Something completely different
| And Now for Something Completely Different |
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Original theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Ian MacNaughton |
| Produced by | Patricia Casey |
| Written by | Monty Python |
| Based on |
Monty Python's Flying Circus by Monty Python |
| Starring | |
| Music by |
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| Cinematography | David Muir |
| Edited by | Thom Noble |
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Production
companies |
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| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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88 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £80,000 |
And Now for Something Completely Different is a 1971 British sketch comedy film based on the television comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus featuring sketches from the first two series. The title was taken from a catchphrase used in the television show.
The film, released on 28 September 1971 in the United Kingdom, consists of 90 minutes of sketches seen in the first two series of the television show. The sketches were remade on film without an audience, and were intended for an American audience which had not yet seen the series. The announcer (John Cleese) appears briefly between some sketches to deliver the line "and now for something completely different", in situations such as being roasted on a spit and lying on top of a desk in a small pink bikini.
And Now for Something Completely Different is the Pythons' first feature film, composed of some well-known sketches from the first two series of the Flying Circus, including the "Dead Parrot" sketch, "The Lumberjack Song", "Upperclass Twits", "Hell's Grannies", the "Nudge Nudge" sketch and others. It was re-shot for cinema release with an extremely low budget, often slightly edited. Financed by Playboy′s UK executive Victor Lownes, it was intended to help Monty Python break into the United States. Although the cinematic release was ultimately unsuccessful at achieving an American breakthrough, it did well in the United Kingdom. The group did not consider this film a success, but it enjoys a cult following today.
The film was the idea of entrepreneur Victor Lownes, head of Playboy UK, who convinced the group that a feature film would be the ideal way to introduce them to the US market. Lownes acted as executive producer. Production of the film did not go entirely smoothly. Lownes tried to exert considerably more control over the group than they had been used to at the BBC. In particular, he objected so strongly to one character – 'Ken Shabby' – that his appearance was removed, although stills from both this and a further cut sketch, "Flying Sheep", were published in Monty Python's Big Red Book. Terry Jones and Michael Palin later complained that the vast majority of the film was "nothing more than jokes behind desks."
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Wikipedia