Anybody who’s a fan of Monty Python knows that one of the biggest factors of the success of the troupe was the offbeat, bizarre cutout animation sequences done by the group’s token American member, Terry Gilliam. Dating all the way back to Monty Python’s Flying Circus, the animations would link two unrelated sketches, allow for social satire in the use of photos of real British political figures, or just be surrealist and creepy. This trend continued into the films, especially 1975’s Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where Gilliam’s pictures mimicked medieval religious art and created a fearsome monster so no real creature needed to be built.
The official Monty Python YouTube page recently released a 14-minute video featuring an extra from the Blu-ray and DVD of Holy Grail in which Gilliam himself, doing a bit of tongue-in-cheek commentary. He discusses some deleted shots and sequences, and laments (with lots of faux outrage) at their having been excised in the first place, saying they could have made the movie a giant hit if they’d stayed in. (Of course, the movie WAS a huge hit anyway, but we won’t tell Mr. Gilliam if you won’t.) These were featured on an earlier Blu-ray release of the film and will again feature on the 40th Anniversary edition, which is coming out October 27th, with a whole lot more exclusive features.
What are some of your favorite Monty Python animated sequences? Should these deleted scenes have stayed in? Let us know in the comments below!
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HT: AV Club
Featured Image: Sony/Python (Monty) Pictures
Kyle Anderson is the Weekend Editor and a film and TV critic for Nerdist.com. Follow him on Twitter!
