Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34206 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-11-01
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Black & White, Colour, Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 90 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The coming together of the influential Python team is regarded as a milestone for modern absurdist comedy, though each of the six members had been doing similar sketch work prior to this first 1969 series, of whose highlights this video consists. The most revolutionary aspect of Python was its eschewal of punch lines, preferring as they did bizarre, surreal links and quantum leaps into the imagination of animator Terry Gilliam. Inevitably, Python has dated. Sketches such as "The Upper Class Twit of the Year" and the "Wink-wink, nudge nudge" man are worn down by familiarity. There's some clunky stereotyping and "Oo, ducky"-style gay references. That said, much of this still stands up. "Hells Grannies" and the race to find the world's funniest joke are fine, the Eric Idle-driven documentary spoofs are witty while the Batley Townswomen's Guild's re-enactment of Pearl Harbour is intelligently ridiculous. John Cleese, however, stands literally and metaphorically head and shoulders above the rest. His and Chapman's sketches, involving a mountaineering expedition leader with double vision and an arts TV interviewer who can't get past the etiquette of how to refer to his guest ("Eddie baby...") are pursued to their absurd non-conclusions with the remorseless logic of a top-drawer barrister. --David Stubbs

Special Features
4:3 Full Frame
DVD 5
English
Region 2
Mono English
Mono
Biographies
Photo Gallery
Scene Selection
Paindromes
Radio Times
Sing Along Song

Synopsis
Python's trademark wit and silliness is on full display in this collection of classic episodes that includes: "The 127th Upperclass Twit of the Year Competition from Hurlingham Park," "Bicycle Repair Man," "Vicious Gangs of Old Ladies," "The Layabouts in Lace," "Embarking on Random Acts of Violence Fit Young Men," "The Man with Three Buttocks," "The Lumberjack Song," "Vocational Guidance Councillor," "The Joke That Kills People (Used to Great Military Effect Against the Enemy at Ardennes on 8th July 1944)" and much, much more...and still more than that.

Customer Reviews

Good Stuff - but I would prefer the whole series
As a collection of sketches, this is outstanding - some of the all-time Python classics are here, including Bicycle Repair Man, Upper Class Twit of the Year, Nudge Nudge and many others from the first series. Some of the additions - such as the Karaoke Lumberjack Song -are nice to have, but if there's one thing that stops me giving it the top rating it's that I'd have preferred to forgo the extras if it meant having each episode complete. Yes Python is hit and miss in places, but looking at what's left out - Johann Gombolputty.... of Ulm, for example - and the use of repetition in some episodes (How to recognise different types of tree from quite a long way away) makes me want to have the lot, not just selected slices no matter how good. This approach could cause havoc with for example the Spanish Inquisition, who appear several times in one episode of series 2, or the Bishop rehearsing his one line who appears in several different episodes.

None of this is particualarly a reflection of the quality of the material - which is excellent - and if you're just interested in having the best known sketches then this is ideal - however for those of us who want the whole lot on DVD this is at best a stop-gap.

A Worthy DVD of a Comedy Classic
This compilation of sketches from the first series of 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' is excellent in its own right - it has all the fondly-remembered favourites from the first series, including 'The Lumberjack Song', 'The Upper Class Twit of the Year Show', and of course, 'The Parrot Sketch'. Good enough in its own right, but the presentation of the DVD is what makes it really special. The picture and sound quality is excellent, and together with a decent ( albeit limited ) compendium of extras, including a 'Karaoke Lumberjack Song' feature, 'Palindromes' and the original Radio Times billing for the show, this is a must-buy DVD. Roll on Volume 2!

Monty Python's flying circus vol. 1
This DVD is hilarious from start to finish. All the sketches are great, but my personal favourites are: 'Hell's grannies', 'Storytime', 'Kilimanjaro', 'Dirty fork', and of course, the famous 'Parrot sketch'! It will be interesting to see how the other series of 'Flying circus' compare to this one.

My only criticisms of this DVD would be that the special features are somewhat limited (though I think the sing-a-long version of the 'Lumberjack song' is a good addition!), and also I think it's a shame that you don't get the full 1st series- it would have been nice to see the full selection of sketches in the first series. However, these are only minor criticisms, and all in all I thoroughly enjoyed this DVD.