Monty Python at The Tribeca Film Festival- The Meaning of Live Part 2

I went to two of the Monty Python  events at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. The events were arranged to coincide with the 4oth anniversary of MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL but I have the feeling it was just part of the Pythons saying good bye to their fans.

I went to see the HOLY GRAIL with Hubert. We were joined on the trip uptown by Leslie Coffin who was covering the event for a comedy site.

The place was packed and the crowd friendly. There were a few people dressed up as say Tim the Enchanter, but mostly it was just fans waiting to commune with the group.

As we walked in there was a notice that we could tweet questions for the Pythons to answer.

The Robert DeNiro and someone else from the festival came out and introduced the film.

The screening was fun. It was the restored version, with the "get on with it" sequence from the Anthrax castle sequence intact. Seeing it big for the first time I caught little things in the background that I had never seen before.

Surprisingly there wasn't a great deal of reciting during the film, however The Knights Who Say Ni and a few others resulted in the audience adding Ni's or comments.

After the film ended John Oliver (to the right) came out and intrduced the Greatest Fucking Comedy Group to wild applause.

From that point on insanity ensued. Yes the group answered questions seriously but mostly it was nuts.

John Cleese kept wandering off and returning...going so far as to bring a chair for the invisible Carol Cleveland

Then a game of musical chairs began

Eventually deteriorating into a something that looked like the stateroom scene in NIGHT AT THE OPERA

Cleese wandered behind the screen and did weird things

He returned and he and Terry Gilliam made a weird horse

Then John Oliver declared the tweeted questions shit and then climbed into the audience to get new ones-telling people straight out when their questions sucked.

And then sadly it was the end and the Pythons said good bye

Hubert and I headed off into the night- and I got ready for the next day and the World Premiere of THE MEANING OF LIVE (The director called it a world premiere)

I reviewed the film yesterday calling it the best film at Tribeca and I still feel that way. Its both funny and entertaining. (I'm waiting to see what Sam Juliano, a long time internet friend who runs Wonders in the Dark will make of it. He was at the screening and it afforded us a chance to finally meet in person)

After the film three of the Pythons, Eric Idle, John Cleese, and Michael Palin came out and spoke along with the two directors Roger Graef and James Rogan and Holly Gilliam

A much more serious discussion there was a lot of talk about doing the live show and making the documentary. Things were frequently thoughtful.

And frequently funny...

Everyone seemed to be having a good time

It was a delight even to the point that the questions from the audience didn't suck.

I know I should probably tell you more (like this really is the end, the documentary only got done because the directors are friends of the Pythons, and other stuff)  but I don't remember it. Where the night before I was laughing too hard, here I was just enjoying one last time with some of my idols.

And then it ended with the Pythons signing some stuff and heading off

And with that they were gone and were were left to ponder a world without Pythons...

However I must say, as the women sitting next to me did to Eric Idle when the show was over- He asked what her question was  and she took his hand and replied "No no questions- just Thank you. Thank you for everything"

Yes, thank you Mr Cleese, Mr Idle, Mr Jones, Mr Gilliam, Mr Palin, Mr Chapman and even the invisible Carol Cleveland, thank you for everything.