This classic Monty Python comedy, directed by Pythons Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, is a hilarious send-up of the grim circumstances of the Middle Ages as told through the story... more
This review already contains more than 120 words. As a Ciao member you could earn up to £5 with this review.
only to the same team's masterpiece, The Life of Brian (1979). Even though most of this film's set-pieces are now indelibly inscribed in every Python fan's psyche, a...
only to the same team's masterpiece, The Life of Brian (1979). Even though most of this film's set-pieces are now indelibly inscribed in every Python fan's psyche, a...
only to the same team's masterpiece, The Life of Brian (1979). Even though most of this film's set-pieces are now indelibly inscribed in every Python fan's psyche, as if by magic they never seem to pall. And they remain endlessly, joyfully quotable: from the Black Knight ("It's just a flesh wound"), to the constitutional peasants ("Come and see the violence inherent in the system!") and the taunting French soldier ("Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"). Not forgetting of course the migratory habits of European and African swallows... The film's mock-Arthurian narrative provides a sturdy framework for the jokes, and the authentic-looking production design is relentlessly and gloriously dirty. The miniscule budget turns out to be one of the film's greatest assets: Can't afford horses? Use coconuts instead. No money for special effects? Let Terry Gilliam animate. And so on, from Camelot ("it's only a model") to the rampaging killer rabbit glove puppet. True it's let down a little by a rushed ending, and the jokes lack the sting of Life of Brian's sharply observed satire, but Holy Grail is still timeless comedy that's surely destined for immortality. On the DVD: Disc One contains a digitally remastered anamorphic (16:9) print of the film--which is still a little grainy, but a big improvement on previous video releases--with a splendidly remixed Dolby 5.1 soundtrack (plus an added 24 seconds of self-referential humour "absolutely free"!). There are two commentaries, one with the two Terrys, co-directors Jones and Gilliam, the other a splicing together of three separate commentaries by Michael Palin, John Cleese (in waspish, nit-picking mood) and Eric Idle. A "Follow the Killer Rabbit" feature provides access either to the Accountant's invoices or Gilliam's conceptual sketches. Subtitle options allow you to read the screenplay or watch with spookily appropriate captions from Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part II. The second disc has lots more material, much of it very silly and inconsequential (an educational film on coconuts, the Camelot song in Lego and so on), plus a long-ish documentary from 2001 in which Palin and Jones revisit Doune Castle, Glencoe and other Scottish locations. Perhaps best of all, though, are the two scenes from the Japanese version with English subtitles, in which we see the search for the Holy sake cup, and the Ni-saying Knights who want... bonsai! --Mark Walker
...the madcap comedians from the Monty Python team can. When you think of Monty Python films, the one that springs most readily to most people’s minds is the “Life of Brian” (1979), which retells the Gospel story of Jesus in its own very unique fashion. But it was this first movie that finally made enough money for the Python team to give them the independence to truly explore the limits of their unique comedy talent.
It was made ... ...winning new converts to the Monty Python style of comedy among young people who weren’t even born when it was shot.
I rented it out on video last week, and watched it along with my eleven-year-old daughter, who had never seen any of the Monty python comedies before. She was spell bound for the whole film, and even a week later is still talking about it, and quoting some of the lines.
That such an old film, and made on such a tiny budget, ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: John Cleese Disadvantages: Not everybody 'gets' this kind of humour but maybe that's not a disadvantage!
...Most people know the Monty Python style and whether you like it or not, you have to admit that it's real comedy genius. With a cast of actors like this the film couldn't fail to be hilarious: Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gillium, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, ..plus Connie Booth and others. Michael Pallin is Sir Galahad the pure who goes to Castle Anthrax for shelter. There are 150 yound blondes and redheads cloistered here. Sir Galahad ... ...but his is rescued by Sir Lancelot the brave. Palin's facial expressions are hilarious. It doesn't take long before King Arthur has his trusty band of knights: Sir Belvedere, Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Galahad the Pure, Sir Robin the not quite so pure and not very brave either The Knights of the Round Table actually carry around a round table. They meet God who tells them to search for the Grail. This film is the story of their quest. Their battle ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Hilarity Disadvantages: Vulgarity (wait, is that a con?)
...about this (and indeed any) Monty Python movie that one hardly knows where to begin. Nothing is left out of the mix--history, religion, politics, personal relationships, prejudices, intellectual prowess (and lack thereof). The title, of course, comes from an early scene in with Arthur approaches a castle, inexplicably occupied by French k-nigits, who claim to already have a grail.
I did a paper once for symbolic logic which I was told ten years ... ...something so unconventional as this Monty Python movie in the references (I couldn't see why that wouldn't be much more common, and indeed, hope it is today--I use Life of Brian in homilies, so why not this film in logic).
The particular logical incident (or rather, illogical incident) involves the trial of a woman accused of being a witch. Through 'logic' it is demonstrated that she would be a witch if she could float, for then she would be made ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Everything other than the ending Disadvantages: The ending
Well, what can I say? Pure genius. If you haven't seen this film, you're sure to have seen it's influence. One major example is the Peperami adverts ("come here a finish me off") - pure Black Knight.
The basic plot...
(
you mean there's a plot?
-yes of course there's a plot!
nobody ever told me about there being a plot
-get on with it
--yes! get on with it!!
)
As I was saying, the basic plot of the film revolves around one King Arthur searching ... ...by God himself (who gets a bit miffed when people start bowing and scraping before him). And then he goes off to find the grail.
Along the way, Arthur and his Knights get into many scrapes. Some of these include.
Being taunted by the French ("your mother smelled of elderberries")
Having a cow thrown at them by the French
Getting holed up at Castle Anthrax with a truck load of nymphomaniac nurses. ("a spanking! a spanking!")
Ruining a wedding ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: it's really funny Disadvantages: it can get quite confusing
Monty Python, how do you come up with such funny comedy's.
Even though your film making is dead, you can still make people laugh with your hilarous HOLY GRAIL.
Monty Python just has to be the funnest team in history.With their three major films, Monty Pyphon and the holy grail, the meaning of life and the life of Brian every one knows their just the best. Now if you haven't seen the film yet what the hell are you doing reading this? Go get the ... ...about a night who seeks people to be in his army when he has quite a lot of people god comes from the heavens to tell them their quest. Their quest is to find THE HOLY GRAIL.On their way the meat dangers,like the night's who say ni and the man eating rabbit.The film is not what it seems you may not get what I mean when I say this but if I tell you it will give the whole story line away.
If you really won't to know what it is e-mail me.My e-mail ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Actor(s): Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Carol Cleveland
Director(s): Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
Genre: Comedy
Classification: 15 years and over
Production Year: 1974
Running Time: 1 hour 26 minutes
Franchise Name: Monty Python
Video Category: Feature Film
Country Of Origin: United Kingdom
Plot: The complete Python troupe is cast in this parody of the legend of the Holy Grail. The Knights of the Round Table battle dismembering foes and killer rabbits on their perilous quest.
Release details
DVD Region: Region 2 (Europe)
Studio(s): SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Release date: 04/03/2002
No of Discs: 1
Catalogue No: CDR 14164
Editor: John Hackney
Barcode: 5035822416437
Production Designer: Roy Smith
Screenwriter: Terry Jones, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Michael Palin
Animation: Terry Gilliam
Cinematographer: Terry Bedford
Composer: Eric Idle, Neil Innes
Featured: John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
Producer: Terry Jones, Mark Forstater, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam
Author: John Cleese, Graham Chapman
Voice: John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones
Pres/Narr: Michael Palin
Languages
Main Language: English
DVD Description
This classic Monty Python comedy, directed by Pythons Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, is a hilarious send-up of the grim circumstances of the Middle Ages as told through the story of King Arthur and framed by a modern-day murder investigation. When the mythical king of the Britons leads his knights on a quest for the Holy Grail, they face a wide array of horrors, including a persistent Black Knight, a three-headed giant, a cadre of shrubbery-challenged knights, the perilous Castle Anthrax, a killer rabbit, a house of virgins, and a handful of rude Frenchmen. In addition to the set pieces, the film also includes the same kind of surreal animation that Gilliam contributed to the television series. Throughout the irreverent adventures, the Python crew eschews realism in favor of anachronistic social satire, a recipe it later returned to in the 1979 biblical farce MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN. Melding the ridiculous with the sublime, the film quickly inspired a cult following, generated a host of quotes, and even inspired a computer game 20 years after its release. The numerous songs and hysterical vignettes are sidesplittingly unforgettable.
Technical information
Special Features: One Feature Commentary By Directors Terry Jones And Terry Gilliam, One Feature Commentary By Michael And John Cleese And Eric Idle, A Killer Rabbit Feature, Shakespearian Subtitles, Full On Screen Screenplay, Trailers, Three Mindless Singalongs, Documentary Entitled The Quest For The Holy Grail Locations, How To Use Your Coconuts Feature, Monty Python And The Holy Grail In Japanese With Not Quite English Subtitles, A Classic Scene From The Film Animated In Lego, An On Location Documentary From The 1970s
Aspect Ratio: 1.85 Wide Screen
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Professional reviews
Review: "...A marvelously particular kind of lunatic endeavor....The gags are nonstop..." (New York Times, p.34, 28/04/1975)
Ciao
Listed on Ciao since : 12/07/2000
Compare Monty Python And The Holy Grail DVD to other similar Comedy
Similar products and search queries by other users
Monty DVD, Monty Python DVD, Monty And DVD, Monty The DVD, Monty Holy DVD, Monty Grail DVD, Monty Python And DVD, Monty Python The DVD, Monty Python Holy DVD, Monty Python Grail DVD, Monty And The DVD, Monty And Holy DVD, Monty And Grail DVD, Monty The Holy DVD, Monty The Grail DVD
Are you the manufacturer / provider of Monty Python And The Holy Grail DVD? Click here
![Monty Python And The Holy Grail (Extraordinarily Deluxe Edition) [1974]](http://picnic.ciao.com/uk/65503015.jpg)
![Monty Python and the Holy Grail [Executive Version] - Original Soundtrack](http://picnic.ciao.com/uk/65363984.jpg)
![Monty Python and the Holy Grail -- Two-disc set [1974]](http://picnic.ciao.com/uk/65510385.jpg)
![Monty Python And The Holy Grail [UMD Mini for PSP] [1974]](http://picnic.ciao.com/uk/65544006.jpg)
