Stilgar replaces Idaho in Dune 2, providing humor and emotional support to Paul's journey. Stilgar's role as a mentor fills the void left by Idaho, providing Paul with guidance and friendship. Stilgar's comedic timing and role as a confidante make Dune 2 more engaging and compelling for viewers.
Warning: Contains Spoilers for Dune: Part Two
Jason Momoa's performance was a highlight of Dune (2021), but his replacement in Dune: Part Two is arguably even more central to the story's success. Momoa's turn as Duncan Idaho included gentle humor, as well as impressive action scenes, making him one of the movie's most likable and charismatic characters. As a result, his death in Dune's ending made it essential for the sequel to find a suitable replacement.
Idaho's role in Denis Villeneuve's first Dune movie stays largely true to the character's depiction in Frank Herbert's original novel. As one of Paul's mentors,...
Warning: Contains Spoilers for Dune: Part Two
Jason Momoa's performance was a highlight of Dune (2021), but his replacement in Dune: Part Two is arguably even more central to the story's success. Momoa's turn as Duncan Idaho included gentle humor, as well as impressive action scenes, making him one of the movie's most likable and charismatic characters. As a result, his death in Dune's ending made it essential for the sequel to find a suitable replacement.
Idaho's role in Denis Villeneuve's first Dune movie stays largely true to the character's depiction in Frank Herbert's original novel. As one of Paul's mentors,...
- 3/14/2024
- by Tommy Lethbridge
- ScreenRant.com
A feud erupts between Monty Python founders as Eric Idle blames Terry Gilliam's daughter for financial troubles. Idle claims the 2014 reunion concert was to pay for a legal battle and calls his pursuer an "entitled git." Cleese defends Holly Gilliam, and shares positive opinions shared by Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam. He also revealed a long-standing dislike between Idle and himself.
A feud erupts between the founders of Monty Python as Eric Idle speaks out and John Cleese fires back. Originally formed in 1969, the legendary British comedy troupe consisted of Cleese, Idle, Terry Gilliam, Graham Chapman, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. They first gained prominence with their sketch show, Monty Python's Flying Circus, which ran for four seasons on the BBC from 1969 to 1974 and went on to multiple Monty Python movies, including the famous Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Life of Brian.
Recently, a feud erupted as...
A feud erupts between the founders of Monty Python as Eric Idle speaks out and John Cleese fires back. Originally formed in 1969, the legendary British comedy troupe consisted of Cleese, Idle, Terry Gilliam, Graham Chapman, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. They first gained prominence with their sketch show, Monty Python's Flying Circus, which ran for four seasons on the BBC from 1969 to 1974 and went on to multiple Monty Python movies, including the famous Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Life of Brian.
Recently, a feud erupted as...
- 2/14/2024
- by Adam Bentz
- ScreenRant.com
To borrow a phrase from Paddy Chayefsky, Eric Idle is mad as hell, and he’s not going to take it anymore. The founding member of Monty Python, 80, has taken to X in recent days to clear the air on a number of matters regarding the legendary British troupe — whose catalog (four seasons of Monty Python’s Flying Circus plus five feature films, including Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python’s Life of Brian) have elevated them to “Beatles of comedy” status. (Idle, it’s worth noting, is also the mind behind the 1978 Beatles parody The Rutles.) The claims — which many fans say are ruining their cherished Python memories — are as follows:
Idle is Out of Money — and Blames the Gilliams
We own everything we ever made in Python and I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously. But I...
Idle is Out of Money — and Blames the Gilliams
We own everything we ever made in Python and I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously. But I...
- 2/14/2024
- by Seth Abramovitch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Eric Idle has set the record straight for anyone who thought he had a cushy life from his earnings as a member of Monty Python, saying that he still has to work for a living.
“I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded. Python is a disaster,” the 80-year-old actor and comedian wrote on Twitter. “Spamalot made money 20 years ago. I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age.”
Later on, Idle clarified that though the British comedy troupe owns “everything” they ever made as part of the group, changes to royalty distribution — and what he sees as mismanagement of the company — have made a drastic impact on their earnings.
“I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously,” he wrote. “But I guess if you put a Gilliam child in as your manager you should not be so surprised.
“I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded. Python is a disaster,” the 80-year-old actor and comedian wrote on Twitter. “Spamalot made money 20 years ago. I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age.”
Later on, Idle clarified that though the British comedy troupe owns “everything” they ever made as part of the group, changes to royalty distribution — and what he sees as mismanagement of the company — have made a drastic impact on their earnings.
“I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously,” he wrote. “But I guess if you put a Gilliam child in as your manager you should not be so surprised.
- 2/12/2024
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Film News
“Monty Python” alum Eric Idle addressed an apparent fan misconception on Friday: that he and the rest of the legendary British comedy troupe’s members aren’t swimming in cash from their productions. As he put it, “I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded. Python is a disaster. Spamalot made money 20 years ago. I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age.” Idle is 80 years old.
I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded. Python is a disaster. Spamalot made money 20 years ago. I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age. https://t.co/nFDbV9BOfC
— Eric Idle (@EricIdle) February 9, 2024
Hours later, Idle added, “We own everything we ever made in Python and I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously. But I guess if you put a Gilliam...
I don’t know why people always assume we’re loaded. Python is a disaster. Spamalot made money 20 years ago. I have to work for my living. Not easy at this age. https://t.co/nFDbV9BOfC
— Eric Idle (@EricIdle) February 9, 2024
Hours later, Idle added, “We own everything we ever made in Python and I never dreamed that at this age the income streams would tail off so disastrously. But I guess if you put a Gilliam...
- 2/11/2024
- by Stephanie Kaloi
- The Wrap
Biblical epics used to be Hollywood's bread and butter. From "The Ten Commandments" to "Ben-Hur," the unique blend of high-stakes drama, and big-scale spectacle used to dominate the box office as well as awards season. Today, they've all but disappeared from the filmmaking landscape. This makes the release of a movie like "The Book of Clarence" all the more special.
Written and directed by Jeymes "The Bullitts" Samuel ("The Harder They Fall"), "The Book of Clarence" combines a biblical epic with the comedic tone of Monty Python's "Life of Brian" or Mel Brook's "History of the World," poking fun at the story of a rising messiah, and the man who sees that fame and power and decides to get some of that for himself.
/Film's own Witney Seibold reviewed "The Book of Clarence" and called it "aspirational, unique, moving, funny, weird, and very shaggy." The film stars Lakeith Stanfield ("Atlanta...
Written and directed by Jeymes "The Bullitts" Samuel ("The Harder They Fall"), "The Book of Clarence" combines a biblical epic with the comedic tone of Monty Python's "Life of Brian" or Mel Brook's "History of the World," poking fun at the story of a rising messiah, and the man who sees that fame and power and decides to get some of that for himself.
/Film's own Witney Seibold reviewed "The Book of Clarence" and called it "aspirational, unique, moving, funny, weird, and very shaggy." The film stars Lakeith Stanfield ("Atlanta...
- 2/5/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Celebrating its 48th-and-a-bit anniversary, Monty Python And The Holy Grail is coming back to cinemas for a limited time only.
Forget your usual sing-along screenings of your favourite musical. You can go to a quote-along screening of Monty Python And The Holy Grail this February.
It’s been 48 (and a half) years since the iconic comedy premiered in cinemas. Starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin, Monthly Python And The Holy Grail marked the directorial debuts of Gilliam and Jones.
To mark the anniversary, the film is making a comeback in cinemas, but there will also be special quote-along screenings. They will give you an opportunity to shout out lines like “She’s a witch!” and “I fart in your general direction” at the screen.
Tickets for these are already on sale and you can purchase them here.
Monty Python’s Life Of Brian...
Forget your usual sing-along screenings of your favourite musical. You can go to a quote-along screening of Monty Python And The Holy Grail this February.
It’s been 48 (and a half) years since the iconic comedy premiered in cinemas. Starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin, Monthly Python And The Holy Grail marked the directorial debuts of Gilliam and Jones.
To mark the anniversary, the film is making a comeback in cinemas, but there will also be special quote-along screenings. They will give you an opportunity to shout out lines like “She’s a witch!” and “I fart in your general direction” at the screen.
Tickets for these are already on sale and you can purchase them here.
Monty Python’s Life Of Brian...
- 1/31/2024
- by Maria Lattila
- Film Stories
Monty Python's Life of Brian challenged religious taboos and sparked controversy. The film humorously explores the meaning of faith and mocks religious authorities. It encouraged critical thinking about religion and opened up discussions about the portrayal of Jesus in history.
Marking its 45th anniversary this year, Monty Python's Life of Brian serves as a jumping-off point for countless artistic and religious debates. Movies with religious themes tend to go one of two ways for filmmakers. You can either go with the safe option and treat your story with kid gloves, retelling dull, sanctioned hagiography. Or you can take the Martin Scorsese angle, and retell an old tale for a new age, inevitably riling up controversy.
Those viewing it today, unaware of the firestorm of self-righteousness that surrounded its debut in 1979, would be none the wiser. Life of Brian bears all the hallmarks of Monty Python's other tongue-in-cheek films. Sparked by an off-the-cuff joke,...
Marking its 45th anniversary this year, Monty Python's Life of Brian serves as a jumping-off point for countless artistic and religious debates. Movies with religious themes tend to go one of two ways for filmmakers. You can either go with the safe option and treat your story with kid gloves, retelling dull, sanctioned hagiography. Or you can take the Martin Scorsese angle, and retell an old tale for a new age, inevitably riling up controversy.
Those viewing it today, unaware of the firestorm of self-righteousness that surrounded its debut in 1979, would be none the wiser. Life of Brian bears all the hallmarks of Monty Python's other tongue-in-cheek films. Sparked by an off-the-cuff joke,...
- 1/25/2024
- by Nathan Williams
- MovieWeb
This past week saw the release of The Book of Clarence, a movie about a down-on-his-luck guy who hits upon a get-rich-quick scheme that leads him into a heap of trouble. It’s a classic topic for a movie, but it is treading on more controversial ground than usual. Because in the case of this story about a hustler getting in over his head, the hustle happens to be set around Israel and Palestine during the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth. In fact, that is Clarence’s whole scheme: He sees Jesus and decides to get into the messiah business.
This is not the first film to portray the story of one of Jesus’ fictional contemporaries. Monty Python’s Life of Brian attracted protests, controversy, and endless talk show guest slots over its portrayal of a man who was definitely not the messiah, just a very naughty boy.
This is not the first film to portray the story of one of Jesus’ fictional contemporaries. Monty Python’s Life of Brian attracted protests, controversy, and endless talk show guest slots over its portrayal of a man who was definitely not the messiah, just a very naughty boy.
- 1/18/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
The Book of Clarence, Jeymes Samuel’s follow-up to all-Black Western The Harder They Fall, is, without doubt, the funkiest biblical epic ever put on screen. The film, which opened across the U.S. on Friday, Jan. 12 — nicely nestled between Christmas and Easter — is a combination of comedy, drama and satire, at turns sacred and profane, a mash-up of Monty Python’s Life of Brian with sword-and-sandal epics of another era, from The Ten Commandments to The Robe.
Lakeith Stanfield leads an A-list cast — which includes James McAvoy, David Oyelowo, Anna Diop, Benedict Cumberbatch and Alfre Woodard — as the titular Clarence, a street hustler and religious skeptic in early A.D. Jerusalem who spots Jesus Christ preaching to the masses and thinks imitating a Messiah might be a way to make some easy cash. This is not your father’s biblical epic. Clarence likes to get high. A lot. There...
Lakeith Stanfield leads an A-list cast — which includes James McAvoy, David Oyelowo, Anna Diop, Benedict Cumberbatch and Alfre Woodard — as the titular Clarence, a street hustler and religious skeptic in early A.D. Jerusalem who spots Jesus Christ preaching to the masses and thinks imitating a Messiah might be a way to make some easy cash. This is not your father’s biblical epic. Clarence likes to get high. A lot. There...
- 1/15/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Plot: In A.D 33, Jerusalem, a hustler named Clarence (Lakeith Stanfield), thinks he’s found the perfect con – he’s going to pose as a new messiah. Yet, when the plan works better than expected, he finds something he never thought he would – faith.
Review: It’s interesting that people are comparing The Book of Clarence to Life of Brian, as other than the A.D 33 setting, they have next to nothing in common. When people heard Jeymes Samuel would be making an off-kilter comedy set at the time of Jesus Christ, they assumed it would be a hard-hitting satire. But the truth is that The Book of Clarence is ultimately a morality tale with heavy Christian themes. While the apostles may take a ribbing, Jesus himself is presented as an unassailably positive character. The result is a movie that will probably have a more challenging time crossing over to...
Review: It’s interesting that people are comparing The Book of Clarence to Life of Brian, as other than the A.D 33 setting, they have next to nothing in common. When people heard Jeymes Samuel would be making an off-kilter comedy set at the time of Jesus Christ, they assumed it would be a hard-hitting satire. But the truth is that The Book of Clarence is ultimately a morality tale with heavy Christian themes. While the apostles may take a ribbing, Jesus himself is presented as an unassailably positive character. The result is a movie that will probably have a more challenging time crossing over to...
- 1/12/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Pontius Pilate (James McAvoy) and Clarence (Lakeith Stanfield) in The Book Of Clarence. Courtesy of Sony
Director/writer Jeymes Samuel seems to have been inspired by those Hollywood’s long tradition of epic Biblical movies, like Ben Hur and The Robe to try his own version of those big-screen extravaganzas mixing Bible stories with adventure and action for The Book Of Clarence – but with a big comic twist. With a plenty of humor, some social commentary and with a mostly Black cast playing the Jewish population of “Lower Jerusalem” in 33 A.D., Jeymes Samuel aimed to create a new, entertaining version of this venerable movie genre. The result is a movie with one foot in something like Ben Hur crossed with Monty Python’s Life Of Brian, with a touch of Mel Brooks’ History Of The World Part 1. The Book Of Clarence is a cinematic creation that teeters precariously and...
Director/writer Jeymes Samuel seems to have been inspired by those Hollywood’s long tradition of epic Biblical movies, like Ben Hur and The Robe to try his own version of those big-screen extravaganzas mixing Bible stories with adventure and action for The Book Of Clarence – but with a big comic twist. With a plenty of humor, some social commentary and with a mostly Black cast playing the Jewish population of “Lower Jerusalem” in 33 A.D., Jeymes Samuel aimed to create a new, entertaining version of this venerable movie genre. The result is a movie with one foot in something like Ben Hur crossed with Monty Python’s Life Of Brian, with a touch of Mel Brooks’ History Of The World Part 1. The Book Of Clarence is a cinematic creation that teeters precariously and...
- 1/12/2024
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Jeymes Samuel, aka The Bullitts, directed a Western in 2021 called "The Harder They Fall," which took the names of real post-Civil War cowboys and gunslingers and put them into a highly stylized, highly fictionalized adventure story that was exhilarating to watch and refreshingly complex. What Samuel seemed to be doing was reclaiming the Western genre from the hands of boors like John Wayne and his associated "white savior" stories that, for many Hollywood generations, deliberately ignored the Black experience.
Samuel now takes a similar approach to the Hollywood Biblical epic with "The Book of Clarence," an exciting, ambitious, sloppy, but somewhat excellent New Testament remix, replete with a mishmash of tones, anachronisms, and interesting ideas. "Clarence" sees Jerusalem in Ad 33 as the setting of a modern crime drama, wherein the title character (Lakeith Stanfield) interacts with a slap-happy John the Baptist (David Oyelowo), his own bitter twin brother Thomas the...
Samuel now takes a similar approach to the Hollywood Biblical epic with "The Book of Clarence," an exciting, ambitious, sloppy, but somewhat excellent New Testament remix, replete with a mishmash of tones, anachronisms, and interesting ideas. "Clarence" sees Jerusalem in Ad 33 as the setting of a modern crime drama, wherein the title character (Lakeith Stanfield) interacts with a slap-happy John the Baptist (David Oyelowo), his own bitter twin brother Thomas the...
- 1/9/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Happy New Year! The first month of the year begins next week, and January means a few things in the world of movies: First off, there’s the Sundance Film Festival, where new movies and talent will be discovered that the rest of the world will have a chance to see over the rest of the year. There are also the Oscar nominations on January 23 which will become the focus of movie lovers for the next few weeks. There’s also the notorious myth that studios save all of their bad movies for January, which isn’t necessarily true, but one probably shouldn’t expect too many mega-blockbusters in the coming month. Read on for Gold Derby’s January 2024 box office preview.
“Mean Girls” (Paramount – Jan. 12)
Twenty years after Tina Fey made her jump into movies with the high school comedy on which this musical is based, people are still trying to make “fetch” happen.
“Mean Girls” (Paramount – Jan. 12)
Twenty years after Tina Fey made her jump into movies with the high school comedy on which this musical is based, people are still trying to make “fetch” happen.
- 12/29/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
Feel-good movies combine comedy and positive messages, leaving audiences smiling with happy endings and cheerful musical numbers. Genre doesn't limit uplifting stories, as even adventure movies and crime thrillers can evoke feelings of joy through a sense of fun. Movies like "Elf," "Ghostbusters," and "Mamma Mia" bring infectious joy and laughter with delightful performances, catchy music, and a great sense of humor.
Sometimes, people just need a fun movie to lift their spirits, and there are plenty of great options which are bound to leave their audiences smiling. The best feel-good movies are able to combine great comedy with a positive message. Happy endings are a necessity, since this will affect how audiences leave a movie. Plenty of feel-good movies end in a cheerful musical number for this exact reason. This can come across as cheesy, but if a movie earns this type of ending, then the audience are likely...
Sometimes, people just need a fun movie to lift their spirits, and there are plenty of great options which are bound to leave their audiences smiling. The best feel-good movies are able to combine great comedy with a positive message. Happy endings are a necessity, since this will affect how audiences leave a movie. Plenty of feel-good movies end in a cheerful musical number for this exact reason. This can come across as cheesy, but if a movie earns this type of ending, then the audience are likely...
- 12/26/2023
- by Ben Protheroe
- ScreenRant.com
Eagle Pictures and Studios de Paris owner says he is looking to partner with Saudi executives on film industry investments in the country
One of the most prominent international figures attending this year’s Red Sea is Tunisian-French producer, distributor and studio-owner Tarak Ben Ammar.
Ben Ammar, who brought over 60 movies such as Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Life of Brian to shoot in Tunisia, owns Italy’s production and distribution banner Eagle Pictures and French production facility Studios de Paris. Eagle Pictures recently co-produced The Equaliser 3 with Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Speaking to Screen, Ben Ammar compared...
One of the most prominent international figures attending this year’s Red Sea is Tunisian-French producer, distributor and studio-owner Tarak Ben Ammar.
Ben Ammar, who brought over 60 movies such as Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Life of Brian to shoot in Tunisia, owns Italy’s production and distribution banner Eagle Pictures and French production facility Studios de Paris. Eagle Pictures recently co-produced The Equaliser 3 with Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Speaking to Screen, Ben Ammar compared...
- 12/6/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
If you want a risk-taking Broadway musical that weaponizes disco-glamour to tell a story of crumbling democracy, I hope you already invested in a ticket to the immersion of "Here Lies Love" in its dying breath. If you want a work of artistic and personal self-reflection, see the "Merrily We Roll Along" revival. But if you hunger for Broadway-based belly laughs, you have two musical options: "Gutenberg! The Musical!" or the "Monty Python's Spamalot" revival.
"Lovingly ripped off" from the 1975 "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" as well as other "Monty Python" media, "Spamalot" reigned for 1,575 performances from its 2005 Broadway premiere. Transported from the Kennedy Center run in May 2023, this Broadway revival at the St. James Theatre serves up the oldies with adequate variance to its secondhand Pythonesque humor.
From the moment the Arthurian tale opens with an irrelevant Finland number, anyone who has not seen anything "Monty Python" is in for hijinks.
"Lovingly ripped off" from the 1975 "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" as well as other "Monty Python" media, "Spamalot" reigned for 1,575 performances from its 2005 Broadway premiere. Transported from the Kennedy Center run in May 2023, this Broadway revival at the St. James Theatre serves up the oldies with adequate variance to its secondhand Pythonesque humor.
From the moment the Arthurian tale opens with an irrelevant Finland number, anyone who has not seen anything "Monty Python" is in for hijinks.
- 11/29/2023
- by Caroline Cao
- Slash Film
The film Jesus might have bombed, but the real miracle would come a decade later, thanks to a resurrection on VHS. Everything you need to know about this Jesus-themed biopic film, you can tell from the title: Jesus. Alternately titled The Jesus Film, the directors were making it painfully transparent that they were not taking any liberties with the subject material. It did come with the odd marketing angle that the movie fixated on only one of the gospels from the Bible, The Book of Luke.
Under the Peter Sykes-John Krish directing duo, Jesus was released in the fall of 1979 to little fanfare. It was a competitive time for Jesus biopics. Godspell, Life of Brian, and Jesus Christ Superstar were just a few productions in a very congested market. All were looking to take advantage of provocative subject matter to sell new interpretations to new audiences who wouldn't be caught dead in Bible study class.
Under the Peter Sykes-John Krish directing duo, Jesus was released in the fall of 1979 to little fanfare. It was a competitive time for Jesus biopics. Godspell, Life of Brian, and Jesus Christ Superstar were just a few productions in a very congested market. All were looking to take advantage of provocative subject matter to sell new interpretations to new audiences who wouldn't be caught dead in Bible study class.
- 11/22/2023
- by Nathan Williams
- MovieWeb
With enough passion and grit, powerful, personal stories made one-man-band style can stand up against the best work of top Hollywood talent with far greater budgets.
Warwick Thornton’s “The New Boy,” inspired by his own experiences of being packed off to a Christian boarding school in Australia as a youngster, was in development for 18 years, finally coming together when Cate Blanchett read the script and suggested taking it on through her company Dirty Films. After working with him to adapt the lead role into the character of a nun who fills in for a priest whose death has been kept secret, the project began to come together, with newcomer actor Aswan Reid as the titular boy who begins to work wonders.
It just won the top Camerimage Film Festival prize, the Golden Frog, beating out work by some of Hollywood’s most lauded directors and cinematographers.
Thornton’s background...
Warwick Thornton’s “The New Boy,” inspired by his own experiences of being packed off to a Christian boarding school in Australia as a youngster, was in development for 18 years, finally coming together when Cate Blanchett read the script and suggested taking it on through her company Dirty Films. After working with him to adapt the lead role into the character of a nun who fills in for a priest whose death has been kept secret, the project began to come together, with newcomer actor Aswan Reid as the titular boy who begins to work wonders.
It just won the top Camerimage Film Festival prize, the Golden Frog, beating out work by some of Hollywood’s most lauded directors and cinematographers.
Thornton’s background...
- 11/20/2023
- by Will Tizard
- Variety Film + TV
Ancient Rome has been a popular subject in movies since the early days of silent films, with some of the world's earliest blockbusters being set in this time period. The best movies about Ancient Rome often have massive sets and budgets, which bring big risks but also awards recognition to the studios. From epic historical tales like Gladiator and Ben-Hur to unique stories like Risen and A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, there is a wide variety of movies about Ancient Rome across multiple decades, budgets, and genres.
Movies about Rome often bring to memory emperors, gladiators, Julius Caesar, and aristocrats. Many people also think of William Shakespeare, as the Bard himself wrote frequently on the subject in his plays. Outside of Shakespeare and adaptations of his work, Ancient Rome played a big role in massive studio movies since the early days of silent films. Some...
Movies about Rome often bring to memory emperors, gladiators, Julius Caesar, and aristocrats. Many people also think of William Shakespeare, as the Bard himself wrote frequently on the subject in his plays. Outside of Shakespeare and adaptations of his work, Ancient Rome played a big role in massive studio movies since the early days of silent films. Some...
- 11/16/2023
- by Shawn S. Lealos, Lindsay Michel
- ScreenRant.com
John Cleese, founder member of seminal British comedy group Monty Python, has said that they were “early targets of cancel culture.”
Cleese was speaking with The Sunday Times about his new Gb News chat show “The Dinosaur Hour,” which has an episode on cancel culture. Monty Python’s 1979 film “Life of Brian” caused a furore when it released among some members of the Christian community.
“You could say that we were early targets of cancel culture,” Cleese told The Sunday Times. “People don’t like to have their cherished ideas punctured or questioned. We all love to live in our own closed systems of thought, to be surrounded by people who think a bit like us. This is what happens on the internet too, where you get these blasted echo chambers. It’s why comedy is even more important today as a way of pricking those bubbles, opening them up,...
Cleese was speaking with The Sunday Times about his new Gb News chat show “The Dinosaur Hour,” which has an episode on cancel culture. Monty Python’s 1979 film “Life of Brian” caused a furore when it released among some members of the Christian community.
“You could say that we were early targets of cancel culture,” Cleese told The Sunday Times. “People don’t like to have their cherished ideas punctured or questioned. We all love to live in our own closed systems of thought, to be surrounded by people who think a bit like us. This is what happens on the internet too, where you get these blasted echo chambers. It’s why comedy is even more important today as a way of pricking those bubbles, opening them up,...
- 10/30/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Festival completes its 2023 programme.
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has unveiled the juries for its 27th edition, with jurors including Danish star Trine Dyrholm, and John Altman, who has worked on the music for Titanic, Life Of Brian and No Time To Die.
Jury head Dyrholm and English composer Altman are on the official selection competition jury, alongside filmmakers Xie Fei from China, Hilmar Oddson from Iceland, and Inna Sahakyan from Armenia.
The first feature competition jury consists of Mexican producer Nicolas Celis of Pimienta Films, who heads that jury, alongside Diana Ilijine, former Filmfest Munchen director; Chinese filmmaker Ran Huang...
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has unveiled the juries for its 27th edition, with jurors including Danish star Trine Dyrholm, and John Altman, who has worked on the music for Titanic, Life Of Brian and No Time To Die.
Jury head Dyrholm and English composer Altman are on the official selection competition jury, alongside filmmakers Xie Fei from China, Hilmar Oddson from Iceland, and Inna Sahakyan from Armenia.
The first feature competition jury consists of Mexican producer Nicolas Celis of Pimienta Films, who heads that jury, alongside Diana Ilijine, former Filmfest Munchen director; Chinese filmmaker Ran Huang...
- 10/27/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Trine Dryholm Photo: Courtesy of Poff Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) has announced the juries for this year's edition as well as the rest of its line-up. Danish star Trine Dyrholm (Margrete - Queen Of The North) will head the official jury alongside composer John Altman (Life Of Brian) and directors, Xie Fei (The Women From The Lake of Scented Souls), Hilmar Oddson (Driving Mum) and Inna Sahakyan (Aurora's Sunrise).
In total, 185 feature films from 73 countries will be screened. Youth and Children sub-festival Just Film will show 51 feature films, 37 shorts and six animated films. PÖFF Shorts sub-festival will present 240 short films. Among them will be 51 world premieres and 24 international premieres.
There are five competition sections in total, with the First Feature jury headed by Nicolás Celis, the founder of the Mexico City based Pimienta Films, while the Critics' Picks competition will be headed by Dina...
In total, 185 feature films from 73 countries will be screened. Youth and Children sub-festival Just Film will show 51 feature films, 37 shorts and six animated films. PÖFF Shorts sub-festival will present 240 short films. Among them will be 51 world premieres and 24 international premieres.
There are five competition sections in total, with the First Feature jury headed by Nicolás Celis, the founder of the Mexico City based Pimienta Films, while the Critics' Picks competition will be headed by Dina...
- 10/27/2023
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
John Cleese is best known as a member of the British comedy troupe Monty Python. Let’s look back at the Oscar-nominated funnyman and his 12 greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1939 in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, England, Cleese rose to prominence thanks to the British sketch series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” which ran for four seasons on the BBC from 1969-1974. The troupe — which also included Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin — revolutionized comedy with their surreal, experimental sketches, the best of which were assembled into the film “And Now for Something Completely Different” (1971). This led to other cinematic outings, including “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975), “Life of Brian” (1979) and “The Meaning of Life” (1983).
Cleese achieved big screen success of his own with “A Fish Called Wanda” (1988), which he wrote and starred in as an uptight English barrister who becomes entangled in an elaborate...
Born in 1939 in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, England, Cleese rose to prominence thanks to the British sketch series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” which ran for four seasons on the BBC from 1969-1974. The troupe — which also included Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin — revolutionized comedy with their surreal, experimental sketches, the best of which were assembled into the film “And Now for Something Completely Different” (1971). This led to other cinematic outings, including “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975), “Life of Brian” (1979) and “The Meaning of Life” (1983).
Cleese achieved big screen success of his own with “A Fish Called Wanda” (1988), which he wrote and starred in as an uptight English barrister who becomes entangled in an elaborate...
- 10/21/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2023 London Film Festival. Sony releases the film in theaters on Friday, January 12.
Presenting the story of a struggling “nobody” whose exploits run parallel with those of Jesus of Nazareth in AD33, “The Book of Clarence” is less “Life of Brian” and more a fan-fiction version of the gospels, though the eponymous star of Jeymes Samuel’s latest film (played by Lakeith Stanfield) does share the Monty Python protagonist’s co-living situation with his mother (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). And, much like Brian, he’s a “very naughty boy,” at least early on.
Unlike “Life of Brian” or Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ,” Samuel’s New Testament reworking is unlikely to offend anyone of Christian faith, outside of outright racists or people who strongly object to use of the term “motherfucker.” Giving the final days of Christ a contemporary, allegorical spin,...
Presenting the story of a struggling “nobody” whose exploits run parallel with those of Jesus of Nazareth in AD33, “The Book of Clarence” is less “Life of Brian” and more a fan-fiction version of the gospels, though the eponymous star of Jeymes Samuel’s latest film (played by Lakeith Stanfield) does share the Monty Python protagonist’s co-living situation with his mother (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). And, much like Brian, he’s a “very naughty boy,” at least early on.
Unlike “Life of Brian” or Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ,” Samuel’s New Testament reworking is unlikely to offend anyone of Christian faith, outside of outright racists or people who strongly object to use of the term “motherfucker.” Giving the final days of Christ a contemporary, allegorical spin,...
- 10/12/2023
- by Josh Slater-Williams
- Indiewire
At a time when breakthrough directors can only get incorporated into the studio system via micro-managed franchise blockbusters, it certainly pays to be friends with Jay-Z. The rap mogul is one of the lead producers on both films by Jeymes Samuel––the producer-turned-auteur who previously gave us the Netflix western The Harder They Fall––and his clout is, I assume, largely the reason a relatively untested filmmaker has been allowed to make big-budget, original projects in genres unfashionable among contemporary Hollywood. After a middling attempt to reinvigorate the Western, Samuel is setting his sights on the Biblical epic with The Book of Clarence, which has more than a few nods to Cecil B. DeMille but wants to make clear it is approaching this faith-based genre with an irreverence best described as “Life of Brian, but PG-13 friendly.”
Samuel’s debut was a classic case of style over substance: a well-intentioned...
Samuel’s debut was a classic case of style over substance: a well-intentioned...
- 10/12/2023
- by Alistair Ryder
- The Film Stage
London film festival: Jeymes Samuel’s wacky counter-gospel action adventure delivers some good turns but drifts into piety
Once Upon a Time in Judea is the setting for this watchable new comedy at the London film festival from film-maker and musician Jeymes Samuel, that talented and prolific multihyphenate who just two years ago opened the Lff with his feature debut The Harder They Fall.
The followup is a wacky counter-gospel action adventure about a little-known rival to Jesus, an alternative, dope-dealing Chosen One called Clarence; all taking place in the Holy Land at the time of Christ’s crucifixion. It’s a sort of stoner-spaghetti eastern, with some nice gags, sprightly cameos, monolithic Bible-movie credits, chariot races, gladiator contests, Roman soldiers in silly uniforms and holy men with long straggly hair.
Samuel pays explicit tribute to Monty Python’s Life of Brian with a bit of a dialogue riff...
Once Upon a Time in Judea is the setting for this watchable new comedy at the London film festival from film-maker and musician Jeymes Samuel, that talented and prolific multihyphenate who just two years ago opened the Lff with his feature debut The Harder They Fall.
The followup is a wacky counter-gospel action adventure about a little-known rival to Jesus, an alternative, dope-dealing Chosen One called Clarence; all taking place in the Holy Land at the time of Christ’s crucifixion. It’s a sort of stoner-spaghetti eastern, with some nice gags, sprightly cameos, monolithic Bible-movie credits, chariot races, gladiator contests, Roman soldiers in silly uniforms and holy men with long straggly hair.
Samuel pays explicit tribute to Monty Python’s Life of Brian with a bit of a dialogue riff...
- 10/12/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
A lost pre-Monty Python comedy series called A Complete and Utter History of Britain has been recovered by ITV after being mis-catalogued for decades. The series was a spoof documentary of the British Isles and was filmed as a seven-part series, but only the first two episodes were thought to have survived past its original broadcast. A Complete and Utter History of Britain laid the groundwork for Monty Python's later work, as it parodied British history in a similar vein to their movies and shows.
A decades old British comedy show featuring Monty Python’s Michael Palin and Terry Jones is recovered after it was thought to be long lost. Jones and Palin were two of Monty Python’s six founding cast members, which also included Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gillam, and Eric Idle. As a comedy troupe, Monty Python begin their act through the sketch comedy show...
A decades old British comedy show featuring Monty Python’s Michael Palin and Terry Jones is recovered after it was thought to be long lost. Jones and Palin were two of Monty Python’s six founding cast members, which also included Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gillam, and Eric Idle. As a comedy troupe, Monty Python begin their act through the sketch comedy show...
- 10/3/2023
- by Hannah Gearan
- ScreenRant.com
It's nothing short of a miracle that anything nearly as weird as "Monty Python's Flying Circus" became a pop culture phenomenon. In the BBC television series that ran from 1969 to 1974, comedians Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin, along with animator Terry Gilliam and frequent co-stars Carol Cleveland and Connie Booth, obliterated all sense of sanity on the airwaves.
Their sketch comedy show — which had neither circuses, pythons, nor a character named "Monty" — crafted off-the-wall sketches about every strange thing they could think of. Silly walks, Hungarian phrase books, and how not to be seen were just the tip of the very absurd iceberg, and the comedy troupe's absolute dedication to defying convention remains, to this day, a gold standard to which any comedian can aspire.
Monty Python didn't stay on the airwaves forever. The troupe created four feature films together over the course of twelve years,...
Their sketch comedy show — which had neither circuses, pythons, nor a character named "Monty" — crafted off-the-wall sketches about every strange thing they could think of. Silly walks, Hungarian phrase books, and how not to be seen were just the tip of the very absurd iceberg, and the comedy troupe's absolute dedication to defying convention remains, to this day, a gold standard to which any comedian can aspire.
Monty Python didn't stay on the airwaves forever. The troupe created four feature films together over the course of twelve years,...
- 8/30/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
"Knowledge is stronger than belief!" Sony Pictures has unveiled the glorious first look teaser trailer for The Book of Clarence, the new film from filmmaker Jeymes Samuel - who last made the slick Black western The Harder They Fall (big fan of this one). This time he's bringing us a biblical musical epic called The Book of Clarence, a clever story set during the times of Jesus. A down on his luck Jerusalemite embarks on a misguided attempt to capitalize on the rise of celebrity and influence the Messiah for his own personal gain. The journey leads him on an exploration of faith and an unexpected path. Lakeith Stanfield stars in this film as Clarence, streetwise but down-on-his-luck guy who decides to start his own religion; with a full cast including Omar Sy, Anna Diop, Rj Cyler, David Oyelowo, Micheal Ward, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Marianne Jean-Baptiste,...
- 8/29/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Christian Bale worked with Alien director Ridley Scott on Exodus: Gods and Kings, which was an adaptation of the famous biblical story. But Bale thought Scott might have been freaked out by his star’s appearance for their feature.
Christian Bale felt that he made Ridley Scott panic because of his looks Christian Bale | Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Bale felt he might have made a bad impression after being cast in Scott’s biblical epic Exodus. The actor has been known to change his physique for his films. So physically, Bale didn’t think he had the look Scott wanted for his Moses. Bale put on a significant amount of weight to play his lead role in American Hustle.
Meanwhile, Moses was supposed to carry a much more slight physique. It didn’t help that Bale’s performance was going to follow Charlton Heston’s take on Moses in The Ten Commandments.
Christian Bale felt that he made Ridley Scott panic because of his looks Christian Bale | Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Bale felt he might have made a bad impression after being cast in Scott’s biblical epic Exodus. The actor has been known to change his physique for his films. So physically, Bale didn’t think he had the look Scott wanted for his Moses. Bale put on a significant amount of weight to play his lead role in American Hustle.
Meanwhile, Moses was supposed to carry a much more slight physique. It didn’t help that Bale’s performance was going to follow Charlton Heston’s take on Moses in The Ten Commandments.
- 8/26/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Directors often make appearances in their own movies, whether it's for personal reasons or as a playful gesture to the audience. Some directors, like Alfred Hitchcock, opt for subtle cameos while others, like Quentin Tarantino, take on substantial supporting roles in their films. It's not uncommon for directors to cast themselves in major roles or even write parts specifically for themselves, like Ben Affleck and M. Night Shyamalan.
Some of cinema’s greatest directors have a penchant for making appearances in their own movies. The director’s job is a layered one. More than the writer or producer, it’s the director who shoulders responsibility for a project. If it is well received, they get the praise; if it comes out poorly, they get the blame. For better or worse, the director generally holds the most visible behind-the-camera role in filmmaking; sometimes, the director decides to amplify this visibility by...
Some of cinema’s greatest directors have a penchant for making appearances in their own movies. The director’s job is a layered one. More than the writer or producer, it’s the director who shoulders responsibility for a project. If it is well received, they get the praise; if it comes out poorly, they get the blame. For better or worse, the director generally holds the most visible behind-the-camera role in filmmaking; sometimes, the director decides to amplify this visibility by...
- 8/7/2023
- by Seb Flatau
- ScreenRant.com
Tarak Ben Ammar has big plans for Italy. The Franco-Tunisian film and TV mogul is already a major player in the Italian industry thanks to Eagle Pictures, the production and distribution group he acquired in 2007 that is now Italy’s largest independent distributor due to exclusive distribution deals with Paramount and Sony Pictures for the territory. Ben Ammar joined Tom Cruise on the Rome red carpet for the June 19 world premiere of Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One and later introduced Cruise to new Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni. “The meeting [between Cruise and Meloni] was very interesting. The prime minister knows a lot about cinema,” says Ben Ammar about the far-right leader.
Alongside Eagle’s distribution deals, the company has also partnered with Sony to co-produce six films together, including The Equalizer 3, the latest in Antoine Fuqua’s action franchise starring Denzel Washington that was shot entirely in Italy.
Alongside Eagle’s distribution deals, the company has also partnered with Sony to co-produce six films together, including The Equalizer 3, the latest in Antoine Fuqua’s action franchise starring Denzel Washington that was shot entirely in Italy.
- 8/3/2023
- by Pino Gagliardi
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
From the unfaithful ending of the Watchmen film to the surname appropriation at the end of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, there are plenty of controversial movie endings. Endings are always tricky, because they have to resolve the film’s themes and narrative in a satisfying way. Twist endings don’t always feel earned, or land the way they’re intended to land. Some movie endings are wildly controversial, either because they deal with offensive subject matter, like the lighthearted crucifixion at the end of Monty Python’s Life of Brian, or because they fail to provide closure, like the anticlimax of The Devil Inside.
There are many reasons why an ending might divide audiences. If it’s a remake or adaptation that alters the ending of the source material, the new ending might be deemed to be inferior. If it’s too ambiguous and leaves too many questions unanswered,...
There are many reasons why an ending might divide audiences. If it’s a remake or adaptation that alters the ending of the source material, the new ending might be deemed to be inferior. If it’s too ambiguous and leaves too many questions unanswered,...
- 8/2/2023
- by Ben Sherlock
- ScreenRant.com
Director John McTiernan recently revealed how Arnold Schwarzenegger's unproduced Sgt. Rock movie was crushed by John Cleese. According to author Nick de Semlyan's new book The Last Action Heroes (via JoBlo), Sgt. Rock was being developed in 1988 and 1989 with the Terminator 2: Judgment Day actor set to star in the film. However, attempting to cast Cleese in the movie ultimately ended up shutting down the entire project.
The fictional character Sgt. Rock was first created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert. Sgt. Franklin John Rock made his debut in DC Comic's Our Army at War #83 which came out in June of 1959. The character was a World War II American solider who served as an infantry officer and led the unit known as Easy Company. Unlike some other popular comic characters, Sgt. Rock did not possess any supernatural skills or abilities.
In Semlyan's book, McTiernan, revealed that the Monty Python...
The fictional character Sgt. Rock was first created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert. Sgt. Franklin John Rock made his debut in DC Comic's Our Army at War #83 which came out in June of 1959. The character was a World War II American solider who served as an infantry officer and led the unit known as Easy Company. Unlike some other popular comic characters, Sgt. Rock did not possess any supernatural skills or abilities.
In Semlyan's book, McTiernan, revealed that the Monty Python...
- 7/26/2023
- by Shari Hirsch
- MovieWeb
One bad episode can ruin the reputation of a fan-favorite TV show and signal the beginning of its downfall. Shows like The Simpsons and The Walking Dead suffered declines in quality due to controversial episodes, such as the gruesome death of a beloved character. Some shows, like Stranger Things, were able to recover from a bad episode and improve their overall quality in subsequent seasons.
When a popular TV show like The Simpsons or The Walking Dead suffers a tragic downfall and loses its magic, the failure can usually be traced back to one polarizing episode. It’s common for TV shows to reach a peak somewhere in the middle of their run and gradually go downhill afterward. Whether the writers ran out of good ideas and started “jumping the shark," an actor who was crucial to the series’ success left the cast, or a beloved character was killed off...
When a popular TV show like The Simpsons or The Walking Dead suffers a tragic downfall and loses its magic, the failure can usually be traced back to one polarizing episode. It’s common for TV shows to reach a peak somewhere in the middle of their run and gradually go downhill afterward. Whether the writers ran out of good ideas and started “jumping the shark," an actor who was crucial to the series’ success left the cast, or a beloved character was killed off...
- 7/26/2023
- by Ben Sherlock
- ScreenRant.com
There are few groups that are both as beloved and problematic as Monty Python. The British group created some of the most iconic comedies of the 20th century.
Their film The Meaning of Life is widely regarded as one of their best. But how does it compare to modern comedy?
What Was Monty Python?
The group of five British men and one American came together in 1969 to create the zany show Monty Python’s Flying Circus. The show consisted of sketches often completely out of the ordinary and skewered society in a way that no mainstream show had dared to before.
Related: Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Best Sketches, Ranked
The players consisted of Terry Jones, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, John Cleese, and Graham Chapman. The group disbanded and came together multiple times for live events and projects. A few have died, and those that are left have...
Their film The Meaning of Life is widely regarded as one of their best. But how does it compare to modern comedy?
What Was Monty Python?
The group of five British men and one American came together in 1969 to create the zany show Monty Python’s Flying Circus. The show consisted of sketches often completely out of the ordinary and skewered society in a way that no mainstream show had dared to before.
Related: Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Best Sketches, Ranked
The players consisted of Terry Jones, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, John Cleese, and Graham Chapman. The group disbanded and came together multiple times for live events and projects. A few have died, and those that are left have...
- 7/22/2023
- by Lee LaMarche
- MovieWeb
Camerimage Film Festival, which is devoted to the art of cinematography, is to pay tribute to Peter Biziou. The British cinematographer, who won an Oscar for “Mississippi Burning,” and was BAFTA nominated for “The Truman Show,” will receive the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Biziou, the son of cinematographer-animator Leon Bijou, started his career at an animation company in London. In the mid-sixties, he started to light film sets for commercials and shorts, which helped foster “his innate intuition and his courage to implement innovation,” the festival said. He worked with the likes of Len Fulford, Bob Brooks, Terence Donovan, John Swannell and Frank Budgen.
His work with fashion photographer Robert Freeman brought an invitation for Biziou to be in charge of the visuals on Freeman’s fiction film debut, 1969’s “Secret World,” starring Jacqueline Bisset, which was well-received.
He then worked on Alan Parker’s “Bugsy Malone” (1976), Terry Jones...
Biziou, the son of cinematographer-animator Leon Bijou, started his career at an animation company in London. In the mid-sixties, he started to light film sets for commercials and shorts, which helped foster “his innate intuition and his courage to implement innovation,” the festival said. He worked with the likes of Len Fulford, Bob Brooks, Terence Donovan, John Swannell and Frank Budgen.
His work with fashion photographer Robert Freeman brought an invitation for Biziou to be in charge of the visuals on Freeman’s fiction film debut, 1969’s “Secret World,” starring Jacqueline Bisset, which was well-received.
He then worked on Alan Parker’s “Bugsy Malone” (1976), Terry Jones...
- 7/19/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Cinematographer Peter Biziou — who earned an Oscar and BAFTA for Alan Parker-directed 1988 film Mississippi Burning — will receive the lifetime achievement award at the 31st EnergaCamerimage international festival of cinematography, which returns to Turun, Poland, in November.
Biziou’s credits include Peter Weir’s The Truman Show, for which he earned an additional BAFTA nom, and several films with Parker, including Bugsy Malone (shared with Dp Michael Seresin) and Pink Floyd: The Wall.
His other notable credits also include Monty Python’s Life of Brian, helmed by Terry Jones; Time Bandits, directed by Terry Gilliam; Another Country, by Merek Kanievska; and In the Name of the Father, by Jim Sheridan.
Born in Wales in 1944, Biziou’s family was evacuated during WWII. His father, Leon Bijou, was a cinematographer, special effects, animation pro and an assistant director who worked with Richard Thorpe on 1952’s Ivanhoe.
Following his return to post-war London,...
Biziou’s credits include Peter Weir’s The Truman Show, for which he earned an additional BAFTA nom, and several films with Parker, including Bugsy Malone (shared with Dp Michael Seresin) and Pink Floyd: The Wall.
His other notable credits also include Monty Python’s Life of Brian, helmed by Terry Jones; Time Bandits, directed by Terry Gilliam; Another Country, by Merek Kanievska; and In the Name of the Father, by Jim Sheridan.
Born in Wales in 1944, Biziou’s family was evacuated during WWII. His father, Leon Bijou, was a cinematographer, special effects, animation pro and an assistant director who worked with Richard Thorpe on 1952’s Ivanhoe.
Following his return to post-war London,...
- 7/19/2023
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
British Cinematographer Peter Biziou, known for his work on pics like The Truman Show and Mississippi Burning, is the recipient of the lifetime achievement award this year at Poland’s Camerimage film festival.
Biziou was born in 1944 in Bangor, Caernarvonshire County, Wales. His family had been evacuated during the Second World War. His father was the cinematographer and special effects artist Leon Bijou who worked with Richard Thorpe on Ivanhoe (1952) and Adrian Lyne on Foxes (1980).
Beyond The Truman Show, Biziou’s credits include Monthy Python’s Life of Brian, Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits (1981), Nine ½ Weeks Lyne (1986), Unfaithful (2002), and A World Apart (1987). Biziou has also lensed pics including Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990), City of Joy (1992), Damage (1992), Richard III (1995), Ladies in Lavender (2004), Derailed (2005), and Mississippi Burning (1998), for which he won the Best Cinematography Oscar.
Peter Biziou
Biziou is set to attend the fest held in Torun, Poland, to accept the award...
Biziou was born in 1944 in Bangor, Caernarvonshire County, Wales. His family had been evacuated during the Second World War. His father was the cinematographer and special effects artist Leon Bijou who worked with Richard Thorpe on Ivanhoe (1952) and Adrian Lyne on Foxes (1980).
Beyond The Truman Show, Biziou’s credits include Monthy Python’s Life of Brian, Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits (1981), Nine ½ Weeks Lyne (1986), Unfaithful (2002), and A World Apart (1987). Biziou has also lensed pics including Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990), City of Joy (1992), Damage (1992), Richard III (1995), Ladies in Lavender (2004), Derailed (2005), and Mississippi Burning (1998), for which he won the Best Cinematography Oscar.
Peter Biziou
Biziou is set to attend the fest held in Torun, Poland, to accept the award...
- 7/19/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Monty Python star John Cleese has revealed he plans to ditch the famous song ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ from his new stage adaptation of religious satire The Life Of Brian.
One of the most memorable scenes from the 1979 hit film was the finale when Brian (Graham Chapman) and his disciples broke into the song as they were being crucified.
Cleese told the UK’s Mail on Sunday that he considered the scene “too predictable.” He said:
“It was shocking in 1979. It was absolutely astonishing.
“People thought it was hilarious, they screamed with laughter. Well, nobody is going to be shocked now – the joke is 40 years old.
“People do love the song but do we want to end with something that’s completely predictable?”
And Cleese added that he will also ditch the scene where ‘Romans Go Home’ is written in graffiti, because the language is much...
One of the most memorable scenes from the 1979 hit film was the finale when Brian (Graham Chapman) and his disciples broke into the song as they were being crucified.
Cleese told the UK’s Mail on Sunday that he considered the scene “too predictable.” He said:
“It was shocking in 1979. It was absolutely astonishing.
“People thought it was hilarious, they screamed with laughter. Well, nobody is going to be shocked now – the joke is 40 years old.
“People do love the song but do we want to end with something that’s completely predictable?”
And Cleese added that he will also ditch the scene where ‘Romans Go Home’ is written in graffiti, because the language is much...
- 6/25/2023
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
John Cleese is clarifying the status of a controversial and allegedly transphobic scene in film “Life of Brian.”
Cleese, who confirmed he is adapting the 1979 comedy into a stage play, responded to a Daily Mail report claiming that he was strongly encouraged to cut a sequence involving a man asking to be called Loretta and talking about wanting to give birth.
The “Monty Python” star took to Twitter to slam the “misreporting” over the scene potentially being cut to appease modern audiences.
“A few days ago I spoke to an audience outside London. I told them I was adapting the ‘Life of Brian’ so that we could do it as a stage show (Not a musical),” Cleese wrote. “I said that we’d had a table-reading of the latest draft in NYC a year ago. All the actors — several of them Tony winners — had advised me strongly to cut the Loretta scene.
Cleese, who confirmed he is adapting the 1979 comedy into a stage play, responded to a Daily Mail report claiming that he was strongly encouraged to cut a sequence involving a man asking to be called Loretta and talking about wanting to give birth.
The “Monty Python” star took to Twitter to slam the “misreporting” over the scene potentially being cut to appease modern audiences.
“A few days ago I spoke to an audience outside London. I told them I was adapting the ‘Life of Brian’ so that we could do it as a stage show (Not a musical),” Cleese wrote. “I said that we’d had a table-reading of the latest draft in NYC a year ago. All the actors — several of them Tony winners — had advised me strongly to cut the Loretta scene.
- 5/30/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
“Monty Python’s Life of Brian” star and cowriter John Cleese claims he never said he would cut a scene that many consider offensive to the trans community from the upcoming stage adaptation of his 1979 film.
What’s become known as the “Loretta” scene features one of the male characters declaring that he wants to be a woman and he asks his friends to call him Loretta from then on. The punchlines therein rely on humor that has not aged well with transgender activists and allies, as the scene is dismissive of trans people.
Cleese wrote Thursday that at a table reading of his upcoming stage adaptation of “Life of Brian” last year, he was “advised” to cut the Loretta scene — a proposition that he has “no intention” of considering.
“A few days ago I spoke to an audience outside of London. I told them I was adapting the ‘Life of Brian...
What’s become known as the “Loretta” scene features one of the male characters declaring that he wants to be a woman and he asks his friends to call him Loretta from then on. The punchlines therein rely on humor that has not aged well with transgender activists and allies, as the scene is dismissive of trans people.
Cleese wrote Thursday that at a table reading of his upcoming stage adaptation of “Life of Brian” last year, he was “advised” to cut the Loretta scene — a proposition that he has “no intention” of considering.
“A few days ago I spoke to an audience outside of London. I told them I was adapting the ‘Life of Brian...
- 5/29/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Monty Python star John Cleese has expressed disdain for modern sensibilities and “PC culture” on several occasions in recent years. The comedian found a new battleground for those convictions by claiming that his plans to mount a stage adaptation of the 1979 comedy “Life of Brian” have been “misreported” by the Daily Mail (in a now amended article), particularly in regards to the potential decision to revive a controversial scene involving a transgender character.
Cleese shared his thoughts in a series of unthreaded posts on Twitter last Thursday.
“A few days ago I spoke to an audience outside London. I told them I was adapting the ‘Life of Brian’ so that we could do it as a stage show (Not a musical). I said that we’d had a table-reading of the latest draft in NYC a year ago,” Cleese wrote. “All the actors — several of them Tony winners — had advised...
Cleese shared his thoughts in a series of unthreaded posts on Twitter last Thursday.
“A few days ago I spoke to an audience outside London. I told them I was adapting the ‘Life of Brian’ so that we could do it as a stage show (Not a musical). I said that we’d had a table-reading of the latest draft in NYC a year ago,” Cleese wrote. “All the actors — several of them Tony winners — had advised...
- 5/29/2023
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
‘Monty Python’ Star John Cleese Says ‘Life Of Brian’ Scene Won’t Be Cut Despite Modern Sensitivities
The Monty Python crew always looked on the bright side of life when it came to its classic film parody, The Life of Brian.
But Monty Python star John Cleese insists he never said that he would remove a politically incorrect scene from a stage adaptation of Life of Brian, even though the film’s 1979 sensibilities will not draw quite the laughs it once did, owing to the rise of trans issues awareness.
Cleese claims it was “misreported” that he was planning to cut the “Loretta” scene for an upcoming stage adaptation of the religious satire film. Instead, he said he has “no intention” of removing it.
The scene in question features a male character declaring that he wants to be woman named “Loretta,” and wants to have a child. Cleese’s character tells the man that the notion is ridiculous, while another suggets that they all advocate for his right to childbearing.
But Monty Python star John Cleese insists he never said that he would remove a politically incorrect scene from a stage adaptation of Life of Brian, even though the film’s 1979 sensibilities will not draw quite the laughs it once did, owing to the rise of trans issues awareness.
Cleese claims it was “misreported” that he was planning to cut the “Loretta” scene for an upcoming stage adaptation of the religious satire film. Instead, he said he has “no intention” of removing it.
The scene in question features a male character declaring that he wants to be woman named “Loretta,” and wants to have a child. Cleese’s character tells the man that the notion is ridiculous, while another suggets that they all advocate for his right to childbearing.
- 5/28/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
A stage production of Monty Python's Life of Brian is in the works, but long-time member Eric Idle says he's uninvolved and suggested that his song "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" has been cut.
Idle took to Twitter to correct a news story originally written by The Daily Mail, which claims that a Life of Brian stage show will open in London in 2024. The report says that Idle and fellow Monty Python member John Cleese are putting the production together and that the film's famous song will appear during the show. However, Idle said that he has "nothing at all to do with this production or adaptation," and that Cleese "has cut the song." Fans voiced support for Idle in the replies.
Related: How Monty Python Inspired Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
I have nothing at all to do with this production or adaptation,. Apparently Cleese has cut the song.
Idle took to Twitter to correct a news story originally written by The Daily Mail, which claims that a Life of Brian stage show will open in London in 2024. The report says that Idle and fellow Monty Python member John Cleese are putting the production together and that the film's famous song will appear during the show. However, Idle said that he has "nothing at all to do with this production or adaptation," and that Cleese "has cut the song." Fans voiced support for Idle in the replies.
Related: How Monty Python Inspired Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
I have nothing at all to do with this production or adaptation,. Apparently Cleese has cut the song.
- 5/22/2023
- by Jonathan Kesh
- Comic Book Resources
Twenty-five years ago, before they made their seminal cop comedy "Super Troopers," comedy troupe Broken Lizard were tossing around ideas based on a character who was a lovable loser who managed to become a hero. Fast-forward to today, and those ideas have solidified in the form of "Quasi," a satirical take on "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" that traps hunchback Quasimodo (Steve Lemme) in a battle between the King of France (Jay Chandrasekhar) and the Pope (Paul Soter). If you ever wanted to see the guys behind "Beerfest" and "Club Dread" tackle medieval history with their unique brand of sweet stoner humor, then "Quasi" is the flick for you, and it's hitting Hulu on April 20, 2023, just in time for the holiest of pot-smoking holidays.
I had the chance to chat with Broken Lizard and ask them all about this cinematic adventure 25 years in the making. They shared the highs and lows of playing multiple roles,...
I had the chance to chat with Broken Lizard and ask them all about this cinematic adventure 25 years in the making. They shared the highs and lows of playing multiple roles,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Further new releases to make the top five include ‘Air’ and ’The Pope’s Exorcist’.
Rank Film (distributor) Three-day gross (Apr 7-9) Total gross to date Week 1. Super Mario Bros: The Movie (Universal) £8.7m £19.8m 1 2. Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (eOne) £1.6m £8.2m 2 3. John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate) £1.3m £13.4m 3 4. Air (Warner Bros) £807,693 £1.6m 1 5. The Pope’s Exorcist (Sony) £689,666 £921,015 1
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.24
Super Mario Bros: The Movie blasted the competition at the UK-Ireland box office during the Easter bank holiday weekend, taking £8.7m from 720 locations for Universal –the biggest wide release for an animation in the territory.
This gives...
Rank Film (distributor) Three-day gross (Apr 7-9) Total gross to date Week 1. Super Mario Bros: The Movie (Universal) £8.7m £19.8m 1 2. Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (eOne) £1.6m £8.2m 2 3. John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate) £1.3m £13.4m 3 4. Air (Warner Bros) £807,693 £1.6m 1 5. The Pope’s Exorcist (Sony) £689,666 £921,015 1
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.24
Super Mario Bros: The Movie blasted the competition at the UK-Ireland box office during the Easter bank holiday weekend, taking £8.7m from 720 locations for Universal –the biggest wide release for an animation in the territory.
This gives...
- 4/11/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
A more valid criterion will be to see how its influence survives today, or say, how at home we would be if we are somehow sent back to one of these civilisations?
On both these standards, ancient Rome, say in the late Republican period (1st century Bce), could well qualify.
In Rome of this period, you would find yourself in a large sprawling city, where plush neighbourhoods with elegant villas are interspersed with more crowded areas full of multi-storey buildings, streets teem with people from all over the known world, there are markets and various services, common people eagerly follow and gossip over the foibles of the rich and famous, are swayed by sops and entertainment spectacles, stay keenly involved in governance which, however, is largely a preserve of professional politicians with issues over public works, food subsidies, corruption et al predominating.
Unlike most other ancient civilisations across Europe, Asia,...
On both these standards, ancient Rome, say in the late Republican period (1st century Bce), could well qualify.
In Rome of this period, you would find yourself in a large sprawling city, where plush neighbourhoods with elegant villas are interspersed with more crowded areas full of multi-storey buildings, streets teem with people from all over the known world, there are markets and various services, common people eagerly follow and gossip over the foibles of the rich and famous, are swayed by sops and entertainment spectacles, stay keenly involved in governance which, however, is largely a preserve of professional politicians with issues over public works, food subsidies, corruption et al predominating.
Unlike most other ancient civilisations across Europe, Asia,...
- 4/9/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
On the surface, Monty Python's Life of Brian is an irreverent take on the life of Christ, criticized as a comedy rife with blasphemy and sacrilege, resulting in the film being banned in numerous countries (we'll get to that). But as any Monty Python fan knows, there is a far deeper level to the film that purposefully avoids direct correlation with Christ, shines a light on the hypocrisy, in-fighting and absurdity of his followers, and elements that border on the prophetic. Life of Brian speaks volumes about Christianity, including a brilliantly simple summation of what Christ's sacrifice means to the faithful. The Passion of the Christ may be the film that more accurately depicts the events of Easter, but Life of Brian is the Easter film we need.
- 4/8/2023
- by Lloyd Farley
- Collider.com
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