Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

jellopuke The best look at the Pythons and pretty much covers their whole careers (as the group) as best as it can. Sure it would have been nice to talk a bit about what they did outside the group, but this was billed as being about Python, not about the individual members. Besides, any show that leaves you wanting even more of what you got, has to have been worthwhile. Totally recommended for Python fans.

MisterWhiplash Monty Python's last work was Meaning of Life in 1983, but generations have been affected by them and their own whatever-you-call-it-style. It's incredibly smart and incredibly stupid in the same sentences or breath. While a song may be making light of philosophers throughout the ages, it's always put with a joke that is completely crude and tasteless. And there's always a seg-way or some way of cutting a joke off at the knees before the expected punchline to something else. You never know with the show or the movies - even if you've seen them two or ten or fifty times, you're always on the edge of something about to happen. Or you just love to see a man running away to his death chased by a horde of topless women.This is the story of 'Python', all five surviving members interviewed plus archival clips of Graham Chapman (his interview bits fill in just about right with the rest of the other testimonies about everything else, even as the enigma of the group). From their humble upbringings they just wanted to do silly comedy things, just go wild with it, and from their starts in the 1960s they somehow all got together by accident and decided to do a show with no title (Monty Python came after about a hundred other titles were considered). The show gained its audience with young people, and it became a controversial but bonafide hit. This then led to the movies, first the hit-or-miss And Now for Something Completely Different, followed by their most notable films 'Holy Grail', 'Life of Brian' and 'Meaning of Liff' (Life, sorry).The documentary is basically essential for any Python fan, even if you know most of these stories or recollections or talk about who thought what of another or a bunch. For newcomers or those who just want to know who these guys were at the time, it's really quite revealing, and often very funny by themselves. The clips chosen are all pretty much the fantastic choice clips from the show (can't ever go wrong with the Fish Slapping sketch or the Ministry of Funny Walks, albeit Mr. Hilter isn't featured), as are from the films. Best of all are some of those archival footage bits spliced in, specifically from an interview done right during the fuss over Life of Brian when Cleese and Palin were on a show with two old super-Christian headmaster figures (how they get there's is simple and thrilling in its hilarity).No flaws are left unturned really, at least in the scope of a career retrospective that runs just shy of two hours. But we also see just how, maybe despite all that shouldn't of worked, everything did click for at least most of their time as a team. For any sketch that might fall flat five others would just make one keel over in laughter. That they also had attention to detail as artists- we hear Pasolini mentioned as a big influence on the work of the 'Terrys', directors of the films- is also useful and cool to hear. And in case you're wondering if any real goodies are here that can't be seen anywhere else, watch as Eric Idle prepares a song with John DuPrez, perfectly lovely until "F*** Christmas" comes out of Idle's mouth. Python was a mix of gentle innocence and throw-bombs-at-society craft, and it's a fitting tribute and history.

rcwkr This series is for hardcore Pythonistas (like myself), casual fans, and those discerning younguns who have yet to be exposed to their wacky, irreverent, and cerebral brand of humour. I am writing this having seen only 4 of the 6 installments, but so far it has been great. Although retrospectives have been assembled at 20 and 30 year anniversaries, this edition has enough new insights and behind the scenes characters to keep it fresh, and by far the most entertaining yet. Sharing with us some snippets of old TV shows and comedians (and in the case of T. Gilliam, cartoonist/publisher Harvey Kurtzman) that influenced them is quite enlightening. I really like the solitary black background interview format, the editors did a terrific job in melding the comments by the surviving 5.....and they all look great. Speaking of great looking, even in her mid 60s, Carol Cleveland is still hot! I also love the comments by the various celebs who are also dyed-in-the-wool fans. Depending on their age, they had similar first exposures to the unique brand of humour as those of us watching the documentary. Might have to buy the DVD for the extras too!

karyn_tiley I have recently seen a preview copy of Monty Python: Almost the Truth. All 498 minutes of it! The series is being released to celebrate the 30th? 40th? some anniversary to cash-in on, oops I mean "honour" the ancient comedy troupe. It's cut into 6 episodes, The Not So Interesting Beginning, The Much Funnier Second, And Now, The Sordid Personal Bits, The Ultimate Holy Grail, Lust for Glory and Finally the Last Episode Ever! (For Now). And for those of you who sit through all six without nodding off or doing yourself in from supreme boredom - there's even some extras included on the DVD release.. I think the opening title song on the series (a Shirley Bassey style number in the ilk of a James Bond title track) really sums it up. To quote: So (bleeping)sick of Python. Six sodding hours of Python. No more, no more, bloody Monty, Monty (bleeping),(bleeping) Python. They weren't that funny anyway! The Boomers will love it