Monty Python and the Holy Grail
the movie
Does it Get Any Better Than This?
"A marvelously particular kind of lunatic endeavor."
Top Critic
New York Times
Top Critic
New York Times
Not only is Monty Python and the Holy Grail like an old friend of mine with memories, or scenes, that I can look back upon and laugh about, but Monty Python and the Holy Grail also reminds me of numerous times I have spent with close friends over the years while watching its truly entertaining plot unfold and talking about its remarkable comedy quality.
This movie has literally made my sides ache because exuberant amounts laughter that have not necessarily occurred during any of the actual footage of the movie being played live. Most often times it has been references or comments made about the movie after or even before it has been watched that bring the most laughter. Also, every time I think about dear Monty Python I think of old friends and one friend in particular that I spent a great deal of enjoyable time with in the past. This movie makes me think of her and how much I truly miss spending time with her; however, while watching one of my all time favorite movies and being reminded of how much I miss one of my very best friends that I was close too, Monty Python and the Holy Grail does bring back many memories, mostly pleasant, of past times in what seems like another lifetime. And even though I first watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail in "another lifetime" this timeless classic movie will still be a timeless classic no matter what day or age I am experiencing at any given moment.
This movie has literally made my sides ache because exuberant amounts laughter that have not necessarily occurred during any of the actual footage of the movie being played live. Most often times it has been references or comments made about the movie after or even before it has been watched that bring the most laughter. Also, every time I think about dear Monty Python I think of old friends and one friend in particular that I spent a great deal of enjoyable time with in the past. This movie makes me think of her and how much I truly miss spending time with her; however, while watching one of my all time favorite movies and being reminded of how much I miss one of my very best friends that I was close too, Monty Python and the Holy Grail does bring back many memories, mostly pleasant, of past times in what seems like another lifetime. And even though I first watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail in "another lifetime" this timeless classic movie will still be a timeless classic no matter what day or age I am experiencing at any given moment.
Reviews
In one review by the critic Chris Nashawaty, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is is mostly just highly praised: "Nearly 40 years later, it remains one of the all-time great opening scenes in movie history. And one of the silliest. As the clopping sound of hooves approaches, Graham Chapman, playing King Arthur, gallops into the frame...without a horse. Next to him is Terry Gilliam as his hunchbacked lackey, clapping two coconut shells together. It's a cheap gag, but it captures everything that made Monty Python so brilliant." Nashawaty explains the opening scene of this film eloquently, one image among plenty that are a unique sight to be seen by viewers.
"It's mind-boggling just how much mileage they've been able to get from what's essentially an esoteric history lesson peppered with juvenile jokes about killer rabbits, shrubberies, and knights who say "Ni." I mean, who would have guessed that three decades later, a low-budget movie starring six guys riffing on tales from ye olde Middle Ages would wind up being adapted into a boffo Broadway musical (Spamalot) playing to packed houses of fanny-pack-wearing tourists?" (Nashawaty) This critic praises Monty Python but is also surprised by how far the comic group has come.
In another review, one by MaryAnn Johanson, the idea of not liking this film does not even exist when this critic talks mostly about Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "And they don't come much geekier or more touchstony than 1975's Monty Python and the Holy Grail, not only.. near one of the funniest movies ever made but certainly one of the most quotable... at least for us endlessly self-referential types for whom all of life is but a never ceasing trail of opportunities to show off the ridiculous capability we have for retaining movie, computer, and science fiction trivia. I mean, we geeks have among us, all false modesty aside, some quite prodigious brain power. Do we use it to ponder the meaning of life? No. (Monty Python already did it for us, actually.) Do we use it to figure out ways to feed starving millions? Do we use it to bring literacy to Third World countries? Do we use it even to build a better mousetrap? No. We're too busy nurturing our Sims, memorizing The Matrix, rereading Lord of the Rings for the 27th time in preparation for the films, and ferreting out who killed Evan Chan.
"Come on, admit it: If you're reading this, you've almost certainly had to stifle the urge to reply, when some stranger asks your name, 'There are some who call me... Tim.' Right? " Johanson truly believes in Monty Python and the Holy Grail as she even says: "If this is you, don't try to fight it -- there is no cure. Just go and watch Holy Grail again right now, because I know you have to. I understand. I'll be here when you get back." (Johanson) She is so very confident in this film.
In one more review, by Joshua Tyler, I believe his words too be so true I leave them here for any reader to peruse over and gain insight from: "Humor, Laughter, Jokes, concepts that elude many people today. People such as David Brennar, Chevy Chase, and the 1997 cast of Saturday Night Live. Creativity, originality, copyright laws, things that some people just don't understand. People like Michael Bolton,, Puff Daddy, and the 1997 cast of Saturday Night Live.
"Yet, there was once a time when entertainers understood these difficult to grasp concepts. One such brave band of creative funny people was Monty Python. Together they formed a band of noble artists, dedicated to bringing laughter and originality to the masses. The lessons they taught us may have been forgotten, but they are not gone, they are simply on the second shelf at the back of your local Blockbuster.
"Monty Python and the Holy Grail is by far the pinnacle of Monty Python humor and in this Hobbit's opinion one of the funniest movies ever made. The tale of King Arthur and his noble knights was never told with such a sense of total disrespect and obvious obsession with the airspeed capacity of swallows.
"The movie is old, the film is grainy, the sound at times almost unbearable, and the British accents are so thick you could cut them with a knife, but every moment is classic, even the credits are a work of art. Personally, I pause each frame of the credits as I watch it so that I can read each and every word. Ok... maybe the Hobbit has a problem.... But if you don't read the credits, you are really missing out.
"Watch it with your friends, watch it with your dogs, watch it alone in the dark with no pants on, I don't care, you'll laugh no matter what, and after you watch it, you'll want to watch it again.... And you'll annoy everyone you know by walking around spouting line after line from the movie in a cheesy pathetic british accent, and your friends will say, "Damn that Hobbit for what he has done to you!" But alas, I won't be able to take the credit, I just pointed the way. And there was much rejoicing." (Tyler)
"It's mind-boggling just how much mileage they've been able to get from what's essentially an esoteric history lesson peppered with juvenile jokes about killer rabbits, shrubberies, and knights who say "Ni." I mean, who would have guessed that three decades later, a low-budget movie starring six guys riffing on tales from ye olde Middle Ages would wind up being adapted into a boffo Broadway musical (Spamalot) playing to packed houses of fanny-pack-wearing tourists?" (Nashawaty) This critic praises Monty Python but is also surprised by how far the comic group has come.
In another review, one by MaryAnn Johanson, the idea of not liking this film does not even exist when this critic talks mostly about Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "And they don't come much geekier or more touchstony than 1975's Monty Python and the Holy Grail, not only.. near one of the funniest movies ever made but certainly one of the most quotable... at least for us endlessly self-referential types for whom all of life is but a never ceasing trail of opportunities to show off the ridiculous capability we have for retaining movie, computer, and science fiction trivia. I mean, we geeks have among us, all false modesty aside, some quite prodigious brain power. Do we use it to ponder the meaning of life? No. (Monty Python already did it for us, actually.) Do we use it to figure out ways to feed starving millions? Do we use it to bring literacy to Third World countries? Do we use it even to build a better mousetrap? No. We're too busy nurturing our Sims, memorizing The Matrix, rereading Lord of the Rings for the 27th time in preparation for the films, and ferreting out who killed Evan Chan.
"Come on, admit it: If you're reading this, you've almost certainly had to stifle the urge to reply, when some stranger asks your name, 'There are some who call me... Tim.' Right? " Johanson truly believes in Monty Python and the Holy Grail as she even says: "If this is you, don't try to fight it -- there is no cure. Just go and watch Holy Grail again right now, because I know you have to. I understand. I'll be here when you get back." (Johanson) She is so very confident in this film.
In one more review, by Joshua Tyler, I believe his words too be so true I leave them here for any reader to peruse over and gain insight from: "Humor, Laughter, Jokes, concepts that elude many people today. People such as David Brennar, Chevy Chase, and the 1997 cast of Saturday Night Live. Creativity, originality, copyright laws, things that some people just don't understand. People like Michael Bolton,, Puff Daddy, and the 1997 cast of Saturday Night Live.
"Yet, there was once a time when entertainers understood these difficult to grasp concepts. One such brave band of creative funny people was Monty Python. Together they formed a band of noble artists, dedicated to bringing laughter and originality to the masses. The lessons they taught us may have been forgotten, but they are not gone, they are simply on the second shelf at the back of your local Blockbuster.
"Monty Python and the Holy Grail is by far the pinnacle of Monty Python humor and in this Hobbit's opinion one of the funniest movies ever made. The tale of King Arthur and his noble knights was never told with such a sense of total disrespect and obvious obsession with the airspeed capacity of swallows.
"The movie is old, the film is grainy, the sound at times almost unbearable, and the British accents are so thick you could cut them with a knife, but every moment is classic, even the credits are a work of art. Personally, I pause each frame of the credits as I watch it so that I can read each and every word. Ok... maybe the Hobbit has a problem.... But if you don't read the credits, you are really missing out.
"Watch it with your friends, watch it with your dogs, watch it alone in the dark with no pants on, I don't care, you'll laugh no matter what, and after you watch it, you'll want to watch it again.... And you'll annoy everyone you know by walking around spouting line after line from the movie in a cheesy pathetic british accent, and your friends will say, "Damn that Hobbit for what he has done to you!" But alas, I won't be able to take the credit, I just pointed the way. And there was much rejoicing." (Tyler)
"She turned me into a Newt!" "A newt?" ... "I got better.."
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is obviously a special film because of how much attention it has received over the years from when it first showed in the year 1975. It did not necessarily break records, but it is a film that is regularly talked about especially with teenagers. Its cast, mainly from the group of Monty Python, is also extraordinarily special: from Graham Chapman, John Cleese, and Eric Idle to Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and the Michael Palin there is much talent, and not necessarily skill, in acting shown. The unique, special characteristic about this movie is that the main actors play multiple characters throughout the movie. For example, John Cleese not only plays the Second-Swallow Savvy Gaurd, the Black Knight, and Peasant 3, but he is also Sir Lancelot the Brave, the Taunting French Guard, and Tim the Enchanter. Multiple main characters are played by this one actor showing that this film has something else about it.
Despite a cheap budget of $229,000 GBP, or maybe because of it, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a timeless classic that will be a general favorite for many years and possibly many generations to come. From some cheesy props and settings to some very cheesy scenes and lines, this movie is practically screaming "CHEESY" and yet is all the better because of the laughs that the "cheese" brings. Monty Python and the Holy Grail truly is one film that is easily remembered; usually those memories are cherished!
Despite a cheap budget of $229,000 GBP, or maybe because of it, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a timeless classic that will be a general favorite for many years and possibly many generations to come. From some cheesy props and settings to some very cheesy scenes and lines, this movie is practically screaming "CHEESY" and yet is all the better because of the laughs that the "cheese" brings. Monty Python and the Holy Grail truly is one film that is easily remembered; usually those memories are cherished!
Comedy and Satire Usage and Monty Python's Audience
In Monty Python and the Holy Grail there is pure comedy in every scene; the stench of comedy is so noticeable because of the constant use of hilarious comic acts, sayings, and ideas in this movie. From slapstick, physical pain humor, and lots of satirical humor to lots of farce and a some dark humor, the comic group Monty Python, who came up with and performed this movie, definitely manages to receive numerous laughs from multiple audiences. No matter the type of comedy or satire seen in this movie there is lots of it and it is displayed for all to see.
The audiences that Monty Python and the Holy Grail seem to attract range from some of the youngest children to much older more mature adults. This film just goes from funny to funnier then to funniest when the numerous scenes are played out. The more you can understand the funnier the movie is, nevertheless, the reactions of some of the younger generations to this movie may prove that statement false. No matter who the audience is, however, this movie will manage to make someone laugh!
The audiences that Monty Python and the Holy Grail seem to attract range from some of the youngest children to much older more mature adults. This film just goes from funny to funnier then to funniest when the numerous scenes are played out. The more you can understand the funnier the movie is, nevertheless, the reactions of some of the younger generations to this movie may prove that statement false. No matter who the audience is, however, this movie will manage to make someone laugh!
Now, You may be hoping for a clip of the movie to watch, however, instead I just STRONGLY suggest renting, or preferably buying, Monty Python and the Holy Grail so that you do not miss out on a single moment of comedy gold. Some scenes may be too much to take, but please, for the sake of all that is funny, do not deprive yourself of the almost unreal experience of witnessing a film so superb that I have devoted this page to almost constant praise of its true awe-inspiring power. Please.
Johanson, MaryAnn. "Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(review) Bark Like a Geek." Flick Filosopher. N.p., 11 2001. Web.
Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/2001/05/
monty_python_and_the_holy_grai.html>.
Nashawaty, Chris. "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."
Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly; CNN, 09 2012. Web.
Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20576615,00.html>.
Tyler, Joshua. "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."
Cinema Blend. Webta Labs, n. d. Web.
Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://www.cinemablend.com/reviews/
Monty-Python-and-the-Holy-Grail-64.html>.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/monty_python_and_the_holy_grail/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071853/
(review) Bark Like a Geek." Flick Filosopher. N.p., 11 2001. Web.
Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://www.flickfilosopher.com/blog/2001/05/
monty_python_and_the_holy_grai.html>.
Nashawaty, Chris. "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."
Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly; CNN, 09 2012. Web.
Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20576615,00.html>.
Tyler, Joshua. "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."
Cinema Blend. Webta Labs, n. d. Web.
Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://www.cinemablend.com/reviews/
Monty-Python-and-the-Holy-Grail-64.html>.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/monty_python_and_the_holy_grail/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071853/