cleese.
At the time, Cleese was riding high on the success of A Fish Called Wanda, and McTiernan thought he would be an ideal addition to the movie’s cast. The film was set to adapt an old Danny Kaye comedy called Imitation General. Cleese would play an English cook posing as a general during WW2 and being...
At the time, Cleese was riding high on the success of A Fish Called Wanda, and McTiernan thought he would be an ideal addition to the movie’s cast. The film was set to adapt an old Danny Kaye comedy called Imitation General. Cleese would play an English cook posing as a general during WW2 and being...
- 5/16/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Stanley Kubrick's 1971 dystopian sci-fi film "A Clockwork Orange" points out that a modern British society -- so devoted to stuffy manners, politeness, and keeping evil out of sight -- won't know how to deal with legitimate sociopaths. Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) is a violent little punk who regularly leads his teen gang -- the Droogs -- into fights, into bars that serve drug-laced milk, and into the locked homes of their victims. Alex beats and assaults people without a scrap of conscience, and sees the world as something to consume, use up, and have sex with. Kubrick toys with the audience a little, presenting Alex as charismatic and funny, even though he's a monster.
When Alex is finally apprehended for his many crimes, the juvenile delinquent is thrown into prison and subjected to a new kind of rehabilitation technique ... involving movies. Alex has his eyes clamped open and he...
When Alex is finally apprehended for his many crimes, the juvenile delinquent is thrown into prison and subjected to a new kind of rehabilitation technique ... involving movies. Alex has his eyes clamped open and he...
- 5/13/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Three members of Monty Python have reunited to celebrate Michael Palin’s birthday.
John Cleese posted a dinner table picture on X (formerly Twitter) of himself alongside Palin and Terry Gilliam after Palin turned 81 on May 5.
Cleese captioned the photo: “An 18 foot Python celebrates Pallin’s 181st Birthday and 195th Travel Book. Photo taken at cafe on peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.”
The day after Palin’s birthday, Cleese wrote: “I was travelling yesterday, and forgot to wish Mickey Pallin a joyous 81st Birthday. We shall shall [sic] celebrate it together tonight, along with Terry Gilliam, if he promises to behave.”
An 18 foot Python celebrates Pallin’s 181st Birthday and 195th Travel Book.
Photo taken at cafe on peak of Mount Kilimanjaro pic.twitter.com/8w4KVsbK3p
— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) May 8, 2024
Eric Idle, who lives in Los Angeles, appeared to be absent from the festivities following his online spat with Cleese and Gilliam earlier this year.
John Cleese posted a dinner table picture on X (formerly Twitter) of himself alongside Palin and Terry Gilliam after Palin turned 81 on May 5.
Cleese captioned the photo: “An 18 foot Python celebrates Pallin’s 181st Birthday and 195th Travel Book. Photo taken at cafe on peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.”
The day after Palin’s birthday, Cleese wrote: “I was travelling yesterday, and forgot to wish Mickey Pallin a joyous 81st Birthday. We shall shall [sic] celebrate it together tonight, along with Terry Gilliam, if he promises to behave.”
An 18 foot Python celebrates Pallin’s 181st Birthday and 195th Travel Book.
Photo taken at cafe on peak of Mount Kilimanjaro pic.twitter.com/8w4KVsbK3p
— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) May 8, 2024
Eric Idle, who lives in Los Angeles, appeared to be absent from the festivities following his online spat with Cleese and Gilliam earlier this year.
- 5/9/2024
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for The Fall Guy, The Idea of You and Unfrosted.
AFI Life Achievement Award
The American Film Institute presented the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award to Nicole Kidman on Saturday in Hollywood, with Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon, Morgan Freeman, Naomi Watts, Zoe Saldaña, Aaron Sorkin, Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Joey King, Mike Myers and Kidman’s husband Keith Urban all on hand to honor the star.
Miles Teller, Reese Witherspoon, Lee Daniels, Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and Zac Efron Michelle Pfeiffer and David E. Kelley
The Idea of You premiere
Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, Reid Scott and Ella Rubin joined producer Gabrielle Union and director Michael Showalter at the New York premiere of their Prime Video rom-com on Monday.
Reid Scott, Ella Rubin, Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine Gabrielle...
AFI Life Achievement Award
The American Film Institute presented the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award to Nicole Kidman on Saturday in Hollywood, with Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon, Morgan Freeman, Naomi Watts, Zoe Saldaña, Aaron Sorkin, Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Joey King, Mike Myers and Kidman’s husband Keith Urban all on hand to honor the star.
Miles Teller, Reese Witherspoon, Lee Daniels, Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and Zac Efron Michelle Pfeiffer and David E. Kelley
The Idea of You premiere
Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, Reid Scott and Ella Rubin joined producer Gabrielle Union and director Michael Showalter at the New York premiere of their Prime Video rom-com on Monday.
Reid Scott, Ella Rubin, Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine Gabrielle...
- 5/3/2024
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After fifty years, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is still rightfully hailed by many as one of the all-time greatest comedies, and for a seemingly countless number of reasons: King Arthur’s “horse”, the corpse collector, the Black Knight, the outlandish animations, the rude French knights, an enchanter named Tim, the Knights who say “Ni” a killer rabbit, the Holy Hand Grenade, and so and so on.
But while the end result is historically hilarious, the filmmaking process itself was often pure misery for most involved. Get ready to storm the castle and find out Wtf Happened to this Movie!
During the 1960s, British comedy writers and performers Graham Chapman, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin had variously collaborated and found degrees of success before uniting in 1969 to form the group known as Monty Python. This alliance resulted in the BBC sketch comedy series Monty Python’s Flying Circus,...
But while the end result is historically hilarious, the filmmaking process itself was often pure misery for most involved. Get ready to storm the castle and find out Wtf Happened to this Movie!
During the 1960s, British comedy writers and performers Graham Chapman, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin had variously collaborated and found degrees of success before uniting in 1969 to form the group known as Monty Python. This alliance resulted in the BBC sketch comedy series Monty Python’s Flying Circus,...
- 4/3/2024
- by Dave Davis
- JoBlo.com
From “The Jerk” to “Only Murders in the Building” and every stage and screen in between, it’s impossible to contain Steve Martin’s life and career into just one documentary. Apple TV+ will take a look at the five-decade career and seven-decade life of the comedy legend with two wild and crazy docs, tracing the path through all its highs and lows, then and now. Directed by Oscar winner Morgan Neville, “Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces” will premiere on Friday, March 29 on Apple TV+. You can watch Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces with a 7-Day Free Trial of Apple TV+.
How to Watch ‘Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces’ Premiere When: Thursday, March 28, 2024 Where: Apple TV+ Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Apple TV+. 7-Day Free Trial$9.99+ / month apple.com About ‘Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces’ Premiere
Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville takes an extended...
How to Watch ‘Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces’ Premiere When: Thursday, March 28, 2024 Where: Apple TV+ Stream: Watch with a 7-Day Free Trial of Apple TV+. 7-Day Free Trial$9.99+ / month apple.com About ‘Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces’ Premiere
Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville takes an extended...
- 3/29/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Plot: Steve Martin is one of the most beloved and enigmatic figures in entertainment. “Steve! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces” dives into his extraordinary story from two distinct points of view, with companion documentaries that feature never-before-seen footage and raw insights into Steve’s personal and professional trials and triumphs. “Then” chronicles Steve Martin’s early struggles and meteoric rise to revolutionize standup before walking away at 35. “Now” focuses on the present day, with Steve Martin in the golden years of his career, retracing the transformation that led to happiness in his art and personal life.
Review: It pains me to think that a generation is growing up that does not hold Steve Martin in the same regard as generations past. At 78 years old, Martin was the biggest comedian of all time for some, a movie star for others, and one of the old guys from Only Murders in the Building for the rest.
Review: It pains me to think that a generation is growing up that does not hold Steve Martin in the same regard as generations past. At 78 years old, Martin was the biggest comedian of all time for some, a movie star for others, and one of the old guys from Only Murders in the Building for the rest.
- 3/26/2024
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
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