Monty Python's Life Of Brian - The Immaculate Edition [Blu-ray]
Starring: Terence Bayler, Carol Cleveland, Kenneth Colley, Susan Jones, Chris Langham
Directed By: Terry Jones
Editorial Reviews:
On a Midnight Clear 2000 years ago, three wise men enter a manger where a babe is wrapped in swaddling clothes. It is an infant called Brian...and the three wise men are in the wrong manger. For the rest of his life, Brian (Graham Chapman) finds himself regarded as something of a Messiah, yet he's always in the shadow of this Other Guy from Galilee. Brian is witness to the Sermon of the Mount, but his seat is in such a bad location that he can't hear any of it ("Blessed are the cheesemakers?"). Ultimately he is brought before Pontius Pilate and sentenced to crucifixion, which takes place at that crowded, non-exclusive execution site a few blocks shy of Calvary. Rather than utter the Last Six Words, Brian leads his fellow crucifixees in a spirited rendition of a British music hall cheer-up song "Always Look On The Bright Side of Life." The whole Monty Python gang (Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, and Terry Gilliam) are on hand in multiple roles, playing such sacred characters as Stan Called Loretta, Deadly Dirk, Casts the First Stone, and Intensely Dull Youth; also showing up are Goon Show veteran Spike Milligan and a Liverpool musician named George Harrison.
If you like "Monty Python's Life Of Brian - The Immaculate Edition [Blu-ray], you might also like ...
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very Funny In Parts But Overall Ages Well!
Comment: This one-disc version of Python's historical (note I did not say historically accurate)comedy set at the time of Jesus is rare among comedies in that it's still able to retain most of its humour value over the years and hence ages quite well. Although not all the scenes remain funny, there were some that left me in stitches such as the "Biggus Dickus" scenes with Pontius Pilate while the UFO scene was just stupid and actually in my opinion took away from the comedic value of the film a great deal. Like "Ben Hur" this film is set at the time of the birth of Christianity but other than that the story has really very little to do with Christ or Christianity in general other than as a minor sub-plot.
The story here is about a group of sinners who try to scrape a living by surviving the brutality of the Romans and particularly one of them, Brian, who is mistaken for a prophet and for a while the Messiah. Historians will tell you that in real life, many people at the time of Jesus were mistaken for the Messiah and even John the Baptist was as well and so there's nothing unusual here. They will also tell you that crucificion was the norm and not the exception as a form of punishment in those days and so I chose to take this comedy at face value and I never felt insulted in any way as a Christian myself. In any case, if your faith is founded on strong foundations, comedies like these shouldn't faze you. In fact, I thought the film was rather respectful of Christ himself and that the only buffoons were the cast who misunderstood his teachings and if you recall even in real life he faced a lot of sinners who misunderstood him and so again, nothing out of the ordinary here. If any historical figure was made to look like a jackass here it would have to be Pontius Pilate and some of the Roman soldiers and I'm sure not many people would have complaints about that.
This widescreen format dvd version though has decent picture quality although at too many spots the white circle that signals the start of a commercial is present which is really unacceptable and the sound quality is poor although those with a Pro Logic setup can more or less simulate surround sound and there are not special features at all. The best thing to do is to wait for a properly restored and remastered standard or Blu-ray version to surface with much, much improved picture and sound quality with at least 5.1 surround sound options and if a Director's Cut version is to be done to please remove the ridiculous UFO scene from what is otherwise an intelligent and funny comedy.
Customer Rating:
Summary: As entertaining as ever, and packed with extras
Comment: Not a lot to say about this movie to anyone who is a Monty Python fan, and anyone who isn't should see it anyway, it's a story packed with brilliant humor about biblical times.
It's NOT about Jesus, it's simply a very funny story happening in the same time period, when messiah cults were the norm, and Brian may be the only person who isn't crazy.
Great blu-ray edition of this movie, the behind the scenes extras and radio spots and other features are great, and the quality is excellent (no apparent clean-up work done, unlike say, Blade Runner, but the film grain makes it feel all the more theatrical in a way).
As always it has one of the most unforgettable endings in movie history. :)
Customer Rating:
Summary: 2.5 stars out of 4
Comment: The Bottom Line:
Despite a solid premise, Life of Brian consists mainly of uninspired stretches of comedy that stretch on too long in an attempt to milk every joke for all they're worth.
Customer Rating:
Summary: That's funny?
Comment: Sort of Saturday Night Live does Christ in a bad way... Although the acting is good and the comedy lines well done, it is so sad that they dishonor
the main part of what makes our civilization civil?
That we believe legend as written or that there is humor in our lack of belief is probably what I dispute here:
not that the comedy is well done or not.
There is no way to tell after more than 2000 years where fact starts and
myth begins, but making fun of that ancient landmark life that transformed a barbarian Empire into something more is just pretty tasteless even if British upper class endorsed.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A classic of all time
Comment: A lot has been said and do not wish to repeat it. In my mind this is by far the most complete and timeless of the Monty Python classics ... I personally love The Meaning of Life but it resonates mostly with those coming of age in the 70s and early 80s as many of the topics were current then (sex education, antiwar sentiment etc).
Life of Brian will never lose its appeal but it requires a copy with English subtitles even for native English speakers to catch all the brilliance.
It is moreover an essential piece of work in bringing about religious understanding and tolerance. Whether you are a believer or not it is healthy in a free society to challenge the very institutions they are built on and remind us all not to take anything too seriously. Those who find it offensive are most likely also in favor of challenging the separation of church and state and return to non-secular societies. Look to the 'success stories' we have mostly in the Arab world today for inspiration.
If your movie collection holds more than 5 titles this must be one of them.
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: Blu-ray
Brand: Sony
EAN: 0043396225947
Format: Anamorphic
Label: Sony Pictures
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Region Code: 0
Release Date: 2008-01-29
Running Time: 93
Studio: Sony Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: 1979
Directed By: Terry Jones
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Editorial Reviews:
On a Midnight Clear 2000 years ago, three wise men enter a manger where a babe is wrapped in swaddling clothes. It is an infant called Brian...and the three wise men are in the wrong manger. For the rest of his life, Brian (Graham Chapman) finds himself regarded as something of a Messiah, yet he's always in the shadow of this Other Guy from Galilee. Brian is witness to the Sermon of the Mount, but his seat is in such a bad location that he can't hear any of it ("Blessed are the cheesemakers?"). Ultimately he is brought before Pontius Pilate and sentenced to crucifixion, which takes place at that crowded, non-exclusive execution site a few blocks shy of Calvary. Rather than utter the Last Six Words, Brian leads his fellow crucifixees in a spirited rendition of a British music hall cheer-up song "Always Look On The Bright Side of Life." The whole Monty Python gang (Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, and Terry Gilliam) are on hand in multiple roles, playing such sacred characters as Stan Called Loretta, Deadly Dirk, Casts the First Stone, and Intensely Dull Youth; also showing up are Goon Show veteran Spike Milligan and a Liverpool musician named George Harrison.
If you like "Monty Python's Life Of Brian - The Immaculate Edition [Blu-ray], you might also like ...
 | Monty Python's the Meaning of Life |
 | The Fifth Element (Remastered) [Blu-ray] |
 | 2001 - A Space Odyssey [Blu-ray] |
 | Run Lola Run [Blu-ray] |
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very Funny In Parts But Overall Ages Well!
Comment: This one-disc version of Python's historical (note I did not say historically accurate)comedy set at the time of Jesus is rare among comedies in that it's still able to retain most of its humour value over the years and hence ages quite well. Although not all the scenes remain funny, there were some that left me in stitches such as the "Biggus Dickus" scenes with Pontius Pilate while the UFO scene was just stupid and actually in my opinion took away from the comedic value of the film a great deal. Like "Ben Hur" this film is set at the time of the birth of Christianity but other than that the story has really very little to do with Christ or Christianity in general other than as a minor sub-plot.
The story here is about a group of sinners who try to scrape a living by surviving the brutality of the Romans and particularly one of them, Brian, who is mistaken for a prophet and for a while the Messiah. Historians will tell you that in real life, many people at the time of Jesus were mistaken for the Messiah and even John the Baptist was as well and so there's nothing unusual here. They will also tell you that crucificion was the norm and not the exception as a form of punishment in those days and so I chose to take this comedy at face value and I never felt insulted in any way as a Christian myself. In any case, if your faith is founded on strong foundations, comedies like these shouldn't faze you. In fact, I thought the film was rather respectful of Christ himself and that the only buffoons were the cast who misunderstood his teachings and if you recall even in real life he faced a lot of sinners who misunderstood him and so again, nothing out of the ordinary here. If any historical figure was made to look like a jackass here it would have to be Pontius Pilate and some of the Roman soldiers and I'm sure not many people would have complaints about that.
This widescreen format dvd version though has decent picture quality although at too many spots the white circle that signals the start of a commercial is present which is really unacceptable and the sound quality is poor although those with a Pro Logic setup can more or less simulate surround sound and there are not special features at all. The best thing to do is to wait for a properly restored and remastered standard or Blu-ray version to surface with much, much improved picture and sound quality with at least 5.1 surround sound options and if a Director's Cut version is to be done to please remove the ridiculous UFO scene from what is otherwise an intelligent and funny comedy.
Customer Rating:
Summary: As entertaining as ever, and packed with extras
Comment: Not a lot to say about this movie to anyone who is a Monty Python fan, and anyone who isn't should see it anyway, it's a story packed with brilliant humor about biblical times.
It's NOT about Jesus, it's simply a very funny story happening in the same time period, when messiah cults were the norm, and Brian may be the only person who isn't crazy.
Great blu-ray edition of this movie, the behind the scenes extras and radio spots and other features are great, and the quality is excellent (no apparent clean-up work done, unlike say, Blade Runner, but the film grain makes it feel all the more theatrical in a way).
As always it has one of the most unforgettable endings in movie history. :)
Customer Rating:
Summary: 2.5 stars out of 4
Comment: The Bottom Line:
Despite a solid premise, Life of Brian consists mainly of uninspired stretches of comedy that stretch on too long in an attempt to milk every joke for all they're worth.
Customer Rating:
Summary: That's funny?
Comment: Sort of Saturday Night Live does Christ in a bad way... Although the acting is good and the comedy lines well done, it is so sad that they dishonor
the main part of what makes our civilization civil?
That we believe legend as written or that there is humor in our lack of belief is probably what I dispute here:
not that the comedy is well done or not.
There is no way to tell after more than 2000 years where fact starts and
myth begins, but making fun of that ancient landmark life that transformed a barbarian Empire into something more is just pretty tasteless even if British upper class endorsed.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A classic of all time
Comment: A lot has been said and do not wish to repeat it. In my mind this is by far the most complete and timeless of the Monty Python classics ... I personally love The Meaning of Life but it resonates mostly with those coming of age in the 70s and early 80s as many of the topics were current then (sex education, antiwar sentiment etc).
Life of Brian will never lose its appeal but it requires a copy with English subtitles even for native English speakers to catch all the brilliance.
It is moreover an essential piece of work in bringing about religious understanding and tolerance. Whether you are a believer or not it is healthy in a free society to challenge the very institutions they are built on and remind us all not to take anything too seriously. Those who find it offensive are most likely also in favor of challenging the separation of church and state and return to non-secular societies. Look to the 'success stories' we have mostly in the Arab world today for inspiration.
If your movie collection holds more than 5 titles this must be one of them.
Technical Details
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: Blu-ray
Brand: Sony
EAN: 0043396225947
Format: Anamorphic
Label: Sony Pictures
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Region Code: 0
Release Date: 2008-01-29
Running Time: 93
Studio: Sony Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: 1979
