I have been reading The Pytons: Aurobiography and their is an interesting comment by John Cleese (I believe). He says the Monty Python and the Holy Grail is more popular in the US and The Life of Brian is more popular in the UK. I am not so much concerned about the UK/US dichotomy as opposed to Dopers opinions in general.
Personally, while I think that HG has the funnier bits, I think the LOB is the overall better movie. LOB is much more a properly structured story, it actually is a commentary on something important - organized religon, and it is very funny. HG seems like a loosely connected bunch of sketches. HG seems to be more quotable, but there really isn’t much of a story, which I think is hgihlighted in the way it ends.
LOB has a protagonist who goes through the standard character arc, which creates a more staisfying overall movie.
That’s pretty much exactly how I feel. I like both films, but Grail is funny in a zany, wacky, anarchic way, and as such is closer to the TV series. But Brian is much more satisfying as a movie (although it is still a bit episodic), and is the one I’m inclined to watch more often.
I agree with all of that. Holy Grail is silly, and funny, and has some good songs in it, and a lot of quotable bits. Life of Brian has most of that, plus a more coherent plot, and it’s genuinely good satire, and not just on organized religion The scene with John Cleese as the head of the People’s Front of Judea (or is it the Judean People’s Front?) complaining about the Romans, except for all the good stuff they contributed, is one of my favorites.
Also Graham Chapman, who was a pretty good actor, is mostly wasted in Grail.
And anything that reveals uptight fundies’ tendency for baseless hysteria is okay with me.
I’m going to have to agree with everybody else, as well. Grail is hilarious, quotable, and everything else, but I’m usually ready to shut it off shortly after Dennis gets oppressed. Life of Brian saved the best song for the end, so I have to wait.
HG is far more superior and effective for me as a comedic movie.
LoB is objectively effective satire, but often simply fails to be funny and feels like a Saturday Night Live sketch that has gone on too long. There is an odd difference in comedic timing or editing in LoB when compared to HG of Meaning of Life that causes many of the sketches to fall flat.
Centurion: Understand? Now, write it out a hundred times. Brian: Yes sir. Thank you, sir. Hail Caesar, sir. Centurion: Hail Caesar ! And if it’s not done by sunrise, I’ll cut your balls off.
I’ll agree with the op’s assesment. LOB was a better movie overall. That being said, I still have to cast my vote for HG in this poll. Even though it’s fractured, I find HG just has more flat-out hilarity than LOB.
On a side note, I just saw Spamalot in December (the return of Hank Azaria) and I thought it was fantastic. The additions really added to the classic tale.
I agree that Life Of Brian is the more accomplished work. Hey, I even appeared in a stage adaptation of it in college.
But if I feel like some Python yuks for more than half an hour, I go with Holy Grail. That’s the one I own on DVD.
Brian is exceptionally well-made, but its self-awareness of the importance of the issues it addresses are plain. Not prominent, mind you, or the comedy would be lost entirely, as it reportedly was in “Wholly Moses”, another religious spoof of the period. That’s certainly not the case with Brian. Hilarity (as well as penis) ensues throughout. I’m just saying it’s there to see. And the production values between the two Python films are not even comparable.
Grail is more insane and piecemeal (although not as much as their earlier script for it), and I find is more fun to watch more often.
It’s impossible for me to choose. I think Grail has higher heights, but also lower lows. The ending is so incredibly annoying… agh. But the subtitle humor it kicks off with - lovely.
On the other hand, I don’t care for the credits sequence in Brian, but it has an incredible ending.
I’m going to have to go with ‘The Meaning of Life’.
I own both, heck I own the Entire series too, so I am deranged.
Neeeeee!
Oh, the question at hand.
I think Holy Grail is much funnier and has more catch phrases and made a wonderful play too.
LoB was good and a more normal movie, but HG is one of my top 10 comedies. LoB is the next tier down.
