Podcasts about Cleese

What happens when John Cleese personally selects you to play Basil Fawlty in the West End revival of one of the most iconic sitcoms in TV history? If you're Adam Jackson-Smith, you say yes… and then quietly panic. In this special episode of The Leadership Enigma, we go behind the curtain with the man trusted to resurrect Basil on stage. Adam shares the rollercoaster ride from virtual auditions (complete with tweed jacket and moustache) to 300+ physically demanding performances that quite literally sweated the weight off him. From Zoom auditions with Cleese himself to hilarious backstage stories (including what Jonny Vaughan whispered before curtain up), Adam lifts the lid on the resilience, leadership, and full-body slapstick needed to become a comedy legend — without simply mimicking one.

Podcast for a deep examination into the career and life choices of Eddie Murphy & Jim Carrey. Joe accidentally meets his newest crush's weird uncle. Patrick has to talk him (Joe, not the weird uncle) off the ledge (metaphorical) before he does something stupid. Lev could help, but doesn't. What excuse did he come up with to stay home? Find out on this week's episode of 'What the Hell Happened to Them?' Email the cast at whathappenedtothem@gmail.com Disclaimer: This episode was recorded in May 2025. References may feel confusing and/or dated unusually quickly. 'The Adventures of Pluto Nash' is available on DVD & VHS (suspiciously not on blu-ray): https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Pluto-Nash-Eddie-Murphy/dp/B07FPQYKSY/ Music from "There's a Moon in the Sky (It's Called the Moon)" by The B-52's Artwork from BJ West   quixotic, united, skeyhill, vekeman, murphy, carrey, versus, vs, adventures, pluto, nash, dawson, quaid, tubi, carey, underwood, cleese, guzman, baldwin, bomb

Hi everyone! We recently surveyed our audience and learned that many of you would like to see more video. So, we're kicking off a new run of video episodes, beginning with our interview featuring John Cleese—actor, writer, comedian, and author of Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide. You can watch the interview on our Substack, or on Youtube. Enjoy! Original intro The Ministry of Silly Walks. The Cheese Shop. French Taunting. If you haven't seen any of these Monty Python sketches before, do us a favor and go watch one or two of them. You'll discover—or re-discover—why our guest for this episode is a creative comic legend.  John Cleese starred in and co-wrote the award-winning series Fawlty Towers, was nominated for an Academy Award for the screenplay of A Fish Called Wanda, and even has a species of lemur named after him (Cleese's wooly lemur, Avahi cleesei). He's also an expert on the creative process, and so if you're looking for a new framework to level-up your own workflow, his book Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide is a great resource. We talk with John about his new book, and also about creative collaboration in the midst of friction, how to be comfortable with ambiguity, and creating boundaries of space and time to get in a creative mode. We also get to ask him a question that's been bugging us ever since we first watched Monty Python and The Holy Grail. These days, we can all use a little more laughter in our lives. We hope our interview with John sparks some joy, and leaves you with some new creative tools. Thanks for listening. Bio John Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report. In the late 1960s, he co-founded Monty Python, the comedy troupe responsible for the sketch show Monty Python's Flying Circus and the four Monty Python films, And Now for Something Completely Different, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian, and The Meaning of Life. In the mid-1970s, Cleese and his first wife, Connie Booth, co-wrote and starred in the British sitcom Fawlty Towers. Later, he co-starred with Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis, and former Python colleague Michael Palin in A Fish Called Wanda and Fierce Creatures. He also starred in Clockwise, and has appeared in many other films, including two James Bond films, two Harry Potter films, and the last three Shrek films. He is also the author of Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide. *** This ad-supported episode is available to everyone. If you'd like to hear it ad-free, upgrade to our premium subscription, where you'll get an additional 2 ad-free episodes per month (4 total). Premium subscribers also get access to the documentary Design Disruptors and our growing library of books, as well as our monthly AMAs with former guests, ad-free episodes, discounts and early access to workshops, and our monthly newsletter The Brief that compiles salient insights, quotes, readings, and creative processes uncovered in the show. Upgrade to paid

It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights, it's time to SPIN THE MUPPET SHOW'S MAGICAL MONTHLY MUPPET SHOW OF THE MONTH! And this time it landed on (drum roll) JOHN CLEESE! Premire member of legendary comedy troupe Monty Python, Mr. Cleese and the Muppets are a match made in heaven! John Cleese not only guest starred, but also wrote the episode as well, so you know it will be a good one! Will this one make it to an 8 on the space to carol? You'll just have to listen in to find out. Join the discussion on our discord! https://discord.gg/JDtWJrhPF6Follow us on twitter @PMoNPodcast and on Instagram and Threads @puppetmastersofnoneFind out more about the puppet masters on our website: https://puppetmastersofnone.wixsite.com/puppetmastersofnoneOriginal Music Composed by Taetro. @Taetro  https://www.taetro.com/Send us a text

What can a comedy legend teach you about business? Plenty. In this episode, John Cleese reveals how creativity isn't just for the arts — it's a vital skill for problem-solving, strategy and innovation in business. Drawing from a fascination with creativity that spans five decades, Cleese shares how “play” and the “tortoise mind” can unlock ground-breaking ideas, why interruptions kill creativity, and how trust in leadership fosters innovation. Packed with practical tips and humour, this conversation will inspire you to think differently and tackle your biggest challenges with fresh ideas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us on this week's "Shat the Movies" as we dive into the 1988 comedy classic, A Fish Called Wanda! We'll revisit the film's hilarious heist and standout performances, promising a fun and entertaining look back at this comedy gem. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the movie, we've got plenty of laughs and insights to share. Tune in for a splashy good time and see why A Fish Called Wanda still makes waves today! Plot Summary:In the 1988 comedy A Fish Called Wanda, directed by Charles Crichton, an ensemble cast led by John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin delivers a hilarious tale of crime, deception, and romance. Jamie Lee Curtis stars as Wanda Gershwitz, a seductive and cunning con artist who, along with her lover Otto West (Kevin Kline), a dim-witted, pseudo-intellectual American, teams up with George Thomason (Tom Georgeson), a British gangster, to pull off a lucrative diamond heist in London. However, when Wanda and Otto double-cross George, hoping to take the diamonds for themselves, things quickly spiral out of control. George is arrested, but not before he secretly moves the diamonds to a hidden location, giving Wanda and Otto no choice but to try to manipulate George's timid and animal-loving accomplice, Ken Pile (Michael Palin), who is fiercely loyal to George and has no intention of divulging the secret. Wanda decides to seduce George's barrister, Archie Leach (John Cleese), believing he can provide vital information on the diamonds' whereabouts. As Archie, a stuffy, unfulfilled lawyer stuck in a loveless marriage, becomes captivated by Wanda's charms, he unwittingly finds himself caught up in a tangled web of lies, betrayal, and escalating chaos. Meanwhile, Otto, jealous of Wanda's growing attraction to Archie, adds to the pandemonium with his violent outbursts and comically misguided attempts at sabotage. A Fish Called Wanda combines witty dialogue, slapstick humor, and masterful performances to create a comedic masterpiece that has delighted audiences for decades. Join our podcast review as we revisit this beloved classic and discuss its timeless humor, unforgettable characters, and whether its brilliant blend of wit and farce still entertains today's viewers. Subscribe Now Android: https://www.shatpod.com/android Apple/iTunes: https://www.shatpod.com/apple Help Support the Podcast Contact Us: https://www.shatpod.com/contact Commission Movie: https://www.shatpod.com/support Support with Paypal: https://www.shatpod.com/paypal Support With Venmo: https://www.shatpod.com/venmo Shop Merchandise: https://www.shatpod.com/shop Theme Song - Die Hard by Guyz Nite: https://www.facebook.com/guyznite

Does comedy legend Eric Idle always look on the bright side of life? Nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more... The Māori King is laid to rest, long live the Māori Queen. And can the All Blacks avenge last weekends close loss to the Springboks? Let's ask Jeff Wilson.

Whenever we need a pick-me-up, we return to one of our favourite topics: THE DINOSAUR HOUR, John Cleese's baffling chat show for Britain's right-wing GB News network. In the two episodes we watched today, Cleese opines on creativity, then welcomes his good friend Rob Schneider (!) for an agonizing hourlong chat. PLUS: What happens to the Republican Party after Trump? And checking in on Aaron Sorkin. PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/110427266

"Monty Python's Flying Circus" was a major influence on the early days of "Saturday Night Live." As Monty Python gained huge popularity in America, SNL was also making its mark. In this episode, Nick looks back at the time Michael Palin and John Cleese appeared on SNL in 1997—and absolutely bombed. They not only bombed, but they did so while performing one of Python's most beloved and hilarious sketches: "The Dead Parrot." Nick provides a complete history of the "Dead Parrot" sketch and details all the appearances Monty Python members have made on SNL, featuring many audio clips. You'll also hear how Chevy Chase essentially owes his SNL career to Monty Python. This episode includes three versions of the classic parrot sketch (including the infamous night it tanked on SNL), a strange appearance by Graham Chapman on a 1982 episode, and the Cold Open that Palin and Cleese performed the same night they bombed with the "Dead Parrot." The relationship between Python and SNL is both significant and historic, and this episode of "That Show..." offers deeper insight into their influential comic connection. [Ep77]

In their first recording as a duo since deading their staged beef to focus on election coverage, Jack and Geraint once again DECLARE WAR on British light entertainment comedy, training their fire on BLAIRITE STOATS Messrs Iannucci, Cleese, Richardson, Forde & Manners.

(NOTAS COMPLETAS Y ENLACES DEL CAPÍTULO AQUÍ: https://www.jaimerodriguezdesantiago.com/kaizen/197-creatividad-viii-espera-lo-inesperado-y-iii-monty-python-paradojas-y-brebajes-extranos/)«Graham Chapman, coautor del sketch “el loro muerto” ya no existe. Ha dejado de ser, ha pasado a mejor vida, descanse en paz. Ha palmado, se ha ido al más allá, ha mordido el polvo, la ha diñado, ha exhalado su último aliento y ha ido a encontrarse con el gran jefe del entretenimiento ligero del cielo. Y creo que todos pensamos lo triste que es que un hombre de tan talento, de tal capacidad y amabilidad, de tal inusual inteligencia se haya desvanecido así de repente a la edad de sólo 48 años, antes de que pudiese alcanzar muchas de las cosas de las que era capaz y antes de que se hubiese divertido lo suficiente. Bueno, a eso creo que debería decir: «tonterías». ¡Que tenga un buen viaje, el cabrón aprovechado ése! Y la razón por la que pienso que debería decir esto es que él nunca me perdonaría si no lo hiciese, si desperdiciara esta gloriosa oportunidad de tomaros el pelo en su honor. Él tenía de todo excepto «buen gusto, imbécil». Pude oírle susurrarme al oído anoche, mientras escribía estas palabras. Decía: «Muy bien, Cleese, estás muy orgulloso de ser la primera persona en haber dicho “mierda” en la televisión británica. Si este funeral es realmente para mí, para empezar quiero que seas la primera persona, en un funeral británico, en decir “joder”»Así despedía un mítico Humorista inglés, John Cleese, a uno de tus compañeros en los Monty Python. Cleese es, además, el protagonista de uno de los tres cuadros que hay en el despacho en el que grabo el podcast. Bueno, más bien su silueta, en un homenaje a uno de sus sketches más conocidos. Como ya hemos dicho muchas veces, detrás del mejor humor se esconde habitualmente un enorme ejercicio de creatividad. La que se necesita para inventar situaciones absurdas o sorprendentes capaces de hacernos cosquillas en el cerebro.Hace ahora la friolera de 50 años, Cleese fundó una empresa, Videoarts, para dar formación en otras empresas usando, claro, el humor. Haciendo un poco de arqueología en Youtube es relativamente sencillo encontrar algunas de sus charlas. En concreto hay una que está muy bien sobre creatividad. «Hay algo negativo que os puedo decir sobre la creatividad. Y es que es más sencillo decir lo que la creatividad no es. Un poco como aquel escultor que, al ser preguntado cómo había esculpido un maravilloso elefante, explicó que había tomado un gran bloque de mármol y después había ido quitando todas aquellas partes que no se parecían a un elefante. Y aquí viene la parte negativa: la creatividad no es un talento. No es un talento. Es una forma de operar»Es decir, según él, la creatividad es una forma de hacer las cosas. Volveremos a sus ideas en algún capítulo futuro, seguro, aunque si no aguantas hasta entonces te he dejado un enlace a una de sus charlas en las notas. Pero hoy vamos a seguir profundizando en esa forma de hacer las cosas vista desde otra perspectiva, la de un filósofo griego que odiaba a la humanidad. Y es que vamos a tratar de terminar con esas ideas que hemos ido rescatando de un libro extraño llamado «Espera lo inesperado», en el que Roger von Oech trataba de sacar aprendizajes sobre creatividad de un tal Heráclito. Un plan sin fisuras.  ¿Te gusta kaizen? Apoya el podcast uniéndote a la Comunidad y accede a contenidos y ventajas exclusivas: https://www.jaimerodriguezdesantiago.com/comunidad-kaizen/

This is The Spoon, where John Borack is our guest, where we're in Gino Vanelli territory (but without the talent) and we're quotin' Cleese.  Music ByPopdudes (1) Artful Dodger  Popdudes (2) Spoon FeedingPaul Collins ~ Stand Back And Take A Good Look Pushin' Too Hard: American Garage Rock '64-'67 Lion's Mane Mushroom Shogun  Adam Ant Is The BlueBlack Hussar Marrying The Gunner's Daughter  The Men Of The Spoon Robbie RistChris Jackson Thom Bowers The Spoon on FacebookSubscribe via iTunesEmail: the_spoon_radio@yahoo.com

Podcast for a deep examination into the career and life choices of Whoopi Goldberg. Hangin' Ten continues with film #10! Patrick comes down with an illness and thinks it's caused by Keebler elves. Joe does not want to indulge his madness and ignores him by watching ten movies in a row. Lev is more willing to play ball and avenges Patrick by destroying a Keebler display at a local grocery store. Which store? Find out on this week's episode of 'What the Hell Happened to Them?' Email the cast at whathappenedtothem@gmail.com Disclaimer: This episode was recorded in January 2024. References may feel confusing and/or dated unusually quickly. 'Rat Race' is available Blu-ray (and presumably DVD and/or VHS): https://www.amazon.com/Rat-Race-Blu-ray-Rowan-Atkinson/dp/B08YDLZLK9/ref=sr_1_4?crid=17GPQHQV487L7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LJUwRK4CvxnIBJyGfYJu6z1lAJ670o5-wyv_Evy4GyulHV9JlXAl2HSQTJSLgSO3vwUV0U5J9azbHMFo_Zav4Wpu-XTzecU-6i4q4BE2Y9_CH5hmKjBiL5byG_ZBRA-Q-08utFwuBO8Pg1IToBppig.eliJKuGgTc_TYTrzyzGNQeM1h-HZGMeB1UBX5Eu-rTc&dib_tag=se&keywords=rat+race&qid=1705112352&s=movies-tv&sprefix=rat+race%2Cmovies-tv%2C125&sr=1-4 Music from "Rat Race (choir version)" by Baha Men and "All Star but it's in a minor key so it makes you question life & realize that the years start coming and..." by Happy Sad Songs   Artwork from BJ West   quixotic, united, skeyhill, vekeman, whoopi, goldberg, rat, race, atkinson, meyer, smart, knight, cleese, smash, mouth, gooding, letterboxd

In this mini episode ...John Cleese's controversial tweet comparing Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler and Cleese's subsequent response to criticism. We also provide updates on Pete Davidson's recent outburst which has led to numerous show cancellations. Lastly, we mourn the passing of Tom Smothers.Tune in tomorrow morning for the top 11 comedy specials of the year.If you're a regular listener of the podcast, there's a really easy way to show your support and help us grow. Download the Fountain app on iOS or Android, follow Daily Comedy News and start listening. You can share your thoughts on this episode by sending a Boost (like a payment with a message) and see what other listeners have to say, or create clips of the best moments. Getting started is easy - you can top up your Fountain wallet with a bank card. Oh - and you can earn rewards just by listening on Fountain too. Then listen to the podcast using the Fountain app every day. https://fountain.fm/show/Hv83LA5rbkciyuy7tG12 You can also support the show via Buy Me A Coffee! The easiest way it to join the $2 Club! Or throw some money in the tip jar at Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/dailycomedynews www.linktr.ee/dailycomedynews Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/dcnpod - join us to to discuss comedy and your favorite comedians. YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@dailycomedynews?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram is @dailycomedynews https://www.instagram.com/dailycomedynews/?hl=en Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/dailycomedynews/ Web version at www.dailycomedynews.com Twitter X is @dcnpod because the person with what I want tweeted once Email: john at thesharkdeck dot com Daily Comedy News commentary includes satire and parody. Daily Comedy News is a production of Caloroga Shark Media, the leading company in short form daily podcastsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/show/daily-comedy-news-a-podcast-about-comedi/support.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4522158/advertisement

As it's Christmas this week we wanted to shake things up and try something a little different... so we decided to talk about a British comedy film which doesn't feature a Goon! A change is as good as a rest and anyway, the film is a cracker. In 1986 John Cleese starred in a Michael Frayn-scripted comic farce called Clockwise, in which he plays headmaster Brian Stimpson who needs to get to far-flung Norwich in order to deliver a speech. Having missed the train, Stimpson enlists the help of one of his pupils to drive him and what follows is a series of hilarious mishaps and misunderstandings with countless laws being broken along the way. It was the film that inspired Cleese to embark upon A Fish Called Wanda and is one of the greatest - if sometimes overlooked - British comedy films of the eighties. Chris Diamond of TV Cream returns for a fourth time and finally gets the key to the executive washroom. Having not seen the film since it was released he had a lot to say and props are given to the supporting cast including Stephen Moore, Joan Hickson, Tony Haygarth and Penelope Wilton. As for Stimpson: is he, as Tyler suggests, a 'less Tory' Basil Fawlty? This and many more questions are asked, and some of them are even answered!

Recorded Live at Edinburgh Fringe.  FULL LENGTH SPECIAL 'FIFTY' COMING SOON

John Cleese visits Google to discuss his book “So, Anyway…”, a chronicle of his early life and career. John Cleese's huge comedic influence has stretched across generations; his sharp irreverent eye and the unique brand of physical comedy he perfected now seem written into comedy's DNA. In this memoir, Cleese recalls his humble beginnings in a sleepy English town, his early comedic days at Cambridge University with future Monty Python partner Graham Chapman, and the founding of the landmark comedy troupe that would propel him to worldwide renown. Cleese was just days away from graduating Cambridge and setting off on a law career when he was visited by two BBC executives, who offered him a job writing comedy for radio. That fateful moment propelled him down a different path, cutting his teeth writing for stars like David Frost and Peter Sellers, and eventually joining the five other Pythons to pioneer a new kind of comedy that prized invention, silliness, and absurdity. Along the way, he found his first true love with the actress Connie Booth and transformed himself from a reluctant performer to a world class actor and back again. Originally published in November of 2015. Visit http://g.co/TalksAtGoogle/SoAnyway to watch the video.

An evening with the Late John Cleese is set for Saturday night at the Appell Center for the Performing Arts in York. Wait! The comedy legend, actor and all-around entertainer John Cleese is dead? Maybe you haven't heard, but John Cleese was with us on The Spark Friday to confirm those reports in his own satirical way, " I died just over seven weeks ago. It was in all the papers. But I come from a Christian family, so on the third day, I was able to rise again. It's an old Christian trick, and it was taught me by a maternal grandmother of five Bertha. And it's very, very useful going back to life because I need the money." Cleese looked ahead to the afterlife,"I know that there are many cats were very well looked after in his household. There'll be a whole host of ways me when I die again, because I believe that cats and dogs are far more important than anyone else in our lives. I've often said that I think it's much better to lose a friend and to lose a pet." Cleese has ideas on how to live, die and the afterlife,"Once I get there and there'll be an instruction booklet, I think when we're born, we should be given a booklet explaining what our life is and what the purpose of life is and what we should be doing. We don't have a booklet like that, but when you get a GED, they have this lovely booklet that tells you exactly what's going on, all the things you have to do. And so there's no doubt about it. You just know what to do. I like that. It's very straightforward. It's much harder being a human being and not really knowing what the point of life is."  Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Cleese, British actor and comedian once said: “Nothing will stop you being creative so effectively as the fear of making a mistake. Creativity is not a talent. it's a way to operate. an ability to play. And he described the most creatives (when in this mood) as being childlike. For they were able to play with ideas… to explore them… not for any immediate practical purpose but just for enjoyment. Play for its own sake.RESOURCES: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryancollinseurope/2020/02/25/john-cleese-on-how-to-become-more-creative-and-productive/?sh=284675ea6857 and https://genius.com/John-cleese-lecture-on-creativity-annotatedGET AN OCCASIONAL PERSONAL EMAIL FROM ME: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTUNE IN ON INSTAGRAM FOR COOL CONTENT: www.instagram.com/mydbpodcastOR BE A REAL GEM + TUNE IN ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/MYDBpodcastOR WATCH ON YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/juliemerica The opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Get bonus content on PatreonSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, we're going to start a miniseries that I've been dreading doing, not because of the films this company produced and/or released during the 1980s, but because it means shining any kind of light on a serial sexual assaulter and his enabling brother. But one cannot do a show like this, talking about the movies of the 1980s, and completely ignore Miramax Films. ----more---- TRANSCRIPT   From Los Angeles, California. The Entertainment Capital of the World. It's the 80s Movie Podcast. I am your host, Edward Havens/ Thank you for listening today.   On this episode, we're going to start a miniseries that I've been dreading doing, not because of the films this company produced and/or released during the 1980s, but because it means shining any kind of light on a serial sexual assaulter and his enabling brother. But one cannot do a show like this, talking about the movies of the 1980s, and completely ignore Miramax Films.   But I am not here to defend Harvey Weinstein. I am not here to make him look good. My focus for this series, however many they end up being, will focus on the films and the filmmakers. Because it's important to note that the Weinsteins did not have a hand in the production of any of the movies Miramax released in the 1980s, and the two that they did have a hand in making, one a horror film, the other a comedy that would be the only film the Weinsteins would ever direct themselves, were distributed by companies other than Miramax.   But before I do begin, I want to disclose my own personal history with the Weinsteins. As you may know, I was a movie theatre manager for Landmark Theatres in the mid 1990s, running their NuWilshire Theatre in Santa Monica. The theatre was acquired by Landmark from Mann Theatres in 1992, and quickly became a hot destination for arthouse films for those who didn't want to deal with the hassle of trying to get to the Laemmle Monica 4 about a mile away, situated in a very busy area right off the beach, full of tourists who don't know how to park properly and making a general nuisance of themselves to the locals. One of the first movies to play at the NuWilshire after Landmark acquired it was Quentin Tarantino's debut film, Reservoir Dogs, which was released by Miramax in the fall of 1992. The NuWilshire quickly became a sort of lucky charm to Harvey Weinstein, which I would learn when I left the Cineplex Beverly Center in June 1993 to take over the NuWilshire from my friend Will, the great-grandson of William Fox, the founder of Fox Films, who was being promoted to district manager and personally recommended me to replace him.   During my two plus years at the NuWilshire, I fielded a number of calls from Harvey Weinstein. Not his secretary. Not his marketing people.    Harvey himself.   Harvey took a great interest in the theatre, and regularly wanted feedback about how his films were performing at my theatre. I don't know if he had heard the stories about Stanley Kubrick doing the same thing years before, but I probably spoke to him at least once a month. I never met the man, and I didn't really enjoy speaking with him, because a phone call from him meant I wasn't doing the work I actually needed to do, but keeping Harvey would mean keeping to get his best films for my theatre, so I indulged him a bit more than I probably should have.   And that indulgence did occasionally have its perks. Although I was not the manager of the NuWilshire when Reservoir Dogs played there, Quentin Tarantino personally hand-delivered one of the first teaser posters for his second movie, Pulp Fiction, to me, asking me if I would put it up in our poster frame, even though we both knew we were never going to play the film with the cast he assembled and the reviews coming out of Cannes. He, like Harvey Weinstein, considered the theatre his lucky charm. I put the poster up, even though we never did play the film, and you probably know how well the film did. Maybe we were his lucky charm.   I also got to meet Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier weeks before their first film, Clerks, opened. We hosted a special screening sponsored by the Independent Feature Project, now known as Film Independent, whose work to help promote independent film goes far deeper than just handing out the Spirit Awards each year. Smith and Mosier were cool cats, and I was able to gift Smith something the following year when he screened Mallrats a few weeks before it opened.   And, thanks to Miramax, I was gifted something that ended up being one of the best nights of my life. An invitation to the Spirit Awards and after-party in 1995, the year Quentin Tarantino and Lawrence Bender won a number of awards for Pulp Fiction. At the after-party, my then-girlfriend and I ended up drinking tequila with Toni Collette, who was just making her mark on American movie screens that very weekend, thanks to Miramax's release of Muriel's Wedding, and then playing pool against Collette and Tarantino, while his Spirit Awards sat on a nearby table.   Twenty feet from stardom, indeed.   I left that job at the end of the summer in 1995, and I would not be involved with the Weinstein Brothers for a number of years, until after I had moved to New York City, started FilmJerk, and had become an established film critic. As a critic, I had been invited to an advance screening of Bad Santa at the AMC Empire 25, and on the way out, Bob Weinstein randomly stopped me in the lobby to ask me a few questions about my reaction to the film. Which was the one and only time I ever interacted with either brother face to face, and would be the last time I ever interacted with either of them in any capacity.   As a journalist, I felt it was necessary to disclose these things, although I don't believe these things have clouded my judgment about them. They were smart enough to acquire some good films early in their careers, built a successful distribution company with some very smart people who most likely knew about their boss's disgusting proclivities and neither said nor did anything about it, and would eventually succumb to the reckoning that was always going to come to them, one way or another. I'm saddened that so many women were hurt by these men, physically and emotionally, and I will not be satisfied that they got what was coming to them until they've answered for everything they did.   Okay, enough with the proselytizing.    I will only briefly go into the history of the Weinstein Brothers, and how they came to found Miramax, and I'm going to get that out of the way right now.   Harvey Weinstein and his younger brother Bob, were born in Queens, New York, and after Harvey went to college in Buffalo, the brothers would start up a rock concert promotion company in the area. After several successful years in the concert business, they would take their profits and start up an independent film distribution company which they named Miramax, after their parents, Miriam and Max. They would symbolically start the company up on December 31st, 1979.   Like the old joke goes, they may have been concert promoters, but they really wanted to be filmmakers. But they would need to build up the company first, and they would use their connections in the music industry to pick up the American distribution rights to Rockshow, the first concert movie featuring Paul McCartney and his post-Beatles band Wings, which had been filmed during their 1976 Wings Over the World tour. And even from the start, Harvey Weinstein would earn the derisive nickname many people would give him over the years, Harvey Scissorhands, as he would cut down what was originally a 125min movie down to 102mins.   Miramax would open Rockshow on nine screens in the New York City area on Wednesday, November 26th, 1980, including the prestigious Ziegfeld Theatre, for what was billed as a one-week only run. But the film would end up exceeding their wildest expectations, grossing $113k from those nine screens, including nearly $46k just from the Ziegfeld. The film would get its run extended a second week, the absolute final week, threatened the ads, but the film would continue to play, at least at the Ziegfeld, until Saturday December 13th, when the theatre was closed for five days to prepare for what the theatre expected to be their big hit of the Christmas season, Neil Diamond's first movie, The Jazz Singer. It would be a sad coincidence that Rockstar's run at the Ziegfeld had been extended, and was still playing the night McCartney's friend and former bandmate John Lennon was assassinated barely a mile away from the theatre.   But, strangely, instead of exploiting the death of Lennon and capitalize on the sudden, unexpected, tragic reemergence of Beatlemania, Miramax seems to have let the picture go. I cannot find any playdates for the film in any other city outside of The Big Apple after December 1980, and the film would be unseen in any form outside a brief home video release in 1982 until June 2013, when the restored 125min cut was released on DVD and Blu-Ray, after a one-night theatrical showing in cinemas worldwide.   As the Brothers Weinstein were in the process of gearing up Miramax, they would try their hand at writing and producing a movie themselves. Seeing that movies like Halloween and Friday the 13th were becoming hits, Harvey would write up a five-page treatment for a horror movie, based on an upstate New York boogeyman called Cropsey, which Harvey had first heard about during his school days at camp. Bob Weinstein would write the script for The Burning with steampunk author Peter Lawrence in six weeks, hire a British music documentary filmmaker, Tony Maylam, the brothers knew through their concert promoting days, and they would have the film in production in Buffalo, New York, in the summer of 1980, with makeup effects by Tom Savini.   Once the film was complete, they accepted a purchase deal from Filmways Pictures, covering most of the cost of the $1.5m production, which they would funnel right back into their fledgling distribution company. But when The Burning opened in and around the Florida area on May 15th, 1981, the market was already overloaded with horror films, from Oliver Stone's The Hand and Edward Bianchi's The Fan, to Lewis Teague's Alligator and J. Lee Thompson's Happy Birthday to Me, to Joe Dante's The Howling and the second installment of the Friday the 13th series. Outside of Buffalo, where the movie was shot, the film did not perform well, no matter how many times Filmways tried to sell it. After several months, The Burning would only gross about $300k, which would help drive Filmways into bankruptcy. As we talked about a couple years ago on our series about Orion Pictures, Orion would buy all the assets from Filmways, including The Burning, which they would re-release into theatres with new artwork, into the New York City metropolitan region on November 5th, 1982, to help promote the upcoming home video release of the film. In just seven days in 78 theatres, the film would gross $401k, more than it had earned over its entire run during the previous year. But the film would be gone from theatres the following week, as many exhibitors do not like playing movies that were also playing on cable and/or available on videotape. It is estimated the film's final gross was about $750k in the US, but the film would become a minor success on home video and repeated cable screenings.   Now, some sources on the inter webs will tell you the first movie Miramax released was Goodbye, Emmanuelle, based in part on a profile of the brothers and their company in a March 2000 issue of Fortune Magazine, in which writer Tim Carvell makes this claim. Whether this info nugget came from bad research, or a bad memory on the part of one or both of the brothers, it simply is not true. Goodbye, Emmanuelle, as released by Miramax in an edited and dubbed version, would be released more than a year after Rockshow, on December 5th, 1981. It would gross a cool $241k in 50 theatres in New York City, but lose 80% of its screens in its second week, mostly for Miramax's next film, a low budget, British-made sci-fi sex comedy called Spaced Out.   Or, at least, that's what the brothers thought would be a better title for a movie called Outer Touch in the UK.   Which I can't necessarily argue. Outer Touch is a pretty dumb title for a movie. Even the film's director, Normal Warren, agreed. But that's all he would agree with the brothers on. He hated everything else they did to his film to prepare it for American release. Harvey would edit the film down to just 77mins in length, had a new dub created to de-emphasize the British accents of the original actors, and changed the music score and the ending. And for his efforts, Weinstein would see some success when the film was released into 41 theatres in New York on December 11th, 1981. But whether or not it was because of the film itself, which was very poorly reviewed, or because it was paired with the first re-issue of The Groove Tube since Chevy Chase, one of the actors in that film, became a star, remains to be seen.   Miramax would only release one movie for all of 1982, but it would end up being their first relative hit film.   Between 1976 and 1981, there were four live shows of music and comedy in the United Kingdom for the benefit of Amnesty International. Inspired by former Monty Python star John Cleese, these shows would raise millions for the international non-governmental organization focused on human rights issues around the world. The third show, in 1979, was called The Secret Policeman's Ball, and would not only feature Cleese, who also directed the live show, performing with his fellow Pythons Terry Jones and Michael Palin, but would also be a major launching pad for two of the most iconic comedians of the 1980s, English comedian Rowan Atkinson and Scottish comedian Billy Connelly. But unlike the first two Amnesty benefit shows, Cleese decided to add some musical acts to the bill, including Pete Townshend of The Who.   The shows would be a big success in the United Kingdom, and the Weinsteins, once again using their connections in the music scene, would buy the American film rights to the show before they actually incorporated Miramax Films. That purchase would be the impetus for creating the company.   One slight problem, though.   The show was, naturally, very British. One bit from the show, featuring the legendary British comedian and actor Peter Cook, was a nine-minute bit summing up a recent bit of British history, the leader of the British Labour Party being tried on charges of conspiracy and incitement to murder his ex-boyfriend, would not make any sense to anyone who wasn't following the trial. All in all, even with the musical segments featuring Townshend, the Weinsteins felt there was only about forty minutes worth of material that could be used for a movie.   It also didn't help that the show was shot with 16mm film, which would be extremely grainy when blown up to 35mm.   But while they hemmed and hawed through trying to shape the film. Cleese and his show partners at Amnesty decided to do another set of benefit shows in 1981, this time called The Secret Policeman's Other Ball. Knowing that there might be interest in a film version of this show, the team would decide to shoot this show in 35mm. Cleese would co-direct the live show, while music video director Julien Temple would be in charge of filming. And judging from the success of an EP released in 1980 featuring Townshend's performance at the previous show, Cleese would arrange for more musical artists to perform, including Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Donovan, Bob Geldof, Sting, and Midge Ure of Ultraviolet. In fact, it would be because of their participation in these shows that would lead Geldof and Ure to form Band Aid in 1984, which would raise $24m for famine relief in Ethiopia in just three months, and the subsequent Live Aid shows in July 1985 would raise another $126m worldwide.   The 1981 Amnesty benefit shows were a success, especially the one-time-only performance of a supergroup called The Secret Police, comprising of Beck, Clapton, Geldof and Sting performing Bob Dylan's I Shall Be Released at the show's closing, and the Weinsteins would make another deal to buy the American movie rights to these shows. While Temple's version of the 1981 shows would show as intended for UK audiences in 1982, the co-creator of the series, British producer Martin Lewis, would spend three months in New York City with Harvey Weinstein at the end of 1981 and start of 1982, working to turn the 1979 and 1981 shows into one cohesive movie geared towards American audiences. After premiering at the Los Angeles International Film Exposition in March 1982, The Secret Policeman's Other Ball would open on nine screens in the greater New York City metropolitan area on May 21st, but only on one screen in all of Manhattan. And in its first three days, the movie would gross an amazing $116k, including $36,750 at the Sutton theatre in the Midtown East part of New York City. Even more astounding is that, in its second weekend at the same nine theaters, the film would actually increase its gross to $121k, when most movies in their second week were seeing their grosses drop 30-50% because of the opening of Rocky III. And after just four weeks in just New York City, on just nine or ten screens each week, The Secret Policeman's Other Ball would gross more than $400k. The film would already be profitable for Miramax.   But the Weinsteins were still cautious. It wouldn't be until July 16th when they'd start to send the film out to other markets like Los Angeles, where they could only get five theatres to show the film, including the brand new Cineplex Beverly Center, itself opening the same day, which, as the first Cineplex in America, was as desperate to show any movie it could as Miramax was to show the movie at any theatre it could.   When all was said and done, The Secret Policeman's Other Ball would gross nearly $4m in American theatres.   So, you'd think now they had a hit film under their belts, Miramax would gear up and start acquiring more films and establishing themselves as a true up and coming independent distributor.   Right?   You'd think.   Now, I already said The Secret Policeman's Other Ball was their only release in 1982.   So, naturally, you'd think their first of like ten or twelve releases for 1983 would come in January.   Right?   You'd think.   In fact, Miramax's next theatrical release, the first theatrical release of D.A. Pennebaker's Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars concert film from the legendary final Ziggy show at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on July 3, 1973, would not come until December 23rd, 1983. And, for the third time in three years, it would be their music connections that would help the Weinsteins acquire a film.   Although the Ziggy Stardust movie had been kicking around for years, mostly one-night-only 16mm screenings on college campuses and a heavily edited 44min version that aired once on American television network ABC in October 1974, this would be the first time a full-length 90min version of the movie would be seen. And the timing for it couldn't have come at a better time. 1983 had been a banner year for the musician and occasional actor. His album Let's Dance had sold more than five million copies worldwide and spawned three hit singles. His Serious Moonlight tour, his first concert tour in five years, was the biggest tour of the year. And he won critical praise for his role as  a British prisoner of war in Nagisa Ōshima's powerful Japanese World War II film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.   The Weinsteins would enlist the help of 20th Century Fox to get the film into theatres during a very competitive Christmas moviegoing season. But despite their best efforts, Fox and Miramax could only nab one theatre in all of New York City, the 8th Street Playhouse in lower Manhattan, and five in Los Angeles, including two screens at the Cineplex Beverly Center. And for the weekend, its $58,500 gross would be quite decent, with a per screen average above such films as Scarface, Sudden Impact and Yentl. But in its second weekend, the all-important Christmas week, the gross would fall nearly 50% when the vast majority of movies improve their grosses with kids out of school and wage earners getting time off for the holidays. Fox and Miramax would stay committed to the film through the early part of 1984, but they'd keep costs down by rotating the six prints made for New York and Los Angeles to other cities as those playdates wound down, and only buying eighth-page display ads in local newspapers' entertainment section when it arrived in a new city. The final gross would fall short of half a million dollars, but the film would find its audience on home video later in the year. And while the Weinsteins are no longer involved with the handling of the film, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars will be getting a theatrical release across the planet the first week of July 2023, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the concert.   So, here were are, four years into the formation of Miramax Films, and they only released five films into theatres, plus wrote and produced another released by Filmways. One minor hit, four disappointments, and we're still four years away from them becoming the distributor they'd become. But we're going to stop here today because I like to keep these episodes short.   Thank you for joining us. We'll talk again next week, when we continue with story of Miramax Films, from 1984 to 1987.   Remember to visit this episode's page on our website, The80sMoviePodcast.com, for extra materials about the movies we covered this episode.   The 80s Movies Podcast has been researched, written, narrated and edited by Edward Havens for Idiosyncratic Entertainment.   Thank you again.   Good night.

The economy, staff towel poll, Jack's stress eating, China Cuba spy station and Katie looks at Hunter's website and Cleese no F'sSee omny.fm/listener for privacy information.

Comedians around the globe have had enough! They're pushing back against triggered woke leftists and cancel culture, and you're about to see one of the best and funniest examples of a woke heckler getting owned!    Highlights:  ●      “Comedians like Bill Maher increasingly going after the cancel culture insanity of the woke left that seeks to silence comedians and stop them from saying anything that's even remotely offensive to their neurotic sensibilities.” ●      “In another interview, Cleese said that cancel culture ends up taking the fun out of life, and it stifles the profound social and cultural critiques that are embedded in humor.”   Timestamps:     [01:05] How comedian Adam Ray crushes woke leftist after joking about Biden [05:47] How other comedians like Bill Maher are going after the woke left that tries to silence them [08:04] How John Cleese condemned the propensity of woke political correctness to utterly stifle comedic creativity Resources:  ●      Want free inside stock tips straight from the SEC? Click here to get started now: https://event.webinarjam.com/register ●      Go to https://expressvpn.com/turley to find out how you can get 3 months free! ●      The Courageous Patriot Community is inviting YOU! Join the movement now and build the parallel economy at https://insidersclub.turleytalks.com ●      Ep. 1655 Armed Citizen Shoots 3 Robbers in a Houston Gas Station!!! ●      Get carrying TODAY with Countrywide Concealed HERE: https://www.frebahlem.com/BG484F42/G38H44Q/ ●      It's time to walk away from the woke corporations. Make The Switch at https://patriotswitch.com/turley   Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode.  If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and/or leave a review. Sick and tired of Big Tech, censorship, and endless propaganda? Join my Insiders Club with a FREE TRIAL today at: https://insidersclub.turleytalks.com Make sure to FOLLOW me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrTurleyTalks BOLDLY stand up for TRUTH in Turley Merch! Browse our new designs right now at: https://store.turleytalks.com/ Do you want to be a part of the podcast and be our sponsor? Click here to partner with us and defy liberal culture!  If you would like to get lots of articles on conservative trends make sure to sign-up for the 'New Conservative Age Rising' Email Alerts.

On this episode of the Video Junkyard Podcast, the guys dive into an 80s comedy classic with "A Fish Called Wanda". Directed by Charles Crichton and featuring John Cleese, Michael Palin, Kevin Kline, and Jamie Lee Curtis, "A Fish Called Wanda" tells of a gang of diamond thieves who double-cross one another to find stolen diamonds hidden by the gang leader. When a barrister (Cleese) becomes a central figure, femme fatale Wanda (Curtis)uses him to locate the loot and keep them out of jail. The pairing of Monty Python alumni with Kline and Curtis brought in rave reviews when the film was released in 1988, but does it still make a splash in 2023? Check out the Video Junkyard Podcast to find out!

Our very special guest today is John Cleese! They say tragedy + time = comedy. I ask John, it seems we have tragedy all of the time, how do we get to the comedy? He is one of the most recognized and popular comic actors in the world. In fact, the father of modern satire crowns a list of 50 of the most revered names in entertainment. More than 300 comedians, comedy writers, producers and directors on both sides of the Atlantic have named John Cleese #2 on the list of the world's most talented comedians. The list was compiled for the Channel 4 show - “The Comedians' Comedian” John Cleese is probably best known for his television work on Monty Python's Flying Circus and Fawlty Towers, but if you ask anyone under 20 who John Cleese is, they give you a quizzical look at first, and when you say “Nick the Nearly Headless Ghost” in the Harry Potter film series, they light up and shout “I LOVE JOHN CLEESE!” John Cleese has appeared in numerous movies, including Time Bandits, Silverado, The Out-of-Towners, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, and The Day the Earth Stood Still. He had leading roles in several comedies, such as “A Fish Called Wanda,” a cult classic and my dad's favorite movie of all time. He also did voice work in numerous films, including the Shrek series as well as Charlotte's Web and Trolls. When I first met John, I called him Mr. Cleese. I asked him: “May I call you “John?” He replied: “Yes, but please alternate between Mr. Cleese and John.” Find John Cleese on: On Instagram - @johncleeseofficial

The screwball comedy "A Fish Called Wanda" comes to the club and comic Tommy Savitt is here to discuss it all with Host & Corporate Comic Steve Mazan.  Is this one of the funniest movies of all time? Did we deserve more Kevin Kline? Is this a Monty Python Movie? Whose body was better JLC's or Cleese's? Did it have asequel? All these questions and more get answered on this week's Mazan Movie Club Podcast.  "A Fish Called Wanda" on IMDb Home of the Mazan Movie Club Steve Mazan on Instagram Home of Corporate Comedian Steve Mazan    

Is There Life After Death? Past Lives? moderated by John Cleese The University of Virginia's Division of Perceptual Studies research portfolio includes investigating children who have memories of past lives; the nature of consciousness and the mind-body relationship; neuro-imaging studies of psi events; and individuals who report experiencing near-death experiences(NDEs). In this panel, the legendary actor, writer, and comedian, John Cleese, convenes DOPS research faculty to present an overview of the research to which they have dedicated their academic careers.

Is There Life After Death? Past Lives? moderated by John Cleese The University of Virginia's Division of Perceptual Studies research portfolio includes investigating children who have memories of past lives; the nature of consciousness and the mind-body relationship; neuro-imaging studies of psi events; and individuals who report experiencing near-death experiences(NDEs). In this panel, the legendary actor, writer, and comedian, John Cleese, convenes DOPS research faculty to present an overview of the research to which they have dedicated their academic careers.Is There Life After Death Past Lives moderated by John Cleese

Henrik Palle er anmelder af TV, teater og stand-up på Dagbladet Politiken. Anledningen til samtalen er, at den engelsk komiker John Cleese har meddelt, at der efter mere end 40 år kommer nye afsnit af komedieserien Fawlty Towers (Halløj på badehotellet). Men er det en god idé? Er komik som den John Cleese lavede i Monty Python's Flying Circus, Fawlty Towers Life of Brian, The Holy Grail (De skøre riddere), The meaning of life og A fish called Wanda blevet overhalet af tiden og den politiske korrekthed? Samtalen kredser om Cleese og hans karriere samt komikerens rolle i samfundet. Kan man lave grin med alt?Henrik Palle er uddannet i litteraturvidenskab på Københavns universitet og har arbejdet som journalist hos Politiken siden 1993. Kontakt til podcastvært Martin Ågerup: martin@cepos.dk  Optaget den 16. februar 2023. Links:Henrik Palle i Politikenhttps://politiken.dk/person/2988_Henrik_Palle

De voortdurende asielinstroom dreigt de Nederlandse samenleving te ondermijnen, maar premier Rutte is tandeloos in Europa, zegt verslaggever Wierd Duk in een nieuwe aflevering van de podcast Het Land van Wierd Duk. ,,VVD en CDA willen wel een strengere aanpak, maar CU en D66 liggen dwars. Voor D66 is kennelijk de hele wereld welkom en voor de CU geldt naastenliefde vooral voor vreemdelingen.” Verder in de podcast: John Cleese is al 83. Maar de hoogbejaarde komiek keert terug met Fawlty Towers. Duk kijkt ernaar uit: ,,Cleese gaat hopelijk allemaal politiek incorrecte grappen maken. Ik verheug mij zeer op de reacties van de woke-strijders.” En: wie blies de Nordstream-pijpleiding op? Onderzoeksjournalist Seymour Hersh weet het antwoord: de Amerikanen. Duk: ,,De VS hebben wel een duidelijk motief.” Verder: waarom krijgt een boek over Nederland Wokeland een disclaimer mee van de internet-boekverkoper?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Cleese is set to team up with his daughter, Camilla, for a reboot of the beloved Fawlty Towers sitcom. The new series will "explore how Cleese's over-the-top, cynical and misanthropic Basil Fawlty navigates the modern world", according to early information. But don't mention the war - or Cleese's rebrand in the last decade as more of a curmudgeon than a barrel of laughs. UK entertainment reporter and film critic Neil Smith spoke to Corin Dann.

This week's guest on Out of the Question is writer, comedian, and musician, Andrew Hansen. He's the member of The Chaser who sings and sometimes gets into trouble for the lyrics he sings. I think he's hilarious in the style of a shorter Cleese or a stronger jawed Tim Brooke-Taylor – while, at the same time, being completely his own thing. He's also been a radio presenter on the ABC, Triple M and Nova. And he's toured his live stage shows around the country many times. In fact, you can catch his new show Andrew Hansen Is Cheap in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Launceston in the next few months. Just type in bio.to/andrewhansen and all will be revealed. Alright. We had a good chat. He's a decent man, Andrew Hansen. Before the interview proper, I told him how great I thought his Billy Connolly impersonation was and we started talking about impersonation comedy in general. A serious moment when Andrew talks about what it's like to be sued over a joke. Get full access to The Kicker at thekicker.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode we complete our journey towards cinematic eternal damnation and pick up with the release of Monty Python's Life of Brian in the U.K.The Pythons come up against the likes of Mary Whitehouse, Malcolm Muggeridge, Mervyn Stockwood and founder of Christian Voice, Stephen Green.SaucesAlways Look on the Bright Side of Life by Robert SellersLife of Brian: The Gospel According to Monty Python by Leah SchnelbachEric Idle's Twitter Accounthttps://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190822-life-of-brian-the-most-blasphemous-film-ever50 Years After John Lennon's “Bigger Than Jesus” Quote, We Forget How Shocking the Rest of That Interview Was BY RUTH GRAHAM, Slate.comHow A Beatle Lives Part 3: George Harrison by Maureen Cleave, Evening Standard, The, 18 March 1966Chabad Rabbi Who Once Called For Rabin's Assassination Passes Awayhttps://failedmessiah.typepad.comhttps://www.theguardian.com/culture/2003/mar/28/artsfeatures1http://menardstemarie.chez.com/mp/c3.htmRobert E. A. Lee, Who Made ‘A Time for Burning,' Dies at 87, New York TimesIron Maiden Meets Monty Python By Bryan ReesmanVANDALS PLAGUE FUNDAMENTALIST CHURCH IN 'VILLAGE' By Charles Austin, New York TimesBBC's Malcolm Muggeridge groped women uncontrollably, claims book. The GuardianPinkoes and Traitors: The BBC and the nation 1974-1987 by Jean SeatonNot the nine o'clock NewsFriday Night, Saturday Morning BBC2ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE': THAT ONE TIME BRITISH SAILORS SANG MONTY PYTHON AS THEY WATCHED THEIR SHIP BURN By CLAIRE BARRETT, HistorynetIn public he rails against immorality as the voice of Christian Britain but in private he is a wife beater, says his former partner By FRANCES HARDY, THE DAILY MAIL

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with John Cleese to mark the 60th anniversary of his TV debut writing for the BBC's "That Was the Week That Was" on Nov. 24, 1962, which of course led to "Monty Python" and "Fawlty Towers." They spoke in 2017 when Cleese visited Washington D.C. for a special Q&A and screening of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" at the historic Warner Theatre. (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion")

Monty Python and the Holy Grail Welcome to The Guys Review, where we review media, products and experiences.  **READ APPLE REVIEWS/Fan Mail**Mention Twitter DM group - like pinned tweet @The_GuysReviewRead emails theguysreviewpod@gmail.comTwitter Poll **ASK CHRIS AND TREY ABOUT THEIR RATING FOR Saving Private Ryan** Monty Python and the Holy Grail Director:Terry GilliamTerry Jones Starring:  Graham ChapmanJohn CleeseTerry GilliamEric IdleTerry JonesMichael Palin Released: April 3, 1975 Budget: $400,000 ($2.2M in 2022) Gross $5M ($27.7M in 2022) Ratings:   IMDb 8.2/10 Rotten Tomatoes 98% Metacritic 91% Google Users 91%  Here cometh thine shiny awards Sire. My Lord Tucker the Wanker second Earl of Wessex. Lord of the Furries. Heir of Lord baldy the one eyed snake wrestler. Protector of Freedom units. Step Sibling with funny feelings down stairs. Entertainer of uncles. Jailor of innocent. Spanker of innocent milk maids and stable boys. The toxic wanker. Big Cheif sitting doughnut. Teepee giver to the great Cornholio. Edgar Allan Poe's shaved muse. No awards, but garnered high praise when it came out. First Time you saw the movie? Plot:In AD 932, King Arthur and his squire, Patsy, travel Britain searching for men to join the Knights of the Round Table. Along the way, Arthur debates whether swallows could carry coconuts, passes through a town infected with the Black Death, recounts receiving Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake to two anarcho-syndicalist peasants, defeats the Black Knight and observes an impromptu witch trial. He recruits Sir Bedevere the Wise, Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Galahad the Pure, and Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir-Lancelot, along with their squires and Robin's minstrels. Arthur leads the knights to Camelot, but, after a musical number, changes his mind, deeming it "a silly place". As they turn away, God appears and orders Arthur to find the Holy Grail. Arthur and his knights arrive at a castle occupied by French soldiers, who claim to have the Grail and taunt the Britons, driving them back with a barrage of barnyard animals. Bedevere concocts a plan to sneak in using a Trojan Rabbit, but no one hides inside it, and the Britons are forced to flee when it is flung back at them. Arthur decides the knights should go their separate ways to search for the Grail.A modern-day historian filming a documentary on the Arthurian legends is killed by an unknown knight on horseback, triggering a police investigation. Arthur and Bedevere are given directions by an old man and attempt to satisfy the strange requests of the dreaded Knights Who Say "Ni!" Sir Robin avoids a fight with a Three-Headed Knight by running away while the heads are arguing amongst themselves. Sir Galahad is led by a grail-shaped beacon to Castle Anthrax, which is occupied exclusively by young women, who wish to be punished for misleading him, but he is unwillingly "rescued" by Lancelot. Lancelot receives an arrow-shot note from Swamp Castle. Believing the note is from a lady being forced to marry against her will, he storms the castle and slaughters several members of the wedding party, only to discover the note is from an effeminate prince. Arthur and his knights regroup and are joined by three new knights, as well as Brother Maynard and his monk brethren. They meet Tim the Enchanter, who directs them to a cave where the location of the Grail is said to be written. The entrance to the cave is guarded by the Rabbit of Caerbannog. Underestimating it, the knights attack, but the Rabbit easily kills Bors, Gawain and Ector. Arthur uses the "Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch", provided by Brother Maynard, to destroy the creature. Inside the cave, they find an inscription from Joseph of Arimathea, directing them to Castle Aarrgh. An animated cave monster devours Brother Maynard, but Arthur and the knights escape after the animator unexpectedly suffers a fatal heart attack. The knights approach the Bridge of Death, where the bridge-keeper demands they answer three questions in order to pass or else be cast into the Gorge of Eternal Peril. Lancelot easily answers simple questions and crosses. Robin is defeated by an unexpectedly difficult question, and Galahad fails an easy one; both are magically flung into the gorge. When Arthur asks for clarification on an obscure question about swallows, the bridge-keeper cannot answer and is himself thrown into the gorge. Arthur and Bedevere cannot find Lancelot, unaware that he has been arrested by police investigating the historian's death. The pair reach Castle Aarrgh, but find it occupied by the French soldiers. After being repelled by showers of manure, they summon an army of knights and prepare to assault the castle. As the army charges, the police arrive, arrest Arthur and Bedevere for the murder of the historian and break the camera, ending the film.  TOP 5​1: Done on an incredibly small budget, the Pythons found funding from an unlikely sources—rock bands. Groups like Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, and Pink Floyd helped get the money up for the production, with a portion of the funds coming from the Floyd's album “The Dark Side of the Moon.” This is a trend that would continue later with The Life of Brian, when a large portion of the funding came from former Beatle George Harrison. When Harrison was asked why he funded the film, he responded “Because I wanted to see it.” 2: The film also represents the directorial debuts of both Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam, who decided that anyone named Terry got to direct the Pythons' first film. Attempting to co-direct at the same time led to conflicts, so the Terrys split up the responsibilities with Jones handling the actors while Gilliam worked on the cinematography. They'd go on to direct the remaining Python films together and Jones would additionally direct Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, while Gilliam's lengthy directorial career would include such artistic classics as The Fisher King, Brazil, Time Bandits, Twelve Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, and more. 3: The vicious Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog had parts of its fur dyed red to represent the blood of the knights that it spilt with its large, pointy teeth. Unfortunately, the dye used wouldn't wash out afterwards and the rabbit's owner was furious. 4: By the time the Pythons actually got around to doing the credits, they'd run out of money. As a result, the credits were very simple and Palin decided to spice them up a bit by adding the Swedish subtitles and llama references. When the film was shown for the first time at Cannes, firemen rushed in at the end of the credits to evacuate the audience due to a bomb scare. The crowd didn't leave at first because they thought it was part of the show. 5: n part due to the low budget, Chapman and Cleese did all their own stunts for the Black Knight scene. The two used heavy swords and some acrobatics for added realism. Connie Booth had brought her and Cleese's young daughter to the filming, who during the fight turned to her mum and said “Daddy doesn't like that man, does he?” **TRIPLE LINDY AWARD** **REVIEW AND RATING**TreyChrisStephen 1.5Tucker 3 TOP 5Stephen:1 Breakfast club2 Saving Private Ryan3 Ghostbusters4 Sandlot5 Color out of space Chris:1. sandlots2. T23. trick r treat4. rocky horror picture show5. hubie halloween Trey:1) Boondocks Saints2) Mail Order Brides3) Tombstone4) Very bad things5) She out of my league Tucker:1. T22:Saving Private Ryan3: Tombstone4: My Cousin Vinny5: Ghostbusters WHAT ARE WE DOING NEXT WEEK? Web: https://theguysreview.simplecast.com/EM: theguysreviewpod@gmail.comIG: @TheGuysReviewPodTW: @The_GuysReview - Twitter DM groupFB: https://facebook.com/TheGuysReviewPod/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYKXJhq9LbQ2VfR4K33kT9Q Please, Subscribe, rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts from!! Thank you,-The Guys

In this episode we take a trip down the blasphemous heretical road to Golgotha that is, Monty Python's Life of Brian. We will scour the scourge of screaming scathing scornful scandals aimed at scuttling the most scrumptiously scurrilously scatological sacrilegious scrutiny of scripture ever scribbled by scruffy scriptwriters when it scorched across screens in 1979. Sauces Always Look on the Bright Side of Life by Robert SellersLife of Brian: The Gospel According to Monty Python by Leah SchnelbachEric Idle's Twitter Accounthttps://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190822-life-of-brian-the-most-blasphemous-film-ever50 Years After John Lennon's “Bigger Than Jesus” Quote, We Forget How Shocking the Rest of That Interview Was BY RUTH GRAHAM, Slate.comHow A Beatle Lives Part 3: George Harrison by Maureen Cleave, Evening Standard, The, 18 March 1966Chabad Rabbi Who Once Called For Rabin's Assassination Passes Awayhttps://failedmessiah.typepad.comhttps://www.theguardian.com/culture/2003/mar/28/artsfeatures1http://menardstemarie.chez.com/mp/c3.htmRobert E. A. Lee, Who Made ‘A Time for Burning,' Dies at 87, New York TimesIron Maiden Meets Monty Python By Bryan ReesmanVANDALS PLAGUE FUNDAMENTALIST CHURCH IN 'VILLAGE' By Charles Austin, New York TimesBBC's Malcolm Muggeridge groped women uncontrollably, claims book. The GuardianPinkoes and Traitors: The BBC and the nation 1974-1987 by Jean SeatonNot the nine o'clock NewsFriday Night, Saturday Morning BBC2ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE': THAT ONE TIME BRITISH SAILORS SANG MONTY PYTHON AS THEY WATCHED THEIR SHIP BURN By CLAIRE BARRETT, HistorynetIn public he rails against immorality as the voice of Christian Britain but in private he is a wife beater, says his former partner By FRANCES HARDY, THE DAILY MAIL

With extra Cleese...

John Cleese is one of Britain's most celebrated cultural icons. The actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer is best known for Monty Python and for playing Basil in Fawlty Towers, co-written with his first wife, Connie Booth. With a career spanning over half a century, Cleese realised he could make people laugh before he'd reached his teenage years.

Brandon Siri joins Brian for a discussion of And Now for Something Completely Different, starring John Cleese, Eric Idle, and Michael Palin! They also talk about Cleese's career and pick his three best films.AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dxv21QFollow us at filmatfifty.com and @filmatfifty on social media, and please leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

This week, we're going abroad with a bunch of bumbling burglars in Britain in Charles Chricton;s 1988 caper. Starring John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin, this comedy won big at the box office and scored multiple awards, including a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Kline. Following the aftermath of diamond robbery, the film tracks the multiple double-crosses, triple-crosses, and multiple canine assassinations as four crooks and one philandering lawyer try to claim the ill-gotten gains. But does one-third of Monty Python equate comedy gold? Join us we wanda if this limey-crimey filmy-wilmy pulls off the perfect crime as AugHeist just keeps swimming with A Fish Called Wanda!    For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com   You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail: LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com You can find all our contact information here on the Network page of GonnaGeek.com Our complete archive is always available at www.legendspodcast.com, www.legendspodcast.libsyn.com

The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie ✓ Claim Podcast Notes Intro John Cleese (@JohnCleese) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, author, and satirist of everything serious. He's most famous for his lead role in Monty Python and other appearances in James Bond, Harry Potter, Shrek, and more!John Cleese and Nick Gillespie discuss how wokeness is destroying the environment needed to foster creativityCheck out Cleese's recent book:Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide – “You can teach people how to create circumstances in which they will become creative”Host: Nick Gillespie (@nickgillespie)Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgThe Monty Python legend says political correctness poisons thinking in all areas of human activity.

In the 1985 Western Silverado, Sheriff John Langston (played by British actor John Cleese) obligingly led a posse after two brothers following the breakout of one from the town jail. While chasing the men (whose crimes were questionable), the posse rounded a bend to unexpected gunfire from one of the brothers' companions. As his deputy urged them to push on by yelling, "… they're almost out of our jurisdiction," a bullet clipped the sheriff's hat and sent it flying.  Turning his horse around, Cleese states in his wonderfully clipped British accent, "Today, my jurisdiction ends here!" Returning to town, Sheriff Langston lived to fight another day.  Sometimes, our jurisdiction as caregivers requires reassessing. Many can recall feeling pressure (either from others or ourselves) to "right a wrong," seek satisfaction or try to force an issue. Yet that pressure can lead us outside our scope of responsibility. Leaving our territory can easily result in unpleasant circumstances – for us, our loved ones, and others. At times, the temptation to chase after the "…ones that got away" can feel compulsory. In those moments, we serve ourselves well by asking, "How important is this?'  Addressing that question helps reestablish our jurisdiction – and can allow us to fight another day. “You got to know when to hold 'em, Know when to fold 'em, Know when to walk away, And know when to run.” – The Gambler, Don Schlitz

This week, Andy and Sean delve into one of their great loves in Monty Python to examine Pythons making movies. The films they looked at were John Cleese's A Fish Called Wanda and Terry Gilliam's The Fisher King. The timings for this week are: A Fish Called Wanda (04:09) The Fisher King (24:59) Next weeks theme will be two sides of 60's Las Vegas. Follow us on social media: Instagram: frametoframepod Twitter: frametoframepod Letterboxd: frametoframe Facebook: Frame to Frame Email: frame.to.frame250@gmail.com Follow our network: Twitter: @we_madethis Instagram: @wemadethisnetwork Facebook: @wemadethis Website: www.wemadethisnetwork.com Music: Gothamlicious by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5741-gothamlicious

Welcome back to the Manor and welcome back to another 50th anniversary Monty Python arc!  Series 3 turns 50 this year, so we're continuing the streak and getting into the details!  We give a lot of information about their university years, as well as our favorite bits from this series.  This episode covers Idle, Chapman, and Cleese's university time and episodes 1-3. Next week's episode is a Q&A with the Terrors! Get in touch with us at Podbean: https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-4pksr-a17e1a Or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twinterrorsmacabremanormeadmetalmayhe/ Or on twitter: @Terrors_Manor On Instagram: @macabremanormeadmetalmayhem You can also find our podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and I Heart Radio; pretty much wherever fine (and our) podcasts are aired. Image courtesy of: James

A creative pioneer whose genius has placed him alongside Chaplin, Keaton, and his fellow Pythons as one of the greatest British comedy talents of all-time, John Cleese's name is synonymous with the very best popular culture our country has ever produced. From the subversive satire of Life of Brian and existential absurdity of The Meaning of Life to the precision-engineered farce and observational brilliance of Fawlty Towers and A Fish Called Wanda, his work is a testament to the power of the human imagination to change the way we see the world. Dr Iain McGilchrist is an intellectual icon whose singular vision has deeply affected Cleese and thousands more across the globe. Few if any works of neuroscience or philosophy have the power to evoke as much passion and infuse the lives of readers with as much meaning as The Master and His Emissary – an extraordinarily original and powerful investigation of the role of the mind and brain in shaping our experience that encompasses nothing less than the entire history of human culture and thought. We brought Cleese and McGilchrist together to explore the place of consciousness in our lives and culture, drawing both upon The Matter With Things, McGilchrist's bravura new work of neuroscience and philosophy, and Cleese's lifelong practice of creativity at the highest level. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What would happen if a random group of Hollywood actors at an '80s cocktail party decided to make a Western? We found out with listener Jim Batten's commission of "Silverado." On paper, this movie has it all. Lawrence Kasdan wrote and directed it. Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, Brian Dennehy, Rosanna Arquette, and Scott Glenn starred in it. And the soundtrack flew off shelves. But "Silverado" also includes a few interesting casting choices like Jeff Goldblum, John Cleese, Linda Hunt, and Kevin Kline. The good guys grin their way through a "Westworld"-like environment with "Game of Thrones"-level plot armor, and glass is breaking EVERYWHERE.  In this episode, Big D finally gets his training montage, Ash wishes "Silverado" were a TV series, and Gene marvels at pearls of Western wisdom. SUBSCRIBE Android: https://shatpod.com/android Apple: https://shatpod.com/apple All: https://shatpod.com/subscribe CONTACT Email: hosts@shatpod.com Website: https://shatpod.com/movies Leave a Voicemail: Web: https://shatpod.com/voicemail Leave a Voicemail: Call: (914) 719-7428 SUPPORT THE PODCAST Donate or Commission: https://shatpod.com/support Shop Merchandise: https://shatpod.com/shop Theme Song - Die Hard by Guyz Nite: https://www.facebook.com/guyznite

Ryan joins me for a review of this Christmas farce starring Elizabeth Hurley, Kelsey Grammer and John Cleese.wnwypodcast@outlook.com, Instagram, wnwypodcast.comPromotion - That Gaming Podcast.Get the fantastic, spectacular, original Christmas song by Metaphorest and Spcaeship, All I Want This Year!Special thanks to Spaceship, “Curator for Joseph Gordon-Levitt's production company hitRECord, through which my songs The Spaces Between and Of The Future were produced for the Emmy-winning TV series Hit Record on TV. No, I am not from Austin. XD”Find Spaceship on Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Music, PatreonSpecial thanks to Metaphorest, “Metaphorest is the mythical moniker of Irish singer/songwriter Sarah Daly. She has been writing songs since her first toy piano and in 2011 she released her debut album of 20 original songs. Metaphorest plays guitar and sings about things like capitalism and cupcakes, and finds her inspiration in the nooks and crannies that few folk notice.”Find Sarah (Metaphorest) on Bandcamp, SoundCloud, YouTube

It's Milligan and Bentine back together again! (sort of!) Joining Tyler this episode it's the welcome return of former guest, writer and film academic Dr Adrian Smith, who has written the viewing notes to accompany the recent release on blu ray of the 1972 British film Rentadick. A film which strains every sinew to be a sex comedy but never quite pulls it off, Rentadick qualifies for inclusion on this podcast because both Spike and Mike appear! With the original concept devised by Cleese & Chapman we look back at the film's protracted and difficult journey from script to screen and find out how an Oscar winner came to direct it; inevitably there is talk about Python, including their involvement with Birdseye peas; we also give three hearty cheers for the appearance of Richard Briers in the movie, who offers much in the way of comic relief; naturally we examine the two former Goons and where they fit in - plus we mull over the acting chops of your dad's old favourite Julie Ege, scratch our heads over a grown man in a mouse costume and discover that one of the film's stars is currently appearing in the latest Marvel movie! Adrian is the co-host of two film podcasts, Second Thoughts and Wild Wild Podcast, details of which can be heard at the end of this week's episode and he is on Twitter @retroramblings

 The Miracle Of Flight & The Great Bird's Eye Frozen Peas Re-Launch

 Monty Python's Big Red Book