Any self-respecting Monty Python fan will get the Monty Python Almost the Truth. It does not really matter if it is on Blu-ray or stand-up comedy DVD as most of the 6 hours consists of interview footage with John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, and Terry Jones, archive interview footage with the late Graham Chapman, and archive footage and such. If you are a casual Python fan, this 2 Blu-ray disc set is a bit much but it certainly is interesting and the special features, including classic sketches, are fun.
Episode 1 of Monty Python Almost the Truth is the personal histories of the Pythons before they joined the Flying Circus. Episode 2 is about the TV show and features clips, commentary by Cleese, Idle, et al, and commentary by other British comics like Steve Coogan and Russell Brand who comes across as a total prat.
Episode 3 focuses on the censorship problems Monty Python’s Flying Circus faced regarding censorship, how the show tapes were rescued from the BBC by Terry Gilliam, the records, the live shows, and the Pythons on each other. This is the least interesting segment really.
Episode 4 tells the story of the Flying Circus making it on PBS, the And Now For Something Completely Different and Holy Grail movies. Episode 5 of Monty Python Almost the Truth focuses on The Life of Brian and the controversy following it. Interesting stuff but not really worth watching again after that.
Episode 6 of Almost the Truth covers The Meaning of Life and the last days of Monty Python including the passing of Graham Chapman.
Bonus Features on this Monty Python Blu-ray include Sketches: Dead Parrot, Spanish Inquisition, Fish Slapping Dance, Ministry of Silly Walks, Lumberjack Song, The Cheese Shop and Spam. Also included are extended interviews and outtakes including one on the origins of Fawlty Towers.
The menu itself is quite nice but selecting is a bit difficult as the title cards are quite tiny.
Monty Python Almost the Truth
6 Episodes 2 Blu-ray discs
Eagle Rock Entertainment 2009
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