The Monty Python Backlash has begun......

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Joe Migliore
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Re: The Monty Python Backlash has begun......

Postby Joe Migliore » Wed Jul 16, 2014 6:57 pm

While this thread is still relatively fresh, I thought I'd post this response John Cleese recently sent a fourteen-year-old fan:

http://imgur.com/KYOl0iR

Gary Johnson
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Re: The Monty Python Backlash has begun......

Postby Gary Johnson » Thu Jul 17, 2014 4:19 am

With all our talk on whether or not Python is still relevant today, has anyone been following the various promotional material being distributed by Team Python concerning their reunion? I didn't bother to leave any links because this is all easily accessible via a simple Google search.

The first item that caught my eye is the Mick Jagger video he made to promote the Boys reunion shows. It is quite funny because it is so spot on at dismantling all of the criticism that would follow concerning why anyone would care about seeing a group of 70 yr old octogenarians.
One can find radio and TV interviews on You Tube going back to the Fall of last year with various Python members together and apart discussing the coming reunion. These are all entertaining because they are rarely serious and are filled with typical Python silliness and indifference. There is one gathering, which looks like it's from a London morning show, with Michael, John and Eric and all they do is mimic sounds from each sketch that the interviewer mentions. But this is also the time that the first official press conference was held. It runs a half hour and all 5 Pythons take questions from the world's press. They tend to treat each question lightly but amuse themselves with each other's quips. A reporter from NBC adamantly states that after the reunion shows they must bring the show to America and Eric answers, "Yes, if you are still open by then." And that line really cracks up Cleese. This is also the only time I've caught a reference to Miss Cleveland when a reporter asks who will be taking her place. All of the Pythons respond with ask her, she's in the audience. And sure enough the camera pans to the first row where Carol stands and starts chatting, only she isn't miked so their planned bit falls a bit flat.

The following year Cleese did his bit to generate interest by appearing on Alan Carr's talk show and acting very belligerent toward the host by tossing peanuts at him, along with various bottles of liquid beverages. It was all in the name of good clean comedy and even better press hype. The culmination of almost a year of promoting concluded with the last major press conference held the week when tickets went on sale. This press conference runs an hour and what is notable is how Eric has taken over as essentially the team's spokesperson. Being the youngest member of the team may be one reason, but a larger reason may have to do with his duties of directing and staging this mammoth show. Any animosity between Idle and the rest of the Boys that was being reported in the press for years concerning Idle's success with SPAMALOT seems to be water under the bridge -- if there was any actual hard feelings to begin with.

The one bit of new info I took from all of these press junkets is that Cleese continues to tour with his one man show, 'The Alimony Tour', all these many years later. One can find many clips from these recent performances online and if you watch enough of them it is like attending one of his live 90 minute shows.

Jim Roots
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Re: The Monty Python Backlash has begun......

Postby Jim Roots » Thu Jul 17, 2014 7:57 am

Cleese played Toronto recently and called the show "Last Chance To See Me Before I'm Dead".

Jim
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Gary Johnson
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Re: The Monty Python Backlash has begun......

Postby Gary Johnson » Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:31 am

Yes. It has had many titles these past 4 years but the same content inside.
It was from the Toronto show that footage was downloaded onto YouTube.

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Re: The Monty Python Backlash has begun......

Postby Pasquale Ventura » Thu Jul 17, 2014 2:38 pm

Eric Idle was the go-getter of the Python's. He's the one who got the live stage tours, movies, books, records, merchandising and home video deals. So it's of no surprise Idle is more of the groups spoke person now.

What amused me about their press conference was how they all sat in the wrong seats so that the names were wrong according to the name plates in front of them.

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Re: The Monty Python Backlash has begun......

Postby Gary Johnson » Thu Jul 17, 2014 8:50 pm

There was a moment in one of the press conference's where a reporter asked Idle if he was going to perform the silly walks. I don't believe that had anything to do with the wrong name tags. That is just a clueless reporter.

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Re: The Monty Python Backlash has begun......

Postby Gary Johnson » Tue Jul 22, 2014 5:27 pm

So after all was said and done, did anyone catch the last show broadcast live around the globe on Sunday?

Unfortunately, I totally spaced it out. Forgot all about it (Damn that Alzheimers). And this after spending the previously week reviewing all of the endless Python talk on YouTube. So much for press hype and hoopla where I'm concerned. I did remember, however, to have my hat re-blocked on Sunday. And that had been on my mind for sometime.

I realize that a DVD release of the event will be out this fall, but that's not the same thing as the immediancy of the moment. Unless the DVD will be an exact duplication of what went out over the airwaves. All that I've read in the States is that some select theaters streamed it live. How did it work across the pond? I read that some Brits got annoyed with the bleeping of the naughty bits by the network that broadcast it. That's odd. The Pythons have been swearing their heads off since BRIAN. You would think allowances would had been made to air it uncensored.

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Re: The Monty Python Backlash has begun......

Postby Richard M Roberts » Tue Jul 22, 2014 10:49 pm

Gary Johnson wrote:So after all was said and done, did anyone catch the last show broadcast live around the globe on Sunday?

Unfortunately, I totally spaced it out. Forgot all about it (Damn that Alzheimers). And this after spending the previously week reviewing all of the endless Python talk on YouTube. So much for press hype and hoopla where I'm concerned. I did remember, however, to have my hat re-blocked on Sunday. And that had been on my mind for sometime.

I realize that a DVD release of the event will be out this fall, but that's not the same thing as the immediancy of the moment. Unless the DVD will be an exact duplication of what went out over the airwaves. All that I've read in the States is that some select theaters streamed it live. How did it work across the pond? I read that some Brits got annoyed with the bleeping of the naughty bits by the network that broadcast it. That's odd. The Pythons have been swearing their heads off since BRIAN. You would think allowances would had been made to air it uncensored.



Tis a different broadcasting world these days than when Python went on the air, if they were violently shooting people to bits, that would be fine, but cursng!

Here's the "emotional" farewell curtain call:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaDGc2LWzGo



RICHARD M ROBERTS

Gary Johnson
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Re: The Monty Python Backlash has begun......

Postby Gary Johnson » Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:29 am

Before I cast too many stones I would like to hear from some of our Redcoat members (Dave, O'Reagan --[Oh why did you become our President!!]) on how much censoring actually took place over seas. Was it from the Gold broadcast or some minor affiliates?

This finale confirms something else that I caught from all of the earlier coverage.
Anyone with half a knowledge of Python knows that the main creative dynamics of the troupe was the Cambridge-Oxford schism -- and the two leading components of that faction was Cleese and Jones. They did the major head-butting over creative direction of the team for years. All during the teams heyday of the 70's and 80's one can find countless gatherings of the members off screen on film -- either in formal or un-informal surroundings -- and inevitably Jones and Cleese are seated on opposite sides of the room (Check out THE POLICEMAN's BALL DVD).And yet, for the last year, whenever all of the surviving members are together, Jones and Cleese are seated sided by side, with Palin and Gilliam on the other side and Idle in the middle. And even on this final night of their last performance together.....there we see Cleese and Jones on the right of the stage taking in the adulation's from their fans.

And I have to ask you, is this just happenstance or intentional....or is it a last Python inside joke, putting these two well-known foes together? I'm pretty sure they were never real foes. They were just very outspoken when it came to creative differences. If anyone out there has ever worked in a creative group environment, you would know how heated things can become at times. I joined a sketch group once in my life in the late '80's. They were all friends. They had started their little group a good half a year before I joined and everything was civil and polite among the members. Yet within 3 months of my arrival I made every man, women and child of that close knit little troupe hate me to my very core. And yet we went out on a high note together with a much more cohesive show than they had originally put on.

Cleese himself has said on numerous occasions that outside of work, they all get along well together. Ego's only arise whenever their professional reputation is at stake. So as a life-long fan I took an added bit of satisfaction in seeing these two consummate professionals taking their final bows together.
(Plus the fact that Carol Cleveland was there in all her Playboy-Bunny-Attire finery onstage for their second to last bow. Very fitting for the Margaret Dumont of the Pythons).

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Re: The Monty Python Backlash has begun......

Postby Richard M Roberts » Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:32 am

Well, this bit doesn't make it all seem that promising:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bdm1MWLUhM



RICHARD M ROBERTS


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