Bring Out Yer Dead

Monty Python Releases Unseen ‘Grail’ Animation

Nearly 14 minutes of lost footage released.

The British comedy troupe’s Arthurian opus Monty Python and the Holy Grail turned the big four-oh this year, and to celebrate they’ve dumped an eye-searing pile of Terry Gilliam’s previously unseen animations from the project on YouTube. A highlight of the cult classic, the film’s absurdist interstitial cartoons still elicit coughing cackles from stoned college kids, snorts of appreciation from adults, and chortles of glee from children. The deleted clips are narrated by none other than Gilliam himself, whose dry humor—such as describing snails as fascinating yet “dumb, stupid pieces of meat”—hasn’t dulled.

“But remember I’m not getting paid for this commentary so the low quality of information that you’re getting is the result of that,” Gilliam notes at one point. “If any of you would like to offer me money directly, I could give you a proper commentary. In fact, let me leave you my address and you can send me the money directly. It’s, um, oh, I can’t do that or else you’ll come around stalking me.”

A special edition Blu-ray edition of Holy Grail will be released Oct. 27.

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James Joiner

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