Rating: Summary: Simply a masterpiece! Review: Monty Python's Life of Brian by Terry Jones(Actor), et al is a modern master piece; the movie is set in Jerusalem during the Roman Occupation. The actors show their tremendous range in ability by taking ona a plethora of characters. My favorite scene is the Roman grammar lesson. This is definetely a movie for all time and I can not wait to see it on DVD(since this version has some deleted scenes.)
Rating: Summary: Wish they'd let me give this DVD 17 stars out of 5! Review: Monty Python's Life of Brian of Nazareth is as magnificent as it is misunderstood.I saw it when it hit theatres, despite picket lines. The pope of the time pronounced it "Blasphemy". I'd like to send a little grateful prayer to his late holiness for helping the film more than any other advertising could have ever done. If he had taken the time to actually WATCH it - he would have seen (as the Pythons say often in the intoxicating commentaries in the DVD version) that it was HERESY - not blasphemy. It lampooned the Church, and hyper-zealous ditto-heads that equate THEIR own flavor of church with God. "I'm NOT the Messiah - HONESTLY!"..."I say you are, my lord, and I should know! I've followed a few!" THE most believable and respectful portrayal of Jesus of Nazareth is in this film! He looks Jewish - for the first time in a film i ever saw! And when people at the outside reaches of the Sermon on the Mount instantly misinterpreted His Beatitudes that just sums up 98% of the religious grandstanders, coat-tail-riders, and wannabes! "Blessed are the CHEESE makers?" "It's not meant to be taken literally, it refers to all manufacturers of dairy products!" Now. IF they had made the film like the first few formative ideas they had for the project (from the admittedly irreverent "Jesus Christ - Lust For Glory") then i could see SOME of the outcry making SOME sense. As it is, they just totally failed to "GET it". Besides. It takes equal oportunity fatal stabs at politics! Listen to Reg, the leader of the PFJ! (or is it JPF?) As you do, sure thoughts of devisive religious groups (sorry Southern Baptists) ARE inevitable... but i counsel that you look at the political and historical aspect as well! This is my favorite film. Of all. End o'story. Anyway. The DVD is worth ten times its price! The Lost Scenes are worth double the price (i recommend watching them in reverse order, they "get better" that way). The commentaries are an absolute must-have for fanatical Pythonians! Sue me, Monty Python is my equivalent of the Dallas Cowboys (or whatever team(s) sports fans collect)! Yes, i DO have Monty Python Trading Cards! Very proud of them. The point is - GET THIS DVD! Then - if necessary - buy a DVD player to watch it on!
Rating: Summary: A Remarkable DVD Review: This dvd is what dvds were made for. The tons of extras are mind boggling and are hysterically funny! The time it takes to watch and rewatch the special documentary and extra footage is well worth the money. Oh and the film! One of the funniest ever! Do yourself a favor and get this dvd! You'll thank yourself. And you'll probably lead a more productive life. And your wife won't leave you. Trust me.
Rating: Summary: Absolutely hilarious Review: This spoof of Christianity is one of the funniest films ever made. When it was introduced, it stirred up a great deal of controversy from the Church for good reason. The blasphemous, though really innocent and funny outakes of the life of Jesus Christ are paralleled throughout. The films central character Brian gets caught up in and mistaken for the Christ/messiah and the antics throughout will have you splitting your sides. It's even funnier if you grew up in a Christian atmosphere, particularly Catholicism, and later challenged the religious beliefs that are forced upon society. Leave it to Monty Python to always be outrageous and hilarious. A must have for Python fans and anyone who likes religious satire.
Rating: Summary: A True Comedy Review: Monty Python shows itself to again be a truly comic and enjoyable group,as they create something that is rare and uncommon: a funny film that will forever last as the (or one of the) funniest films ever made. Chapman, Cleese, Palin and Idle, among others, act with great ferocity and Gilliam (with Jones) directs it with great talent. If you have a sick, dark sense of humor and are in the mood for a laugh ( and a film that will make you buy it the very next day of your first viewing) then this is the movie to get.
Rating: Summary: The Best Monty Python Has to Offer Review: It is often difficult to decide how to properly introduce loved ones to Monty Python. The Lumberjack song? The Parrot Sketch? The Holy Grail? All good choices, but I suggest Life of Brian, Monty Python's most consistently funny effort. The movie is laugh-out-loud funny for newcomers, but with plenty of almost subliminal jokes that can only be fleshed out with repeated viewings. And repeated viewings are a pleasure with the new Criterion Edition. The transfer is pristine and the extras will keep even the most seasoned Python fans busy for days. There really is no reason NOT to own this disc. The movie itself is classic Python; dead-on satire of religious fanaticism (not of religion, as some would suggest) plus the best comedic ending since "Some Like it Hot." If your friends don't understand the inherent humor in "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," it's time to find new friends.
Rating: Summary: THE FUNNIEST COMEDY EVER! Review: someone once said,"If your stupid, you think Monty Python is funny. If your intelligent, you think Monty Python is really funny." However, if you can't see past the fact that they are writing an extremely witty satire of those who exploit religion for thier own political agenda, and those who blindly follow religion without ever thinking things out for themselves first, then this quote dosen't apply to you. certain religious groups held their own Spanish Inqusitions for this film, and they are about as accurate as the original one. the Pythons have written a brilliant script, combined with immaculate preformances. every scene is full of classic characters, biting satire, and wonderful comedy that remains Python's finest movie. For me (as comedy is quite personal) this will always be the funniest comedy ever, unless you are an ignorant moron who isn't clever enough to figure out that Monty Python is mocking you, not Jesus (who, incidently, is portrayed quite normally, and referres to as preforming a miracle) Buy this one, as no intelligent person should be without it.
Rating: Summary: Very Funny, Very Stupid Review: I like Monty Python because of their deranged sense of humor and now they have come out with another movie to match that description. Life Of Brian is funny and wacky. Making fun of a lot of stuff that was going on in the time of Jesus and making Brian sort of the same as Jesus. It is amusing to see the many different groups of people that were against Ceasar in the time and their names are all using the same words in a different order so they are very confusing but funny.
Rating: Summary: Python + Criterion = DVDeity Review: Here's a union made in heaven: the Monty Python ensemble and the good folks at Criterion, who again have given us a first-class DVD presentation. Several deleted scenes (including two lengthy ones) and two separate commentary tracks (even on the deleted scenes, and with everyone except the late, great Graham Chapman contributing) prove that the Pythons were well aware of the fine line between satire and sacrilege, and how they strove to avoid the latter while sharpening the former. Add an excellent documentary shot on location during the filming, four British radio ads, production notes, and arguably the best Python film ever and you've got one worthwhile DVD. There are some image artifacts here and there, but not enough to detract from a five-star rating. The DVD Menu is easy to navigate and cleverly done. Kudos also to Amazon for the appealing price point on this and many other Criterion discs ($10-12 cheaper than other national retailers. Hello Tower?).
Rating: Summary: Great extras on this Python DVD Review: THE LIFE OF BRIAN has remained one of my favorite Python flicks after the glow of the Holy Grail began to wear thin from overuse. If you're considering purchasing this movie, you've probably seen the movie already and are a Monty Python fan. If not, get ready for one of Python's most sacrilegious and hilarious movies of their collection! If you are easily offended, you might think twice. However, the satire here is equally distributed and is not aimed so much at religion itself but moreso at the amusing ways in which people can behave "under the influence" of zealotry. I thoroughly enjoyed rewatching the movie, but it was a great surprise to find that this DVD comes packed with some great bonus materials. Several full-length, revealing interviews with the cast go into more Python history than just that surrounding this flick. And a rather large collection of scenes cut from the final release are also quite interesting. The video and audio quality seem to be on par with most of the other DVD movies I've seen so far, despite the film's age. All in all, a great addition to any Python collection.
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