 Holy Grail vs Life Of Brian, The big Python battle |
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 Jul 11 2006, 02:01 AM
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#31
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Ade Flanders  Group: Senior Moderators Posts: 14,205 Joined: 2-October 04 From: the moment I could first write, I KNEW that I wanted to be an internet forum moderator... Member No.: 2,296  |
QUOTE (Hobbes @ Jul 10 2006, 11:08 PM) The Life Of Brian because, funny though Holy Grail is, and I found it much funnier, the ending is total shit and so anticlimactic it ruined the film for me.  I always felt a bit cheated by the ending too - it was just a bit too Monty Python, if that makes sense. It has loads of great scenes, and I never grow tired of reciting the Constitutional Peasant... "Listen, strange women lyin' in ponds distributin' swords is no basis for a system of government!"  ...but the ending was so haphazard I hated it. |
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Jul 11 2006, 02:28 AM
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#32
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Toasty Group: Senior Members Posts: 9,759 Joined: 16-December 04 From: Hell-Lay Member No.: 2,939 |
QUOTE (Ade @ Jul 10 2006, 06:01 PM) I always felt a bit cheated by the ending too - it was just a bit too Monty Python, if that makes sense. It makes perfect sense. And without then cutting to the Beeb logo w/ Idle voice-over ("And on BBC 2....me telling you this.")**, it feels a little like like half a punchline. ** Also, "And now...the naughty bits of an filthy English kah-niggit!" would be an acceptable substitute. This post has been edited by thirtyhelens: Jul 11 2006, 02:28 AM |
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Jul 11 2006, 02:45 AM
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#33
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never rub another man's rhubarb Group: Senior Members Posts: 5,714 Joined: 2-October 04 Member No.: 2,308 |
I love the ending. It has always been one of my favourite bits. If you take it at face value rather than as a comically surreal cop-out then it adds a layer to the film. The idea that there's a lunatic subsection of modern society living out this ludicrous story, it's one of the best twists ever.
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Jul 11 2006, 09:06 AM
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#34
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Alley Viper Group: Senior Members Posts: 11,843 Joined: 29-December 04 From: Cobra Island Member No.: 3,024 |
Exactly. It's supposed to be anticlimactic. Everything builds up to a huge battle, and then it ends suddenly and surreally. That, my friends, is what Python is all about.
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Jul 11 2006, 09:44 AM
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#35
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Bully for you Group: Senior Members Posts: 20,419 Joined: 25-February 05 From: behind a desk, sitting very still Member No.: 3,498 |
I also felt a bit annoyed by the ending when I first watched it (I was 9 at the time so I was into all the big battle stuff in films) but I quite like it now because, as whitey pointed out, it does work quite well as a twist in that it throws the entirety of teh rest of the film into doubt.
Still prefer Brian though since it holds together very well. I think we can all agree that Meaning of Life is just piss-poor. It's so obvious that they had writer's block and hated each other by that film. |
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Jul 11 2006, 02:21 PM
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#36
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never rub another man's rhubarb Group: Senior Members Posts: 5,714 Joined: 2-October 04 Member No.: 2,308 |
QUOTE (maian @ Jul 11 2006, 10:44 AM) I think we can all agree that Meaning of Life is just piss-poor. Nope. I love it. Probably one of the best things they did. |
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Jul 11 2006, 02:28 PM
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#37
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Better to reign in hell... Group: Senior Members Posts: 5,984 Joined: 1-November 04 From: Leicestershire Member No.: 2,676 |
QUOTE (whitey @ Jul 11 2006, 02:21 PM) Nope. I love it. Probably one of the best things they did. I think it's great too. Possibly the weakest of the lot in my opinion, but still good. Had to be Holy Grail for me. Very close, but still the Grail. |
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Jul 11 2006, 03:11 PM
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#38
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Varga Girl Group: Senior Members Posts: 7,301 Joined: 15-October 04 From: New York Member No.: 2,531 |
QUOTE (maian @ Jul 11 2006, 05:44 AM) I think we can all agree that Meaning of Life is just piss-poor. Meaning of Life may be my favorite. Probably something to do with the fact that not only was it the first movie of theirs that I saw, but was really the first time I really sat down & digested Python. Also being of an impressionable age, I was excited to see that movies could be so surreal & non-mainstream. |
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Jul 11 2006, 03:19 PM
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#39
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Fallon Group: Senior Members Posts: 10,262 Joined: 17-December 04 From: The Scary-Go-Round Member No.: 2,946 |
I rented The Meaning of Life from the video shop when I was 13 and lost it. I wonder what happened to it. [/reminiscing]
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Jul 11 2006, 03:48 PM
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#40
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Bully for you Group: Senior Members Posts: 20,419 Joined: 25-February 05 From: behind a desk, sitting very still Member No.: 3,498 |
I really can't stand Meaning Of Life. I just find so much of it unfunny. There are flashes of brilliance but much of it is just dire.
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Jul 11 2006, 05:34 PM
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#41
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Toasty Group: Senior Members Posts: 9,759 Joined: 16-December 04 From: Hell-Lay Member No.: 2,939 |
The Meaning of Life is a mess, but it's an enjoyable mess. A few too many concepts that outdo their execution (the first time I saw Eric Idle's long, long walk I pissed myself at the sheer chutzpah - how long can they possibly sustain it?! - but subsequently I've fast-forwarded through that part every time.) Mr. Creosote is deserving of its praise, though, and the Death sketch is very, very funny.
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Jul 11 2006, 05:51 PM
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#42
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Learning to walk again Group: Senior Members Posts: 5,525 Joined: 24-February 06 From: Where everybody knows your name Member No.: 4,956 |
QUOTE (thirtyhelens @ Jul 11 2006, 06:34 PM) and the Death sketch is very, very funny. The salmon mousse. |
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Jul 11 2006, 07:00 PM
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#43
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Addict Group: Senior Members Posts: 6,116 Joined: 16-March 05 From: Cardiff: "Capital City of The Future" Member No.: 3,662 |
Unsuprisingly I'm going for Holy Grail. I've seen it a silly number of times and it never fails to amuse. Favourite bit: Sir Lancelot killing his way through the wedding party.
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Jul 11 2006, 09:09 PM
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#44
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. Group: Senior Members Posts: 6,111 Joined: 27-February 05 Member No.: 3,514 |
I don't actually consider And Now For Something Completely Different and Meaning of Life films in the traditional sense. So when someone says, "What is your favourite Python film?", it genuinely is a toss up between Grail or Brian. My reasoning is flawed but here it is: ANFSCD is, for me, just a composite of sketches (great sketches, mind) and Meaning of Life is much the same, split into segments (very much like Woody Allen's, Everything You Wanted To Know About Sex * But Were Afraid To Ask). I know they are films and are regarded as such but I just see the two middle efforts as the benchmark to which the others cannot reach and should not be compared to because of their differences.
This post has been edited by Ingram: Jul 11 2006, 09:09 PM |
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Jul 11 2006, 09:35 PM
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#45
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Varga Girl Group: Senior Members Posts: 7,301 Joined: 15-October 04 From: New York Member No.: 2,531 |
QUOTE (Ingram @ Jul 11 2006, 05:09 PM) My reasoning is flawed but here it is True.... My two cents: Python was a sketch show in some sense, so you really can't say that the other films can't be compared since that is what they were doing before venturing into film. They are doing a film version of what they are best known for. I do have so say though that ....Completely Different is just them re-doing thier old sketches & shouldn't count. 
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