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Michael Palin- Easily The Best Python?

Started by Lisa Jesusandmarychain, December 31, 2020, 11:34:30 AM

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Lisa Jesusandmarychain

There appears to be a fair bit of evidence for this ( good looking lad in his day, often comes across as genuinely likeable in interviews and them travel round the fucking world programmes he used to do, done some good acting in some decent stuff, like Bleasdale's " G B H", walked over to David Mitchell in the boozer to personally tell him how much he liked " Jam And Jerusalem", even though that programme was a load of unfunny shit,  blubbed on an interview about Terry Jones carking it, and everyone went " Awwwww", etc.), but then again , over in the Eric Idle thread, the Boy Brundo has spoken of a mate of his who met Palin, and said he came across as a bit of a cunt. So, is The Palester truly deserving of his perfectly pleasant Python rep? Maybe you think Terry Gilliam's genuinely surreal cartoons which more often than not served as the glue that bound those Spike Milligan ripping- off sketches together is a good case for that feller to be considered for the oftentimes Palin- procured prize, or maybe you think that Carol Cleveland was a genuinely versatile and talented actress, and was quite right to tell the lads themselves to fuck off when they proposed that she get 'em out properly in that " Scott of the Sahara" sketch. Write in and tell us.

( I don't expect this thread to get quite as many posts as the Eric Idle one, btw)

the science eel


the

Putting your little action figures into hierarchical order

Mr Banlon

I don't buy his nicey-nicey act. Swanning off around the globe at our expense. I reckon he's up to some right evil shit with the forrins when the cameras aren't rolling.
Full Circle ? Yeah, well he can 'full-circle' his tongue round a specific rim.......my anus !

Retinend

Quote from: the on December 31, 2020, 12:07:23 PM
Putting your little action figures into hierarchical order

It's fun, isn't it!

Glebe

Went to two Palin book signings, he was perfectly lovely.

thenoise

Quote from: Mr Banlon on December 31, 2020, 12:21:13 PMSwanning off around the globe at our expense.

He was something of a trailblazer in the 'celeb just does something' genre. Which I find it difficult to forgive him for.

Hated his boring travel docs as a child. Kept waiting for something funny to happen.

lankyguy95

He's positively charming, lovely and funny and I refuse to let anyone persuade me otherwise.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: thenoise on December 31, 2020, 05:18:16 PM
He was something of a trailblazer in the 'celeb just does something' genre. Which I find it difficult to forgive him for.

That's not his fault, he had no idea that he'd accidentally given birth to an omnipresent genre. It's like blaming Dave Davies for, I dunno, Def Leppard.

Quote from: thenoise on December 31, 2020, 05:18:16 PM
Hated his boring travel docs as a child. Kept waiting for something funny to happen.

Lots of funny things happen in Around the World in 80 Days. Palin occasionally breaks into 'Python Mode'. You don't get so much of that in his later travelogues, but in 1989 he hadn't quite left his comic roots behind.

El Unicornio, mang

I love his travel shows (particularly 80 Days and Pole to Pole) but the Dad jokes seem to get worse and more frequent with each one.

Menu

#10
Quote from: Mr Banlon on December 31, 2020, 12:21:13 PM
I don't buy his nicey-nicey act. Swanning off around the globe at our expense. I reckon he's up to some right evil shit with the forrins when the cameras aren't rolling.
Full Circle ? Yeah, well he can 'full-circle' his tongue round a specific rim.......my anus !

And some of the best moments in ATWIED are when Palin does become annoyed. Especially when he comes home and the Reform Club won't let him in, and a newsagent tells him off. Oooh and before he sets off across the Atlantic an American woman follows him to tell him that she loves his marnee pythorrn. He's gives her the shortest of shrift. Hardly any shrift at all. I like seeing Michael get annoyed at that.

#11
He's the most self-reflective and least egotistical of the Pythons. Was he the best writer? Not sure. I think his main value in the writing was inspiring the others to raise their games, especially Jones (his writing partner) but also (competitively) Cleese/Chapman and Idle. He's obviously an awesome comic actor.

Menu

Quote from: Satchmo Distel on December 31, 2020, 11:38:09 PM
He's the most self-reflective and least egotistical of the Pythons. Was he the best writer? Not sure. I think his main value in the writing was inspiring the others to raise their games, especially Jones (his writing partner) but also (competitively) Cleese/Chapman and Idle. He's obviously an awesome foil (parrot sketch) and comic actor (Bicycle Repair Man)

He's the most accomplished actor as well. Although Cleese runs him very close. Palin wins it because he's got more range.

Revelator

Quote from: Lisa Jesusandmarychain on December 31, 2020, 11:34:30 AM
Boy Brundo has spoken of a mate of his who met Palin, and said he came across as a bit of a cunt.

Since no one in the history of the universe has gone though life without disappointing at least one person, surely one bad encounter is rather decisively outweighed by the countless good ones. Going back to the thread title, nicest does not mean best. That said, Palin does come off a bit catty in his diaries. But slightly negative feelings need some kind of vent.

QuoteMaybe you think Terry Gilliam's genuinely surreal cartoons which more often than not served as the glue that bound those Spike Milligan ripping-off sketches together

Now that all Q's surviving episodes have been released, it's harder to make the case that Python ripped off Milligan, rather than simply taking his disregard for the punchlines into their own territory.  And the Flying Circus also had the advantage of a six-man selection committee that cut down on the self-indulgence that weakens Q.

Quote from: Menu on December 31, 2020, 11:44:13 PMHe's the most accomplished actor as well...Palin wins it because he's got more range.

True, though the best "straight" actor in the Python shows and films is Chapman. I don't think any other member of the group would have done nearly as well as Arthur or Brian--he brought something self-contained, sober, and authoritative to those ultimately serious roles. That's doubly odd since he was the maddest member of the group.

Menu

Quote from: Revelator on January 01, 2021, 01:29:14 AM

True, though the best "straight" actor in the Python shows and films is Chapman. I don't think any other member of the group would have done nearly as well as Arthur or Brian--he brought something self-contained, sober, and authoritative to those ultimately serious roles. That's doubly odd since he was the maddest member of the group.

That's true - I can't imagine any of the others in those roles. And when Palin does do straight roles I'm not sure I'm ever totally convinced.

Does anyone know if there was any discussion at the time in the group as to who would play Arthur or was it always nailed down as Chapman? It makes the most sense as he didn't have the range of the others so wouldn't have been as good at the smaller parts. But I could imagine Palin and Idle wanting to do it.

mjwilson

There were definitely debates about who should play Brian, John Cleese saying that Graham Chapman was not in a fit state to play the part. (according to Palin's diaries)

Menu

Quote from: mjwilson on January 01, 2021, 09:45:11 AM
There were definitely debates about who should play Brian, John Cleese saying that Graham Chapman was not in a fit state to play the part. (according to Palin's diaries)

Which was true. God knows how he got through it. Didn't he get the tremors climbing up those rocks to get to the rickety bridge? I remember a story along those lines.

But then what else could he have done? He wasn't a good enough character actor to do the smaller parts.

Lisa Jesusandmarychain

Quote from: Menu on January 01, 2021, 09:51:06 AM
Which was true. God knows how he got through it. Didn't he get the tremors climbing up those rocks to get to the rickety bridge? I remember a story along those lines.

But then what else could he have done? He wasn't a good enough character actor to do the smaller parts.

You're thinking of Arthur in Grail, dude. Chapman was stone cold sober when he was playing Brian, and had been for a while. Cleese quite fancied the role of Brian for himself, and was a bit miffed about Chapman getting it. No way Cleese was suitable for the role of Brian, though.

Menu

Yeah can't see how there were debates over Brian. Chapman smashed it (somehow) with his Arthur. Not sure what Cleese was thinking re LOB. It would have unbalanced the whole film - he can't do straight. Those love scenes in AFCW are cringey - you know that bit where he's telling Wanda how English men are so stuffy but he feels so alive when he's with her? Unwatchable. "Ugh shut up, Dad. So embarrassing."

Replies From View

Michael Palin and Terry Jones, both of them the nicest ones.

Lisa Jesusandmarychain

Terry Jones is dead now. That's not so nice. All dead and decomposing. Eeeurgh.

A rare misfire from RFV, there.

Replies From View

That is why I didn't go on to say that I would bum them.


Pay attention!

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Surely there are two questions to keep separate yet

- Who was the best Python (ie overall writer, performer, collaborator, funniest fucker)

- Who is a nice person/least negatively changed by fame and age

I think Palin is the clear answer to the 2nd question.

DrGreggles


Retinend

There's also another question:

"who the fuck are you to say how nice or not nice a famous person is LEAVE ERIC IDLE ALOOOOOONE 😭"

Menu

Quote from: Shoulders?-Stomach! on January 01, 2021, 11:44:28 AM
Surely there are two questions to keep separate yet

- Who was the best Python (ie overall writer, performer, collaborator, funniest fucker)

- Who is a nice person/least negatively changed by fame and age

I think Palin is the clear answer to the 2nd question.

Yes, Cleese has to win the first one. Fawlty Towers puts him clear.

Not sure about the 2nd. Could be any of them apart from Idle and Cleese. Chapman didn't have time to go bad fortunately but I doubt he was the 'nicest' to start with.

Billy

Waterstones seem to indicate that a fourth volume of his diaries covering 1999 to 2010 will be out later this year - they've been useful for behind-the-scenes Python info in the past, so this could cover the aborted plans for the 30th anniversary that from memory were mostly stopped by Palin and caused Idle to not appear in Python Night in return. Also maybe we'll find out what he thought about Spamalot.

The 2010s diaries (which will probably follow in another ten years) should have all the Python Live stuff, but could get rather grim with the gradual realisation what's happening to Terry Jones.

El Unicornio, mang

Quote from: Revelator on January 01, 2021, 01:29:14 AM
Since no one in the history of the universe has gone though life without disappointing at least one person, surely one bad encounter is rather decisively outweighed by the countless good ones.

Yeah I've done it without even realising it before. People have bad days and are arsey, sometimes it's just that the other person is expecting them to be a certain way and they aren't. I don't put much stock in it unless there's a regular pattern of behaviour.