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Monty Python Live Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 13 Reviews)

How are the German episode & "Parrot" live?
A&E mishandles the Python once again. It's great to put together Hollywood Bowl and the Aspen reunion show to constitute a "live" title, but the German episode (which should have been on the lacking Life Of Python disc 2) and "Parrot" shouldn't even be on this set. Some Secret Policemen's Ball bits would have been more appropriate, but I'm sure there's a rights issue there. As for "Parrot": is it worth paying 2-disc price for clips you've seen and a 5-second gag of all 6 pythons from 1989? A&E should have taken the redundant clips off their Complete Series discs and just added the original bits from "Parrot." Oh well, I still bought it all anyway.

Not Much Info On This Title Yet...
But I ordered it anyway & the rating is based on what it appear to be -- from the artwork, a combination of the Live At The Hollywood Bowl film and the reunion at the Aspen Denver Comedy Fest of a few years back. Should be pretty worthwhile - have always enjoyed the Bowl film simply for the greatest hits of the Flying Circus combined with the energy and audience interaction of the live show. Hopefully we'll get some interesting extras as well! The reunion will be interesting to see, as I missed it at the time, but always enjoyed Cleese's statement that "There
will be no Monty Python reunion as long as Graham Chapman insists on remaining dead."

The manufacturer's site says it also includes the The original 1972 MONTY PYTHON'S FLIEGENDER ZIRKUS #1 "lost" German episode, not seen since its original airing in West Germany. In German with English subtitles. As well as 20 YEARS OF PYTHON: PARROT SKETCH NOT INCLUDED, a special hosted by Steve Martin. Huzzah!

The Essential Python
The single most common praise one hears from a critical review is: "If you only have one DVD/album/book by [Insert a well-known author here], make it this one!"

For Monty Python, this could labelled on this DVD set.

Much of the criticism of this package is it's inclusion of 'Dead Parrot Sketch Not Included' (a greatest hits compilation of their [arguably] finest work from 'The Flying Circus' television show). I think it's inclusion is a strength -- It's the Python equivalent of the Beatles '1' record: Yes, there are ommisions, but it's nevertheless a very decent well-rounded collection.

The contrary position is certainly understandable. If you bought the entire series on DVD, then 'Dead Parrot' is a pointless addition. However, if you can watch the Architect sketch, the lumberjack song, Salad Days and the communist game show in one sitting, it wouldn't be anything less than a holy disc.

But what's missing is certainly made up on the very funny Hollywood Bowl performance. 'Nudge, Nudge,' 'The Bruces,' 'The Philosopher's Song,' 'Crunchy Frog' -- much of the classics 'Dead Parrot' seemed to forget is redeemed here. Unfortunately, the film quality is a bit aged, but still very viewable.

The Aspen reunion is an insightful retrospective on Python, from it's history to the behind-the-scenes information on their famous sketches.

So there you have it. A complete collection of their essential work ('Dead Parrot'), a live performance ('Hollywood Bowl'), and biographical information ('Aspen').

Viking Press publishes their popular 'Portable' series, books of famous authors containing their most crucial writings alongside critical & biographical annotations (i.e. 'The Portable Kerouac,' 'The Portable Nietzsche'). Likewise, this is the 'Portable Monty Python.' It's a shame that A&E didn't market it that way.

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