As a Christ story, the telling of how squealy mama’s boy, Brian (Graham Chapman) mistakenly finds himself as one of many messiah figures rising in Judea under the shadow of Roman occupation (around 33 AD, on a Saturday afternoon-ish), Monty Python’s follow-up to Holy Grail may be the most political film of its ilk. Pretty much made on George Harrison’s dime and considered, even if apocryphally, by the legendary comedy troupe to be their best film (probably because it’s the closest they’ve come to a three-act narrative with obvious “thematic concerns”), Life of Brian got banned by a lot of countries at the butt-end of the ’70s. Monty Python’s Life of Brian Year: 1979 Director: Terry Jones Stars: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin Rating: R Outside of Anchorman 2, nothing else in recent years has tapped into that level of reality-bending, plot-snapping absurdism.- Jim Vorelģ. One thing that genuinely wouldn’t be done in a film today is its madcap, zany ending, as the cowboys spill out of their own movie and into the other Warner Bros. From its little diversions to do Loony Tunes parodies, to the genre satire of every person in town seemingly being named “Johnson,” it’s a surprisingly sweet film for one that’s also throwing around heavy themes of racism and discrimination. Brooks regulars such as Madeline Kahn contribute great bits, and there’s the wonderfully understated Gene Wilder, but the reason the film remains such a classic today is that the surface-level gags are largely harmless and timeless. The film is a product of its time, a decency-stretching Wild West farce about a black sheriff trying to win over the white settlers of his frontier town and foil the plot of comically nebbish villain Harvey Korman in an all-time great comedy performance. Mel Brooks’ greatest and most racially charged comedy has recently been mentioned in debates of political correctness, in the tone of “Nobody would be able to make Blazing Saddles today,” and for better or worse, it’s hard to refute. Blazing Saddles Year: 1974 Director: Mel Brooks Stars: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Slim Pickens, Mel Brooks, Harvey Korman, Alex Karras, Dom DeLuise Rating: R The first-time co-direction from onscreen performer Terry Jones (who only sporadically directed after Python broke up) and lone American Terry Gilliam (who prolifically bent Python’s cinematic style into his own unique brand of nightmarish fantasy) moves with a surreal efficiency. It certainly doesn’t look like a $400,000 movie, and it’s delightful to discover which of the gags (like the coconut halves) were born from a need for low-budget workarounds. If you’re truly and irreversibly burnt out from this movie, watch it again with commentary, and discover the second level of appreciation that comes from the inventiveness with which it was made. There are so many jokes in this movie, and it’s surprising how easily we forget that, considering its reputation. Holy Grail is, indeed, the most densely packed comedy in the Python canon. But, if you try and distance yourself from the over-saturation factor, and revisit the film after a few years, you’ll find new jokes that feel as fresh and hysterical as the ones we all know. Or, in my case, of repeating full scenes to people as a clueless, obsessive nerd. Nowadays, when we hear a “flesh wound,” a “ni!” or a “huge tracts of land,” our first thoughts are often of having full scenes repeated to us by clueless, obsessive nerds. It sucks that some of the shine has been taken off Holy Grail by its own overwhelming ubiquity. Monty Python and the Holy Grail Year: 1975 Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones Stars: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Connie Booth Rating: PG Here are the best comedies on Netflix as of February 2024.ġ. For the purpose of these rankings I’m looking at how funny a movie is alongside how well made it is-meaning you might see some absolutely hilarious comedies that aren’t that well respected by critics coming in higher than better reviewed, more technically proficient films. So let’s take a quick trip through the funniest movies on Netflix right now. We even link right to ’em, because we’re polite like that. Instead of scrolling endlessly through that app, looking for the right movie so long that you fall asleep halfway through, you should consult our quick and easy guide to the best comedy movies on Netflix. What’s better than nesting up with your loved ones on the couch and watching something truly hilarious? And when it comes to great comedies, Netflix has you covered, from classics like Blazing Saddles and The Big Lebowski, to Netflix originals like The Mitchells vs. This winter remember what really matters: family, friends, and (guf-)faws.
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