monty python's self defense lessons (vid)

[Lost Oath]

http://www.kung-fu.co.il/english/pla...320&Height=245

[GeneChing]

The 10-show run begins tomorrow. It ends with a worldwide simulcast on July 20.

Monty Python Live (Mostly)

Coming Soon
Synopsis

Fathom Events and Picturehouse Entertainment invite you to experience comedy legends Monty Python’s long-awaited reunion when Monty Python Live (mostly) is broadcast LIVE to cinemas nationwide on Sunday, July 20 with rebroadcasts on July 23 and 24. At a combined age of just 361, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin will once again perform some of their greatest hits, with modern, topical, Python-esque twists.

Running Time
3 hr 0 min
Genre
Comedy
Release Date
July 20, 2014

[GeneChing]

[GeneChing]

Giant dead parrot unveiled in London to pay tribute to Monty Python
A huge bird lies on its back at Potters Fields, near Tower Bridge, to celebrate the screening of the cult comedy troupe's live TV broadcast


Written By
Radio Times Staff
11:28 AM, 14 July 2014
A 50 foot fibreglass bird was hung upside down by a crane this morning at London's Potters Fields to mark the forthcoming TV screening of Monty Python's live show.

The world famous dead parrot sketch, in which John Cleese attempts to return a deceased 'Norwegian Blue' parrot to a pet shop, features in the current Monty Python Live (mostly) farewell show and will appear when UKTV channel Gold screens the final performance on Sunday.

"We are all Monty Python fans so we were delighted to receive the brief from Gold to recreate the mythical Norwegian Blue on a giant scale," explained lead sculptor Iain Prendergast, who helped build the enormous model bird, which took more than two months to make.

Steve North, general manager of Gold, explained that the massive parrot near London's Tower Bridge is "a fitting tribute" to the Python's famous sketch. Yet Prendergast said building the thing wasn't easy:

"The key challenge for us was capturing the comedy value of the dead parrot, keeping the realism of the bird whilst also adding touches like the bloodshot, stunned eyes," he explained.

The huge bird will be delivered to the O2 Arena, where the Python live stage show is taking place.

"It’s a huge step in Gold’s evolution to be part of such a significant national event and to be broadcasting it live so that everyone can be there," explained Richard Watsham, UKTV director of commissioning. "Monty Python is arguably the most influential comedy group the country has ever known and it’s a matter of great pride that they’ve trusted us with celebrating their very last night together."

Gold will screen the final Python show live on Sunday 20 July, following a backstage programme which is expected to follow comics Idle, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin as they prepare for the performance, and could also see appearances from celebrity fans.

Now that's what I call a dead parrot.

[David Jamieson]

lol.

masters.

[GeneChing]

I caught the final showing of the final show last night. WARNING: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. It was bittersweet. The show opened with Chapman and a title card that said "One down, five to go". There were many moments honoring Chapman, even his birth year and death year at the end of the show, followed by the same for Monty Python (died 2014) followed by another title card that said "**** off". The dead parrot was said to be seeing Dr. Chapman. Overall, it was great to see Python reunited, although the show was uneven and relied way too much on clips from the original show. We've seen all that. They used the clips (a lot of gilliam animation) to cover the costume and set changes, but they also had big Broadway-style dance numbers to do that (heavy Idle influence there), so the repeated clips were a waste of time - easily half an hour was dedicated to them. They opened with Four Yorkshiremen, which was really fitting and stood out as one of the best skits of the show. The rest of the skits relied heavily on Cleese/Palin routines (Argument Clinic, Dead Parrot, Cheese Shop) but that was fine as those are some of my favs. Cleese's voice seemed ragged from ten shows and he lost his place twice, asking "Where are we?" to great comedic effect. He seemed tired, but still hit his timing marks. Idle was the most vibrant, singing and dancing like an old Vegas showman. Apart from his lined face, he hardly seems to have aged. Gilliam was boorish and crass, very 'murican like usual (it was really his animation that got him in, not his sketch comedy work). Jones looked out of it and was clearly reading cue cards (Cleese even took over for him during Crunchy Frog) but he retained much of his outrageous expressions. The lines on Palin's face has given him more range for his funny faces, and the mischievous sparkle in his eyes is as bright as ever. Carol Cleveland was there too - tough for her to play the hottie foil at her age, but she did so as gracefully as she could. There was a lot of music, mostly the most offensive songs. And there was some updating of the routines. The ***** Song is now three verses, the new two being The Vagina Song and The Butt Song. The Gay Barristers sketch poked fun at Cleese's divorces. There was some major ribbing of Palin's travel show during Death of Mary Queen of Scots/Penguin on the Teley. Cleese and Palin got sidetracked with a rant against some negative reviews during Dead Parrot. "That's Japanese" was added into I Like Chinese after the line "tiny little trees". There were odd cameos from Mike Myers and Stephen Hawking. It was sad to see them all so old and clearly ready to put Python to bed. But at the same time, it was great to see them reunited. Even though the show fell a little below the mark and was expensive ($18! and not even in 3D or IMAX), I enjoyed watching it. It's PYTHON. I worship them.

[ghostexorcist]

I caught the final showing of the final show last night. WARNING: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. It was bittersweet. The show opened with Chapman and a title card that said "One down, five to go". There were many moments honoring Chapman, even his birth year and death year at the end of the show, followed by the same for Monty Python (died 2014) followed by another title card that said "**** off". The dead parrot was said to be seeing Dr. Chapman. Overall, it was great to see Python reunited, although the show was uneven and relied way too much on clips from the original show. We've seen all that. They used the clips (a lot of gilliam animation) to cover the costume and set changes, but they also had big Broadway-style dance numbers to do that (heavy Idle influence there), so the repeated clips were a waste of time - easily half an hour was dedicated to them. They opened with Four Yorkshiremen, which was really fitting and stood out as one of the best skits of the show. The rest of the skits relied heavily on Cleese/Palin routines (Argument Clinic, Dead Parrot, Cheese Shop) but that was fine as those are some of my favs. Cleese's voice seemed ragged from ten shows and he lost his place twice, asking "Where are we?" to great comedic effect. He seemed tired, but still hit his timing marks. Idle was the most vibrant, singing and dancing like an old Vegas showman. Apart from his lined face, he hardly seems to have aged. Gilliam was boorish and crass, very 'murican like usual (it was really his animation that got him in, not his sketch comedy work). Jones looked out of it and was clearly reading cue cards (Cleese even took over for him during Crunchy Frog) but he retained much of his outrageous expressions. The lines on Palin's face has given him more range for his funny faces, and the mischievous sparkle in his eyes is as bright as ever. Carol Cleveland was there too - tough for her to play the hottie foil at her age, but she did so as gracefully as she could. There was a lot of music, mostly the most offensive songs. And there was some updating of the routines. The ***** Song is now three verses, the new two being The Vagina Song and The Butt Song. The Gay Barristers sketch poked fun at Cleese's divorces. There was some major ribbing of Palin's travel show during Death of Mary Queen of Scots/Penguin on the Teley. Cleese and Palin got sidetracked with a rant against some negative reviews during Dead Parrot. "That's Japanese" was added into I Like Chinese after the line "tiny little trees". There were odd cameos from Mike Myers and Stephen Hawking. It was sad to see them all so old and clearly ready to put Python to bed. But at the same time, it was great to see them reunited. Even though the show fell a little below the mark and was expensive ($18! and not even in 3D or IMAX), I enjoyed watching it. It's PYTHON. I worship them.

I caught that one as well. Nice review.

Attachment 8968

[GeneChing]

Today I mourn.

Terry Jones, 'Monty Python' Co-Founder and British Comedy Icon, Dies at 77
4:49 AM PST 1/22/2020 by Alex Ritman


Robert Marquardt/Getty Images
Terry Jones

The beloved actor, screenwriter, director, author and historian was known as the famed troupe's underrated but passionate heart.
Terry Jones, a founding member of Monty Python and a beloved comedian, screenwriter, film director, poet, historian and author, has died. He was 77.

His agent confirmed his death to the BBC. He had been suffering from dementia, which was revealed publicly by his son, Bill, in September 2016. It left him unable to speak.

"We are deeply saddened to have to announce the passing of beloved husband and father, Terry Jones," his family said in a statement.

"Terry passed away on the evening of 21 January 2020 at the age of 77 with his wife Anna Soderstrom by his side after a long, extremely brave but always good humoured battle with a rare form of dementia, FTD.

"Over the past few days his wife, children, extended family and many close friends have been constantly with Terry as he gently slipped away at his home in North London. We have all lost a kind, funny, warm, creative and truly loving man whose uncompromising individuality, relentless intellect and extraordinary humour has given pleasure to countless millions across six decades."

Renowned for his depictions of middle-aged housewives, often with hysterically falsetto voices, it was Jones who would famously scream the iconic line, "He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy," while playing mother to the titular not-quite-son-of-god in the 1979 comedy Monty Python's Life of Brian, which he also directed. The line twice was voted the funniest in film history in U.K. polls.

Although rarely receiving the same acclaim as Monty Python's other members, Jones as widely regarded within the group as its underrated but passionate heart, known for his good-natured enthusiasm and a deep well of intelligence across a broad range of subjects.

A biographer once commented that should you speak to Jones "on subjects as diverse as fossil fuels, or Rupert Bear, or mercenaries in the Middle Ages or Modern China … in a moment you will find yourself hopelessly out of your depth, floored by his knowledge."

Born in North Wales, Jones read English at Oxford University, where he met his long-term collaborator and friend, Michael Palin. The two would star together in the college's comedy troupe The Oxford Revue, and after graduation, they appeared in the 1967 TV sketch comedy Twice a Fortnight.

Two years later, they created The Complete and Utter History of Britain, which featured comedy sketches from history as if TV had been around at the time. It was on the show Do Not Adjust Your Set where they would be introduced to fellow comic Eric Idle, who had starred alongside John Cleese and Graham Chapman in productions mounted by the Cambridge University theatrical club the Footlights.

The five — together with Terry Gilliam, whom Cleese had met in New York — would quickly pool their talents for a new show. Monty Python's Flying Circus was born and ran on the BBC for four seasons between 1969 and 1974, with Jones driving much of the show's early innovation.

Among his most famous performances in the series were Jones as an inept, bumbling cardinal in the Spanish Inquisition (seen wearing a leather WWI pilot's hat and goggles); a member of the Hell's Grannies, a marauding group of old women terrorizing the streets of London; an overly apologetic French waiter in a sketch involving a dirty fork; a Yorkshireman who had to "get up out of the shoebox in the middle of the night and lick the road clean with our tongues"; and a nude piano player with an erratic face in scenes often used to break up sketches.

After the TV show ended, Jones co-directed with Gilliam the troupe's first big-screen outing, Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), in which Jones also played, among other roles, Sir Bedevere the Wise, Prince Herbert ("Father, I just want to sing!") and a member of the dreaded Knights who say "Ni."

For Life of Brian (1979) and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983), Jones took on sole directing duties, having amicably agreed with Gilliam that his approach was better suited to the group's performing style.

Away from the Pythons, Jones would keep directing, helming the comedy Personal Services (1987), the all-star comedy-fantasy Erik the Viking (1989) and The Wind in the Willows (1996) while turning back to TV for episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles on ABC and the British comedy series Ripping Yarns, which he created with Palin.

Meanwhile, Jones was becoming a prolific children's author. Between 1981 and 2002, he published 20 fiction novels, including Fairy Tales — selected by Children's Laureate Michael Rosen as one of his five best children's stories of all time — and The Saga of Erik the Viking, from which the film Erik the Viking was loosely based. Jones also wrote the first draft of the early script for Jim Henson's David Bowie-starring cult adventure fantasy Labyrinth (1986), and despite the screenplay going through several rewrites, received the film's sole screenwriting credit.

Adding to an already hugely impressive repertoire, Jones became known as a noted scholar of medieval and ancient history, writing several nonfiction books and presenting shows on British television that often offered an alternative view of historical periods. He was Emmy-nominated in 2004 for Terry Jones' Medieval Lives, which argued that the Middle Age was a far more sophisticated period than commonly believed.

A vocal opponent of the Iraq War, Jones contributed editorials to British newspapers The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Observer condemning the conflict and the U.K.'s involvement in it. Many of his articles were published in the 2004 book Terry Jones's War on the War on Terror.

Jones' most recent work included the 2012 film A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman, which was co-directed by his son Bill and in which he, naturally, played Chapman's mother. He also returned to the director's chair for the sci-fi comedy Absolutely Anything (2014), featuring the voices of Palin, Gilliam, Cleese, Idle and, in his final movie role, Robin Williams. (It was the first film to feature all living Python members since The Meaning of Life.)

Jones also reunited with his fellow comics one final time on stage in 2014 for Monty Python Live (Mostly), held in London's O2 arena and intended as a one-off until popular demand saw nine extra dates added.

Jones is survived by Soderstrom and their daughter, Siri, who was born in 2009, alongside his two children from his first marriage.

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monty python's self defense lessons (vid)