Talking about Monty Python's The Meaning of Life

[McChesney Duntz]

Another beautiful bit of delivery by old Graham. "French ticklers! Black Mambos! Crocodile Ribs! Sheaths that are designed not only to protect, but also to enhance the stimulation of sexual congress!" But really, that whole scene...

[Revelator]

This also raises the question of whether the "Adventures of Martin Luther" shouldn't have been cut from the film.

Also of note, the Orangecow page on MOL (https://web.archive.org/web/20120429020920/http://orangecow.org/pythonet/mol2.html) has two interesting items--the shooting script, which has a decent amount of unused material (helpfully printed in bold) that's not on the DVD, and (at the bottom of the page) a lengthy interview featuring all of the Pythons from 1983, titled "Is Meaning of Life their last laugh together?".

[Ghughesarch]

'Only the true Messiah denies his divinity!'
'What? Well, what sort of chance does that give me?.....All right, I am the Messiah!'
'He is! He is the Messiah!'
'Now...FUCK OFF!'

Followed shortly after by what I've realised as I get older is probably the most chilling line I've heard in any film. For which LoB wins over MoL.
'An unbeliever! Persecute! Kill the heretic!'
Just an incredibly nasty twist, and a powerful bit of satire.

[Shaky]

This also raises the question of whether the "Adventures of Martin Luther" shouldn't have been cut from the film.

Also of note, the Orangecow page on MOL (https://web.archive.org/web/20120429020920/http://orangecow.org/pythonet/mol2.html) has two interesting items--the shooting script, which has a decent amount of unused material (helpfully printed in bold) that's not on the DVD, and (at the bottom of the page) a lengthy interview featuring all of the Pythons from 1983, titled "Is Meaning of Life their last laugh together?".

Ta for the link to the shooting script, been a long time since I read it. Some great unused stuff in there. The opening penis discussion and mid-movie celebrity advice section are excellent. Never found Martin Luther terribly funny but I like the idea behind it. Nothing with the line, "Cutlery is really my thing now. Girls with round breasts is over for me," can be truly bad.

[Ferris]

I remember being an angsty teen and telling my dad to fuck off, only for him to delightedly reply "but how shall I fuck off?". Very funny in hindsight.

[Isnt Anything]

:D

[neveragain]

LoB is near perfect. My favourite bits all come near the end with Palin as the all-too-nice guard, Jones' unfortunate Samaritan and Idle/Gilliam's deranged gaolers. "We've got lumps of it round the back."

The one tiny error I noticed last time is why everyone starts following Brian in the first place; the scene where he's stood at the Speaker's Corner and everyone's taking the piss/ignoring him but then some Roman guards pass by so he puts on a bit of an act and captures their interest. It's the last bit that I don't find too convincing, why do they all suddenly become gripped by that tiny bit of gabble? In one of the earlier drafts (it's on the readthrough recording on the Immaculate Edition DVD) there was an element of parody towards the tabloids as Brian caught the crowds by discussing raunchy sexual matters and other lowest common denominator rubbish. I would have rather they had kept that in as that scene remains the one weak link before the glorious following-him section with shoes and gourds and juniper bushes and Spike Milligans.

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

LoB is near perfect. My favourite bits all come near the end with Palin as the all-too-nice guard, Jones' unfortunate Samaritan and Idle/Gilliam's deranged gaolers. "We've got lumps of it round the back."

The one tiny error I noticed last time is why everyone starts following Brian in the first place; the scene where he's stood at the Speaker's Corner and everyone's taking the piss/ignoring him but then some Roman guards pass by so he puts on a bit of an act and captures their interest. It's the last bit that I don't find too convincing, why do they all suddenly become gripped by that tiny bit of gabble? In one of the earlier drafts (it's on the readthrough recording on the Immaculate Edition DVD) there was an element of parody towards the tabloids as Brian caught the crowds by discussing raunchy sexual matters and other lowest common denominator rubbish. I would have rather they had kept that in as that scene remains the one weak link before the glorious following-him section with shoes and gourds and juniper bushes and Spike Milligans.

I always took it as a comment on the interpretive nature of religion being what really captivates people - Brian's story is just intriguing enough to get people listening to where it goes, but the vagueness allows for people to start bringing their own agendas to the fore. Even when he tries to more explicitly state what he literally means, they've already started down their own paths.

[kalowski]

LoB is near perfect. My favourite bits all come near the end with Palin as the all-too-nice guard, Jones' unfortunate Samaritan and Idle/Gilliam's deranged gaolers. "We've got lumps of it round the back."

The one tiny error I noticed last time is why everyone starts following Brian in the first place; the scene where he's stood at the Speaker's Corner and everyone's taking the piss/ignoring him but then some Roman guards pass by so he puts on a bit of an act and captures their interest. It's the last bit that I don't find too convincing, why do they all suddenly become gripped by that tiny bit of gabble? In one of the earlier drafts (it's on the readthrough recording on the Immaculate Edition DVD) there was an element of parody towards the tabloids as Brian caught the crowds by discussing raunchy sexual matters and other lowest common denominator rubbish. I would have rather they had kept that in as that scene remains the one weak link before the glorious following-him section with shoes and gourds and juniper bushes and Spike Milligans.

Jones unfortunate Samaritan is such a great moment, especially when he tries to explain, "It's not my cross..."

The other bit that you refer to works, in my opinion. Brian trails off, "to him there will be..." and the mystery intrigues those people looking for a Messiah. What does he know? And why is he keeping it to himself?

[Twed]

Yeah, I like it. They don't care until there's a bit of intrigue.

[shh]

I first watched it as a child. It took me many years to realise that women don't produce sperm ('and mine'). I must have concocted some convoluted scenario where women create sperm but men are somehow needed to....god knows.

I still have no idea what a gourd is.

[St_Eddie]

I still have no idea what a gourd is.

A gourd is what you're off your.

[Replies From View]

I'm not!

A surprising number of people in 2018 make the trite observation that we are all individuals, and then fail to appreciate that "I'm not" is a jokey response.  Understandable that they wouldn't necessarily know it's a Monty Python reference, but come on.

[Attila]

LoB is near perfect. My favourite bits all come near the end with Palin as the all-too-nice guard, Jones' unfortunate Samaritan and Idle/Gilliam's deranged gaolers. "We've got lumps of it round the back."

It's the follow-up to that scene with the gaolers that always makes me laugh, how once the boss is gone, they return to perfectly reasonable office colleagues having a water-cooler discussion: 'Go on with your story, then.'

I was that kid in the cinema who took exception to the soldier insisting that Brian needed the locative for Romans Go Home -- nope, the accusative is perfectly all right there, mate.

[Ferris]

It's the follow-up to that scene with the gaolers that always makes me laugh, how once the boss is gone, they return to perfectly reasonable office colleagues having a water-cooler discussion: 'Go on with your story, then.'

I was that kid in the cinema who took exception to the soldier insisting that Brian needed the locative for Romans Go Home -- nope, the accusative is perfectly all right there, mate.

The Latin joke will be fossilized, alas. In 30 years, how many kids will be drilled into thinking "dative, nominative, accusative..." etc (I don't remember them - it's happening already).

[yesitsme]

I like the way the bloke carrying the cross (presumably the real Jesus?) turns and runs away.  He sort of does a leap-turn-and away all in one movement.

Idle's character who sees it all laughing at him while in the same predicament himself is excellent.

Does he say something like 'He stitched you up good an' proper' or 'like a kipper' or something like that?

Big nose.

[neveragain]

It's Chris Langham who runs away I think.
Ken Colley plays Christ at the beginning.

[Replies From View]

It's Chris Langham who runs away I think.

I'm not sure Chris Langham was a biblical figure was he?

Chris Packham maybe.

[yesitsme]

I was watching 24hrs in Police Custody (or as we call it 29 Minutes of 'No Comment') last night.

They had these London gang landers in it and I immediately started doing my Doug and Dinsdale voices.

The phrase 'slit up a tweat' is never far away in our house.

Favourite sketch?  Favourite LP?

My favourite LP is 'Another Monty Python Record' for a couple of reasons.

One, it's put together fantastically.  The sketches are all bangers and not just taped off the telly.  They've been re-writ, tightened up and it sounds like they've been rehearsed.  Every time I listen to it (again last night) I laugh and laugh and laugh. 

Secondly when I was young I actually thought my dad had crayoned 'AMPR' on the cover of Beethoven's Whatever.  It was only when I took it from its sleeve that I realized that was a joke.  I think I read the cover notes before I listened to the record and again they are hilarious.

A fine effort from all concerned.

[famethrowa]

My favourite LP is 'Another Monty Python Record' for a couple of reasons.

One, it's put together fantastically.  The sketches are all bangers and not just taped off the telly.  They've been re-writ, tightened up and it sounds like they've been rehearsed.  Every time I listen to it (again last night) I laugh and laugh and laugh. 

Secondly when I was young I actually thought my dad had crayoned 'AMPR' on the cover of Beethoven's Whatever.  It was only when I took it from its sleeve that I realized that was a joke.  I think I read the cover notes before I listened to the record and again they are hilarious.

A fine effort from all concerned.

Agreed, and it has a real atmosphere to it as well... possibly due to the primitive recording equipment, but it's like the White Album in the way it trails off into darkness towards the end.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Ends with that " eating your dead mum " sketch, dunnit ?

But the very last track , of course, going full on circular to the opening " Folk Songs " announcement from side  1 utilises the " VOOM! " enter the Spanish Inquisition sound effect , with all the cardinals singing # knees up, Mother Brown #, which is glorious.

All of the extended Spanish Inquisition sketches on there are fucking great.

" Unrighteous creatures....how do you plead ? * evil snicker to self * " ( * pause * )
" where's everybody gone ? "

[famethrowa]

Cardinal FANG!!

[yesitsme]

The Ethel the Frog is a work of art in itself but you've got the Concert Violinist,

'...oooh, he's put his foot through the bridge and sat on the sound post!  He's completely crushed his violin.  is he going to attempt to finish this piece? Yes YES I think he is!....

'I must say this is the first time I've seen a violinist of Gilbert's calibre poked with a stick.'

It's got the very best version of Spam on it too.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

I'm sorry guvnor...I've scratched your post....scratched your post...scratched your post....scratched your post ( goes on forever, unless you take the needle of this post. . My friend had the original release what does exactly this, whereas I had the reissued version which just goes to another scratching sound effect after a few repetitions of this. Dead envious of him, so I was ).

[kalowski]

I'm sorry guvnor...I've scratched your post....scratched your post...scratched your post....scratched your post ( goes on forever, unless you take the needle of this post. . My friend had the original release what does exactly this, whereas I had the reissued version which just goes to another scratching sound effect after a few repetitions of this. Dead envious of him, so I was ).

Thought it was "Sorry, Squire, I scratched your record"?

EDIT: Just got your joke!

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

It *was*  " sorry , squire ", You're right there.

[Kelvin]

I'm not sure Chris Langham was a biblical figure was he?

He was, which is why you never see the bible on telly nowadays.

[kalowski]

My favourite LP is 'Another Monty Python Record' for a couple of reasons.

One, it's put together fantastically.  The sketches are all bangers and not just taped off the telly.  They've been re-writ, tightened up and it sounds like they've been rehearsed.  Every time I listen to it (again last night) I laugh and laugh and laugh. 

Secondly when I was young I actually thought my dad had crayoned 'AMPR' on the cover of Beethoven's Whatever.  It was only when I took it from its sleeve that I realized that was a joke.  I think I read the cover notes before I listened to the record and again they are hilarious.

A fine effort from all concerned.

It's just brilliant. As you say, the cover is a work of genius. I also thought my dad had defaced an album. I recall half the liner notes were about Mozart and Beethoven playing tennis.
Then comes the content. It has a great version of "Still no sign of life. How long is it?", "That's rather a personal question."
Python worked perfectly on record where there were no limits to their imagination.

[Replies From View]

He was, which is why you never see the bible on telly nowadays.

You know - I actually did wonder.

[shh]

Read a book by Geza Vermes recently on the early Christian church. Even a few decades after Jesus' death, theology had completely lost touch with Jesus the man. Could imagine a LoB sequel based on all that bickering after Brian's death - although it's captured anyway to some extent with the sandal / gourd schism (and Palin covered similar ground recently with Iannucci).

I liked Eric Idle's treatment for a Holy Grail sequel, set during the crusades. Salman Rushdie rides on horseback into the court of Camelot with news of the fall of Jerusalem to the infidels...