Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17803 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-02-16
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Number of discs: 4
• Formats: Box set, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, French, Latin
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 368 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
This Monty Python Movie Box Set contains all four Python movies: And Now for Something Completely Different (1971), Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974)--the two-disc set--Monty Python's Life of Brian--including a 50-minute documentary--and Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.

Special Features
English
Region 2

Synopsis
All four Monty Python films are gathered together on one side-splitting four-disc collection.
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT consists of some of Monty Python's funniest sketches from their earliest years together. Director Ian MacNaughton leads John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Terry Gilliam on a hysterical romp through pet shops, odd London streets, fields filled with singing lumberjacks, dead parrots, hungry babies, upper-class twits, people trying not to be seen, old ladies on motorcycles, fighting off milkmen, bank robbers, crazy flashers, dirty forks and killer jokes. The sketches have been re-created for the big screen, without the ever-present laugh track. As in the television show, the skits are linked together through Gilliam's clever animation. Among Monty Python's favorite targets are the military, the police, the government, the courts, Mao, Uncle Sam, and television reporters. As always, there are lots of men in drag. Even the closing credits are a riot. But watch out for that 16-ton weight....
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, directed by Pythons Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, is a hilarious send-up of the grim circumstances of the Middle Ages as told through the story of King Arthur and framed by a modern-day murder investigation. When the mythical king of the Britons leads his knights on a quest for the Holy Grail, they face a wide array of horrors, including a persistent Black Knight, a three-headed giant, a cadre of shrubbery-challenged knights, the perilous Castle Anthrax, a killer rabbit, a house of virgins and a handful of rude Frenchmen.
In addition to the set pieces, the film also includes the same kind of surreal animation that Gilliam contributed to the television series. Throughout the irreverent adventures, the Python crew eschews realism in favor of anachronistic social satire. Melding the ridiculous with the sublime, the film quickly inspired a cult following, generated a host of quotes, and even inspired a computer game 20 years after its release. The numerous songs and hysterical vignettes are sidesplittingly unforgettable.
Monty Python delivers a scathing, anarchic satire of both religion and Hollywood's depiction of all things biblical with MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN. The setting is the Holy Land in 33 A.D., a time of poverty and chaos, with no shortage of messiahs, followers willing to believe in them, and exasperated Romans trying to impose some order. At the center of it all is Brian Cohen (Graham Chapman), a reluctant would-be messiah who rises to prominence as a result of a series of absurd and truly hilarious circumstances that parallel the life of Christ--providing ample opportunity for the entire ensemble (John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Chapman) to shine in multiple roles as they blaspheme and mock everyone and everything from ex-lepers, Pontius Pilate, the art of haggling, Roman centurions and crucifixion.
Directed by Python Terry Jones, MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN is an uproarious biblical parody. Rome is run by pathetic wimps, liberation groups fight with each other over acronyms, and gladiators put on bloody children's matinees as the people search desperately for someone to lead them out of their life of misery and poverty. And Brian is that man. Sort of. Well, not really. Chapman excels as Brian, a simple, quiet man suddenly thrust in the role of leading the revolution--while constantly being yelled at by his mum.
Monty Python explains it all in MONTY PYTHON'S MEANING OF LIFE. This episodic comedy that dares to take on the most sacred aspects of life -- sex, food, politics and religion -- and bring them hilariously down to earth. Also includes The Crimson Permanent Assurance, a B-Movie epic of what can happen when the little man turns against the business world.

Customer Reviews

Just how much humour can you cram into one boxed set?
WOW! This has just got to be one of my all time favourite collections. This set shows the evolution of some of the finest humour ever to have graced the small and silver screens. "And now for something completely different" extended the format that was successfully used in the seminal TV show incorporating many of the funniest sketches ever shown. If I were to say Parrot Sketch, The Lumberjack Song, and Nudge Nudge Wink Wink I'd be just scratching the surface.

"Holy Grail" introduces us to the dreaded killer rabbit, the Knight who say Ni! and the best battlement hurled insults I've ever enjoyed - Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries! "Life of Brian" pokes (or rather deliberately doesn't poke) fun at what is possibly one of the greatest stories ever told, and in doing so earned the wrath of many small minded and insecure people, but gave us fantastic one liners like "He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!" and "Romanii Eunt Domus - People called Romans they go the house? What's that supposed to mean?" Who can forget the classic scene in Pilate's chamber when you can see Michael Palin contorting his face in trying not to laugh while explaining that he "has a gweat fwiend in Wome". And at the last, the greatest song of all time "Always look on the bright side of life" complete with dancing corpses and crucifixees.

"The Meaning of Life" is in my opinion the best of the crop. The pinnacle of python humour refined to the purest gags. School took on a new angle for me, and the truly brilliant (and mostly scientifically accurate) Amazing and Expanding Universe song just provided a crowning moment in the movie. Gathered together, this collection should come with a health warning - "WARNING: These movies can seriously warp your sense of humour and can cause excessive and uncontrollable laughter".

Buy this set at your peril, but believe me it is worth the risk.

The Monty Python Legacy Lives On
These films still seem to hold their lasting appeal. Loaded with the classic Phython Team silliness and wit, utter side-splitting humour coupled with the cartoon wizardary of Terry Gilliam.

The pack includes: 'And Now For Something Completely Different', 'The Holy Grail'(2 discs), 'The Life Of Brian' and 'The Meaning Of Life'.

The first disc, 'And Now For Something Completely Different' is a mixture of classic sketches such as The Pet Shop, How Not to be Seen and Nudge,Nudge.

The second/third disc, 'The Holy Grail' is a two disc pack, as well as the main feature there are excellent on location footages and fun 'rubbish', very entertaining in deed! The main film reminds you of the pure comic genius of these guys, can you ever forget 'The Knights That Go Ni', or 'The Killer Rabbit'?

The fourth disc, 'The Life Of Brian' is a brave but well written and extremely funny film. This is the film that made famous the song 'Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life', and includes the 'Welease Woger' and 'What Have The Romans Done For Us?' scenes. Total jaw aching laughter should be experienced throughout this one!

The fifth and final disc, 'The Meaning Of Life' takes you through the different stages of life (and death), scenes such as 'Part1: The Miracle Of Birth'(the machine that goes 'ping') and 'Live Organ Transplants' can be devoured (literally speaking of course).

All in all, the total set is well presented and offers excellent value. You don't have to be a die-hard Python fan to enjoy these titles, it does however help if you can accept a good laugh without taking offence to some of the contents. This is the material that makes British comedy the best in the world!!

Buy it Now! - "Nudge, Nudge ......Wink, Wink ......Say No More".

True classics in a reasonable collection
There's no doubt that this a great value collection (£14 for four films is almost always good value). Two bona fide five star classics (Holy Grail and - especially - the Life of Brian are the pinnacle of Python's achievements), plus a decent collection of classic sketeches from the TV show (And Now For Something Completely Different) and their fair-to-middling final film, The Meaning of Life. All four films in individual plastic cases boxed together - a smart addition to any collection.

The only niggle is The Meaning of Life dvd. Grail has by far the best set of extras: a whole second disc devoted to them, so I'm sure this is the definitive set for that film. Brian has, like Grail, been remastered, but only has one documentary as an extra (admittedly it is a good one, filmed on set). I can live with that though. ANFSCD has no extras, but has good picture quality as compensation, and several trailers for other Python-related films. And as it isn't really a film in it's own right, I can live with that as well.

But Meaning of Life has a 2-disc special edition set out there already. Yet the version in this collection is a single disc, with no extras and no remastered picture. It's not even anamorphic, despite the claims of the back cover. And the chaptering is basic, only a few throughout the entire film. A shame then, as the inclusion of the special edition rather than this duffer would raise it to five star status for me. At least it's not the best film they did. And it's probably better than any VHS version (just about).

All in all though, a worthy collection, especially at this low price.