The Meaning of Making 'The Meaning of Life'

September. 02,2003      PG-13
Rating:
7.6
Trailer Synopsis Cast

The behind-the-scenes production documentary of Monty Python's 'Meaning Of Life.' This documentary is featured on the 2-disc Special Edition DVD for Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, released in September 2003.

Terry Jones as  Self
Terry Gilliam as  Self
Michael Palin as  Self
John Cleese as  Self
Eric Idle as  Self
Graham Chapman as  Self (archive footage)

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Reviews

Platicsco
2003/09/02

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

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Intcatinfo
2003/09/03

A Masterpiece!

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Afouotos
2003/09/04

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

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Forumrxes
2003/09/05

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

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Woodyanders
2003/09/06

This 49-minute retrospective doc covers a lot of interesting and entertaining ground on the making of "The Meaning of Life." All the Monty Python members admit that they had a hard time coming up with a suitable follow-up to their previous film "Life of Brian." Among the things noted in this doc are that the budget was cited in a poem that Eric Idle wrote as a sales pitch(!) for the movie, Actors Equity complained that the Python members were playing too many parts and hence putting other actors out of work, the sketch with the puking fat guy almost didn't make it into the picture, the opening pirate sketch was originally going to be animated, and the film won a prize at Cannes. Plus all the Python members jokingly dodge answering the question on what exactly the meaning of life is. Done in a winningly breezy and irreverent manner, it's well worth seeing for fans of the film.

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TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews
2003/09/07

This is a rather good documentary on the making of The Meaning of Life, featured on the 2-Disc Special Edition DVD release of said production, released in 2003. It is comprised entirely of interview bits with all six, not just the five surviving(R.I.P., Graham Chapman) Python members, not all from the same year/time, occasionally inter-cut with clips, almost all of which are from the film itself(there seems to also be one from the show), and a little bit of actual behind-the-scenes footage does make its way into it, as well. It's much more entertaining that that description, the sentence immediately preceding this one, makes it sound. Their description of the process, stuff that didn't make it, their differences, quite a bit of it is marvelous to listen to. It's interesting and fun, throughout. There are facts, accounts that fit more or less with each other, and genuine Python weirdness, in the bits. The anecdotes are golden. The editing is spot-on throughout, sharply cut and clever, all the way. There is some language and graphic content, as well as nudity, the first in the interviews, if not all that much, and all three in the clips. It's best to watch this after having seen the movie, so as to not spoil any of that experience. There is something at the middle point of this that can perhaps best be described with the words "pure Python". I recommend this to any fan of the Pythons and/or The Meaning of Life, as well as anyone who wants to know more about both or either. 7/10

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