Customer Reviews

Monty Python's Flying Circus, Disc 1

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I give it 5 stars for the Pythons and 1 star for A&E or 3 stars overall. A&E have to be commended for bringing the Pythons to DVD, but Jeers to them for exploiting us fans, After packaging 3-4 Avengers episodes per disk it is ridiculous for them to only include 3 Python Episodes per disk when 6-8 would easily fit. This is the type of crass commercialism the Pythons would usually ridicule. I cry foul.

I've become addicted to Monty Python thanks to A&E's release of Monty Python's Flying Circus on DVD. The packaging, the design of the menu screen, and the extras are all wonderful. A&E has filled these sets full of Spam, Spam, Spam, and Spam. A person could spend a week watching all the episodes and the great bonuses such as live performances of the sketches at the Hollywood Bowl. These sets are a revelation to anyone who grew up watching the series and especially to those who have never seen it before. Monty Python's Flying Circus will certainly stand the test of time and A&E deserves a lot of credit for producing these DVDs. Anything from Monty Python or Terry Gilliam on DVD is highly recommended viewing.

These long awaited, heaven-sent Flying Circus DVDs are better than I imagined they could be. They are well designed, full of extras, easy to navigate, and the material is as funny as ever.

Las llamas son mas grandes que las ranas.

In 1969, pop culture experienced a sudden earthquake, started by five British goofballs and one American goofball, who created "Monty Python's Flying Circus."

And no, that isn't a person. Just so you know.

And "Monty Python's Flying Circus Disc 1," which contains the first three episodes of the series, is a string of bizarre comedic skits skits linked by some gloriously surreal animation, where the insane is everyday. These episodes have a few dud moments, but they also contain some of the Pythons' most hilarious works, including the now-legendary Wink-Wink-Nudge-Nudge sketch.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (John Cleese) introduces a special show on great deaths throughout history -- starting with Genghis Khan, and taking a look at the highly-rated deaths throughout history. ("Strewth!").

That relatively minor skit is just the introduction -- Italian classes for Italians, Whizzo butter, an interview with composer Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson amd Sir Edward ("I don't like being called 'Eddie Baby'!"), a marathon race of famous artists in action, and a lethally funny joke that is taken into military custody for use against the Germans in World War II. ("That's not FUNNY!:

And that's only the first episode.

The two episodes that follow are even funnier -- flying sheep in their various forms, a man with three buttocks, musical mice, working-class playwrights, and men who have a secret double-life as rodents. Then we have an ordinary trial given a series of bizarre witnesses, the heroic BicycleRepairman, a book of obscene children's stories, and a series of tragedies that stem from a man saying that he's been given a dirty fork.

Does it sound insane? Good. These six guys created some of the most unabashed, naughty, nasty, and just plain weird comedy ever, which still influences everything from Saturday Night Live to hit author Jasper Fforde. While the first episode is a bit limp, the ones that follow have some of their most legendary work ("Wink wink, nudge nudge, SAY NO MORE!") and it only gets better from there on.

And all of this by men who often dress up as the world's most unattractive girls, wearing powdered wigs and cardinal costumes, with only a smallish budget and minimal cast. The 70s production values are omnipresent, and they are decidedly unpolitically correct ("He loved the life of the sea and he loved to hang out down by the pier where the men dressed as ladies..."). But in a weird way, these only make it even funnier than it would have been otherwise -- the writing and acting are pure, raw, unrefined comedy.

Probably the most memorable actors here are Cleese and Idle. Cleese does his psychotic shrieks and "Engine driver" song better than anyone, as well as having that rubbery lanky body and howling monkey voice. And Idle not only has amazing comic timing, but he can adjust his voice and body language to... anything, from a fussy sailor to the wink-wink-nudge-nudge man.

But the other actors are quite good too, especially Michael Palin, especially when he's playing someone timid or crazy ("The war wound! THE WOUND!"). And Terry Gilliam created the most bizarre, oddballish little cartoons, including a hippo stomping on frolicking bunnies, flying sheep being shot by cannons, and many other strange things that bridge the various skits together.

This classic comedy series not only became a pop culture staple, but it's still fresh and funny more than thirty years after it was made. A truly surreal, gloriously insane experience.

In this video there are the first three Flying circus episodes! what a riot! I fell out of my chair laughing during the "Nudge, Nudge" Sketch. a good buy for Python fans everywherer\

its been many years and many changes have taken me to where im at today, but in watching this production it seems like yesterday when i first saw it. Dated it is not, funny oh my yes. A timeless humor to be cherrished in these ever changing times.