1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,162 WWW.MY-SUBS.CO 1 00:00:06,647 --> 00:00:10,526 And now, a short introduction from the producers' legal representative, 2 00:00:10,567 --> 00:00:12,125 Mr Abe Appenheimer. 3 00:00:12,167 --> 00:00:15,318 Hello, and welcome to this documentary 4 00:00:15,367 --> 00:00:17,801 containing new and exclusive interviews 5 00:00:17,847 --> 00:00:20,600 with the five surviving members of Monty Python. 6 00:00:20,647 --> 00:00:24,276 The producers wish to make it clear that any opinions expressed herein 7 00:00:24,327 --> 00:00:27,285 are those of the individuals and hold no truth whatsoever. 8 00:00:27,327 --> 00:00:29,477 Pursuant, therefore, to clause 4.6 9 00:00:29,527 --> 00:00:32,439 of the Broadcasting, Video, Television Act, 1989, 10 00:00:32,487 --> 00:00:35,445 subsection 4, 3 and 2, clause... 11 00:00:46,127 --> 00:00:48,436 ..subject to clause 4.123, 12 00:00:48,487 --> 00:00:52,241 no viewer or watcher may copy, repeat, impersonate, mime, 13 00:00:52,287 --> 00:00:54,755 either contextually or noncontextually, 14 00:00:54,807 --> 00:00:57,480 any material whatsoever in any public place 15 00:00:57,527 --> 00:01:02,442 such as a street, pub, club, hotel, oil rig, Baptist church... 16 00:01:22,447 --> 00:01:24,563 Python 17 00:01:24,607 --> 00:01:28,156 The legend they call Python 18 00:01:28,207 --> 00:01:31,244 At first they were small 19 00:01:31,287 --> 00:01:34,484 Then they grew up to be tall 20 00:01:34,527 --> 00:01:37,917 The world heard of their fame 21 00:01:37,967 --> 00:01:41,277 Everyone knew their name 22 00:01:41,327 --> 00:01:44,842 Now it's ''Who the fuck are Python?'' 23 00:01:44,887 --> 00:01:48,084 ''Never bleedin' heard of them'' 24 00:01:48,127 --> 00:01:53,247 That's why we made this documentary 25 00:01:55,127 --> 00:02:06,516 So we can all make more money from Python 26 00:03:23,167 --> 00:03:25,203 We never thought it would go to America. 27 00:03:25,247 --> 00:03:29,798 l can remember a guy from WGBH in Boston, the PBS station in Boston, 28 00:03:29,847 --> 00:03:31,565 coming and meeting us 29 00:03:31,607 --> 00:03:34,758 and sitting in a little room, a little projection theatre. 30 00:03:34,807 --> 00:03:37,321 He was very excited, he'd heard wonderful things, 31 00:03:37,367 --> 00:03:38,766 and wanted to see the show. 32 00:03:38,807 --> 00:03:40,001 He'd had to come, 33 00:03:40,047 --> 00:03:44,006 in those days there weren't DVDs, they hadn't been invented, 34 00:03:44,047 --> 00:03:47,357 and he sat with us and when the lights went up 35 00:03:47,407 --> 00:03:49,716 at the end of the second show, 36 00:03:49,767 --> 00:03:52,361 he was sitting there as though he'd seen a ghost. 37 00:03:52,407 --> 00:03:55,763 l mean, he was...pale. 38 00:03:58,087 --> 00:04:00,601 And we said... 39 00:04:00,647 --> 00:04:06,040 And he got up and walked out of the room and said, 40 00:04:06,087 --> 00:04:08,681 ''lt's been a great pleasure meeting you guys.'' 41 00:04:08,727 --> 00:04:12,163 He was so frightened at what would happen to his career 42 00:04:12,207 --> 00:04:14,767 if he put this on in America. 43 00:04:14,807 --> 00:04:18,561 l can't tell the difference between Whizzo butter and this dead crab. 44 00:04:18,607 --> 00:04:22,236 Yes, you know, we find that nine out of ten British housewives 45 00:04:22,287 --> 00:04:25,916 can't tell the difference between Whizzo butter and a dead crab. 46 00:04:25,967 --> 00:04:29,277 lt's true. We can't! No, we can't! No. 47 00:04:30,607 --> 00:04:35,522 - You're on television, aren't you? - Yes, yes. 48 00:04:35,567 --> 00:04:39,116 He does that thing with those silly women who can't tell the difference 49 00:04:39,167 --> 00:04:41,476 between Whizzo butter and a dead crab. 50 00:04:41,527 --> 00:04:42,516 Yes! 51 00:04:42,567 --> 00:04:45,923 You try that around here, young man, and we'll slit your face. 52 00:04:45,967 --> 00:04:47,366 Yes! 53 00:04:47,407 --> 00:04:48,920 With a razor. 54 00:04:48,967 --> 00:04:51,879 There was a lovely woman called Nancy Lewis who pushed us 55 00:04:51,927 --> 00:04:53,838 by showing people our records 56 00:04:53,887 --> 00:04:58,597 and got some of the people in the American record industry interested. 57 00:04:58,647 --> 00:05:03,198 The problem in those days was nobody could afford to put it on public television. 58 00:05:03,247 --> 00:05:05,636 They couldn't afford to convert it 59 00:05:05,687 --> 00:05:08,520 from the PAL system to NTSC, 60 00:05:08,567 --> 00:05:11,718 which was a very expensive process in those days. 61 00:05:11,767 --> 00:05:14,725 One day l got a phone call from Greg Garrison. 62 00:05:14,767 --> 00:05:17,998 He was the man who had produced Dean Martin's show 63 00:05:18,047 --> 00:05:20,481 and had a big success record. 64 00:05:20,527 --> 00:05:24,202 They were putting together a show which was called World Of Comedy. 65 00:05:24,247 --> 00:05:27,444 Primarily, it was going to be made up of sketches 66 00:05:27,487 --> 00:05:30,126 from comedy shows all over the world 67 00:05:30,167 --> 00:05:33,398 and they wanted to use some Monty Python clips in there. 68 00:05:33,447 --> 00:05:37,156 The Pythons at that stage were really reluctant 69 00:05:37,207 --> 00:05:39,960 to let anybody take clips from their shows. 70 00:05:40,007 --> 00:05:44,797 But l remember writing them a rather impassioned memo saying, 71 00:05:44,847 --> 00:05:47,964 ''Look, this is a summer replacement show. Nobody will see it. 72 00:05:48,007 --> 00:05:50,999 ''They only want to use little clips and they pay a lot of money 73 00:05:51,047 --> 00:05:55,598 ''which will be paid to TimeLife that would pay to convert it 74 00:05:55,647 --> 00:05:59,037 ''and after that the PBS stations could afford it.'' 75 00:05:59,087 --> 00:06:00,679 l think it was '7 4, 76 00:06:00,727 --> 00:06:04,163 before a very great pal of ours called Ron de Villiers, 77 00:06:04,207 --> 00:06:07,802 who was in charge of the PBS station in Dallas, 78 00:06:07,847 --> 00:06:10,042 finally plucked up his courage 79 00:06:10,087 --> 00:06:15,002 and one night he put us out in Dallas of all places, and, you know, 80 00:06:15,047 --> 00:06:18,278 all his friends were calling him saying, ''What happened? 81 00:06:18,327 --> 00:06:21,205 ''Were you stoned? Did they set fire to the station?'' 82 00:06:21,247 --> 00:06:23,363 He said, ''lt's all right. There's no protest.'' 83 00:06:23,407 --> 00:06:24,635 Then it went out everywhere. 84 00:06:24,687 --> 00:06:28,077 When the Python thing came on it was much better, 85 00:06:28,127 --> 00:06:32,040 let's say it was a whole lot better than having to watch a sitcom. 86 00:06:32,087 --> 00:06:36,285 OK. All right. Cut him down, Mr Fuller. 87 00:06:36,327 --> 00:06:39,000 Oh, you're no fun any more! 88 00:06:39,047 --> 00:06:43,438 They were different and so when l saw the show it was a huge moment 89 00:06:43,487 --> 00:06:47,480 to see the freedom with which they were doing their comedy, 90 00:06:47,527 --> 00:06:50,644 but most importantly to me they were... 91 00:06:50,687 --> 00:06:53,838 presupposed a level of intelligence in their audience... 92 00:06:55,607 --> 00:06:57,802 ..that you couldn't do then in America. 93 00:06:57,847 --> 00:07:01,476 They got huge reaction. First of all, it was so different from anything. 94 00:07:01,527 --> 00:07:03,757 They were used to seeing Masterpiece Theatre 95 00:07:03,807 --> 00:07:06,037 and these wonderful, noble programmes. 96 00:07:06,087 --> 00:07:10,717 Here comes this completely insane British humour show. 97 00:07:10,767 --> 00:07:14,646 Suddenly, people understood British humour. lsn't that amazing? 98 00:07:25,367 --> 00:07:27,323 And now for something completely different. 99 00:07:29,047 --> 00:07:33,484 l was always excited about And Now For Something Completely Different. 100 00:07:33,527 --> 00:07:36,837 People run it down nowadays. ''lt wasn't a proper Python film.'' 101 00:07:36,887 --> 00:07:40,436 lt was a movie shown in movie theatres. We went to some previews. 102 00:07:40,487 --> 00:07:42,637 Victor Lownes had loved the show. 103 00:07:42,687 --> 00:07:46,362 He was the Playboy Club in London and he thought it was a great show. 104 00:07:46,407 --> 00:07:48,602 He did a deal with Columbia. 105 00:07:48,647 --> 00:07:52,196 He put up... l think the budget was 80 million dollars, 106 00:07:52,247 --> 00:07:56,160 no, 80 thousand dollars, is that possible? Yes, it must have been! 107 00:07:56,207 --> 00:08:00,917 He is the one who was located in London 108 00:08:00,967 --> 00:08:05,916 and a huge fan of the Pythons and encouraged me to do the film. 109 00:08:05,967 --> 00:08:09,926 They had done it especially for the American market. 110 00:08:09,967 --> 00:08:13,277 lt was the idea. They didn't want it shown in England really. 111 00:08:13,327 --> 00:08:15,602 Good morning. l am a bank robber. 112 00:08:15,647 --> 00:08:18,525 Please don't panic, just hand over all the money. 113 00:08:18,567 --> 00:08:20,364 This is a lingerie shop, sir. 114 00:08:24,047 --> 00:08:28,086 They got to lan McNaughton to direct and we did the ''best of' sketches. 115 00:08:28,127 --> 00:08:31,119 lt wasn't a happy experience cos we weren't in charge of it. 116 00:08:31,167 --> 00:08:32,646 We didn't have final cut. 117 00:08:32,687 --> 00:08:36,999 lan tended to be drunk by lunch time so we'd just get on with it anyway. 118 00:08:37,047 --> 00:08:41,279 l know that really Terry Jones wanted to direct it, 119 00:08:41,327 --> 00:08:43,318 and was sort of, you know, 120 00:08:43,367 --> 00:08:46,837 didn't feel it was how we should be doing what we should be doing. 121 00:08:46,887 --> 00:08:48,957 This is a frightened city. 122 00:08:49,007 --> 00:08:53,125 Over these streets, over these houses, hangs a pall of fear. 123 00:08:53,167 --> 00:08:56,716 An ugly kind of violence is rife, stalking the town. 124 00:08:59,807 --> 00:09:03,880 Yes, gangs of old ladies attacking fit, defenceless young men. 125 00:09:06,047 --> 00:09:11,041 We twisted the arm of Columbia Pictures and got it out here, 126 00:09:11,087 --> 00:09:14,636 but it wasn't a huge box office success! 127 00:09:14,687 --> 00:09:17,997 lt got some very nice reviews. That started. lt helped. 128 00:09:18,047 --> 00:09:22,086 l remember going in 197 1 on Yonge Street in Toronto. 129 00:09:22,127 --> 00:09:26,006 My friend Dave Bennett took me. Maybe we smoked something. 130 00:09:27,287 --> 00:09:29,323 Maybe we didn't, but it didn't matter! 131 00:09:29,367 --> 00:09:33,246 lt was just great, solid, absurdist, out-there humour. 132 00:09:33,287 --> 00:09:36,438 We have a lot of trouble with these grannies. Pension day is the worst. 133 00:09:36,487 --> 00:09:40,162 As soon as they get it, they blow the lot on milk, tea, sugar, 134 00:09:40,207 --> 00:09:41,640 a tin of meat for the cat. 135 00:09:41,687 --> 00:09:47,239 lt connected really well sketch to sketch and was just so ridiculously silly. 136 00:09:47,287 --> 00:09:50,085 l am warning this film not to get silly again! 137 00:09:50,127 --> 00:09:52,641 They could leave before you tied up the plot, 138 00:09:52,687 --> 00:09:54,723 the least interesting part of the sketch. 139 00:09:55,727 --> 00:09:57,683 So, it was a huge advance. 140 00:09:57,727 --> 00:10:02,721 They were very... They just seemed very free. 141 00:10:02,767 --> 00:10:06,123 ''Dear Sir, l would like to complain about that last scene, 142 00:10:06,167 --> 00:10:08,362 ''about people falling out of high buildings. 143 00:10:08,407 --> 00:10:11,365 ''l myself have worked all my life in such a building 144 00:10:11,407 --> 00:10:13,967 ''and have never once...'' 145 00:10:18,887 --> 00:10:22,562 lt is what it is. lt's a collection of the first series and a bit more. 146 00:10:22,607 --> 00:10:25,201 lt lacked the Python input. 147 00:10:25,247 --> 00:10:29,365 So it's OK, and some of the sketches are done quite well, 148 00:10:29,407 --> 00:10:31,363 but it wasn't that interesting. 149 00:10:31,407 --> 00:10:35,923 And it gave us the incentive to want to make our own film. 150 00:10:35,967 --> 00:10:40,324 l think that was the basic thing about it which led to us saying, 151 00:10:40,367 --> 00:10:43,598 ''Next time we'll write our own film, we'll direct our own film, 152 00:10:43,647 --> 00:10:44,841 ''and that will be fine.'' 153 00:10:44,887 --> 00:10:49,278 The important thing about making a film of our own... 154 00:10:50,287 --> 00:10:52,926 ..as opposed to And Now For Something Completely Different, 155 00:10:52,967 --> 00:10:56,118 was that we should do something that was more integrated. 156 00:10:56,167 --> 00:10:58,965 We were aware that if you've got 90 minutes there, 157 00:10:59,007 --> 00:11:01,646 how do you get something that runs 90 minutes, 158 00:11:01,687 --> 00:11:03,803 holds people's attention for 90 minutes? 159 00:11:03,847 --> 00:11:08,841 And Terry J particularly was very keen on a story. 160 00:11:08,887 --> 00:11:14,120 He and l had written various storylines for earlier Python shows 161 00:11:14,167 --> 00:11:16,203 like the Pither, the bicycling sketch. 162 00:11:16,247 --> 00:11:18,442 lt almost was a full half-hour. 163 00:11:18,487 --> 00:11:20,717 This idea that narrative was very important, 164 00:11:20,767 --> 00:11:23,327 that involves the audience much more, 165 00:11:23,367 --> 00:11:25,597 so we can't just do sketches. 166 00:11:25,647 --> 00:11:28,798 We said, ''We'll write our own film.'' So we set about writing it. 167 00:11:28,847 --> 00:11:32,123 The Python way, we start to write and all this stuff comes in. 168 00:11:32,167 --> 00:11:35,204 The writing went round and round for a long time. 169 00:11:35,247 --> 00:11:39,877 How we finally honed it down to what it was... l can't even remember! 170 00:11:39,927 --> 00:11:44,045 l remember Terry and l had written, maybe for the Python fourth series, 171 00:11:44,087 --> 00:11:48,797 we'd written something about knights approaching a castle 172 00:11:48,847 --> 00:11:51,998 and talking about the unladen swallow and all that. 173 00:11:52,047 --> 00:11:54,242 ''Where is your master?'' That sort of thing. 174 00:11:54,287 --> 00:11:56,357 l think the coconuts were in there as well. 175 00:11:56,407 --> 00:12:00,923 A little bit of it is about the coconuts and King Arthur. 176 00:12:00,967 --> 00:12:04,880 Then another little bit is King Arthur in Harrods 177 00:12:04,927 --> 00:12:07,839 and looking for the Grail in the grail department! 178 00:12:07,887 --> 00:12:11,243 There's other bits about a boxing championship. lt's a mishmash. 179 00:12:11,287 --> 00:12:15,439 l think you'll find that about 85 per cent of it went out! 180 00:12:15,487 --> 00:12:18,126 We threw away almost all of that first draft 181 00:12:18,167 --> 00:12:20,442 and gradually staggered towards 182 00:12:20,487 --> 00:12:22,955 something that approached a little bit more of a story. 183 00:12:23,007 --> 00:12:27,125 We put it away and in two or three months it was clear on rereading 184 00:12:27,167 --> 00:12:30,318 that the interesting bit was the Grail, so we said, 185 00:12:30,367 --> 00:12:32,483 ''All right, OK. Toss the rest of it out. 186 00:12:32,527 --> 00:12:37,806 ''Second rewrite. Let's concentrate on making this the story of Arthur.'' 187 00:12:37,847 --> 00:12:40,361 And people came back saying, 188 00:12:40,407 --> 00:12:44,525 ''Yeah, the good thing about something like the search for the Grail 189 00:12:44,567 --> 00:12:48,003 ''is we could each have a character but would also play lots of others''. 190 00:12:48,047 --> 00:12:52,199 We could each be a knight but we could do the subsidiary characters as well. 191 00:12:52,247 --> 00:12:54,283 Everybody did a lot of research, that's the good thing. 192 00:12:54,327 --> 00:12:57,558 Everybody read the Grail stories and Arthur. 193 00:12:57,607 --> 00:13:01,361 We were sort of library nerds really, all of us, 194 00:13:01,407 --> 00:13:05,195 brought up to respect reference books and all that. We did quite a bit of reading. 195 00:13:05,247 --> 00:13:07,966 That's what happened for the next two or three rewrites. 196 00:13:08,007 --> 00:13:12,637 So, we have this semi-tight script with a crap ending... 197 00:13:12,687 --> 00:13:16,521 lt's such a loose story that you can go in all sorts of directions, 198 00:13:16,567 --> 00:13:19,798 but at the end you know that it is about the quest for the Grail. 199 00:13:19,847 --> 00:13:23,681 So long as we can resolve the ending then we've got something 200 00:13:23,727 --> 00:13:26,560 which appears to be a good, strong narrative film. 201 00:13:31,927 --> 00:13:37,126 lt sort of came out in about '73, 202 00:13:37,167 --> 00:13:40,398 that they needed money to make Holy Grail. 203 00:13:40,447 --> 00:13:42,961 The problem with raising money was they'd already done 204 00:13:43,007 --> 00:13:45,043 And Now For Something Completely Different. 205 00:13:45,087 --> 00:13:50,445 So the idea of making another Python film didn't seem to warrant. 206 00:13:50,487 --> 00:13:54,036 Because nobody in the British film industry as it was then, 207 00:13:54,087 --> 00:13:56,442 which was essentially Rank and EMl, 208 00:13:56,487 --> 00:13:59,399 were prepared to put up anything for it. 209 00:13:59,447 --> 00:14:02,120 Now we need money to finance it, 210 00:14:02,167 --> 00:14:04,965 and we went to l think... 211 00:14:05,007 --> 00:14:07,805 Graham had a friend called Tony Stratton-Smith... 212 00:14:07,847 --> 00:14:12,238 ..who was a rock-and-roll record owner and bon viveur. 213 00:14:12,287 --> 00:14:14,278 Tony Stratton-Smith grandly said, 214 00:14:14,327 --> 00:14:16,682 ''Well, we'll raise the money. We can do it.'' 215 00:14:16,727 --> 00:14:22,165 l think Steve O'Rourke, our manager, knew Tony well. 216 00:14:22,207 --> 00:14:25,597 And...so there was this sort of obvious connection there. 217 00:14:25,647 --> 00:14:28,366 l remember sending the copies of the film, 218 00:14:28,407 --> 00:14:33,197 our little 16-millimetre copy of And Now For Something Completely Different, 219 00:14:33,247 --> 00:14:36,603 out to various people, bands on the road here, 220 00:14:36,647 --> 00:14:39,207 some of whom didn't respond. 221 00:14:39,247 --> 00:14:43,479 He got money from Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd definitely. 222 00:14:43,527 --> 00:14:46,246 Charisma put up a chunk as well. 223 00:14:46,287 --> 00:14:49,518 l think we thought it would work. 224 00:14:49,567 --> 00:14:52,081 l think we were by then were fans 225 00:14:52,127 --> 00:14:55,005 and it seemed like a really, really good idea. 226 00:14:55,047 --> 00:15:00,075 You can't sort underestimate how big they were at the time. 227 00:15:00,127 --> 00:15:02,277 Much, much bigger than us! 228 00:15:02,327 --> 00:15:06,366 We were quite stage-struck by the fact that these people 229 00:15:06,407 --> 00:15:09,717 might even know about Python let alone want to put some money into it! 230 00:15:09,767 --> 00:15:15,364 The actual budget that was offered to them was 150,000 pounds. 231 00:15:15,407 --> 00:15:17,204 And the good news was 232 00:15:17,247 --> 00:15:20,637 they were rock-and-roll people and they didn't want to interfere. 233 00:15:20,687 --> 00:15:22,279 They didn't want to read the script. 234 00:15:22,327 --> 00:15:24,682 So it was great backing, the best backing to have. 235 00:15:24,727 --> 00:15:28,766 The important thing was for Python to have complete control and final cut, 236 00:15:28,807 --> 00:15:34,086 and all the things they needed to do things in their own way. 237 00:15:34,127 --> 00:15:38,996 And off we went. lt seems, it seems forever...ago. 238 00:15:39,047 --> 00:15:42,323 ls ''forever ago'' a word? l don't know but it seems that way. 239 00:16:19,007 --> 00:16:20,406 Whoa there! 240 00:16:21,647 --> 00:16:25,799 Of course, Terry and l, the two desperate filmmakers 241 00:16:25,847 --> 00:16:28,042 who hadn't made films before said, 242 00:16:28,087 --> 00:16:30,647 ''Anybody named Terry gets to direct this film'' 243 00:16:30,687 --> 00:16:32,040 and everybody seemed to agree! 244 00:16:32,087 --> 00:16:34,078 We're learning, that's what's nice. 245 00:16:34,127 --> 00:16:36,243 We've been given a feature film to learn how to make films! 246 00:16:36,287 --> 00:16:40,803 Charlie, you come to this mark there... to where Sue's going. 247 00:16:40,847 --> 00:16:42,599 We do tag-team directing! 248 00:16:42,647 --> 00:16:46,037 When he finishes that he'll come out here and tap me on the shoulder 249 00:16:46,087 --> 00:16:48,317 and l'll rush through the action and away we'll go. 250 00:16:48,367 --> 00:16:51,723 One of the problems we had was that we had two directors, 251 00:16:51,767 --> 00:16:55,123 neither of whom had ever directed a film before... 252 00:16:55,167 --> 00:16:57,283 Plus the fact that they were both loonies! 253 00:16:57,327 --> 00:17:00,444 l think it is quite difficult to have two directors. 254 00:17:00,487 --> 00:17:04,366 l think the idea was that Terry Jones would be doing a lot of acting anyway 255 00:17:04,407 --> 00:17:07,126 therefore when he was acting, Terry Gilliam could come in and do that. 256 00:17:07,167 --> 00:17:08,919 Because Terry was playing Sir Bedivere, 257 00:17:08,967 --> 00:17:12,198 doesn't suddenly mean he's not interested in how that scene looks. 258 00:17:12,247 --> 00:17:14,556 Of course he wanted to direct everything! 259 00:17:14,607 --> 00:17:17,326 Terry Gilliam wanted to direct everything but they had to share it! 260 00:17:17,367 --> 00:17:19,323 lt didn't altogether work out. 261 00:17:19,367 --> 00:17:22,359 The big difference between Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam is 262 00:17:22,407 --> 00:17:25,205 Terry Jones is much more shooting from the hip. 263 00:17:25,247 --> 00:17:27,158 lt's almost the action can flow 264 00:17:27,207 --> 00:17:30,324 because he's almost shooting it like a documentary at times. 265 00:17:30,367 --> 00:17:33,962 He shoots pretty fast, on schedule and all the rest of it. 266 00:17:34,007 --> 00:17:39,001 Terry Gilliam is worrying about the visual details much more. 267 00:17:39,047 --> 00:17:41,402 lt was great for the movie because in the movie 268 00:17:41,447 --> 00:17:44,519 you get these wonderful Gilliam scenes with the boat 269 00:17:44,567 --> 00:17:46,717 so it becomes actually a movie. 270 00:17:46,767 --> 00:17:50,999 Whereas Terry Jones is very good at making sure the joke is on camera. 271 00:17:51,047 --> 00:17:55,916 Terry is a perfectionist and so he'd be spending time on getting shots. 272 00:17:55,967 --> 00:17:59,357 l remember him getting really angry with me because... 273 00:17:59,407 --> 00:18:03,320 l would come out, or maybe he was directing, 274 00:18:03,367 --> 00:18:06,325 and l'd come onto the set and we hadn't shot anything 275 00:18:06,367 --> 00:18:10,360 or something like that by ten, eleven o'clock in the morning! 276 00:18:10,407 --> 00:18:14,480 So l'd start hurrying up and getting things moving quicker. 277 00:18:14,527 --> 00:18:17,360 l think Terry probably resented that a bit. 278 00:18:17,407 --> 00:18:20,001 We were trying to work out how the two of us worked together, 279 00:18:20,047 --> 00:18:22,959 which was interesting because in preparation 280 00:18:23,007 --> 00:18:27,285 he and l shared the same ideas, and it became clear very quickly 281 00:18:27,327 --> 00:18:29,522 that when we got onto the floor shooting 282 00:18:29,567 --> 00:18:32,127 that we weren't saying the same thing, 283 00:18:32,167 --> 00:18:33,839 which was confusing for the crew. 284 00:18:33,887 --> 00:18:35,639 One Terry had come along in the morning 285 00:18:35,687 --> 00:18:38,679 and set up the lighting, blah, blah, blah and then went off. 286 00:18:38,727 --> 00:18:40,797 The other Terry came in the afternoon and said, 287 00:18:40,847 --> 00:18:42,405 ''No. Don't like that. Change it.'' 288 00:18:42,447 --> 00:18:44,836 So Gerry Harrison, who was the first AD, 289 00:18:44,887 --> 00:18:47,447 became the common voice between the two Terrys, 290 00:18:47,487 --> 00:18:50,559 but then we discovered he was making his own film which wasn't... 291 00:18:50,607 --> 00:18:52,996 So he was saying what neither of us was saying! 292 00:18:53,047 --> 00:18:58,519 Ultimately, it settled down with Terry dealing with the group, 293 00:18:58,567 --> 00:19:00,046 the actors, 294 00:19:00,087 --> 00:19:04,000 and me back with the camera trying to set up shots and get that done. 295 00:19:04,047 --> 00:19:08,245 That worked very well, and that's how we got through the film. 296 00:19:08,287 --> 00:19:10,881 But you're all treating him with proper respect? 297 00:19:10,927 --> 00:19:12,679 Well... 298 00:19:13,287 --> 00:19:16,085 There's never been any mutual respect 299 00:19:16,127 --> 00:19:18,925 within the Python group at all, as you probably know, 300 00:19:18,967 --> 00:19:23,722 but we are withholding a lot of the criticism we'd normally be making. 301 00:19:23,767 --> 00:19:28,921 Certain members of the group actually exploited the difference, 302 00:19:28,967 --> 00:19:32,596 the fact that we had two directors, and would sort of say things like, 303 00:19:32,647 --> 00:19:34,842 ''Terry Gilliam wouldn't get us to do that.'' 304 00:19:34,887 --> 00:19:38,004 ''Terry Jones wouldn't ask us to do that,'' if Terry Gilliam was directing. 305 00:19:38,047 --> 00:19:40,402 l thought that was a bit unfair and unhelpful. 306 00:19:40,447 --> 00:19:43,917 They're doing a grand job, well, l mean, l can't say anything. 307 00:19:43,967 --> 00:19:46,003 l adore them all and everything they do so well. 308 00:19:46,047 --> 00:19:48,959 They are working very well together and it works. 309 00:19:49,007 --> 00:19:53,285 l think the others realised directing Python was a dogsbody job 310 00:19:53,327 --> 00:19:58,355 so they were happy that these two energetic guys with the same name 311 00:19:58,407 --> 00:20:00,398 could go out and do all the stuff. 312 00:20:00,447 --> 00:20:02,517 You've just got to organise things 313 00:20:02,567 --> 00:20:04,842 and work out what you're doing in the morning 314 00:20:04,887 --> 00:20:06,843 and it's a very thankless task. 315 00:20:06,887 --> 00:20:10,596 lt was wonderful, because l'd always wanted to be a film director 316 00:20:10,647 --> 00:20:12,046 but saw no way to get there, 317 00:20:12,087 --> 00:20:15,841 so when finally it's handed to us on a plate, it's fantastic. 318 00:20:15,887 --> 00:20:18,117 Now, the big one! 319 00:20:18,167 --> 00:20:19,316 Come on, Concorde! 320 00:20:19,367 --> 00:20:22,962 ln a movie of six weeks, you probably do three great takes. 321 00:20:23,007 --> 00:20:24,406 Others are OK. 322 00:20:24,447 --> 00:20:27,086 We did one really great take. 323 00:20:27,127 --> 00:20:30,244 l remember Cleese and l, we'd be doing this, 324 00:20:30,287 --> 00:20:31,800 ''Message for you, sir'' scene... 325 00:20:33,487 --> 00:20:35,159 Message for you, sir. 326 00:20:36,487 --> 00:20:38,523 And we did a really funny take. 327 00:20:38,567 --> 00:20:41,400 At the end of it, Terry shouted, ''Cut!'' 328 00:20:41,447 --> 00:20:44,757 And l said, ''How about that?'' because l was really pleased with it. 329 00:20:44,807 --> 00:20:47,002 Brave, brave, Concorde! 330 00:20:47,047 --> 00:20:49,163 You shall not have died in vain. 331 00:20:49,207 --> 00:20:51,357 l'm... l'm not quite dead, sir. 332 00:20:53,407 --> 00:20:56,126 Well, you shall not have been mortally wounded in vain. 333 00:20:56,167 --> 00:20:58,476 Terry Gilliam said, ''Not enough smoke''. 334 00:21:05,607 --> 00:21:07,438 That's when l get angry! 335 00:21:07,487 --> 00:21:11,036 For an actor, that's fucking... ''Not enough smoke!'' 336 00:21:11,087 --> 00:21:13,965 l should have learned then not to have been in Munchausen, 337 00:21:14,007 --> 00:21:16,726 because there was too much smoke in Munchausen. 338 00:21:16,767 --> 00:21:19,964 When they say, ''More smoke, more smoke'' and this kind of thing, 339 00:21:20,007 --> 00:21:21,884 because we've hardly had a shot yet 340 00:21:21,927 --> 00:21:25,397 that we haven't had smoke or some arty visual effect, 341 00:21:25,447 --> 00:21:28,996 we tend to ask them how many laughs there are in smoke, you know, 342 00:21:29,047 --> 00:21:31,436 just to keep them, as it were, thinking. 343 00:21:31,487 --> 00:21:33,205 But that's the only criticism l'd make. 344 00:21:33,247 --> 00:21:35,886 l'll just stay here, then, shall l, sir? 345 00:21:37,527 --> 00:21:38,596 Yeah. 346 00:21:41,087 --> 00:21:42,998 l think movies, like television, 347 00:21:43,047 --> 00:21:46,562 attract people who are really fundamentally 348 00:21:46,607 --> 00:21:50,486 fascinated by the visuals and therefore you get a slant. 349 00:21:50,527 --> 00:21:51,926 Do you see what l mean? 350 00:21:51,967 --> 00:21:55,960 Even people writing about movies tend to be slanted towards the visual. 351 00:21:56,007 --> 00:21:59,363 When in fact it's a total experience, not just a visual experience. 352 00:21:59,407 --> 00:22:01,557 People say to me, ''But movies, you know... 353 00:22:01,607 --> 00:22:04,405 ''Movies are a visual experience'' and l say to them, 354 00:22:04,447 --> 00:22:07,917 ''Life is a visual experience but here we are sitting talking.'' 355 00:22:09,807 --> 00:22:11,718 Bring out your dead! 356 00:22:14,207 --> 00:22:16,163 Bring out your dead! 357 00:22:16,207 --> 00:22:19,995 Both Terry and l were very keen on Pasolini's films 358 00:22:20,047 --> 00:22:23,756 because they were always done in real places, you could smell them. 359 00:22:23,807 --> 00:22:28,119 You feel the textures, the sounds and everything were all real. 360 00:22:28,167 --> 00:22:31,682 That was what we were trying to achieve, just that kind of reality. 361 00:22:31,727 --> 00:22:34,685 l think in the end we achieved a lot 362 00:22:34,727 --> 00:22:37,287 because nobody had done comedy like that before 363 00:22:37,327 --> 00:22:41,161 where you were so immersed in the time and place and the filth! 364 00:22:44,487 --> 00:22:47,718 - Who's that, then? - l don't know. Must be a king. 365 00:22:47,767 --> 00:22:50,281 - Why? - He hasn't got shit all over him. 366 00:22:51,287 --> 00:22:54,757 The jokes worked better if you really believe in that world 367 00:22:54,807 --> 00:22:56,763 so when they say, ''How do you know he's a king?'' 368 00:22:56,807 --> 00:22:58,684 ''Because he doesn't have shit all over him,'' 369 00:22:58,727 --> 00:23:00,957 that works because the world is just 370 00:23:01,007 --> 00:23:04,886 steeped in mud and filth and depredation. 371 00:23:04,927 --> 00:23:07,680 And that's... that was important to those jokes. 372 00:23:08,687 --> 00:23:11,042 Dennis! Got some lovely filth down here. 373 00:23:11,087 --> 00:23:13,920 Oh! How'd you do? 374 00:23:13,967 --> 00:23:16,481 How do you do, good lady? l am Arthur, King of the Britons. 375 00:23:16,527 --> 00:23:19,041 - Whose castle is that? - King of the who? 376 00:23:19,087 --> 00:23:21,078 - The Britons. - Who are the Britons? 377 00:23:21,127 --> 00:23:25,564 lt was very, very wet and very damp and very dirty 378 00:23:25,607 --> 00:23:28,280 and there was a lot whingeing going on, 379 00:23:28,327 --> 00:23:31,478 a lot of complaining, mainly from John, l must say, 380 00:23:31,527 --> 00:23:35,156 because John didn't like discomfort at all! 381 00:23:35,207 --> 00:23:38,677 There was one scene which Terry Gilliam was directing, 382 00:23:38,727 --> 00:23:41,685 when we were all in armour and we were kneeling down. 383 00:23:41,727 --> 00:23:45,117 l think it was the cow scene. He was trying to get the composition right. 384 00:23:45,167 --> 00:23:48,682 We have been charged by God with a sacred quest. 385 00:23:48,727 --> 00:23:51,799 lf he will give us food and shelter for the night, 386 00:23:51,847 --> 00:23:55,556 he may join us in our holy quest for the Grail. 387 00:23:55,607 --> 00:23:58,360 Well, l'll ask him but l don't think he'll be very keen. 388 00:23:58,407 --> 00:24:00,682 He's already got one, you see? 389 00:24:00,727 --> 00:24:02,285 What? 390 00:24:02,327 --> 00:24:05,319 He says they've already got one. 391 00:24:05,367 --> 00:24:07,403 Are you sure he's got one? 392 00:24:07,447 --> 00:24:09,483 Oh, yes, it's very nice. 393 00:24:09,527 --> 00:24:12,325 l told them we already got one. 394 00:24:12,367 --> 00:24:15,404 Trying to get them to get in the right position 395 00:24:15,447 --> 00:24:19,406 so we could actually have all the animals coming over the battlement, 396 00:24:19,447 --> 00:24:22,678 and their heads weren't sticking above the matte line. 397 00:24:22,727 --> 00:24:24,638 The armour was not very comfortable, 398 00:24:24,687 --> 00:24:28,805 and he was really moving us this much to the left and this... 399 00:24:28,847 --> 00:24:30,485 ''Can you lower your head that much?'' 400 00:24:30,527 --> 00:24:33,121 l remember making some remark about the fact 401 00:24:33,167 --> 00:24:36,443 that he normally does animation with bits of card cutouts. 402 00:24:36,487 --> 00:24:39,604 lt was easier to do that, but if you were a human being 403 00:24:39,647 --> 00:24:42,400 in armour that was sort of cutting into your knees, 404 00:24:42,447 --> 00:24:47,396 that there was a limit to the final perfection that could be achieved. 405 00:24:47,447 --> 00:24:51,201 All he kept doing, John in particular and Graham grousing about 406 00:24:51,247 --> 00:24:52,760 the positions l was putting them in. 407 00:25:00,847 --> 00:25:03,759 We had an argument and l think l was rude to him, 408 00:25:03,807 --> 00:25:06,958 and as far as l remember he went off... 409 00:25:08,607 --> 00:25:12,566 ..and lay in the shadow of a wall for some time! 410 00:25:12,607 --> 00:25:15,326 l just stormed off that day and said, ''Fuck it.'' 411 00:25:15,367 --> 00:25:19,155 ''You wrote the sketch, l'm trying to make it work. lf you don't like it, fuck off.'' 412 00:25:19,207 --> 00:25:23,405 l went and got all humphy and sat in the grass while Terry took over. 413 00:25:23,447 --> 00:25:27,326 l think l hurt his feelings and l'm sorry l did that, but... 414 00:25:27,367 --> 00:25:30,996 That's about the only time l've lost it with Python. 415 00:25:31,047 --> 00:25:35,086 lt was as though we were bits of cardboard cutout. 416 00:25:35,127 --> 00:25:38,358 There wasn't a great understanding that we were human beings. 417 00:25:38,407 --> 00:25:41,205 lt was difficult, on Holy Grail, for me to make the transition 418 00:25:41,247 --> 00:25:44,159 from a man who commanded paper to move 419 00:25:44,207 --> 00:25:49,235 to a man who was requesting other members of the group to move. 420 00:25:50,247 --> 00:25:52,966 l don't know, l hadn't developed the use of language 421 00:25:53,007 --> 00:25:57,603 or the whip, either one, at that point and that was difficult. 422 00:25:57,647 --> 00:25:58,841 We managed to do it. 423 00:25:58,887 --> 00:26:02,516 That's why Holy Grail was a very abrupt learning experience for me 424 00:26:02,567 --> 00:26:05,718 because l had to begin to be able to speak to the others 425 00:26:05,767 --> 00:26:09,043 and convince them why they should stand in mud up to their neck! 426 00:26:09,087 --> 00:26:11,476 We'd get on the hillside at seven in the morning, 427 00:26:11,527 --> 00:26:15,156 at 7:12 the rain would come down 428 00:26:15,207 --> 00:26:20,520 and we'd all be huddling under this... the knitted string chainmail would get damp. 429 00:26:20,567 --> 00:26:22,922 lt was like that. l mean, we wore woollen armour. 430 00:26:22,967 --> 00:26:24,719 You could tell what time of day it was 431 00:26:24,767 --> 00:26:27,600 by how far up your legs the damp had penetrated! 432 00:26:27,647 --> 00:26:29,763 Then, at the end of the day, 433 00:26:29,807 --> 00:26:33,197 when the first assistant director shouted, ''lt's a wrap'', 434 00:26:33,247 --> 00:26:36,045 the scurry, the rush, the scrum, 435 00:26:36,087 --> 00:26:38,203 to get in a car and get back to the hotel, 436 00:26:38,247 --> 00:26:40,442 because there was only enough hot water in the hotel 437 00:26:40,487 --> 00:26:42,159 for about 50 per cent of the guests! 438 00:26:42,207 --> 00:26:45,756 We were staying in the same hotel as the crew because we were ''right on''. 439 00:26:46,767 --> 00:26:51,522 So, people raced back to get their shower or bath before anyone else! 440 00:26:51,567 --> 00:26:53,603 Dirty work going on 441 00:26:53,647 --> 00:26:56,480 as people were tripping each other and trying to get in the bus. 442 00:26:56,527 --> 00:27:00,236 Finally, John and l got fed up and we moved off to this... 443 00:27:00,287 --> 00:27:04,803 We found there was a hydro hotel down the road, 25 minutes away. 444 00:27:04,847 --> 00:27:06,439 We checked in there, 445 00:27:06,487 --> 00:27:10,002 and there were some big hot water baths and oh, great, great, great. 446 00:27:10,047 --> 00:27:14,962 And then all the girls from Anthrax Castle came in and we went... 447 00:27:15,007 --> 00:27:17,316 ''Yes! Thank you!'' 448 00:27:17,367 --> 00:27:20,723 Here in Castle Anthrax we have but one punishment 449 00:27:20,767 --> 00:27:22,803 for setting alight the Grail-shaped beacon. 450 00:27:22,847 --> 00:27:25,964 You must tie her down on a bed and spank her. 451 00:27:26,007 --> 00:27:27,884 A spanking! A spanking! 452 00:27:27,927 --> 00:27:30,487 You must spank her well and after you have spanked her, 453 00:27:30,527 --> 00:27:33,803 you may deal with her as you like and then...spank me. 454 00:27:33,847 --> 00:27:35,326 - Spank me! - And me and me! 455 00:27:35,367 --> 00:27:38,006 Yes, yes! You must give us all a good spanking. 456 00:27:40,967 --> 00:27:43,242 l've played all sorts of things with Monty, 457 00:27:43,287 --> 00:27:45,847 from sort of young girls to old ladies, 458 00:27:45,887 --> 00:27:48,082 from men to nuns to what have you. 459 00:27:48,127 --> 00:27:51,403 They came to me with a script and they said, ''Oh, Carol. 460 00:27:51,447 --> 00:27:53,597 ''This one is going to be a bit difficult. 461 00:27:53,647 --> 00:27:55,877 ''This you might have to work at a bit.'' 462 00:27:55,927 --> 00:27:57,360 And l said, ''What is it?'' 463 00:27:57,407 --> 00:28:00,240 They said, ''Carol, l don't know if you'll be able to carry this off.'' 464 00:28:00,287 --> 00:28:01,686 l said, ''What? What is it?'' 465 00:28:01,727 --> 00:28:04,321 They said, ''A 19-year-old virgin, Carol.'' 466 00:28:05,807 --> 00:28:08,037 So, l'm trying my best! 467 00:28:08,087 --> 00:28:09,805 Oh shit! 468 00:28:09,847 --> 00:28:11,883 We were in the nick of time. You were in great peril. 469 00:28:11,927 --> 00:28:14,077 - l don't think l was! - You were in terrible peril. 470 00:28:14,127 --> 00:28:16,004 Let me go back in there and face the peril. 471 00:28:16,047 --> 00:28:17,162 No, it's too perilous. 472 00:28:17,207 --> 00:28:19,562 But my duty as a knight is to sample as much peril as l can! 473 00:28:19,607 --> 00:28:21,359 We've got to find the Holy Grail. Come on. 474 00:28:21,407 --> 00:28:23,967 - Let me have just a bit of peril! - No! lt's unhealthy. 475 00:28:24,007 --> 00:28:25,201 Bet you're gay! 476 00:28:25,247 --> 00:28:27,556 We were not being like, you know, 477 00:28:27,607 --> 00:28:30,041 proper directors and producers, being nice to people. 478 00:28:30,087 --> 00:28:33,682 We were trying to get through it. Terry and l were just exhausted. 479 00:28:33,727 --> 00:28:36,036 We did have to shoot such a lot. l mean the... 480 00:28:36,087 --> 00:28:38,078 ''The Knights Who Say Ni'' sequence, 481 00:28:38,127 --> 00:28:42,006 starts with Bedivere and Arthur sitting around a campfire 482 00:28:42,047 --> 00:28:44,242 and l think that sequence, 483 00:28:44,287 --> 00:28:48,405 the whole ''going through the woods'' sequence was shot in one day 484 00:28:48,447 --> 00:28:51,757 which is like, it's almost ten minutes of cut film. 485 00:28:51,807 --> 00:28:54,958 We are the knights who say, ''Ni!'' 486 00:28:55,007 --> 00:28:56,645 No! Not the knights who say, ''Ni!'' 487 00:28:56,687 --> 00:28:57,915 The same! 488 00:28:57,967 --> 00:29:00,527 Ten minutes of cut film, that's a lot of material. 489 00:29:00,567 --> 00:29:03,843 By the end of the day, l remember Terry and l were saying, 490 00:29:03,887 --> 00:29:06,117 ''But, what happens next? 491 00:29:06,167 --> 00:29:08,681 ''Robin and his minstrels have got to come in. 492 00:29:08,727 --> 00:29:11,560 ''OK, so which side should they come in from? Oh, God!'' 493 00:29:11,607 --> 00:29:16,044 The cameraman didn't know. Terry didn't know. l didn't know. 494 00:29:16,087 --> 00:29:19,523 We just... lt was work in such a panic. 495 00:29:19,567 --> 00:29:22,127 Surely you have not given up your quest for the Holy Grail? 496 00:29:22,167 --> 00:29:24,806 - He is sneaking away and buggering off. - Shut up! 497 00:29:24,847 --> 00:29:26,439 No, no, no! Far from it. 498 00:29:26,487 --> 00:29:31,607 l am running Holy Grail and l am worried about the logistics, 499 00:29:31,647 --> 00:29:34,161 and Terry Jones was always going, 500 00:29:34,207 --> 00:29:37,358 ''Jules, l wonder if...'' 501 00:29:37,407 --> 00:29:39,238 Then he would ask for something 502 00:29:39,287 --> 00:29:42,563 that was always the impossible thing l could never produce 503 00:29:42,607 --> 00:29:44,404 and l would have to produce it! 504 00:29:44,447 --> 00:29:47,120 lt was worrying as he approached me every time. 505 00:29:47,167 --> 00:29:49,522 He was mainly in his Bedivere costume, 506 00:29:49,567 --> 00:29:52,161 so l used to see this costume coming towards me. 507 00:29:53,207 --> 00:29:55,880 lt was like this dread of the costume coming towards me. 508 00:29:55,927 --> 00:29:58,521 Even when he wasn't there and there was somebody else in it... 509 00:29:58,567 --> 00:30:01,320 ''Oh, God! Terry's going to ask me for something! 510 00:30:01,367 --> 00:30:04,598 ''What is he going to ask me for that l'm not expecting? 511 00:30:04,647 --> 00:30:07,320 ''How the hell am l going to do it on this sort of budget?'' 512 00:30:07,367 --> 00:30:11,997 The budget was low on Holy Grail but it wasn't any different from the BBC. 513 00:30:12,047 --> 00:30:14,163 The budget was low in the BBC. 514 00:30:14,207 --> 00:30:18,200 Filming was always a rush to get everything filmed in time. 515 00:30:18,247 --> 00:30:21,603 They were used to running around with a 16-mil camera, 516 00:30:21,647 --> 00:30:25,879 shooting sketches on Ben Nevis or whatever. 517 00:30:25,927 --> 00:30:29,476 l remember travelling around with Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones 518 00:30:29,527 --> 00:30:30,676 to look at the location. 519 00:30:30,727 --> 00:30:33,799 One day, lad, all this will be yours. 520 00:30:33,847 --> 00:30:36,202 - What, the curtains? - No, not the curtains, lad! 521 00:30:36,247 --> 00:30:40,479 All that you can see, stretched out over the hills and valleys of this land. 522 00:30:40,527 --> 00:30:42,245 That'll be your kingdom, lad. 523 00:30:42,287 --> 00:30:44,801 We'd gone over Scotland and over Wales actually, 524 00:30:44,847 --> 00:30:46,803 and decided on Scotland in the end. 525 00:30:46,847 --> 00:30:50,123 We'd chosen a whole lot of castles all over Scotland. lt looked great. 526 00:30:50,167 --> 00:30:54,524 Then they would say, ''This is great, this castle in Scotland. 527 00:30:54,567 --> 00:30:58,082 ''Then in the afternoon we can travel to... 528 00:30:58,127 --> 00:31:00,595 ''to Killin and shoot the cave.'' 529 00:31:00,647 --> 00:31:05,243 And l'm saying, ''Yeah, but feature film, we've got costumes, we've got make-up. 530 00:31:05,287 --> 00:31:08,085 ''We've got piles of stuff and extras! 531 00:31:08,127 --> 00:31:10,561 ''We can't just shoot in the morning one place, 532 00:31:10,607 --> 00:31:13,724 ''travel 100 or 200 miles and shoot in the afternoon in the other place.'' 533 00:31:13,767 --> 00:31:15,644 lt doesn't work like that on features. 534 00:31:15,687 --> 00:31:19,839 Then, about two weeks before we were actually due to start filming, 535 00:31:19,887 --> 00:31:24,597 we got a letter from the Department of the Environment for Scotland 536 00:31:24,647 --> 00:31:27,286 telling us that we couldn't use any of their castles 537 00:31:27,327 --> 00:31:30,285 because they considered that we would be doing things 538 00:31:30,327 --> 00:31:31,919 that were inconsistent with... 539 00:31:31,967 --> 00:31:34,686 ..the dignity of the fabric of the building. 540 00:31:34,727 --> 00:31:38,117 That a bit of jokery might undermine 541 00:31:38,167 --> 00:31:41,045 all the blood spilling that had gone on in those castles! 542 00:31:41,087 --> 00:31:43,078 l thought that was just extraordinary. 543 00:31:43,127 --> 00:31:45,766 So we had to go up the week before we started filming 544 00:31:45,807 --> 00:31:50,927 to find some privately owned, non-nationalised castles 545 00:31:50,967 --> 00:31:52,320 that we could use. 546 00:31:52,367 --> 00:31:55,165 The only one we really found was Doune Castle. 547 00:31:58,647 --> 00:31:59,636 Camelot! 548 00:31:59,687 --> 00:32:02,042 That had to stand in for all the castles. 549 00:32:02,087 --> 00:32:05,921 lt had to stand for Camelot and for every castle in the film. 550 00:32:05,967 --> 00:32:08,197 Actually, we found it was a great thing in the end, 551 00:32:08,247 --> 00:32:11,398 because it meant we were just located in Doune most of the time 552 00:32:11,447 --> 00:32:14,245 and we didn't have to change around which would have taken up time, 553 00:32:14,287 --> 00:32:16,403 so it meant we got more done. 554 00:32:16,447 --> 00:32:19,120 lt was just a strange scramble. 555 00:32:19,167 --> 00:32:21,727 And in the midst of all this, everything was going wrong, 556 00:32:21,767 --> 00:32:24,839 because we get up to Glencoe, 557 00:32:24,887 --> 00:32:27,799 we get up there and the first day shooting, the camera breaks. 558 00:32:27,847 --> 00:32:31,203 l had made a camera that... 559 00:32:31,247 --> 00:32:34,557 ..that you could carry up a mountain. 560 00:32:34,607 --> 00:32:36,882 l'd had somebody engineer a zoom front, 561 00:32:36,927 --> 00:32:39,999 and we had a much lighter camera that was an invention 562 00:32:40,047 --> 00:32:43,005 that we created just for the film. 563 00:32:43,047 --> 00:32:46,244 The cameraman suddenly said, ''Wait, something's gone wrong.'' 564 00:32:46,287 --> 00:32:50,326 He opened up the camera and all the gears fell out 565 00:32:50,367 --> 00:32:53,006 and the camera had just sheared its gears! 566 00:32:53,047 --> 00:32:55,720 We only had one camera that was shooting sound 567 00:32:55,767 --> 00:32:58,361 and the only other camera we had was a mute camera. 568 00:32:58,407 --> 00:33:01,604 So we'll shoot on a wild camera, just get any old wild camera. 569 00:33:01,647 --> 00:33:03,444 lt doesn't matter if you shoot in sync. 570 00:33:03,487 --> 00:33:05,955 We've got enough noise of explosions and smoke, 571 00:33:06,007 --> 00:33:09,044 just shoot and l'll go and try get it fixed. 572 00:33:09,087 --> 00:33:10,486 And what do we do? 573 00:33:10,527 --> 00:33:14,281 We shoot close-ups which could have been done in somebody's back garden 574 00:33:14,327 --> 00:33:15,999 rather than shooting the expanse. 575 00:33:16,047 --> 00:33:18,607 lt was great in a sense to be... 576 00:33:18,647 --> 00:33:21,798 you know, much of the responsibility was taken off of our shoulders 577 00:33:21,847 --> 00:33:25,157 because anything was better than nothing at this point. 578 00:33:25,207 --> 00:33:27,801 The first week of Holy Grail, l had planned 579 00:33:27,847 --> 00:33:32,443 only to have the Pythons themselves with their costumes 580 00:33:32,487 --> 00:33:36,958 just wandering around the locale up in Glencoe. 581 00:33:37,007 --> 00:33:40,636 The end shot of the army rushing down, 582 00:33:40,687 --> 00:33:43,645 and then the police stopping the army 583 00:33:43,687 --> 00:33:46,884 and arresting Arthur and Bedivere, 584 00:33:46,927 --> 00:33:49,725 was supposed to take place weeks later in Stirling. 585 00:33:49,767 --> 00:33:51,359 Couldn't we get the charge up here? 586 00:33:51,407 --> 00:33:53,443 We wanted to do the charge up in the West Coast. 587 00:33:53,487 --> 00:33:57,639 Hazel, our costume designer said, ''We just haven't got the costumes.'' 588 00:33:59,687 --> 00:34:02,724 ''We won't have the costumes for another five weeks 589 00:34:02,767 --> 00:34:07,079 ''until the end of the shooting to costume 200 people charging.'' 590 00:34:07,127 --> 00:34:08,958 So we got everybody, 591 00:34:09,007 --> 00:34:11,316 everybody's child, everybody who was around, 592 00:34:11,367 --> 00:34:15,838 to hold up banners and pike staffs in front of the camera. 593 00:34:15,887 --> 00:34:17,957 A few helmets we had, so they... 594 00:34:18,007 --> 00:34:21,079 You see those, l mean, set up very, very carefully. 595 00:34:21,127 --> 00:34:23,766 You would swear there's an army there but there wasn't. 596 00:34:23,807 --> 00:34:26,879 My lasting image of Terry as a director 597 00:34:26,927 --> 00:34:29,566 was Terry organising this... 598 00:34:29,607 --> 00:34:34,283 We had a few passers-by who had come to watch the filming. 599 00:34:34,327 --> 00:34:36,204 There was about a dozen of them 600 00:34:36,247 --> 00:34:38,397 and some little children and things like that. 601 00:34:38,447 --> 00:34:41,484 So there's Terry putting a helmet on some little child 602 00:34:41,527 --> 00:34:43,324 and giving her a spear to carry! 603 00:34:43,367 --> 00:34:47,599 So, you see the army charging which was shot five weeks later, 604 00:34:47,647 --> 00:34:51,083 the 200 students, charging down the hill slope. 605 00:34:51,127 --> 00:34:53,687 Then in the frame you see Castle Stalker 606 00:34:53,727 --> 00:34:56,560 and then the army comes into shot. 607 00:34:56,607 --> 00:34:59,804 lt's a head down there and a spear up there and, of course, 608 00:34:59,847 --> 00:35:03,556 it's just a little child and some children holding spears and things. 609 00:35:03,607 --> 00:35:05,643 Terry got it absolutely spot-on. 610 00:35:05,687 --> 00:35:09,521 lt was madness rushing around because we had very little transport. 611 00:35:09,567 --> 00:35:11,444 Everybody was having to drive themselves. 612 00:35:11,487 --> 00:35:13,125 Everybody was exhausted. 613 00:35:13,167 --> 00:35:15,476 People were going off the roads at night. 614 00:35:15,527 --> 00:35:20,317 There was a bad atmosphere on the set and l didn't know what was going on. 615 00:35:20,367 --> 00:35:23,598 The crew didn't seem very happy. Nobody seemed very happy. 616 00:35:23,647 --> 00:35:26,036 They were so cold. They were so tired. 617 00:35:26,087 --> 00:35:31,241 There were murmurings of dissent from the crew. 618 00:35:31,287 --> 00:35:33,562 lt was lovely Graham who sort of saved the day. 619 00:35:33,607 --> 00:35:36,075 We were staying at this hotel 620 00:35:36,127 --> 00:35:38,925 and it was the first time we were going to see any of the rushes. 621 00:35:38,967 --> 00:35:41,765 So everyone, all the crew was invited for the rushes. 622 00:35:41,807 --> 00:35:43,877 Everyone was very grumpy and miserable. 623 00:35:43,927 --> 00:35:46,395 Graham sort of came to the rescue straightaway, 624 00:35:46,447 --> 00:35:50,156 get everybody in the right mood, and he said, ''Right, drinks on me''. 625 00:35:50,207 --> 00:35:51,686 So, of course that helped. 626 00:35:51,727 --> 00:35:55,037 By the time we went to see the rushes everyone had a few, feeling merry. 627 00:35:55,087 --> 00:35:57,885 And it turned out the rushes looked spectacular. 628 00:35:57,927 --> 00:35:59,519 Just looked so wonderful. 629 00:36:07,247 --> 00:36:09,522 And when they saw the rushes, 630 00:36:09,567 --> 00:36:12,525 people were so astounded 631 00:36:12,567 --> 00:36:15,320 by the quality they had produced 632 00:36:15,367 --> 00:36:17,676 and the quantity they had produced 633 00:36:18,487 --> 00:36:21,763 that they said... they all relaxed 634 00:36:21,807 --> 00:36:24,480 and they said, ''Right. We're going for this.'' 635 00:36:24,527 --> 00:36:27,599 So the next day, everybody was happier. ln fact, 636 00:36:27,647 --> 00:36:31,526 l believe the crew actually agreed to work for... well, 637 00:36:31,567 --> 00:36:35,526 half their wages or something, so it changed everything. 638 00:36:39,927 --> 00:36:43,203 lt's about a search for the Holy Grail, you see, 639 00:36:43,247 --> 00:36:49,686 which is a large sort of creature, a bit like a dodo, with a big beak. 640 00:36:49,727 --> 00:36:52,844 And...people are trying to find this Grail. 641 00:36:52,887 --> 00:36:56,926 lf you will not show us the Grail, we shall take your castle by force! 642 00:36:56,967 --> 00:37:00,277 You don't frighten us, English pig dogs! 643 00:37:00,327 --> 00:37:04,684 Go and boil your bottoms, sons of a silly person! 644 00:37:04,727 --> 00:37:08,436 l blow my nose at you, so-called Arthur King! 645 00:37:08,487 --> 00:37:12,719 You and all your silly English knn...niggits! 646 00:37:12,767 --> 00:37:14,678 The whole film is a great anti-climax. 647 00:37:14,727 --> 00:37:17,924 l see, and that starts fairly soon after the credit titles, does it? 648 00:37:17,967 --> 00:37:20,037 lt does, yes. lt starts immediately. 649 00:37:20,087 --> 00:37:22,237 lmmediately after the censor certificate? 650 00:37:22,287 --> 00:37:23,845 ln comes the anti-climax. 651 00:37:23,887 --> 00:37:26,321 Graham is a fantastic actor. 652 00:37:26,367 --> 00:37:30,406 ls, because you still see him doing fantastic acting in those films. 653 00:37:30,447 --> 00:37:32,756 Graham was the right choice for Arthur. 654 00:37:32,807 --> 00:37:36,163 There is a dignity about him and a seriousness there, 655 00:37:36,207 --> 00:37:38,198 which is fantastic. 656 00:37:38,247 --> 00:37:41,284 We discovered there was a leading man in the group and it was Graham. 657 00:37:41,327 --> 00:37:43,761 l thought it would be Mike but it turned out to be Graham. 658 00:37:43,807 --> 00:37:45,399 - Old woman! - Man! 659 00:37:45,447 --> 00:37:46,926 Man, sorry. 660 00:37:46,967 --> 00:37:49,276 What knight lives in that castle over there? 661 00:37:49,327 --> 00:37:51,636 - l'm 37. - What? 662 00:37:51,687 --> 00:37:53,837 l'm 37. l'm not old! 663 00:37:53,887 --> 00:37:56,879 - l can't just call you ''man''. - You could say ''Dennis''. 664 00:37:56,927 --> 00:37:58,599 l didn't know you were called Dennis. 665 00:37:58,647 --> 00:38:00,080 You didn't bother to find out! 666 00:38:00,127 --> 00:38:02,721 l did say sorry about the ''old woman'' but from behind you looked... 667 00:38:02,767 --> 00:38:06,077 What l object to is that you automatically treat me like an inferior. 668 00:38:06,127 --> 00:38:08,641 - Well, l am king. - Oh, king, eh? Very nice! 669 00:38:08,687 --> 00:38:12,441 Graham was drinking when we were doing Holy Grail. 670 00:38:12,487 --> 00:38:15,399 l remember one morning him looking at up an aeroplane and saying, 671 00:38:15,447 --> 00:38:19,486 ''Just think of all those people drinking their gin and tonics.'' 672 00:38:19,527 --> 00:38:23,236 l look at an aeroplane one way and Graham looks at it another, 673 00:38:23,287 --> 00:38:24,686 in terms of a gin and tonic! 674 00:38:24,727 --> 00:38:26,399 What's it like being a film star? 675 00:38:26,447 --> 00:38:30,042 l'm not. l'm just a... l'm just an extra. 676 00:38:30,087 --> 00:38:31,805 - You're just an extra? - Yes. 677 00:38:31,847 --> 00:38:34,486 lt's the crown and this that probably... 678 00:38:34,527 --> 00:38:36,995 - that makes you think... - l was looking for Graham... 679 00:38:37,047 --> 00:38:39,038 - Oh, yes. He's around somewhere. - ls he? 680 00:38:40,047 --> 00:38:41,036 Yes, here he is. 681 00:38:41,087 --> 00:38:45,160 Well of course we didn't know that Graham was an alcoholic! 682 00:38:45,207 --> 00:38:46,799 We knew he liked to drink! 683 00:38:46,847 --> 00:38:50,965 He became so antagonistic towards Terry and myself, 684 00:38:51,007 --> 00:38:55,558 because us little jumped-up shits 685 00:38:55,607 --> 00:38:58,167 were ruining his picture 686 00:38:58,207 --> 00:39:00,596 because lan McNaughton, who had directed the television shows 687 00:39:00,647 --> 00:39:03,605 and And Now For Something Completely Different, had been sidelined. 688 00:39:03,647 --> 00:39:05,399 He was a man who knew how to get things done 689 00:39:05,447 --> 00:39:07,563 and we were destroying everything. 690 00:39:07,607 --> 00:39:09,677 He would go on these drunken rampages at night 691 00:39:09,727 --> 00:39:12,366 where we could barely stand up out of sheer exhaustion, 692 00:39:12,407 --> 00:39:13,999 and there's Graham screaming. 693 00:39:14,047 --> 00:39:17,244 Then you'd go on the day, trying to get through a shot, 694 00:39:17,287 --> 00:39:20,836 and Graham was so unable to remember his lines. 695 00:39:20,887 --> 00:39:23,481 We wouldn't get things done. lt was... 696 00:39:23,527 --> 00:39:25,040 l don't know how we did it, frankly. 697 00:39:25,087 --> 00:39:27,521 But the Grail! Where is the Grail? 698 00:39:27,567 --> 00:39:31,162 Seek you the Bridge of Death. 699 00:39:32,407 --> 00:39:34,637 The Bridge of Death which leads to the Grail? 700 00:39:35,647 --> 00:39:38,480 The first time we realised there was anything wrong was on the first shot 701 00:39:38,527 --> 00:39:41,837 which was ''The Bridge of Death'' and ''The Gorge of Eternal Peril''. 702 00:39:41,887 --> 00:39:43,923 We had the six of us, in fact, 703 00:39:43,967 --> 00:39:47,403 standing on the edge of this precipice on a small path. 704 00:39:47,447 --> 00:39:50,757 We were up there and mountaineers had built this Bridge of Death, 705 00:39:50,807 --> 00:39:54,197 which was terrifying and l would not go near it, let alone cross it! 706 00:39:54,247 --> 00:39:57,683 We get there, we're ready to shoot, and Graham, the great mountaineer, 707 00:39:57,727 --> 00:40:02,118 the man who had tales of climbing this, that mountain, 708 00:40:02,167 --> 00:40:05,125 couldn't walk across the bridge, he just froze. 709 00:40:05,167 --> 00:40:06,646 He was shaking and l'm thinking, 710 00:40:06,687 --> 00:40:08,439 ''You're supposed to be a mountaineer! 711 00:40:08,487 --> 00:40:11,797 ''We're up on a mountain and you're shaking!'' 712 00:40:11,847 --> 00:40:14,315 We couldn't understand why he was like that! 713 00:40:14,367 --> 00:40:15,846 He seemed to be afraid of heights! 714 00:40:15,887 --> 00:40:18,003 Anyway, we didn't have time to think about it. 715 00:40:18,047 --> 00:40:20,686 We were halfway up a mountainside in Glencoe 716 00:40:20,727 --> 00:40:23,002 and l hadn't got my daily dose 717 00:40:23,047 --> 00:40:26,517 and it was seven o'clock in the morning that we left the hotel. 718 00:40:26,567 --> 00:40:28,762 The bar wasn't open. l hadn't realised this. 719 00:40:28,807 --> 00:40:31,685 l hadn't gotten anything prepared the night before as l should have, 720 00:40:31,727 --> 00:40:33,479 if l had researched my drinking properly. 721 00:40:33,527 --> 00:40:37,076 Once you've got the shakes and the tremors, 722 00:40:37,127 --> 00:40:39,118 that is a physicality 723 00:40:39,167 --> 00:40:43,160 which means you can't really put one foot in front of the other. 724 00:40:43,207 --> 00:40:46,005 l had DT's on the mountainside 725 00:40:46,047 --> 00:40:49,676 while having to try and remember lines and stand up. 726 00:40:49,727 --> 00:40:53,276 So it's Gerry Harrison, the assistant director, in Graham's clothes 727 00:40:53,327 --> 00:40:54,680 going across the bridge. 728 00:40:58,327 --> 00:41:01,797 l don't think we ever put together that it was alcoholism 729 00:41:01,847 --> 00:41:03,963 and there was a problem and he needed help. 730 00:41:04,007 --> 00:41:06,965 There was no support for him in that sense. 731 00:41:07,007 --> 00:41:11,285 lt was then that l decided that the next time l do a job like this 732 00:41:11,327 --> 00:41:12,999 l am going to be clean for it. 733 00:41:13,047 --> 00:41:16,403 lt's not fair to the other chaps in the group. lt's not fair to me. 734 00:41:16,447 --> 00:41:19,564 lt's not fair to what l've written. lt's so stupid. 735 00:41:19,607 --> 00:41:24,397 And so when l next had a patch of time 736 00:41:24,447 --> 00:41:27,962 in which l thought l would need to recover, 737 00:41:28,007 --> 00:41:31,238 l took that patch of time and recovered after... 738 00:41:31,287 --> 00:41:33,801 l suppose really three days of hell. 739 00:41:33,847 --> 00:41:35,599 Charge! 740 00:41:41,047 --> 00:41:44,676 lt was pretty amazing that we shot in five weeks 741 00:41:44,727 --> 00:41:49,517 and nothing really went materially wrong until post production 742 00:41:49,567 --> 00:41:53,116 when it clearly wasn't working. 743 00:41:53,167 --> 00:41:55,727 The hardest thing was for them to edit 744 00:41:55,767 --> 00:41:59,885 because Jonesy would edit by day and Gilliam would edit by night 745 00:41:59,927 --> 00:42:01,918 and there was only one editor! 746 00:42:01,967 --> 00:42:04,197 What a nightmare for him! 747 00:42:04,247 --> 00:42:06,920 Holy Grail was a disaster, 748 00:42:06,967 --> 00:42:10,118 the first showing we had of The Holy Grail. 749 00:42:10,167 --> 00:42:12,840 l mean, Grail had, in the end, 13 edits, 750 00:42:12,887 --> 00:42:15,799 from the very first screening we did with 100 people 751 00:42:15,847 --> 00:42:19,442 which was just...not good. 752 00:42:19,487 --> 00:42:23,002 The film started and people laughed and laughed and laughed. 753 00:42:23,047 --> 00:42:25,607 Actually, at that point we opened 754 00:42:25,647 --> 00:42:28,115 with the ''Bring Out Your Dead'' sequence. 755 00:42:30,727 --> 00:42:32,206 Bring out your dead. 756 00:42:32,247 --> 00:42:33,919 - Here's one. - Ninepence. 757 00:42:33,967 --> 00:42:35,639 - l'm not dead! - What? 758 00:42:35,687 --> 00:42:37,120 Nothing. Here's your ninepence. 759 00:42:37,167 --> 00:42:39,920 - l'm not dead! - Here. He says he's not dead! 760 00:42:39,967 --> 00:42:40,956 Yes, he is. 761 00:42:41,007 --> 00:42:43,885 People started laughing and they laughed for about five minutes, 762 00:42:43,927 --> 00:42:47,158 and then...dead, absolutely zilch. 763 00:42:47,207 --> 00:42:50,005 The whole film played to nobody laughing 764 00:42:50,047 --> 00:42:54,359 and it was just the most awful evening l think. 765 00:42:54,407 --> 00:42:59,242 And the only thing l could think of was that...on the... 766 00:42:59,287 --> 00:43:03,485 We'd done a film before which was a compilation film 767 00:43:03,527 --> 00:43:06,360 and in that was the ''Dirty Fork'' sketch. 768 00:43:06,407 --> 00:43:09,717 No apologies l can make can alter the fact that... 769 00:43:09,767 --> 00:43:13,077 in our restaurant you have been given... 770 00:43:13,127 --> 00:43:17,325 a dirty, filthy, smelly piece of cutlery. 771 00:43:17,367 --> 00:43:19,119 - lt wasn't smelly. - lt was smelly! 772 00:43:19,167 --> 00:43:22,557 And obscene and disgusting. And l hate it. l hate it! l hate it! 773 00:43:22,607 --> 00:43:26,600 Nasty, grubby, dirty, mangy, scrubby little fork. 774 00:43:26,647 --> 00:43:28,126 Roberto! 775 00:43:29,687 --> 00:43:33,282 That had been very funny when we did it on TV 776 00:43:33,327 --> 00:43:37,240 and it wasn't funny when we showed it in the cinema. 777 00:43:37,287 --> 00:43:40,359 lt didn't get any laughs. And the only thing l could see different 778 00:43:40,407 --> 00:43:45,162 was that lan McNaughton had put on some muzak over the scene. 779 00:43:45,207 --> 00:43:49,200 So we took the muzak off and it then got laughs again. 780 00:43:49,247 --> 00:43:54,196 So l kind of thought, ''Maybe the same thing is happening with The Holy Grail.'' 781 00:43:54,247 --> 00:43:57,557 The music budget was, l think, 3,000 pounds. 782 00:43:58,567 --> 00:44:03,402 And l could afford 12 musicians for about...eight sessions. 783 00:44:03,447 --> 00:44:06,086 What are you exactly contributing to the film? 784 00:44:06,127 --> 00:44:08,925 Terror and heroics at certain points 785 00:44:08,967 --> 00:44:11,435 to really do a job with the music 786 00:44:11,487 --> 00:44:14,001 to either create the lump in the throat, 787 00:44:14,047 --> 00:44:17,562 or make the back hairs stick out. 788 00:44:17,607 --> 00:44:21,520 l had written some pretty good, l thought, Arthurian themes 789 00:44:21,567 --> 00:44:24,764 with two French horns sort of in harmony sort of going... 790 00:44:26,887 --> 00:44:27,876 Orchestra... 791 00:44:36,567 --> 00:44:40,560 But, you play it with 12 people and it sounds like a sort of... 792 00:44:40,607 --> 00:44:45,123 an afternoon's alternative activities at the Women's lnstitute. 793 00:44:45,167 --> 00:44:49,797 And so Terry rang me up and said, ''lt's awful l know, but you know... 794 00:44:49,847 --> 00:44:54,398 ''Really, we can't have all the other cheap jokes and have thin music. 795 00:44:54,447 --> 00:44:59,157 ''We've got to go to the library.'' And l perfectly understand and... 796 00:44:59,207 --> 00:45:02,483 You know, that is the correct decision. 797 00:45:02,527 --> 00:45:05,360 1 47 musicians playing any old thing 798 00:45:05,407 --> 00:45:08,558 is better than 12 playing something beautiful. 799 00:45:20,247 --> 00:45:23,080 l think the music made a huge difference 800 00:45:23,127 --> 00:45:27,518 by using library music and cod heroics. 801 00:45:27,567 --> 00:45:30,525 lt just gave it a whole other aspect. 802 00:45:30,567 --> 00:45:33,877 The bits l did do stayed in with the little medieval bits, 803 00:45:33,927 --> 00:45:35,804 the jaunty little medieval music. 804 00:45:35,847 --> 00:45:39,681 Bravely bold Sir Robin Rode forth from Camelot 805 00:45:39,727 --> 00:45:44,164 He was not afraid to die Oh brave Sir Robin 806 00:45:44,207 --> 00:45:47,358 And of course the music for the Knights of the Round Table. 807 00:45:51,047 --> 00:45:53,163 ln war we're tough and able 808 00:45:53,847 --> 00:45:56,156 Quite indefatigable 809 00:45:57,247 --> 00:45:58,521 Between our quests... 810 00:45:59,527 --> 00:46:01,324 You have to push the pram a lot! 811 00:46:01,367 --> 00:46:07,124 l have to push the pram a lot 812 00:46:10,007 --> 00:46:13,636 No, on second thoughts, let's not go to Camelot. lt is a silly place. 813 00:46:13,687 --> 00:46:17,236 Bit by bit, we put it together. We linked up the laughs. 814 00:46:17,287 --> 00:46:21,280 We shot little linky bits... the gorilla paw in it. 815 00:46:21,327 --> 00:46:25,445 Come on, come on! That's an offensive weapon that is! 816 00:46:25,487 --> 00:46:27,125 Back! Right, come on! 817 00:46:27,167 --> 00:46:30,477 l ended the Holy Grail, we didn't have an end for that either and said, 818 00:46:30,527 --> 00:46:33,678 ''Why don't we have the police arrest him. Put their hand over the camera''. 819 00:46:33,727 --> 00:46:35,319 My daughter hates me for that. 820 00:46:35,367 --> 00:46:38,598 She says, ''The shittiest ending of a movie ever! l hate you, Dad!'' 821 00:46:38,647 --> 00:46:40,877 All right, sonny. That's enough. Just pack that in. 822 00:46:42,207 --> 00:46:45,677 But then we were so nervous about it that... 823 00:46:45,727 --> 00:46:50,084 We'd get people in and get them into a small viewing theatre, 824 00:46:50,127 --> 00:46:53,756 and we had 20 people or something and say, ''What do you think?'' 825 00:46:53,807 --> 00:46:57,356 People would watch and say, ''Well, yeah, it's all right''. 826 00:46:57,407 --> 00:46:59,238 But nobody was very keen on it. 827 00:46:59,287 --> 00:47:01,164 Then eventually, we were... 828 00:47:01,207 --> 00:47:03,675 Terry Gilliam and l, were going out with this film, 829 00:47:03,727 --> 00:47:05,797 what we thought was a turkey, 830 00:47:05,847 --> 00:47:08,759 to a film festival in Los Angeles. 831 00:47:08,807 --> 00:47:12,038 And there we had a paying audience for the first time, 832 00:47:12,087 --> 00:47:16,558 and we showed the film to a big audience and they laughed. 833 00:47:16,607 --> 00:47:20,759 And it was kind of like, ''Oh! They laughed! They laughed!'' 834 00:47:20,807 --> 00:47:24,720 Then of course we realised that A, it's a paying audience, 835 00:47:24,767 --> 00:47:27,679 who paid their money, they're going to want to laugh. 836 00:47:27,727 --> 00:47:30,958 And the other thing was, you don't ever say to anybody, 837 00:47:31,007 --> 00:47:33,282 ''We're really worried about this comedy film. 838 00:47:33,327 --> 00:47:35,283 ''Would you come and see if it's funny?'' 839 00:47:35,327 --> 00:47:37,443 because they're not going to find it funny! 840 00:48:01,727 --> 00:48:05,322 My favourite Monty Python movie is Holy Grail, it has to be. lt's just amazing. 841 00:48:05,367 --> 00:48:09,201 From the first second the thing starts... 842 00:48:09,247 --> 00:48:10,839 Just that... 843 00:48:18,207 --> 00:48:22,280 The fact they were taking themselves so seriously was instantly funny. 844 00:48:22,327 --> 00:48:24,966 lt is set up like any other epic film, 845 00:48:25,007 --> 00:48:28,124 except that when you see them riding on horses, 846 00:48:28,167 --> 00:48:30,556 it's just a dude hopping along, 847 00:48:30,607 --> 00:48:33,405 and another guy carrying his stuff clip-clopping with coconuts. 848 00:48:33,447 --> 00:48:35,677 Then they get off on a philosophical debate 849 00:48:35,727 --> 00:48:40,005 of the migration instincts of tropical birds. 850 00:48:40,047 --> 00:48:41,446 You know what l mean? 851 00:48:41,487 --> 00:48:43,478 lt all becomes these mundane assessments 852 00:48:43,527 --> 00:48:46,564 of absolutely ridiculous things. 853 00:48:46,607 --> 00:48:48,882 The swallow may fly south with the sun, 854 00:48:48,927 --> 00:48:52,283 or the house martin or the plover may seek warmer climes in winter, 855 00:48:52,327 --> 00:48:54,761 yet these are not strangers to our land. 856 00:48:54,807 --> 00:48:57,844 Are you suggesting coconuts migrate? 857 00:48:57,887 --> 00:49:00,276 Not at all! They could be carried. 858 00:49:00,327 --> 00:49:03,160 What? A swallow carrying a coconut? 859 00:49:03,207 --> 00:49:04,959 lt could grip it by the husk. 860 00:49:05,007 --> 00:49:07,601 lt's not a question of where he grips it, 861 00:49:07,647 --> 00:49:10,207 it's a simple question of weight ratios. 862 00:49:10,247 --> 00:49:14,320 A five-ounce bird could not carry a one-pound coconut. 863 00:49:14,367 --> 00:49:15,686 Well, it doesn't matter! 864 00:49:15,727 --> 00:49:19,686 Things like the knights arriving with the coconut shells, 865 00:49:19,727 --> 00:49:23,356 and stuff like that. Still a great idea. 866 00:49:23,407 --> 00:49:27,639 Mixed in with this film is that wonderful sort of realism 867 00:49:27,687 --> 00:49:29,678 of medieval England with all the mud. 868 00:49:29,727 --> 00:49:33,163 lt's probably rather better than anything that's been done recently. 869 00:49:33,207 --> 00:49:37,723 Not only is it very funny, it's also very affectionate 870 00:49:37,767 --> 00:49:41,282 in terms of its treatment of the Grail legends 871 00:49:41,327 --> 00:49:43,887 and incredibly faithful to the actual story. 872 00:49:43,927 --> 00:49:48,045 ''The wise Sir Bedivere was the first to join King Arthur's knights, 873 00:49:48,087 --> 00:49:51,363 ''but other illustrious names were soon to follow... 874 00:49:51,407 --> 00:49:54,365 ''Sir Lancelot the Brave, 875 00:49:54,407 --> 00:49:56,796 ''Sir Galahad the Pure, 876 00:49:56,847 --> 00:49:59,919 ''And Sir Robin, the not quite-so-brave as Sir Lancelot.'' 877 00:49:59,967 --> 00:50:02,925 My brother can lip-synch the whole fucking film, 878 00:50:02,967 --> 00:50:05,879 and l'm not exaggerating! 879 00:50:05,927 --> 00:50:10,478 From the moment it starts, he's there. 880 00:50:10,527 --> 00:50:12,358 l can't watch the film with him in the room. 881 00:50:12,407 --> 00:50:14,284 Now look here, my good man... 882 00:50:14,327 --> 00:50:16,283 l don't want to talk to you no more 883 00:50:16,327 --> 00:50:19,717 you empty-headed, animal food trough wiper! 884 00:50:19,767 --> 00:50:23,123 l fart in your general direction. 885 00:50:23,167 --> 00:50:28,799 Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries. 886 00:50:28,847 --> 00:50:31,486 Apparently Elvis's favourite film, Holy Grail. 887 00:50:31,527 --> 00:50:35,315 He watched it about 45 times in the Graceland private cinema. 888 00:50:35,367 --> 00:50:39,155 You can imagine Elvis watching Holy Grail, what a superb image that would be! 889 00:50:39,207 --> 00:50:42,404 Elvis loved it. l mean, he was... 890 00:50:42,447 --> 00:50:47,760 He was laughing so much that his eyes were just tearing. 891 00:50:47,807 --> 00:50:48,956 Come, Patsy. 892 00:50:49,007 --> 00:50:50,645 None shall pass. 893 00:50:50,687 --> 00:50:53,042 - What?! - None shall pass. 894 00:50:53,087 --> 00:50:55,681 l have no quarrel with you, good Sir Knight, 895 00:50:55,727 --> 00:50:57,126 but l must cross this bridge. 896 00:50:57,167 --> 00:50:59,601 Then you shall die. 897 00:51:00,487 --> 00:51:03,684 The scene that Elvis used to imitate, 898 00:51:03,727 --> 00:51:05,922 the sword fight scene... 899 00:51:05,967 --> 00:51:08,561 We played a lot of football and one time we were playing, 900 00:51:08,607 --> 00:51:11,041 and he literally broke his finger. 901 00:51:11,087 --> 00:51:14,762 - ''Oh, are you OK, Elvis?'' - ''Merely a flesh wound.'' 902 00:51:14,807 --> 00:51:16,718 And he did it just like the movie. 903 00:51:16,767 --> 00:51:19,645 Look, you stupid bastard, you've got no arms left! 904 00:51:19,687 --> 00:51:21,325 - Yes, l have! - Look! 905 00:51:21,367 --> 00:51:22,959 lt's just a flesh wound. 906 00:51:23,927 --> 00:51:25,565 l was the hugest Elvis fan. 907 00:51:25,607 --> 00:51:29,043 That was like so weird and trippy 908 00:51:29,087 --> 00:51:32,204 just to think Elvis was a Python fan doing those voices. 909 00:51:32,247 --> 00:51:33,282 Come, Patsy. 910 00:51:33,327 --> 00:51:36,364 Oh, l see! Running away, eh? 911 00:51:36,407 --> 00:51:38,637 You yellow bastards! 912 00:51:38,687 --> 00:51:40,962 Come back here and take what's coming to you! 913 00:51:41,007 --> 00:51:42,804 l'll bite your legs off! 914 00:51:42,847 --> 00:51:47,477 Just the very idea of Elvis knowing those catch phrases 915 00:51:47,527 --> 00:51:49,757 and him being as annoying as my brother as well, 916 00:51:49,807 --> 00:51:52,879 sat next to Priscilla on the sofa, ''lt's just a flesh wound.'' 917 00:51:57,087 --> 00:52:00,397 l like the image of Elvis Presley reciting Python lines. 918 00:52:00,447 --> 00:52:05,601 That's pop culture... reaches its apotheosis in that moment. 919 00:52:05,647 --> 00:52:07,797 There's nothing Andy Warhol can do about that. 920 00:52:08,647 --> 00:52:10,683 The Castle Aaargh. 921 00:52:10,727 --> 00:52:13,082 Our quest is at an end. 922 00:52:14,447 --> 00:52:18,918 Holy Grail was number one for weeks in America, you know. 923 00:52:18,967 --> 00:52:21,527 For a 200,000 pound film, it was amazing, you know. 924 00:52:21,567 --> 00:52:24,161 By the time it came out here, it was 1975. 925 00:52:24,207 --> 00:52:28,120 The TV series had been on. We were getting some great publicity. 926 00:52:29,327 --> 00:52:33,764 The Python trademark was becoming known. 927 00:52:33,807 --> 00:52:37,880 l used to look in Variety and it was like looking at your bank account. 928 00:52:37,927 --> 00:52:41,397 So, you'd buy Variety and look up, you know, 929 00:52:41,447 --> 00:52:44,996 ''Oh, it's number one and it's made another billion, million pound, 930 00:52:45,047 --> 00:52:48,323 ''of which l get my two and a half percent. Great!'' 931 00:52:48,367 --> 00:52:51,757 We'd done this promotional ad to give out free coconuts 932 00:52:51,807 --> 00:52:55,880 to the first 100 or however many people would turn up at the cinema. 933 00:52:55,927 --> 00:52:57,918 There was a full-page ad in the Times. 934 00:52:57,967 --> 00:53:00,356 Well, there was a line around the block. 935 00:53:00,407 --> 00:53:03,604 They had to open the movie even earlier. 936 00:53:03,647 --> 00:53:06,286 lt was tremendous. lt was very exciting. 937 00:53:06,327 --> 00:53:11,685 lt was at the opening of Holy Grail in New York, 938 00:53:11,727 --> 00:53:14,719 and there was a question from a journalist, he said, 939 00:53:14,767 --> 00:53:16,723 ''So what's your next movie?'' 940 00:53:16,767 --> 00:53:19,679 and l said, ''Jesus Christ - Lust For Glory.'' 941 00:53:24,487 --> 00:53:27,081 Everyone knows the inspiring story 942 00:53:27,127 --> 00:53:29,641 and life of the child born in a manger. 943 00:53:34,247 --> 00:53:36,556 This isn't that story. 944 00:53:38,247 --> 00:53:40,238 lt's not that life. 945 00:53:40,287 --> 00:53:42,562 Brian 946 00:53:42,607 --> 00:53:45,440 The babe they called Brian 947 00:53:45,487 --> 00:53:48,365 This is Monty Python's Life Of Brian. 948 00:53:51,087 --> 00:53:53,317 lt was the Golden age of Roman rule... 949 00:53:53,367 --> 00:53:56,359 Do we have any cwucifixions today? 950 00:53:56,407 --> 00:53:58,841 139, sir. Special celebration. 951 00:53:58,887 --> 00:54:00,843 A time of miracles... 952 00:54:00,887 --> 00:54:03,924 l was blind and now l can see... Oh! 953 00:54:05,727 --> 00:54:08,480 Of imperial benevolence... 954 00:54:08,527 --> 00:54:10,245 Hail, Caesar. 955 00:54:10,287 --> 00:54:11,322 ls that absolutely clear? 956 00:54:11,367 --> 00:54:14,916 lt was a time when getting stoned wasn't breaking the law. 957 00:54:17,727 --> 00:54:19,206 lt was the law. 958 00:54:20,727 --> 00:54:24,197 For the people of Jerusalem, things were looking bad. 959 00:54:24,247 --> 00:54:26,363 Still a few crosses left. 960 00:54:26,407 --> 00:54:27,920 And then Brian dropped in. 961 00:54:29,007 --> 00:54:37,278 Brian... 962 00:54:38,367 --> 00:54:41,359 ln fact, he wasn't the Messiah. 963 00:54:42,407 --> 00:54:44,398 He was a very naughty boy. 964 00:54:44,447 --> 00:54:46,324 Terrific race, the Romans. 965 00:54:46,367 --> 00:54:47,766 Terrific.