Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl

Most of the sketches and skits are adapted from ones shown on the TV show; there's little that's new, which is mildly disappointing. Good thing, then, that the MP troupe is so adept; familiarity seems to be the point, and allows fans to sit back and enjoy the film.

A few parts drag- I wasn't too thrilled with the musical numbers, nor with the History of Slapstick.

The most disappointing thing about this movie is a problem only for those who watch it on laserdisc; there are no chapter breaks, and side one ends abruptly -IN THE MIDDLE OF A SCENE-! This is quite disconcerting, and ruins the sketch.

Many of my favourites were here (including the classic travel agent sketch: "Kellogg's Bornflakes"). But many of my favourites were also in And Now For Something Completely Different, and I didn't really like that. Something about the live atmosphere made this work, the fits of giggles adding to the occasion, not detracting from it. Best of all was the brand new stuff - the Silly Olympics, the History of Slapstick etc. I wish I was there.

This is probably the movie which made me watch "life of brian" and "the holy grail". It is brilliant, I first heard of MP after I saw what I consider to be one of the best comedies ever filmed, "a fish called wanda", and I have seen every MP flick since then. In this masterpiece they have picked only the best scenes from their best movies: Silly walk, ..say no more..,silly Olympics, Michealangelo and many more. Even if you only have the slightest sense of humor you still must see this one it might change they way you judge comedies in the future.

41/2 out of 4 possible

This is a recording of the team doing many of the most popular bits from the Flying Circus live on a stage. It is immensely clear that the audience consists largely of fans, as they recognize quite a few of the sketches just as these are beginning. I imagine it must have been a pretty amazing experience to go to this in '82. With that said, it is a good watch, even if the cameras don't capture each and every thing(had they not been instructed on what would happen? I would guess that such is procedure, and there were no other technical difficulties), and in spite of the occasional hiccup in the comedy department. I can't say for sure if there is new material, because it's simply been too long since I caught the series in its entirety; a couple of things have been restructured, and characters that we know from the show address or walk amongst the ticket-holders. The performances aren't lacking, if a handful of the things worked better the first time they did them. Some of the best of this are Idle's lengthy charter flight rant, the "japes" routine(poor Gilliam) and the four rich guys talking about their poverty-stricken childhoods. The good far outweighs the bad, and little slows down the pace. I recommend this to anyone who loves the Pythons; if you don't already, I would direct your attention to their TV activities between '69 and '74, as well as their three movies. 8/10

If you were never lucky enough to see the Monty Python's Flying Circus troupe live onstage, you must see this movie! It includes many classic sketches from their BBC series, such as "The Argument Clinic" and "The Travel Agent Sketch." Plus live renditions of such famous Python songs like "The Lumberjack Song" and "The Bruces' Philosopher Song," and sketches that weren't even on TV! And even shots of the audience will catch your eye! You'll know that Monty Python has achieved cult status when John Cleese comes out shouting "Albatross!", to have audience members reply with "What flavor is it?" The only thing better than seeing this movie, is to have seen the show live!