Cleese is always funny, but I really think this is something that can only be appreciated if you saw it the first time round. Seems a bit staid to me and no, I am not American or a teenager.
@joeytwomugs You're partly right. Watch part 2. The 'travelogue' played before the film, similar to short-films played back then.
It starts out 'ordinary'. The first clue of anything is "gondolas, gondolas, gondolas. Everywhere, gondolas" - which is the lead-up to a punchline, but we didn't know it yet. tt could still be a real travelogue. Even the leprechaun mention seems ok w the shift to Ireland. THEN Cleese's voice becomes recognisable, and the plot goes heads to an existential rant
@joeytwomugs Part 2 of comment, if this works. Only with the delivery of the gondolas punchline did we know for certain that this WAS a Monty Python sketch, and not a slightly oddball travelogue aimed at not losing our attention before it finnished.
It's partly for that reason - the magic 'aha' moment - that it captured our memories. You can get a sense of that by watching it again, pts 1-2 imagining yourself wondering whether this is a real travelogue or not, until that moment of clarity
@joeytwomugs P.s. The "more of those fff**king gondolas" in pt 2 clip is THE moment of clarity. In Ireland, there's excessive corny lines,
"individually hand-reared" prawns. In then-communist Bulgaria, commentary on th oppressed populace: "peace and tranquility, my arse". By then we had no doubt it was a Python spoof, & it 'unravels' from there. Over time, with no re-release, "gondolas" was the most salient memory, with few other clues to track this down - hence the significance of this clip.
Yes, alright, but what surprised me was that somehow, this one comes up first when searching. That isn't your fault but you can imagine I was a bit surprised.
@themontypythonmuseum The clips uploaded by you seem slightly better quality, although ironically they have less viewers. Still, it's great to see this again at last. I long wondered how something so memorable could be so hard to track down. So I commend anyone making this available, and I note the context - a travelogue spoof which wasn't obvious at first, but became obvious as it progressed. That was key to the spoof.
Ditto, I cannot understand why this gem has been neglected, along with Don the cockroach and the Bambi christmas story leading into Life of Brian. Why why why, and does anyone have good copies of these. Don is on Youtube (good quality too), but I haven't located any of the others. Please help if you can, and high quality is appreciated.
I have waited 29 years to see this again, thank goodness for You Tube. Can't understand why this little gem has been lost for so long and surprised it never appeared as an extra on The Life or Brian DVD.
I remember seeing this trailer before seeing the movie almost 30 years ago. To start with everyone in the audience was moaning and groaning because we were seeing yet another travelogue but we soon started to wise up.
By the time we go to the "more fucking gondalas" comment I think everyone had worked out what was going on.
To me this is an important piece of history, but this seems a forgotten piece of film
"Venice...watery birthplace of old Shylock," LOL!!!
Xervosh23 7 months ago
Cleese is always funny, but I really think this is something that can only be appreciated if you saw it the first time round. Seems a bit staid to me and no, I am not American or a teenager.
joeytwomugs 1 year ago
@joeytwomugs You're partly right. Watch part 2. The 'travelogue' played before the film, similar to short-films played back then.
It starts out 'ordinary'. The first clue of anything is "gondolas, gondolas, gondolas. Everywhere, gondolas" - which is the lead-up to a punchline, but we didn't know it yet. tt could still be a real travelogue. Even the leprechaun mention seems ok w the shift to Ireland. THEN Cleese's voice becomes recognisable, and the plot goes heads to an existential rant
Fruitmonger 1 year ago
@joeytwomugs Part 2 of comment, if this works. Only with the delivery of the gondolas punchline did we know for certain that this WAS a Monty Python sketch, and not a slightly oddball travelogue aimed at not losing our attention before it finnished.
It's partly for that reason - the magic 'aha' moment - that it captured our memories. You can get a sense of that by watching it again, pts 1-2 imagining yourself wondering whether this is a real travelogue or not, until that moment of clarity
Fruitmonger 1 year ago
@joeytwomugs P.s. The "more of those fff**king gondolas" in pt 2 clip is THE moment of clarity. In Ireland, there's excessive corny lines,
"individually hand-reared" prawns. In then-communist Bulgaria, commentary on th oppressed populace: "peace and tranquility, my arse". By then we had no doubt it was a Python spoof, & it 'unravels' from there. Over time, with no re-release, "gondolas" was the most salient memory, with few other clues to track this down - hence the significance of this clip.
Fruitmonger 1 year ago
This was brilliant! Thanks hugely for uploading, I'd never expected to see it again.
OriTheEep 1 year ago
Well, well, well. Exactly the same copy I put on the internet. You could at least have given me credit for digging it up.
themontypythonmuseum 2 years ago
Is that where I got it from, thanks for finding it, I mean no disrespect, many people are grateful for you finding it, and I am happy to give credit.
crunners2 2 years ago
Yes, alright, but what surprised me was that somehow, this one comes up first when searching. That isn't your fault but you can imagine I was a bit surprised.
themontypythonmuseum 2 years ago
@themontypythonmuseum The clips uploaded by you seem slightly better quality, although ironically they have less viewers. Still, it's great to see this again at last. I long wondered how something so memorable could be so hard to track down. So I commend anyone making this available, and I note the context - a travelogue spoof which wasn't obvious at first, but became obvious as it progressed. That was key to the spoof.
Fruitmonger 1 year ago
AT LAST!!! I've been longing to see this again, ever since I first saw it in its original setting, at the cinema!
Thank you SO MUCH!!!!!!
TrevsMum 3 years ago
One possible reason they didn't include it with "Life of Brian" is that it's in such crummy shape and not worth restoring.
cleeselover 3 years ago
No, there is a copyright problem with it. Solving it is too difficult = too expensive.
themontypythonmuseum 2 years ago
Don the cockroach is listed under Terry Gillian - Story time.
camwust 3 years ago
Ditto, I cannot understand why this gem has been neglected, along with Don the cockroach and the Bambi christmas story leading into Life of Brian. Why why why, and does anyone have good copies of these. Don is on Youtube (good quality too), but I haven't located any of the others. Please help if you can, and high quality is appreciated.
camwust 3 years ago 2
I have waited 29 years to see this again, thank goodness for You Tube. Can't understand why this little gem has been lost for so long and surprised it never appeared as an extra on The Life or Brian DVD.
rosscorr 4 years ago 4
How come they didn't include this with any of the (many) versions of "Life of Brian" that have been released?
cleeselover 4 years ago 3
I remember seeing this trailer before seeing the movie almost 30 years ago. To start with everyone in the audience was moaning and groaning because we were seeing yet another travelogue but we soon started to wise up.
By the time we go to the "more fucking gondalas" comment I think everyone had worked out what was going on.
To me this is an important piece of history, but this seems a forgotten piece of film
hawleybeach 4 years ago 2