…Local reporter Mike Murphy has interviewed me many times about my various comings and goings. He did it again last week, and the result is another well-written piece that makes me sound literate, organized, and knowledgeable, and even plugs my latest Python book. Thanks Mike!
Tag Archives: John Cleese
The Penultimate Night of Monty Python
The scene backstage after the July 19 show was one of subdued excitement.
Many of the folks in the green room had already seen one or more of the reunion shows, and were just enjoying the afterglow. Eddie Izzard, who had just seen his sixth show was at the bar, apparently being interviewed. It was his first time as the onstage celebrity during the Blackmail sketch, though, and he seemed to have really enjoyed his time up there with the Pythons.
After a few minutes, Terry Jones entered the room, and made a beeline to my son and me.We discussed the show, and Terry again marveled at how their audience just lifted them up and made it such a special event. Not long after, John Cleese entered and headed straight for us. I secretly enjoyed noticing that Eddie Izzard watched both John and Terry make a point of greeting me immediately, and he seemed to decide that I was someone worth noticing… Eddie joined us, and he gave John a couple of suggestions (undoubtedly solicited by John) about a couple of moments. I asked John if, during a couple of moments when lines were shaky, he had done what he had done in other live shows–leaning over and asking the audience “What’s the next line?” He said that no, he hadn’t, but might well utilize it the next night if the situation arose.
The rest was a blur. Terry introduced me to Ian Davidson, a familiar name to Python fans but someone I had never before met. Carol Cleveland walked through the room in showgirl costume, too far for me to get her attention. Michael Palin came over and said hello, and we were able to catch up for a few minutes. Then he begged off, explaining that they had to do a meet and greet, and I told him that John had invited us along if that was okay. He was very happy to have us along, and so our group, the five Pythons and a few of us stragglers, tailed by a camera crew, made our way through the hallways of the O2, and finally came to a freight elevator. We all piled in–the five Pythons, my son and I, Eddie, their manager, the promoter, the camera crew, and a couple of other miscellaneous folks, all crammed inside. I think we went up several floors, though we may have descended–I’m not really sure, that’s how crowded and hectic it was. We got off in a large darkened storage area and headed toward what turned out to be a working pub crammed with fans who had opted for the meet and greet opportunity.
While the Pythons were being miked, Eric Idle noticed me for the first time, greeted me warmly, and asked how my little boy was. I pointed out that the young man towering over both of us was the little boy that he had remembered.
They entered the room to a rousing response, and fans who had literally come from around the world. They asked questions and Eddie moderated, and all seemed to have a great time. After about a half hour, the Pythons and the rest of the group headed back the way we came, down the elevator, and back to the bowels of the O2. Terry offered us a ride back to our bed and breakfast, which we gratefully accepted, and we had a drink in the Family Reception Room while he ran back to his dressing room for his bag.
As we rode back to North London, Terry explained that after the first show, as an experiment and at their promoter’s behest, they did an extensive meet and greet with fans, posing for photos and signing autographs. Unfortunately, it took them over two hours, and they were totally exhausted afterward, so from that point on, they did the up-close-and-personal Q&A sessions instead–otherwise they’d probably have been too exhausted to make it through the weeks of shows. I asked question after question–after all, we hadn’t seen each other in nearly five years–but it wasn’t long before the adrenalin wore off, and we were all longing for bed. We thanked Terry again as the car pulled up in front of our inn, and promised we’d see him tomorrow night for the Last Night of Python.
John Cleese’s Next Gig..
…Is revealed here.
How are they ever going to fit him into one of those red swimsuits?#montypythonlive
Cleese on Critics …
Here’s one of the better reviews of Monty Python Live (mostly) from London. There have been a few very good reviews, and a few from critics who didn’t seem to “get” Python at all, and probably were not the best choice to review it. No matter.
It reminds me of something that John Cleese once told me about critics. He said that there are some good, knowledgeable critics who know their subject well, and seem to write very honestly, whether you agree with them or not. There are some rather terrible critics–often with the British tabloids–whose reviews feel as though they are dictated by an editorial mandate, which is often to build someone or something up until they decide it is better press to then tear them down. And, there is a third group, inept in a different way, who are apparently afraid to take a position on what they are supposed to be reviewing, and whose reviews consist primarily of describing the show in much detail, and not much more.
This review from The Express is worth reading–not as much for its insights (how much insight do you need with a live Python show, anyway?), but because it also includes brief clips from the show. A show that, by the way, seems to be critic-proof.
Silly Walking for Your Phone
Quick! If you act fast, you can play the new Ministry of Silly Walks app before John Cleese!
Okay, that wasn’t really fair. You could probably wait for ages and still play the Ministry of Silly Walks app before John Cleese. But why would you want to wait?
You can sample a bit right here…
Cleese and Bond-age
John Cleese recently gave an interview to the Radio Times that’s been causing a bit of a stir. He appeared as Q in two Bond films (The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day), the last two Pierce Brosnan Bonds, and then the producers decided to hire Daniel Craig, jettisoning Cleese and any lighter approach they had taken up to that point.
He said “I believe that they decided that the tone they needed was that of the Bourne action movies, which are very gritty and humourless.
“Also the big money was coming from Asia, from the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, where the audiences go to watch the action sequences, and that’s why in my opinion the action sequences go on for too long, and it’s a fundamental flaw. The audiences in Asia are not going for the subtle British humour or the class jokes.”
The Daniel Craig Bonds have been doing rather well internationally, so it’s hard to fault the producers. However, for those of us in the English-speaking world, it’s all been rather unrelentingly grim, with explicitly sado-masochistic villains, and beloved supporting characters dying violently.
Many of us lived through the Roger Moore Bond years, when the misguided humor was as thick as the car chases. Anyone who saw Roger Moore tangling with Jaws and a buffoonish Southern sheriff didn’t complain about the Cleesian touches in the Pierce Brosnan films.
I was working for John when the producers decided to go grim and gritty, and John was philosophical. The Daniel Craig movies are, like the Bournes, Die-Hards and other big budget action flicks, all about the visuals, at the expense of character, humanity, and any subtlety. John understood that, but it wasn’t a direction in which he was very interested in going. And, at risk of sounding like a bore, neither am I.
Secret Police
Thirty-five years ago this week, on June 27, 1979, the first Secret Policeman’s Ball was presented in London to benefit Amnesty International. It wasn’t the first Amnesty benefit, and it wouldn’t be the last, but it was certainly one of the best shows. In addition to John Cleese, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Neil Innes, it offered a whole slew of other British comedy greats. And they didn’t come much greater than Peter Cook. This is one of the highlights of the highlights–Peter Cook playing opposite John in “Interesting Facts.” I think you’ll really enjoy this one.
This week in Python…
It was 44 years ago this week, on June 26, 1970, that the Pythons started recording the second series of Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
The Pythons shot most of their film segments during the summer, so that when they went into the BBC studios to tape the programs before an audience, the outside segments could be shown to an audience and edited in afterward. And that is why, when John Cleese walks along the street, walking silly, he changes from film to tape when he walks onto the studio set.
Being Michael McCarthy
I spent a large chunk of this weekend, as I sometimes do, substitute teaching for Michael McCarthy’s writing classes at the iO Chicago. Michael has put together a tremendous writing program that, unlike many other writing programs, actually results in students producing something by the end of each eight-week program. If the students put the work into it, they will have either a packet to submit to talk shows or SNL, a spec TV script, or even a complete pilot script. At the very least, they will have something to submit to potential agents for possible representation. It’s a nifty program and I’m delighted to have a part in it.
Michael also shows videos during the course of each class to better give students an idea of what–or what not–to aim for. This weekend, instead of showing them a TV pilot or sketches, I decided to do something completely different, and showed a Youtube clip of one of John Cleese’s early Creativity speeches. When I used to work for John, I helped him customize his corporate speeches. The clip I found predates my working with him, but there was still plenty of useful information to help these already creative students become even more creative. Sometime I’ll write more about John and the creativity speeches. I learned a lot and I think everyone will.
Summoning up fire without flint or tinder…
Continuing our 40th anniversary celebration of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It was four decades ago, on May 29, 1974, that Tim the Enchanter’s encounter with King Arthur’s k-niggets was filmed. It was a particularly harrowing experience for John Cleese, who had to deal with malfunctioning fireworks while standing on a rocky crag in the wind for much longer than he had expected. It was made worse by windy conditions that caught his cloak and tried to pitch him over the edge. Fortunately, the enchantments prevailed. Enjoy.
howardjohnsonblog 
You must be logged in to post a comment.