There's very few things that can be Re-Released more than once that
actually hold up better than 95% of the new products currently been
thrown at us in the Entertainment market place.
Yet, somehow the
brains behind Monty Python (over rated or not) have managed not only to
be funny - but have managed to be something a lot more valuable:
Timeless.
To be honest, there is really little point in reviewing Life of Brian.
Because no matter how many new 'converts' to the world of Monty my
useless words may make - it is simply no match for the flood of long
time Python fans who will (and should) head out to the local DVD store
and throw their cash on the counter.
Moreso, any review I give in favour - or against - Life Of Brian
would bring about some pretty serious repercussions amongst the Python
die hards. Because, for many, Monty Python is in a way a religion unto
itself (just as many... social lifeless... folk worship the "Jedi"
strain of religion). And the same way religions fight over beliefs -
Pythons fight over the age old question:
Which is better? Brian or Grail?
For years I came from the school of Grail, I'm not afraid to say it. It's light hearted, it's accessible and it's pretty broad. Brian
was, at least when I watched it as a kid, dark and a bit to clever for
it's own good. Thankfully, a few more years of education - as well as a
dash of wisdom and life experience thrown in for good measure - and The Life Of Brian is all of a sudden a much more appealing piece of comedic work.
The beauty of Brian
is that it is very clever - not that the Pythons previous work wasn't -
but it this is certainly the strongest and most accessible they were
(without being overtly adsurdist). From the wry critisisms about the
foolishness of the human race's inability to think for themselves, to
the classic line "He's not the Messiah, he's just a very naughty boy!"
and of course that immortal tune Always Look On The Bright Side of Life.
Well worth revisiting, in particular for those who didn't really give it much of a go when they first saw it.
It's about as good as comedic satire ever was - and probably ever will be...
EXTRAS
There have been a few releases of Brian and Grail on DVD over the years, and no doubt, the success of the musical SPAMalot have created the opportunity of this "Super Extended Spectacular Super Special Edition".
It's
a pretty good package here, with plenty of extras to keep the
Monty Python die hards salivating (it's hard to believe theres still so
many extras just lying around after all these years). The featurette
detailing the various problems the film faced behind the scenes is a
real eye opener - as well as featuring some rather insightful (and
rare) interviews with the surviving cast members.
There are some
clever radio ads (one performed by John Cleese's mother is an absolute
corker) as well as scripts and varios other tidbits that would bore the
pants of Joe Average - but would make a Python fan firm in the nether
reigons.
For regular readers - it's
no secret that I love good DVD casings. And they don't get much better
than this, with a Special Edition slip case and art work which makes
the whole thing look about 25 times better than it probably should be.
A must-have DVD in the collection of any true comedy fan.
