Latest news with #Pythons
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Eric Idle slams 'ungrateful' Monty Python co-stars
Eric Idle has blasted his Monty Python co-stars for being "miserable and horrible and bitchy" about royalty payments. The 82-year-old comic wrote stage show Spamalot, which is based on his 1975 movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and he thinks the rest of the comedy troupe - whose surviving members are John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, and Michael Palin - should be more "grateful" for the money they receive from the production. Asked if the other Pythons receive royalty payments, he told The Guardian newspaper: "They got more f***ing money than they've ever been grateful for. They got f***ing millions and they're miserable and horrible and bitchy about it. "I spent 20 years working for Python and then two years on the O2 show. They were there for two weeks. "I'm not really motivated by money, to be honest. Anyway, the producers get all the f***ing money and divide it up according to the contract. "Someone sued us for years, saying I was paying the Pythons money from my back pocket. And I said: why would I risk going to an American jail to give John Cleese more money?" Idle admitted there was a "lot of arguing and fights" between the Monty Python stars but he thinks that was good for their work. He said: "Some things in Python were very enjoyable and some were not. Holy Grail was cold and miserable. Sometimes that makes it funny. One of the worst things you can have in comedy is enough money. "Python was quite a lot of arguing and fights and good work is often like that. The best thing about showbiz is when it's over. I think if you're enjoying yourself, then you're not acting or giving, you're just having a good time. Well, that's not funny." Eric Idle has blasted his Monty Python co-stars for being "miserable and horrible and bitchy" about royalty payments. The 82-year-old comic wrote stage show Spamalot, which is based on his 1975 movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and he thinks the rest of the comedy troupe - whose surviving members are John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, and Michael Palin - should be more "grateful" for the money they receive from the production. Asked if the other Pythons receive royalty payments, he told The Guardian newspaper: "They got more f***ing money than they've ever been grateful for. They got f***ing millions and they're miserable and horrible and bitchy about it. "I spent 20 years working for Python and then two years on the O2 show. They were there for two weeks. "I'm not really motivated by money, to be honest. Anyway, the producers get all the f***ing money and divide it up according to the contract. "Someone sued us for years, saying I was paying the Pythons money from my back pocket. And I said: why would I risk going to an American jail to give John Cleese more money?" Idle admitted there was a "lot of arguing and fights" between the Monty Python stars but he thinks that was good for their work. He said: "Some things in Python were very enjoyable and some were not. Holy Grail was cold and miserable. Sometimes that makes it funny. One of the worst things you can have in comedy is enough money. "Python was quite a lot of arguing and fights and good work is often like that. The best thing about showbiz is when it's over. I think if you're enjoying yourself, then you're not acting or giving, you're just having a good time. Well, that's not funny." Eric Idle has blasted his Monty Python co-stars for being "miserable and horrible and bitchy" about royalty payments. The 82-year-old comic wrote stage show Spamalot, which is based on his 1975 movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and he thinks the rest of the comedy troupe - whose surviving members are John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, and Michael Palin - should be more "grateful" for the money they receive from the production. Asked if the other Pythons receive royalty payments, he told The Guardian newspaper: "They got more f***ing money than they've ever been grateful for. They got f***ing millions and they're miserable and horrible and bitchy about it. "I spent 20 years working for Python and then two years on the O2 show. They were there for two weeks. "I'm not really motivated by money, to be honest. Anyway, the producers get all the f***ing money and divide it up according to the contract. "Someone sued us for years, saying I was paying the Pythons money from my back pocket. And I said: why would I risk going to an American jail to give John Cleese more money?" Idle admitted there was a "lot of arguing and fights" between the Monty Python stars but he thinks that was good for their work. He said: "Some things in Python were very enjoyable and some were not. Holy Grail was cold and miserable. Sometimes that makes it funny. One of the worst things you can have in comedy is enough money. "Python was quite a lot of arguing and fights and good work is often like that. The best thing about showbiz is when it's over. I think if you're enjoying yourself, then you're not acting or giving, you're just having a good time. Well, that's not funny."
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Eric Idle brands Monty Python co-stars "miserable and b****y" as feud erupts
Eric Idle labelled his fellow Monty Python co-stars "miserable and b****y" over an ongoing money feud after being quizzed about the royalties for Spamalot, which is a musical based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail Eric Idle has hit out at his surviving Monty Python colleagues, branding them "miserable and horrible and b****y" amid ongoing tensions over royalty payments. The comedy icon, 82, opened up about his frustrations in a new interview where he revealed that disputes over money have strained relationships within the legendary comedy troupe, whose remaining members include John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, and Michael Palin. Idle, who penned the hit stage musical Spamalot based on Monty Python's 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, feels his fellow Pythons should be more appreciative of the substantial income they've received from the production. When asked if his colleagues receive royalties from Spamalot, Idle told The Guardian: "They got more f****** money than they've ever been grateful for. They got f****** millions and they're miserable and horrible and b****y about it. "I spent 20 years working for Python and then two years on the O2 show. They were there for two weeks. I'm not really motivated by money, to be honest. Anyway, the producers get all the f****** money and divide it up according to the contract." He also spoke about a protracted legal battle that was sparked by accusations that he was secretly paying his fellow Pythons out of his own pocket. Idle explained: "Someone sued us for years, saying I was paying the Pythons money from my back pocket. And I said: why would I risk going to an American jail to give John Cleese more money?" Despite their financial rows, Idle acknowledged that creative friction previously fuelled the troupe's success. He admitted that the group's comedic brilliance sometimes emerged from tension and conflict. He shared: "Some things in Python were very enjoyable and some were not. Holy Grail was cold and miserable. Sometimes that makes it funny. One of the worst things you can have in comedy is enough money. "Python was quite a lot of arguing and fights and good work is often like that. The best thing about showbiz is when it's over. I think if you're enjoying yourself, then you're not acting or giving, you're just having a good time. Well, that's not funny." Idle also voiced concerns about the future of performers' likenesses in the era of artificial intelligence. "I always felt that we ought to protect our images after I saw that tacky advert with Fred Astaire and the vacuum cleaner," he admitted. He added: "I felt very bad about that. So I felt that we Pythons ought to have done something to protect our image in a way that's appropriate. But I don't think there is a way that's appropriate. "I have had my image done in one of those extraordinary machines where 40 cameras capture you from every angle. It was for a film they wanted to make sure they could finish. "But it worries me. I don't trust AI. I mean, look at how many times you have to correct a word. It completely misreads you. ChatGPT writing essays really bothers me. The point is to find out what we think, not what a machine thinks."
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Eric Idle slams ungrateful Monty Python co-stars
Eric Idle has blasted his Monty Python co-stars for being "miserable and horrible and b****y" about royalty payments. The 82-year-old comic wrote stage show Spamalot, which is based on his 1975 movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and he thinks the rest of the comedy troupe - whose survivng members are John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, and Michael Palin - should be more "grateful" for the money they receive from the production. Asked if the other Pythons receive royalty payments, he told The Guardian newspaper: "They got more f****** money than they've ever been grateful for. They got f****** millions and they're miserable and horrible and b****y about it. "I spent 20 years working for Python and then two years on the O2 show. They were there for two weeks. "I'm not really motivated by money, to be honest. Anyway, the producers get all the f****** money and divide it up according to the contract. "Someone sued us for years, saying I was paying the Pythons money from my back pocket. And I said: why would I risk going to an American jail to give John Cleese more money?" Eric admitted there was a "lot of arguing and fights" between the Monty Python stars but he thinks that was good for their work. He said: "Some things in Python were very enjoyable and some were not. Holy Grail was cold and miserable. Sometimes that makes it funny. One of the worst things you can have in comedy is enough money. "Python was quite a lot of arguing and fights and good work is often like that. The best thing about showbiz is when it's over. I think if you're enjoying yourself, then you're not acting or giving, you're just having a good time. Well, that's not funny." Meanwhile, Eric is also concerned they didn't do enough to "protect" their image amid the rise of AI technology. He said: " I always felt that we ought to protect our images after I saw that tacky advert with Fred Astaire and the vacuum cleaner. I felt very bad about that. So I felt that we Pythons ought to have done something to protect our image in a way that's appropriate. But I don't think there is a way that's appropriate. "I have had my image done in one of those extraordinary machines where 40 cameras capture you from every angle. It was for a film they wanted to make sure they could finish. "But it worries me. I don't trust AI. I mean, look at how many times you have to correct a word. It completely misreads you. ChatGPT writing essays really bothers me. The point is to find out what we think, not what a machine thinks."
Metro
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Classic comedy branded ‘most blasphemous ever' is available to stream
If you're looking to escape the heatwave, you could settle down with one of cinema's best loved and most controversial comedies. Back in 1979, Monty Python's Life of Brian was met with furore when it hit the big screen, with fans today still hailing it the funniest film ever, while some at the time slammed it as 'blasphemous'. Whether it's asking 'what have the Romans ever done for us?', shouting 'Blessed are the cheesemakers' or whistling along to Always Look On the Bright Side of Live, the film's legacy lives on. Luckily for fans in the UK, it's available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube and Google Play Movie for £3.49. The iconic movie, which has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 96%, starred Graham Chapman as Brian, an ordinary man living in Roman-occupied Judea at the same time as Jesus. His mother insisted he was simply a 'very naughty boy', but Brian found himself mistaken for the messiah as comedy ensued. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Despite the Pythons turning a satirical eye on political militants, the idea of stoning people to death, and speech impediments, it was the link to Jesus and Christianity that sparked outrage. At the time, Rabbi Abraham Hecht – President of the Rabbinical Alliance of America – told Variety: 'Never have we come across such a foul, disgusting, blasphemous film before.' Indeed, the film was even banned in Ireland, Norway, and beyond, while picketers outside screenings claimed Monty Python's serpentine name was linked to Satan. Michael Palin once pointed out back in 1979 that the comedy troupe deliberately decided against making the film about Jesus himself – but not for the reason you'd expect. 'It was quite obvious that there was very little to ridicule in Jesus's life, and therefore we were onto a loser,' he said. 'Jesus was a very straight, direct man making good sense, so we decided it would be a very shallow film if it was just about [him].' Studios shied away from the project regardless, but George Harrison – who was at the centre of similar backlash when John Lennon declared The Beatles to be 'more popular than Jesus' in 1966 – decided to help fund the film, which he simply wanted to see. During the Fab Four's controversy, he quipped to the Evening Standard: 'Why is there all this stuff about blasphemy. 'If Christianity's as good as they say it is, it should stand up to a bit of discussion.' Almost five decades after its release, Life of Brian – which also starred Pythons John Cleese, Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gillian and Eric Idle in various roles – is hailed almost as a British institution. 'Irreverent, brilliantly observed and finely crafted with a significant twist of madness and surrealism – by far Python's crew best work,' wrote Niall L on Google Reviews. And fellow fan Paul Bury raved: 'A shame that it has been seen as blasphemous by some – when in reality, it is a reflection, critique and irony of many of today's problems in the world. 'So much truth exposed and ridiculed, so many hidden messages (and some not so hidden) in an entertaining and intelligent script. Timeless comedy!' While fan Yurriaan Van Duyn added: 'Its clever script, bold performances and fearless approach to taboo subjects make it a timeless classic.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
Evening Standard
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
Costumes, props and ‘llama' from Monty Python's final live show to be auctioned
Sir Michael said their 2014 show, which featured all the Pythons except Chapman, who died of cancer in 1989, was 'the show to end all Python shows' – and he hopes some of the costumes and props can be passed on to their 'greatest and most loyal fans'.
