[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:05] Speaker B: Welcome to five Minute Film Finder, brought to you by Pioneer Library System.
[00:00:13] Speaker A: Hello and welcome to five Minute Film Finder, a Pioneer Library System podcast where we talk about movies you can watch with your Pioneer Library System library card. I'm Tracy, and today I'm joined by Jamie. Jamie, you and I haven't done an episode in forever.
[00:00:26] Speaker C: I think it's been years.
[00:00:28] Speaker A: It's been a long time.
[00:00:29] Speaker C: Years.
[00:00:30] Speaker A: I think it was.
[00:00:31] Speaker C: Was it prom nights?
[00:00:32] Speaker A: I think it was the prom nights, yes. Which I mean, deeply important to me, of course.
[00:00:36] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:00:37] Speaker A: Pretty much the opposite of that. Those were two horror movies. Today we're talking about two, as producer Ben said, capital C. Comedies, as I said, with capital C. Cleese. Yes, we're talking about two John Cleese comedies. One with Monty Python, one that's Monty Python adjacent.
[00:00:53] Speaker C: Adjacent.
[00:00:53] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Are you a Monty Python person or a British comedy person?
[00:00:57] Speaker C: I am definitely a British comedy person. I do like Monty Python, but I actually haven't seen all of the Monty Python movies.
[00:01:06] Speaker A: I haven't either.
[00:01:08] Speaker C: Yeah, I haven't seen Life of Brian.
[00:01:10] Speaker A: That's the one I haven't seen either. And that's the one that I was looking up some stuff. We're gonna cover a Holy Grail today, but Life of Brian is on a lot of people's, like, the number one comedy of all time list. So I was like, oh, no, I'm missing out. I gotta go home and watch the Life of Brian.
[00:01:22] Speaker C: I've seen bits and pieces, but I just never sat down and watched the whole thing, so.
[00:01:26] Speaker A: And I've never watched that much of Flying Circus either, but I did I talk about the Ministry of Silly Walks a lot because I am silly walking a lot in my life.
So I need people to know that that's what that's from. But we're gonna talk about some comedies today, and I think I'm gonna start out.
So I will have Wilhelm start the timer.
And I do think that this is a capital C classic comedy.
The first film we're talking about today is 1975's Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which I described to a coworker of mine who hadn't seen it as.
Have you ever had a friend's brother be like, you're so lame, and then show you a movie 97% of the time? It's Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
The IMD plot synopsis for this is King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a surreal, low budget search for the Holy Grail. Encountering many very silly obstacles, which I think accurate. That nails it. Yeah. It was directed by two members of Monty Python, which is Terry Jones, who did go on to direct and write a couple of other films.
And then Terry Gillum.
This was his first film that he ever directed. But he went on to direct Brazil.
[00:02:36] Speaker C: Oh, yeah.
[00:02:37] Speaker A: And Time Bandits and a bunch of other films. Kind of became like a very well known director.
When do you think the first time was that you saw the Holy Grail? Cause I feel like it sort of changes your life when you see it.
[00:02:49] Speaker C: I saw it in college.
[00:02:50] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:02:51] Speaker C: I remember we watched a lot of movies in like college dorm lounge. And I remember watching this one and then of course, just like quoting it all the time. Had friends that would quote it all the time. I know my brothers were in a Monty Python and they watched some stuff, but I just never like. It's funny you say that with the brothers quote, but I didn't watch it with them. They never, you know.
[00:03:10] Speaker A: But yeah, I think it was some friend's brother who showed it to me. I think I was probably 14. I think I went on to yell knee at people and also say, like, I require a shrubbery anytime anyone asks me anything. For years and years and years.
I think the big thing with Monty Python and the Holy Grail, it is a grail story. It is classic story.
Yeah. Just the dumbest version.
I was watching some of it at work and I was telling my friend, I was like, ah, man, this movie's great. It's so dumb. Yes, that. But so much of it, of what's funny about it apparently came out of the fact that they had no money to make this movie. I was looking up some fun facts. So apparently the original budget of this film was about £175,000.
And it was almost all gotten from begging their friends who were musicians for money.
[00:04:03] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:04:04] Speaker A: So according to this, the eight main investors were the band Led Zeppelin.
[00:04:10] Speaker C: Wow. I didn't know that.
[00:04:12] Speaker A: Pink Floyd.
[00:04:13] Speaker C: Oh, my gosh.
[00:04:14] Speaker A: Ian Anderson from the band Jethro Doll, one of the producers, the Heartaches, which were a cricket team founded by Tim Rice. The music, like the new writes musical with Elton John. Yes.
And then three record companies, which was Island Records, Chrysalis Records and Charisma Records.
[00:04:36] Speaker C: Wow.
[00:04:36] Speaker A: Which I knew that they got a lot of money from musicians because Life of Brian, I know, was almost entirely funded by George Harrison.
[00:04:42] Speaker C: Yes, well, and they were. Eric Idle, I know, was in the Ruddles and George Harrison had his little cameo in that.
[00:04:49] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:04:50] Speaker C: There was a Guy. I'm sorry.
[00:04:52] Speaker A: No, go ahead.
[00:04:52] Speaker C: I was gonna. I noticed the. The minstrel that was singing the Sir Robin song was played by Neil Ennis and he was played John Lennon in the Ruddles or the John Lennon character in the Ruddles. So I was like, oh my gosh, I recognize him.
[00:05:06] Speaker A: So I think this was just a lot of them. This was their second actual movie, Python. So their first movie was just sketches from a couple of floors Flying circus episodes stitched together into a feature film. But this was their first movie. They directed it themselves. They apparently had no clue what they were doing. They also, all. I counted all of them play like at least five parts. Terry Gilliam, who's the director, played Patsy, which is the guy who just follows King Arthur around and is his horse.
[00:05:31] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:05:32] Speaker A: So that's Terry Gilliam, but he's also the soothsayer on the bridge who's like, what is your favorite guy?
[00:05:38] Speaker C: That is one of my favorite parts in this movie.
[00:05:41] Speaker A: It's so extremely low budget. It's so extremely obviously thrown together by a bunch of guys who were just like, what you think is funny? Is what I think is funny. Let's work together forever.
There's no. Is there a plot to this film, do you think? Here's a real question.
[00:05:58] Speaker C: I mean, they're on a quest, but I forgot it's been a while since I watched it, that it's really like just a series of vignettes. You have like Sir Galahad's story and Sir Lancelot's quest. They all these little side quests.
I had completely forgotten that it is all vignettes.
[00:06:13] Speaker A: And then it's kind of tied together by this weird modern plot of. There is a man who is doing a documentary about gets murdered and there's a police.
The police are like investigating this. That's like in real life. And that is how the movie ends. And apparently originally they had had a plan for all of them to get into. It was going to be King Arthur's court, the French castle, and then the evil sharp pointy teeth rabbit were all going to get into a terrible battle. And what they realized they didn't have was money. So it was gonna be a lot cheaper for everyone to just get arrested at the end. I think we are at our.
It's great. We are at our five minutes. But I just want to say, as a wrap up thing, what is your favorite quote from Monty Python and the Holy Grail?
[00:07:00] Speaker C: When Arthur. I'm probably not gonna get it exactly right, but when he's like I am your king. And guys like, well, I didn't vote for you.
[00:07:07] Speaker A: That part's also the one that there's so many things that it's. Dennis is that character's name says Dennis. My favorite quote from it is, you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you.
[00:07:22] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:07:22] Speaker A: I think that that's.
That's pure cinema, baby.
[00:07:26] Speaker C: Right.
One of my other little favorite little bits is with the guy who's like, she turned me into a newt.
[00:07:32] Speaker A: I got back to that.
[00:07:33] Speaker C: So I would say that my friends and I would say that all the time.
[00:07:37] Speaker A: So my other thing is I also host trivia, and sometimes I have to do numbers. And so if I ever get to one thing, I do say. And if you get to this, that's right out. Which is from the Holy Hand Grenade thing. It's like, four is too far, five is right out.
[00:07:52] Speaker B: Love it.
[00:07:53] Speaker A: It's one of the most quotable films ever made. It's silly, it's funny. It's got a surprising amount of beautiful animation in it.
[00:08:00] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:08:02] Speaker A: If you haven't seen Holy Grail, watch. Watch Holy Grail.
If you have seen it, watch it again.
[00:08:10] Speaker C: It's on Canopy, it's on Kanopy, and it's really fun.
[00:08:15] Speaker A: So I think we're going to take a second to regroup and we'll come back with our second film.
[00:08:18] Speaker C: All right.
[00:08:25] Speaker A: And we're back. And Jamie's going to do her film.
[00:08:28] Speaker C: Okay. Like we said, this is a Monty Python adjacent movie. Also, I just want to give a shout out to the episode you guys did.
Oh, my gosh. Was it sort of like the 100th episode?
[00:08:41] Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
[00:08:42] Speaker C: And you mentioned that one of the top genres is comedies because of you and, you know, bringing it back to the 80s because of me. So you're welcome, everybody. But yeah, so my film, I guess, Wilhelm, you start the timer.
But my choice is. Is the 1988 heist comedy a Fish Called Wanda. And this does feature a couple of actors and writers from. From Monty Python.
It stars Jamie Lee Curtis, John Cleese, Michael Palin, and Kevin Klein.
And it is rated R, but. And it's available in Canopy.
Yeah. This movie, I first saw this. Oh, gosh, I might have been in college as well.
And I just think it's. It's hilarious.
It's smart, I think.
[00:09:32] Speaker A: So.
[00:09:33] Speaker C: It was directed by Charles Crichton, although I think Cleese, I read that he kind of co directed.
[00:09:38] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:09:38] Speaker C: And it was written by Crichton. And Cleese and they were nominated. They got some Academy Award nominations.
[00:09:44] Speaker A: They did. They were nominated for screenplay.
[00:09:46] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:09:47] Speaker A: Crichton was nominated for director and then.
[00:09:49] Speaker C: Kevin Kline won for best Supporting actor, which I love him in this movie. His character is a terrible person, but he's. His name is Otto and he and Jamie Lee Curtis. So they're. They're together, but she's also. With this. I guess I should give a little short rundown of the plot, but it's. Four people are doing a heist, do a robbery, and Jamie Lee Curtis is Wanda and she is dating George.
They. The robbery, they get. They get the loot, but a witness spots George and so he gets arrested.
And then Wanda and Otto kind of have a plan to try and get. Get the loot from where it's hidden.
[00:10:31] Speaker A: Double time.
[00:10:32] Speaker C: But. And then Wanda was gonna double cross Otto too, but.
[00:10:35] Speaker A: Well, she should. He's.
[00:10:36] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:10:37] Speaker A: Not the brightest bulb in the candelabra.
[00:10:41] Speaker C: Even though he reads philosophy and he quotes Nietzsche. You know, he thinks he's smart. But anyway, so there turns out George hid the lewd. So then Jamie Lee Curtis tries to kind of get friendly with John Cleese, who is George's lawyer. And his character name is Archie Leach, which is actually Cary Grant's real name. Yes.
[00:11:04] Speaker A: Which I thought was funny.
[00:11:06] Speaker C: I read that he told an interviewer that he called this character Archie Leach because I feel this film is as near as I'll ever get to being Cary Grant. So. But it's just a fun absurd comedy. Lots of hijinks, everybody double crossing each other.
Michael Palin. I learned he. He. His father, his character has a stutter. Yes, his father had a stutter. And so he was influenced by that.
And they actually now there is a center in London, the Michael Palin center for Staver.
[00:11:35] Speaker A: I'm so glad we did the same research. I know.
Because apparently he. And I totally understand that it is. It's a pretty pronounced stutter. And I think people thought he was maybe making fun of people with stutters, though he did say he based it entirely on his experiences with his father. But because people did talk to him about it, he did open up this Michael Palin center and it like, helps like children with stutters.
[00:11:57] Speaker C: He's involved in. Yeah.
[00:11:58] Speaker A: Which I think is wonderful.
[00:11:59] Speaker C: It is.
[00:12:01] Speaker A: This movie is insane, though. I had seen it, so I saw it, I think maybe also when I was in college.
And it's because I fell madly in love with Kevin Kline because of in and Out.
[00:12:14] Speaker C: Oh, yeah.
[00:12:14] Speaker A: I Love that. Which is also an insane movie in a very different way. But I was like, I must watch the works of Kevin Kline. And I saw he won an Oscar for this.
I think we always say when we watch 80s comedies, some stuff in this does not age great.
[00:12:29] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:12:30] Speaker A: Even not just the stammering. There's some other stuff. But Kevin Kline is amazing. He is, like, every time he shows up somewhere that he's not supposed to be, and it's just like, don't call me stupid.
[00:12:42] Speaker C: Right.
[00:12:42] Speaker A: But it's hysterical. Also, he just keeps consistently forgetting what side of the road he's supposed to drive on because they're in England. And then he, like, curses out.
[00:12:51] Speaker C: He curses out everybody who gets in his way, which really, he's. It's amazing.
[00:12:57] Speaker A: I love that he won an Oscar for this. Cause I do think he's amazing in it, but I do. And I'm. I'm glad that Jamie Lee Curtis won her Oscar for Everything Everywhere all at Once. Do wish she could have won it for something like this, too, because she's like, she's so amazing in this movie. And I think it's underrated just because she's beautiful, but she's so funny.
[00:13:18] Speaker C: I was pondering, is this peak Jamie Lee Curtis?
[00:13:21] Speaker A: Here's the thing. Is there a peak to Jamie Lee Curtis? Has she ever.
I mean, it's just always up, up, up forever and ever and ever.
She's still great right now. Today I text a friend while I was watching this movie. I was just like, do you think any of us will ever be as cool as Jamie Lee Curtis? She said, no, no, because she's the best.
She's so, like, funny in this, though, and it's. It's so insane.
I think it's hard to explain.
[00:13:49] Speaker C: It is. Yeah. I think also the fact that Kevin Kline won an Oscar, I like that he won it for a comedy role, because.
Hot take, I think.
I mean, comedy is harder than drama, in my opinion. Oh, now we're out of time.
[00:14:01] Speaker A: It's okay.
[00:14:02] Speaker C: I'll finish my thoughts.
[00:14:02] Speaker A: I always run over.
[00:14:04] Speaker C: Comedy is harder than drama, in my opinion. And I feel like the Oscars don't award comedies enough or don't respect them enough. So I just. I love that he got an Oscar for this.
[00:14:15] Speaker A: So do I. Comedic performances, I think are difficult. And he's so funny in this. That's one of the big things that Jamie Lee Curtis loves about him, is that he speaks Italian, but truly, all he does is list menu items. At one point, pepperoni they're like in a sex scene. And he truly just says benito Mussolini cry.
It's so silly. It's so funny.
[00:14:42] Speaker C: And like I said, yeah, his character is terrible, but I always loved it when he came on screen. I mean, he's just. He's fun to watch.
[00:14:50] Speaker A: I think the only even slightly good person is maybe Michael Palin's character.
[00:14:54] Speaker C: And even that is questionable. Complicated.
[00:15:00] Speaker A: But this is a great movie.
[00:15:02] Speaker C: Available in Canopy. There is a sort of sequel, not Fierce Creatures, which I actually have not seen.
[00:15:10] Speaker A: I haven't seen it either.
[00:15:11] Speaker C: I've heard it's not as good, but maybe I'll check it out anyway.
[00:15:15] Speaker A: Yeah. A Fish Called Wanda. Amazing. John Cleese is good at comedy and is apparently a weird person in real life.
[00:15:25] Speaker C: We won't get into that, but.
[00:15:26] Speaker A: We won't get into it. But yeah. It's so nice to do another episode with you, Jamie. It's been so long. We've already got some other 80s comedy ideas in the.
[00:15:35] Speaker C: In the works.
[00:15:35] Speaker A: In the works and ready to go that we'll talk to Ben about when we stop being on microphone. But if you want to check out these movies, I think they were both on Kanopy. Yep. Check out anything that's on Canopy and Hoopla. There's a lot of great stuff this month. If there's anything you want us to cover, send us an
[email protected] and we'll give it a look. Thanks, Jamie.
[00:15:56] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:15:57] Speaker A: Bye Bye.
[00:16:01] Speaker B: Five Minute Film Finder is a digital program brought to you by Pioneer Library System in Oklahoma.
All opinions expressed in this episode are those of the host and not those of the organization.
Five Minute Film Finder is produced, recorded and mixed by Ben Si Theme music by Ben Si.
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