io9: Monty Python

Surviving Monty Python Castmembers Reunite for Science Fiction Farce. (But No Tennis-Playing Aliens.)

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:40:00 PST

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And now, for something completely different? Monty Python's surviving members are all reuniting for the comedy film Absolutely Anything, which sounds sort of like Bruce Almighty... with aliens. The best news f all? It's directed by the fantastic Terry Jones, who also co-directed Monty Python and the Holy Grail and directed Life of Brian. More »

Watch Terry Gilliam create surreal animation by hand in the 1970s

Cyriaque Lamar — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 07:30:00 PDT

In this charming clip from the 1974 BBC children's program the Do-It-Yourself Animation Show, Monty Python luminary Terry Gilliam explains how he makes his famously bizarro animations. Mildly NSFW for blink-and-you'll-miss-it snippets of collage nudity. More »

10 Science Fiction and Fantasy Landmarks Worth a Fantastic Journey

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 12 May 2011 10:38:10 PDT

You can't travel to other planets or other times — not yet, anyway. But there are plenty of great landmarks from science fiction and fantasy that you can visit, right here on Earth. Here are 10 great fannish tourist destinations. More »

Monty Python's most disgusting sketch ever unlocks the secret of aggression

Alasdair Wilkins — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 10:30:00 PDT

Do people become more aggressive when they are forced to bottle up their emotions? It seems like a simple enough question, but psychologists decided to find out in the most sadistic way possible, with a little help from Monty Python. More »

Terry Pratchett's Discworld becoming a cop show from Monty Python's Terry Jones?

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:44:55 PDT

If you've been waiting forever for more live-action adaptations of Terry Pratchett's lunatic Discworld novels, you may not have to wait much longer. Sadly, it's not a Tiffany Aching sitcom — it's a police procedural about the City Watch. More »

The Weird Post-apocalyptic British Comedy that Time Forgot

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:57:07 PST

Fans of classic British comedy, like Monty Python, should check out the 1969 Richard Lester film, The Bed-Sitting Room. Technically, it's a post-apocalyptic film, set after a nuclear war, but mostly it's just very daft. Like this "Aquatic Bishop" scene. More »

Robot Chicken Star Wars returns! Plus the Big Bang Theory crew as the JLA!

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 09:00:00 PST

This week's television rules! There's the long-awaited Robot Chicken Star Wars special. Henry Rollins wants to know if you have the "warrior gene." Big Bang Theory does the JLA! Plus live(ish) comedy from Ricky Gervais, Jeff Bridges...and Monty Python. More »

Breaking Down Repo Men's Influences: Monty Python, RoboCop, Brazil and QVC

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:15:16 PDT

Repo Men is a smorgasbord of absurdist futurism references, according to director Miguel Sapochnik. He showed us which science fiction classics he drew on, from Brazil to Clockwork Orange. But no, Repo! The Genetic Opera isn't on the list. More »

The 10 Funniest Comedy Sketches About Aliens

Cyriaque Lamar — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 09:00:00 PST

Aliens are inherently funny, even when they're drinking the marrow out of your funny bone. These are ten of the best alien-themed sketches this side of the Crab Nebula (and no, Coneheads is not #1). More »

Imaginarium Concept Art Is Like Monty Python Without Giant Feet

Charlie Jane Anders — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:30:00 PST

You sort of expect concept art from a Terry Gilliam movie to be even more anarchic and topsy-turvy than the movie itself. And newly released Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus concept art doesn't disappoint. More »

Terry Gilliam Lets Us Inside His Demented Cartoon Vision

Lauren Davis — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:00:00 PDT

Twelve Monkeys and Brazil director Terry Gilliam showed Comic Con some new footage from The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus, Heath Ledger's last film, which Gilliam calls "a compendium of all the things I used to be good at." Spoilers below... More »

Will Terry Gilliam Finally Get His Time/Space Map Back?

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:05:03 PST

We've only been waiting a decade for the return of Terry Gilliam, the visionary director, from the hole in space/time he vanished into. Luckily, his next project sounds just smart/weird enough to give us hope. More »

Organ Ambulances in New York Wait for Dead Bodies to Dismember

Michael Reilly — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:44:57 PDT

If you ever need to call an ambulance in New York City, you might get more than you bargained for. Two ambulances to be precise; one to help keep you alive, and one to harvest your organs, in case you don't make it. Given the organ shortage out there in America — apparently 18 people die a day because they couldn't get someone else's fresh flesh — this is definitely a good cause, but having an extra set of paramedics hanging around waiting for you to die so they can dismember you is a little creepy. More »