Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

Prismark10 This pythonesque drama about the subsequent controversy of the Monty Python film, Life Of Brian breaks out of the usual docudrama route and instead goes for the surreal, re-imagined route and even downright silly. The opening scene features Stephen Fry as God. Only the Spanish Inquisition is missing.The cinema release of Life of Brian aroused a lot of controversy and the film depicts the threats the actors received and the subsequent showdown that had on a television debate with the Bishop of Southwark and Malcolm Muggeridge.Of course tensions surrounding the event are heightened and parodied. The Python team are exaggerated persona's of themselves, with Palin being too nice, Idle the money grabber, Cleese being Basil Fawlty even doing the funny walk at one point, Terry Jones appears in drag as Palin's wife.It does show the effect the controversy had on the actors especially Palin who is shown as the reasonable everyman, frightened with the protesters outside his door. It very much captures the absurd spirit of Python and the actors playing Palin and Cleese come out of it best.

intelearts The BBC has outdone themselves in this wonderful piece about the reception of Life of Brian. Having been taken along with 20 other pupils to see Life by my school chaplain while taking a Religious Studies A level it always has had a special place in my heart. This wonderful reconstruction captures something of the Pythons complete silliness, and the even more complete silliness of those who found Brian offensive. This is seriously the best tribute film to the Pythons out there, the effort in casting to get it right has paid off, to say they look and act like how and who they're meant to is a gross understatement - they really do capture something of each of the Flying Circus with marvelous alacrity.All in all, this is rude, crude, very, very silly in places, and, above all, fall on the floor funny. Quite simply, one of the funnier films I've seen recently and for those who like Python in any form this is smart and just what the doctor ordered.

Alec West I've been a Python fan for a very long time - buying their comedy albums on vinyl before their "Flying Circus" show ever aired in the U.S. I have the entire "Flying Circus" series and every one of their films on DVD. And when I heard "Holy Flying Circus" was coming out, I anticipated a totally different film than what I ended up seeing.When "Life of Brian" premiered, I was managing a theater in Portland, Oregon. Two of my snack bar workers (sisters) were members of a fundamentalist Christian sect. And before the film had even been released (so they could personally judge its worth), they both refused to work as long as the theater was showing the film. I tried very hard to explain to them that this film was NOT meant as a satire on Jesus Christ himself - but was, instead, meant as a satire on the times in which Jesus lived. But, their minds were already made up.Out of respect for their feelings on the matter (though I disagreed with them), I did not fire them - choosing instead to hire temporary replacement workers until the film ended its run.To sum this film up in a word, it was "unfunny." But it was an unfunny film that was trying to be funny. As it happens, I was hoping for an unfunny film that was unfunny on purpose - a film that seriously explored the ordeal the Pythons had to go through as a result of the film's reception by fundamentalist Christians.Now ... I suspect the actors in this film were trying to offer a tribute to the Pythons by imitating their style. And as the old saying goes, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." But I found it unsettling considering the real-life pressure (ie., death threats, effigy burnings, etc.) the Pythons were under during this time (not to mention certain theater managers).

eric-194-327834 I really enjoyed this film, more than I thought I would. I expected something worthy and literal, instead I got an episode of latter day Monty Python, one which I found funnier than many of the originals. I think my one disappointment was the opening scene where Jesus is seen behaving in an unexpected way with "Eric Idle". This will without doubt have caused many adventurous Christians, who might have decided to give it a go, to turn off, which is a shame as I think they would have benefited from and even enjoyed the remainder of the film. Any opportunity to make those of faith actually think about what they have faith in should not be missed. A little patchy in places, and a little flat at the end, but overall I really enjoyed it. Especially the performances of Michael Palin and John "Basil Fawlty" Cleese.