This was the Pythons' first attempt at a movie - made when the series was still in production - and, while in no way comparable to later classics such as 'Holy Grail' and 'Life Of Brian', its good fun, and a lot better than many of the films-based-on-T.V. sitcoms made around at that time.
Playboy club boss Victor Lownes put up the money, thinking the film had the potential to be a cult hit in the U.S.A. But it was not. For one thing, it was badly promoted ( John Cleese remembers seeing a strange poster of a grinning snake with a hat on. Just the sort of thing calculated to set box-office tills ringing, of course ) and anyway the Americans were hardly likely to go and see a film based on a show which ( at that point ) they had not seen.
'And Now' is an anthology of sketches from the first two 'Monty Python' series. Unlike 'The Best Of Benny Hill' ( which reused original television material ) these were remakes. They included 'Crunchy Frog', 'Upper Class Twit Of The Year Show', 'Marriage Guidance Councillor', 'The Lumberjack Song', 'Sir George Head', 'Hungarian Phrase Book' 'Blackmail', 'Self-Defence Class', 'Nudge Nudge' and 'Hell's Grannies'.
Some of the items benefited from the move to film, such as 'Funniest Joke In The World', while others fell flat, most notably 'The Parrot Sketch'. Michael Palin was to have reprised his role as the disgusting 'Ken Shabby', but Lownes insisted that the sequence be dropped.
Terry Jones' Nude Organist is seen for the first time, he went on to become a regular feature of the series.
The Pythons came to regard the film as an embarrassment as it was basically a rehash of old material, but it was successful in establishing that Python humour could work on the big screen. When they made 'Holy Grail' three years later, they were much more confidant and self-assured.
In the days before the availability of Python on video and D.V.D. this film was the only reminder of the group's genius. Now its somewhat redundant, but still worth viewing.
Funniest moment - tough one, this. I'll go for Palin's rendition of 'The Lumberjack Song' mainly because I love the shocked looks on the faces of the mounties as the full meaning of the lyrics hits home. Oh, and Connie Booth is sexy too! One complaint though - how on Earth did they manage to leave out the 'Ministry Of Silly Walks'?
Playboy club boss Victor Lownes put up the money, thinking the film had the potential to be a cult hit in the U.S.A. But it was not. For one thing, it was badly promoted ( John Cleese remembers seeing a strange poster of a grinning snake with a hat on. Just the sort of thing calculated to set box-office tills ringing, of course ) and anyway the Americans were hardly likely to go and see a film based on a show which ( at that point ) they had not seen.
'And Now' is an anthology of sketches from the first two 'Monty Python' series. Unlike 'The Best Of Benny Hill' ( which reused original television material ) these were remakes. They included 'Crunchy Frog', 'Upper Class Twit Of The Year Show', 'Marriage Guidance Councillor', 'The Lumberjack Song', 'Sir George Head', 'Hungarian Phrase Book' 'Blackmail', 'Self-Defence Class', 'Nudge Nudge' and 'Hell's Grannies'.
Some of the items benefited from the move to film, such as 'Funniest Joke In The World', while others fell flat, most notably 'The Parrot Sketch'. Michael Palin was to have reprised his role as the disgusting 'Ken Shabby', but Lownes insisted that the sequence be dropped.
Terry Jones' Nude Organist is seen for the first time, he went on to become a regular feature of the series.
The Pythons came to regard the film as an embarrassment as it was basically a rehash of old material, but it was successful in establishing that Python humour could work on the big screen. When they made 'Holy Grail' three years later, they were much more confidant and self-assured.
In the days before the availability of Python on video and D.V.D. this film was the only reminder of the group's genius. Now its somewhat redundant, but still worth viewing.
Funniest moment - tough one, this. I'll go for Palin's rendition of 'The Lumberjack Song' mainly because I love the shocked looks on the faces of the mounties as the full meaning of the lyrics hits home. Oh, and Connie Booth is sexy too! One complaint though - how on Earth did they manage to leave out the 'Ministry Of Silly Walks'?