Monty Python

Walk from the animated opening credits of Monty Python's Flying Circus

Monty Python [ ˌ mɒnti paɪθn ] is a British comedian group. It was founded in 1969 and had its heyday in the 1970s, in which the television series Monty Python's Flying Circus and several movies, including The Life of Brian arisen. In 1983, the group split up for the time being. Your humoristic influence is, however, still considered groundbreaking and was adapted and further developed by many comedians.

Biography

Monty Python consisted of:

• Graham Chapman (1941-1989)
• John Cleese ( b. 1939 )
• Terry Gilliam ( b. 1940 )
• Eric Idle ( born 1943 )
• Terry Jones ( b. 1942 )
• Michael Palin ( b. 1943 )

Cleese, Chapman and Idle were studying at the University of Cambridge, Palin and Jones at the University of Oxford, where they had their first experience in writing and presenting comic skits. Both Palin and Idle and Cleese, Chapman and Jones had worked for the BBC, as Cleese suggested early in 1969 to join forces. This group formation during script - writing remained largely intact during the Monty Python - time, Terry Jones described this later as " The Oxford - Cambridge -Divide ". The sixth member of the American Terry Gilliam, came from Occidental College, Los Angeles, do so. He distinguished himself mainly by his surreal cut-out animations, but also played minor roles (mostly without text). Over time he became more and more often directed the skits and movies. Frequent employee of the group were Carol Cleveland, Connie Booth and Neil Innes, who participated in numerous sketches of the "Flying Circus" and in most movies.

From 1969 to 1974, the group for the BBC turned 45 episodes ( three seasons with 13 episodes a season with six episodes) of the series Monty Python's Flying Circus, were mixed in the sketches and animation scenes. The first broadcast was aired on October 5, 1969 at 23:00 clock. In the years 1971 and 1972 were two episodes in German language as Monty Python's Flying Circus specially produced and broadcast for the German and Austrian television.

The name Monty Python's Flying Circus for the show series was created in 1969 shortly before shooting at one of the last meetings in Cleese's former apartment in the Basil Street in Kensington:

" Several zany titles resulted until John Cleese came up with the last name and Python Eric Idle remembered a character he had met in a pub years before. The stranger had been a dapper sort and everytime he came into the pub he would ask the saints, ' Has Monty been in yet? ' Idle 's compatriots liked the name and so the troupe and the show Became Monty Python 's Flying Circus. "

" Several wacky titles circulated until John Cleese arrived with surname Python Eric Idle and remembered someone he had met years earlier in a pub. The stranger was an elegant type, and each time he came to the pub, he asked the guests: Was Monty already here ' Idles country men found the name of good, and so was made ​​of the troops and the show Monty Python's Flying Circus? . "

The series was outstanding with their quirky humor. Inspired by the term " Kafkaesque " this style was referred to as " pythonesk ". It was characterized by cryptic and especially black humor. The series applies to both form and content as groundbreaking for the genre of comedy; particularly the lifting of a punch line after a particularly absurd scene was revolutionary and continued to influence. Were intentionally staged skits and all consequences contrary to the viewing habits as a stream of consciousness. Also known is the theme song from Monty Python's Flying Circus: It's John Philip Sousa's march The Liberty Bell. After John Cleese had already played after the second year with the idea to leave the group, he eventually was no longer there in the fourth season. It only six episodes were created, but still material from John Cleese was used ( with his consent ).

After her time in television Monty Python turned to the film. Monty Python's Wonderful World of gravity (Original Title: And Now For Something Completely Different ) has been rotated during the time of the Flying Circus for the cinema. It contained almost exclusively freshly turned skits that had been but to see to Flying Circus. In direct connection began in Scotland filming the second movie and the Holy Grail, again with the participation of John Cleese.

1979, the group filmed their most influential and best known film, The Life of Brian. Produced by George Harrison film deals with satirical and dark humor with religious and social issues and at the same time parodied the Bible films of the 1950s and 1960s. The protagonist of Brian, who was born the same time as Jesus of Nazareth, is always considered to be the Messiah, and finally crucified. Because of the controversial content of the film, for example, American conservative Christians protested. So some cinema operators Monty Python took work out of respect for religious sensibilities not on the program.

1983 came with Chapman, Idle and Cleese three of the six members of the pirates movie spoof Yellowbeard ( Yellowbeard ), where Chapman was also involved in the screenplay. In the same year, the group finished their first collaboration, partly due to the deteriorated state of health of Graham Chapman, who suffered from severe alcoholism. When he died in 1989, the remaining members of the group gathered at the funeral; Cleese and Palin talked much acclaimed speeches, and all together sang the song Always Look on the bright side of life. 1998, the five survivors up together in Aspen (Colorado). Even individually, the members were as an actor, writer or director is successful ( even before their Monty Python - time) and have it to some extent today. The group also includes the production company Python ( Monty ) Pictures Limited.

Four of the group members ( Gilliam, Idle, Jones and Palin ) came together with Carol Cleveland and Neil Innes 2002 on the memorial concert for George Harrison, because he had produced with his specially established for this company HandMade Films one of their films. For John Cleese, who was ill at the time, Tom Hanks stepped in at a number.

In 2005, the Monty Python musical Monty Python 's Spamalot premiered on Broadway in New York, which is played there regularly since then and also had several months series of performances in London, Las Vegas and the Cologne Musical Dome. Especially Eric Idle was heavily involved in this production.

In early 2012, the Group announced the production of a new joint film Absolutely Anything to say. The film is described as " sci-fi farce ".

In November 2013 Monty Python announced that they are working on a joint show. The performances will take place on 1 July 2014 at the O2 Arena in London.

Work

Movies and Series

Documentation

• 2009: Monty Python - Almost the whole truth!

Media

Computer Games

These computer games were developed by 7th Level in collaboration with Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam.

Musical

• 2005: Monty Python 's Spamalot

Awards

DVD releases in Germany

• 2000: Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1 DVD) by Columbia
• 2001: The wonderful world of gravity (1 DVD) of Koch Media GmbH - DVD
• 2003: Life of Brian (1 DVD) from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• 2005: The wonderful world of gravity (1 DVD) from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• 2006: Monty Python: In the Beginning ( 1DVD ) of Icestorm Entertainment
• 2007: Do Not Adjust Your Set - The Early Years of Monty Python ( 2 DVDs ) by Indigo
• 2007: At last the 1948 Show - The Early Years of Monty Python ( 2 DVDs ) by Indigo
• 2009: Monty Python - The Early Years [ 4 DVD ] by Indigo
• 2010: Monty Python - Not The Messiah ( He's a Very Naughty Boy) (1 DVD (Blu -ray) Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• 2012: The Holy Grail [ Blu- ray] ( 1 DVD) from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• 2013: The Meaning of Life - 30th Anniversary Edition [ Blu -ray] by Universal Pictures Germany GmbH
• 2013: A Liar's Autobiography - The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman (OV ) ( 1 DVD) by Universum Film GmbH
• 2013: Holy Flying Circus (1 DVD) by Polyband

Reception

• The virtual machine Parrot named after the Dead Parrot Sketch.
• The name of the Python programming language goes back to the worship of Monty Python by the author Guido van Rossum.
• In another legendary sketch troupe of the " Ministry of comic passages " was founded; from this, the International Silly Walk Day derives, on 7 January of each year.
• The term spam for mass e- mails was inspired by a Monty Python sketch in which it is repeatedly called the name of the corresponding canned meat brand (see also Spam skit ).