At least they're acknowledging it. That's exactly what happened with Life Of Brian...

I've had my copy since I first got a DVD player, and still can't stomach listening to Cleese's commentary end to end.

I mentioned this a while ago, quoting the rumour at TheDigitalBits.com (http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa45.html):
"At long last, we've got a look at the DVD cover artwork for Columbia TriStar's upcoming 2-disc Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Special Edition DVD. On it you'll get a brand new high-definition, anamorphic widescreen film transfer "with pink frilly edges", the soundtrack in "glorious 5.1 Dolby Digital", subtitles in English, French and Spanish, subtitles "for people who don't like the film" (you get the text from Shakespeare's Henry IV instead), an "on-screen screenplay" feature which lets you read the screenplay as you watch the film, enlightening commentary by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones (plus general complaints and back-biting by John Cleese, Eric Idle and Michael Palin), "extraordinary animated menus with very loud 5.1 Dolby Digital sound", an exciting Follow the Killer Rabbit feature, an additional "mono soundtrack in glorious old fashioned mono" and an extra 24 seconds of film "absolutely free". And that's just on Disc One. Disc Two gives you "Three Mindless Sing-Alongs", The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations documentary, the How to Use Your Coconuts educational film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail in Japanese (with English subtitles), the On Location with the Pythons 1974 BBC Film Night report, an interactive cast directory, tons of Terry Gilliam's original sketches, behind-the-scenes photos, "a load of rubbish" mystery items, unused ideas and other material, trailers and weblinks. The film will be the 21st Anniversary Edition created in 1996 for a U.K. video release (and which was restored for U.S. theatrical release this year), which includes 24 seconds of previously unseen footage. Added bits feature more lines from Zoot (Carol Cleveland) in Castle Anthrax, reaction shots of a crowd yelling "Get on with it!" and God shouting the same phrase. Street date is October 23rd. SRP will be $29.95."

A;lso coming out on R1 on the 23rd is Jabberwocky and the 2-disc set Monty Python Live!: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005O7NE/qid=1002616575/sr=1-21/ref=sr_1_7_21/002-4306813-4116046

A&E have put out a DVD of the Python 30th Birthday show (some of it must be worth owning if you're a maniacal completist...) which, excitingly, includes a bonus disc of Fliegender Zirkus...

But, annoyingly, not Schnapps With Everything, the second German programme. Why won't anyone put out the subtitled German show? It's much better than the English one. That stupid decision leaves this 2 disc set with a 45 minute disc, clearly missing one vital element.

Still, if you want to puff out your Python collection, check it out.

Parmount is showing a behind the scenes 'Life of Brian' on Friday night.

If it's "The Pythons", the documentary that comes with the Criterion Brian DVD, then video it. It's bloody marvellous.

Contains several of Chapman's finest moments.

>But, annoyingly, not Schnapps With Everything, the second German programme. Why won't anyone put out the subtitled German show? It's much better than the English one. That stupid decision leaves this 2 disc set with a 45 minute disc, clearly missing one vital element.

The second show (in English) is in that set. The first show (in German) will be in the Monty Python Live! set, along with the compilation "Parrot Sketch Not Included".

Agree about "The Pythons" doc. It's wonderful. "Grahma Chapman Rests."

>At least they're acknowledging it. That's exactly what happened with Life Of Brian...
>
>I've had my copy since I first got a DVD player, and still can't stomach listening to Cleese's commentary end to end.

Does this bode ill for the forthcoming Fawlty Towers DVDs?

The Fawlty Towers DVDS are marvellous - commentaries from Bob Spiers and John Howard Davis, explaining the camera angles and edits as they happen. They even include the NTNOCN sketch.

What will the Region 2 Holy Grail feature? Probably just a sticker saying 'Special features: Well, it's out'.

The Fawlty Towers DVDS are marvellous - commentaries from Bob Spiers and John Howard Davis, explaining the camera angles and edits as they happen. They even include the NTNOCN sketch.

What will the Region 2 Holy Grail feature? Probably just a sticker saying 'Special features: Well, it's out'.

Which NTNOCN sketch? General Synod's Life of Python?

>The Fawlty Towers DVDS are marvellous - commentaries from Bob Spiers and John Howard Davis, explaining the camera angles and edits as they happen. They even include the NTNOCN sketch.
>

Really? ;) I'd love it if you were being serious.

>The Fawlty Towers DVDS are marvellous - commentaries from Bob Spiers and John Howard Davis, explaining the camera angles and edits as they happen. They even include the NTNOCN sketch.

I'm waiting for the box set out on Nov 19, but nice to know that it's a good one. So how come the BBC get this right, but so many others wrong. The Doctor Who ones being good is credited to the Restoration Team, who was responsible for this?

>I'm waiting for the box set out on Nov 19, but nice to know that it's a good one. So how come the BBC get this right, but so many others wrong. The Doctor Who ones being good is credited to the Restoration Team, who was responsible for this?
>

Don't take my word for it, but I suspect Mike (if indeed it is Mike - wouldn't his name appear without quotes?) is being ironic here. More likely that the Flowery Twats DVDs contain nothing of the sort.

At least that's how I read it.

>Don't take my word for it, but I suspect Mike (if indeed it is Mike - wouldn't his name appear without quotes?) is being ironic here. More likely that the Flowery Twats DVDs contain nothing of the sort.
>
>At least that's how I read it.

According to http://www.play247.com/play247.asp?page=title&r=R2&title=95196 there seem to be plenty of extras there.

>Don't take my word for it, but I suspect Mike (if indeed it is Mike - wouldn't his name appear without quotes?) is being ironic here. More likely that the Flowery Twats DVDs contain nothing of the sort.
>
>At least that's how I read it.

According to http://www.play247.com/play247.asp?page=title&r=R2&title=95196 there seem to be plenty of extras there.

>Don't take my word for it, but I suspect Mike (if indeed it is Mike - wouldn't his name appear without quotes?) is being ironic here. More likely that the Flowery Twats DVDs contain nothing of the sort.
>
>At least that's how I read it.

According to http://www.play247.com/play247.asp?page=title&r=R2&title=95196 there seem to be plenty of extras there.

It's also possible to get both the German programmes on one cheap region 2 disc.

I'm English and I life in Germany. So where do you think I had to go to get hold of this Anglo-German spectacular?

That's right! Japan, of course! I love DVD.

No, I'm deadly serious.

NTNOCN sketch - go to www.notbbc.co.uk/corpses and look at the NOT Edit News pages.

Oh fuck it, I'll paste it in:
___________________________________________

The Fawlty Towers spoof, which opened Show 3 (30/10/79) and featured the real John Cleese on a telephone insisting that he's 'not going to do it this week...no, I'm sorry but no - the series ended last week...I know there was supposed to be six, but then there was a strike and that wasn't my fault, was it?'.

It is worth clarifying the story behind this, which is often reported inaccurately. The second series of Fawlty Towers began on 19/2/79, with the penultimate show broadcast on 26/3/79; recordings for the final episode ('Basil The Rat', intended for transmission on 2 April) were disrupted by industrial action, and preparations were shelved until later in the year. The Not The Nine O'Clock News pilot was therefore billed to occupy Fawlty Towers' now-vacant Monday 9pm timeslot, but was then itself cancelled. 'Basil The Rat' eventually went out on 25/10/79 (a Wenesday evening) during Not The Nine O'Clock News' first run, and the still-unseen spoof was therefore included in the third show, broadcast on 30/10/79 (the following Monday). Thus, the joke was vaguely topical, although Cleese's words were semantically spurious.

Ah, Mike. There you are. Did you get that tape I posted back to you? And when are you going to pick up your Auf Weidersehen Pet vids? Rob can give them to Bent Halo at the NFT, if you like.