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2009 | 2008 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997
1-20 of 51 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
This Week In DVD: October 27th
27 October 2009 10:00 PM, PDT | FilmSchoolRejects.com | See recent FilmSchoolRejects news »
Rob Hunter loves movies. He also loves working for the BBC where his job entails erasing old show master tapes because they don't have the foresight to know that people may want to watch them again someday. These two joys come together in the form of cash money payments that he receives every week and immediately uses to buy more DVDs. So join us each week as he takes a look at new DVD releases and gives his highly unqualified opinion as to which titles are worth BUYing, which are better off as RENTals, and which should be AVOIDed at all costs. Click on any of the titles below to magically head over to Amazon.com and pick up the DVD. And don't forget to check out Neil Miller's hilariously titled This Week In Blu-ray column for reviews on the latest high definition Blu-ray releases! Monty Python: Almost the Truth Pitch: The surviving members of Python »
- Rob Hunter
New On DVD This Week
27 October 2009 3:30 PM, PDT | The Flickcast | See recent The Flickcast news »
Here’s a list of some of the new movie and TV shows coming to DVD and Blu-ray this week that we’re looking forward to seeing. Also, there’s some classic, and not-so-classic, movies hitting Blu-ray for the first time this week as well.
Of all the new releases, we’re particularly interested in the Blu-ray versions of movies and TV shows such as Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, Night of the Creeps, the original Stargate, The Sam Fuller Collection, Orphan and the complete The Prisoner series starring and created by Patrick McGoohan (pictured above).
Check them out.
Movies
Battlestar Galactica: The Plan ~ Edward James Olmos, Tricia Helfer (DVD and Blu-ray)
42nd Street Forever 5: Alamo Drafthouse Edition ~ Charlton Heston, Robert Englund (DVD)
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs ~ Ray Romano (DVD and Blu-ray)
Into Temptation ~ Kristin Chenoweth, Jeremy Sisto (DVD and Blu-ray)
Messiah of Evil: The Second Coming ~ Michael Greer, »
- Joe Gillis
Monty Python Announces Ruby Jubilee At Royal Albert Hall 10/23, New Book Published & More As Part Of 40th Anniversary
23 October 2009 1:30 AM, PDT | BroadwayWorld.com | See recent BroadwayWorld.com news »
Monty Python will celebrate its Ruby Jubilee later this year on stage, in print and on television in London, Hollywood and in New York. As well as performances of An Evening with Without Monty Python at the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre (23 September - 4 October) and at the Town Hall New York (6 - 10 October), the publication of a new book, Monty Python Live! and a new 6 part documentary series - Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) scheduled for transmission on October, London will host, for one night only on Friday 23 October 2009, the European premiere of Eric Idle and John Du Prez's Not The Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall. »
[TV] Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection - Remastered
22 October 2009 3:00 PM, PDT | JustPressPlay.net | See recent JustPressPlay news »
As quintessentially British a show as was ever devised, the beloved Fawlty Towers, re-released here in its entirety to celebrate the series 30th anniversary, was in fact born out of simple truth rather than any strokes of comic genius. Co-creators John Cleese and his then wife Connie Booth conceived this fast paced, farce-based sitcom from their own experience. While filming Monty Python’s Flying Circus the troupe had the misfortune to stay in a rundown Torquay hotel managed by a puffed-up grouch named Donald Sinclair, a man Cleese described as being “Gratuitously rude.”
The basis for the now legendarily eccentric Basil Fawlty, the abrasive Sinclair was witnessed, amongst other things, flinging a timetable at one guest who inquired about a bus into town, rearranging the “clearly American” Terry Gilliam’s silverware in the middle of his dinner, and hiding Eric Idle’s briefcase behind a wall at the far end »
- Neil Pedley
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut Blu-ray Review
22 October 2009 8:16 AM, PDT | Collider.com | See recent Collider.com news »
South Park is now an institution. Something to take for granted. The show struggled early on after it became a breakout sensation, but now it’s there, always there. You know what Trey Parker and Matt Stone are going to do to a certain extent. Their comic rhythms are familiar, and they know how to tell a joke. The fun in revisiting the movie is that Trey Parker obviously loves musicals, and he made one with his film. My review of South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut after the jump.
The film concerns the four boys, Kyle, Stan, Cartman and Kenny as they get to see the Terrence and Phillip movie “Asses of Fire.” In it, the Canadian duo swear like sailors, with the hit single “Uncle Fucker.” Seeing the movie leads Cartman to challenge Kenny to light his farts on fire, and the act of doing so kills Kenny. »
- Andre Dellamorte
Cleese And Idle Clashed On Urine-drinking Sketch
22 October 2009 1:11 AM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news »
Monty Python's Flying Circus stars John Cleese and Eric Idle clashed over a urine-drinking sketch, which the BBC banned from the troupe's cult comedy series.
Idle came up with the skit about a wine expert mistaking chardonnays and champagne for "wee-wee", and Cleese sided with TV bosses, who feared the segment was too off-colour to broadcast.
Cleese says, "I sided with the BBC... I found (it) really rather distasteful."
But Python pal Terry Gilliam insists the sketch wasn't cut from the show because it suggested the expert was drinking urine - but because the TV bosses read a little too much into one part of the skit.
He explains, "Apparently, one of the glasses of wine had a slight rose tint to it, which, to the BBC's mind, this was menstrual urine. Everything they came up with was more and more absurd... They were really twisted." »
Science Discovers 32 New Planets... And Monty Python's Seen Them All
20 October 2009 7:00 AM, PDT | MTV Movies Blog | See recent MTV Movies Blog news »
It was announced yesterday by a group of international researchers that 32 new planets had been discovered outside of our solar system. "Exoplanets," as they're called. It's a mystery to me why these scientists relied on fancy and undoubtedly expensive monitoring equipment when they could simply have asked the members of the Monty Python comedy troupe.
In their 1983 film, "The Meaning of Life," Python's Eric Idle took viewers on a trip through the galaxy with the appropriately titled "Galaxy Song." Last week, the five remaining Python members -- Idle, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam -- gathered in New York City to promote the newly released documentary, "Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut)." To cap off the half-hour Q&A, Idle picked up an acoustic guitar and strummed his way through the Galaxy Song. Check it out in our video below...
»
- Adam Rosenberg
Cleese In Agony After Python Scenes
19 October 2009 1:06 AM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news »
John Cleese was left in so much pain after filming scenes for cult British comedy Monty Python he had to stop the comedy routines.
The star appeared in the series alongside Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Eric Idle and the late Graham Chapman, from 1969.
During the sketch shows Cleese would carry out a silly walk to make people laugh while he was in character.
Palin has revealed the scenes left Cleese in agony - but the actor tried to continue because the fans enjoyed it so much.
He says, "John found it physically impossible. He did it in terrific and violent pain while people roared with laughter." »
Watch This: Eric Idle and The Roots 'Always Look On The Bright Side'
17 October 2009 4:02 PM, PDT | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »
I'm not known to be the sentimental type, but occasionally even I can get a little choked up (and trust me it can come at the oddest times). Well, the other night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon I had one of those moments when that goofy little girl I used to be and the goofy grown woman I am today came together to watch Eric Idle perform Always Look on The Bright Side of Life with Fallon's house band, The Roots -- who to my delight joined in on the trademark whistling refrain. The troupe was on Late Night to celebrate their NY Reunion show to mark the 40th anniversary of the comedy troupe and to promote the Pythonathon on IFC this Sunday.
Watching The Life of Brian as a child guaranteed that most of the jokes went right over my head, but it's effect was lasting, and I »
- Jessica Barnes
Harassing Monty Python On The Red Carpet Of 'Monty Python: Almost The Truth - The Lawyer's Cut'
16 October 2009 1:30 PM, PDT | MTV Movies Blog | See recent MTV Movies Blog news »
What does one do when confronted with the opportunity to probe the remaining members of Monty Python, one of the greatest sketch comedy troupes of all time? In the case of MTV's Josh Horowitz, it's an opportunity to play a little game of Marry/Eff/Kill. The results are hilarious. But then, that's to be expected when you're dealing with comedy geniuses on the level of John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam.
»
- Adam Rosenberg
Monty Python Reunite and Answer the Proust Questionnaire
16 October 2009 1:10 PM, PDT | Vanity Fair | See recent Vanity Fair news »
Circus Act: from left: Michael Palin, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle. Photograph courtesy of Patrick McMullan. In an excellent new documentary about Monty Python (Monty Python: Almost the Truth, to air on IFC October 18—23), Terry Gilliam says that people want the five surviving members of the comedy troupe to reunite for the same reasons that they want the Beatles to reunite: to remind them of the what it was like to be young and witness a revolution. And he was absolutely right. Though they went their separate ways years ago, Gilliam, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin assembled last night for the premiere of the documentary and gave the audience at the Ziegfeld theater in Manhattan a taste of the absurdity that upended comedy when Flying Circus first aired, in the 1970s. (Graham Chapman couldn’t make it on account of being dead.) After the screening of an abridged, »
Monty Python: 40 More Years!
16 October 2009 10:56 AM, PDT | ifc.com | See recent IFC news »
John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, the five surviving members of Monty Python, gathered at New York's Ziegfeld Theatre for a rare reunion in order to celebrate their 40th anniversary and to receive a special award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
After a screening of a feature-length cut of the new documentary "Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyers Cut)," the five gathered on-stage (with a cardboard cut-out standing in for the late Graham Chapman) to answer questions from the crowd, banter, invite a ten-year-old girl up to do her impression of their "Spanish Inquisition" sketch and sing "The Galaxy Song" from "The Meaning of Life." You can watch a video of the session here.
[Click the thumbnails to see the images full size.]
»
- IFC
Pythons honoured for film and TV work
16 October 2009 4:47 AM, PDT | Digitalspy | See recent digitalspy news »
The Monty Python team have been honoured for their contribution to film and television during a special 40th anniversary reunion event in New York. John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin turned up to receive the British Academy Of Film And Television Arts gong with a cardboard cut-out of the sixth troupe member, the late Graham Chapman. The presentation followed a screening of a new documentary (more) »
- By Sarah Rollo
Monty Python Recordings Saved By U.S. Fans
15 October 2009 6:31 PM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news »
Early episodes of cult British comedy Monty Python's Flying Circus would have been lost forever if BBC bosses hadn't landed a deal to air the TV show in the U.S.
The cult series, starring John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Eric Idle and the late Graham Chapman, was picked up by BBC network bosses in 1969.
But there would be no trace of the troupe's early comedy shenanigans if the funnymen hadn't broken into the American market in 1975 - because network executives were eager to erase the original recordings of Monty Python to clear some space in their vaults.
Cleese explains, "The technology was so clumsy; I mean the tapes that the shows were stored on were so wide and took up so much space that the BBC started wiping the shows."
Jones adds, "There were no VCRs (video recorders), no DVDs in those days. The BBC nearly wiped all the shows. We got a call one day from our video editor saying they were about to erase all the shows - the BBC had put them onto Phillips cassettes, the only thing we had at the time. So, for a time, I thought the only record we had of the first Monty Python series was in my basement!
"In fact, the BBC would have wiped the Python TV shows if they hadn't suddenly sold them to the United States, so thank you the United States!"
Cleese reveals he suffered a similar fate with another TV comedy he made with late pals Chapman and Marty Feldman - and would have nothing to look back on had it not been for a superfan in Sweden.
He explains: "I did a show with Graham and Marty Feldman, called At Last the 1948 Show, and they (BBC bosses) completely wiped it.
"It wouldn't exist apart from the fact that, quite seriously, some guy in Sweden found seven episodes in a vault and sent them (to Cleese). So these classic series got completely wiped because the technology took up too much space." »
Monty Python on Jimmy Fallon
15 October 2009 2:15 PM, PDT | The Flickcast | See recent The Flickcast news »
We don’t usually post video from late night shows like Jimmy Fallon’s unless they contain something very special. Well, in this case, these three videos do contain something very special. In a very rare TV appearance, the surviving members of the legendary Monty Python appeared on television as guests on Jimmy Fallon last night — and we’ve got video.
On the show, Fallon asked the guys about how they started the group, where they got their name and their new IFC documentary. Plus, Eric Idle got up on stage with The Roots to perform the Python classic “Always Look On The Bright Side of Life.” I’m not going to lie, I love Monty Python and seeing these guys together sure is fun. Yes, I realize they were probably on the show in large part to promote their upcoming IFC documentary but who cares, its frakking Monty Python! »
- Chris Ullrich
Monty Python Stars Draw Laughs On U.S. TV
15 October 2009 9:11 AM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news »
Monty Python comedians John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle and Terry Jones caused havoc on U.S. TV on Wednesday night when they abandoned an interview midway through and started a water fight.
Four of the five surviving castmembers came together for an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to promote their new documentary Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyers Cut).
But the show was a comedic shambles from the start - Gilliam was forced to sit on the floor after Cleese removed one of the chairs that had been set out for the actors.
They then left presenter Fallon in giggles by answering his questions all at once, before walking away from the host to mingle with the studio audience.
When they returned to their seats, Idle, Jones and Gilliam started a water fight by throwing their mugs of water over Cleese, causing him to retaliate and chuck his drink back at his pals.
Cleese also tried to start a fake rumour about the only other surviving Monty Python member, Michael Palin, joking that he was absent from the interview because had died that morning.
He told the audience, "Early this morning Michael Palin died", prompting Fallon to query his comment saying, "But he's not dead, is he?"
Cleese then teased, "No, but he's not at all well (mentally)."
Palin was missing from the line-up as he was filming a travel documentary elsewhere.
The sixth castmember, Graham Chapman, passed away in 1989. »
And now for something completely like Jimmy Fallon meeting Monty Python
15 October 2009 7:06 AM, PDT | EW.com - PopWatch | See recent EW.com - PopWatch news »
The best joke on last night's Monty Python-themed Jimmy Fallon show was even older than the comedy team, four members of which appeared to mark their 40th anniversary. "Did you ever think the show would be a disaster?" asked Fallon at one point. "Shortly after you started the monologue," replied Eric Idle, quick as a flash. He had a point, too. While self-confessed comedy nerd Fallon was genuinely, and justifiably, psyched to have Idle, John Cleese, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam on the show, you'd be hard pressed to say the result was all that mirthsome. Then again, in Fallon's defense, »
- Clark Collis
Monty Python takes over Late Night, videos
14 October 2009 10:46 PM, PDT | Monsters and Critics | See recent Monsters and Critics news »
Tonight.s Late Night episode was a special All Monty Python edition featuring cast members John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, and Terry Jones. The Pythons will gather on Oct. 15 at New York.s Ziegfeld Theater to screen a new documentary about the group.s history titled .Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer.s Cut),. which weaves old and new interviews. The film will be shown on IFC. .The Pythons are a classic in sketch comedy, and no matter the age, they remain very, very funny,. said Jimmy Fallon, host of NBC.s .Late Night,. who appears in the documentary. .The first time you see Monty Python, you go, .Wow, I didn.t know this was possible.. It.s silly but »
- April MacIntyre
John Cleese on 40 years of 'Monty Python,' 'Fawlty Towers,' and sex!
14 October 2009 3:14 PM, PDT | EW.com - PopWatch | See recent EW.com - PopWatch news »
It is now 40 years since the legendary and hugely influential comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus was first broadcast in the U.K. How do we know this? Well, partly because Python member John Cleese is so unbelievably decrepit. "I'm old and incontinent!" laughs the comedian. The Python crew's 40th anniversary is also being marked by a series of events. Tonight the five surviving members (Cleese, Terry Jones, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam) will reunite for an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Tomorrow they will grace (and possibly silly walk across) the stage of New York's »
- Clark Collis
Python Stars Land Their Own Radio Channel
13 October 2009 6:31 PM, PDT | WENN | See recent WENN news »
The members of the Monty Python comedy troupe are to become satellite radio stars after landing their own channel.
Sirius Xm Radio bosses are launching a channel dedicated to all things Python, including songs and classic comedy skits.
The channel will launch on Friday and run for 10 days.
It marks the group's 40th anniversary.
Pythons John Cleese, Terry Jones, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin will reunite at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York on Thursday for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts tribute. »
2009 | 2008 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997
1-20 of 51 articles from 2009 « Prev | Next »
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