1982: PALIN and CLEESE on THE MEANING OF LIFE | Film 82 | Classic Movie Interviews | BBC Archive

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  • čas přidán 8. 05. 2022
  • Iain Johnstone is joined by a reluctant John Cleese (who hates interviews, especially ones including Michael Palin) and Michael Palin, who discuss the trials, tribulations and occasional triumphs of shooting their latest film, Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.
    Like all right-thinking people, they will do anything to get hold of a coveted Film 82 sweatshirt.
    Originally broadcast 20 December, 1982.
    You have now entered the BBC Archive, a time machine that will transport you back to the golden age of TV to educate, entertain and enlighten you with classic clips from the BBC vaults.
    Make sure you subscribe so that you never miss a single stop on our amazing journey through the BBC Archive - czcams.com/users/BBCArchive?...
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Komentáře • 157

  • @kojombasi506
    @kojombasi506 Před 2 lety +93

    They’re like giggling schoolboys. Two absolute comedy legends.

  • @butcherax
    @butcherax Před 2 lety +39

    "If I can't hyphenate 'dog's breakfast' I can't describe the film in one word" 😂 what a wordsmith

  • @Hysteria98
    @Hysteria98 Před 2 lety +42

    God, this is a blast from the past. Interviews to this day with these chaps never disappoint, lol.

  • @taragrace2928
    @taragrace2928 Před rokem +6

    Michael and John are so delightful!

  • @followtheboat
    @followtheboat Před 2 lety +46

    My favourite Python film by a country mile. This was great, another gem from the BBC vaults. Thank you.

    • @A-small-amount-of-peas
      @A-small-amount-of-peas Před 2 lety +1

      I did enjoy it but if did have the whiff of a rushed cash grab

    • @MarcosElMalo2
      @MarcosElMalo2 Před 2 lety +2

      I laughed so hard the first time watching that I felt high midway through. I was euphoric walking out of the theater.

    • @nmeau
      @nmeau Před rokem +3

      Absolutely the best - they took it to the edge and no-one has gone further since

    • @gaskellr44
      @gaskellr44 Před rokem +1

      I feel it's a mixed bag, not as solid and flowing as L O B, but some great sketches but also some duds, hence why they feel it is their worst. Possibly H G fares better as more good sketches than M O L. but then again, M O L has 1 or 2 killer sketches.

  • @hilaryepstein6013
    @hilaryepstein6013 Před 2 lety +37

    Thank you for this and thank goodness for Michael Palin's inability to stop talking.
    Graham Chapman said of Meaning of Life that it was obvious that six different minds had written it.

  • @la95921
    @la95921 Před 18 dny

    Love Michael’s jumper and the reference to Eric Olthwaite, and then John yawning!

  • @stege9979
    @stege9979 Před 2 lety +7

    Cleese and Palin...what legends.

  • @notreallydavid
    @notreallydavid Před 2 lety +17

    Love this film - their bleakest, nastiest and cleverest. I wish the guys who made it liked it more than they do.

  • @wyskass861
    @wyskass861 Před 2 lety +6

    Comedians and engineer are my favorite types of people.

  • @78mitch
    @78mitch Před 2 lety +10

    John Cleese has a standup tour across Europe now in 2022 ! I already have the tickets for the show this August in Sundsval (Sweden). I'm so happy to see this legend at the sunset of his career.

    • @mrmaxaxl
      @mrmaxaxl Před 2 lety

      Whaat?? Kommer han till Stockholm?

    • @oskarvikstrom229
      @oskarvikstrom229 Před 2 lety

      @@mrmaxaxl Menar han Sundsvall? Har inte en susning.

    • @coffeecigarettes9422
      @coffeecigarettes9422 Před 2 lety

      I guess he is doing it especially for paying off his bills after several divorces. But anyway I'm sure it will be and I wish you a lovely evening. But don't forget to cheer him up - as you heard during this interview; don't do it like the Icelanders ;-)

    • @jamesdettmann94
      @jamesdettmann94 Před 3 měsíci

      Well clearly the sunset of his career is just like August sunsets in Sweden, lasts forever.

  • @davidbull7210
    @davidbull7210 Před 2 lety +21

    John Cleese now wears an "I'm 82" t shirt.

  • @deltabilly1
    @deltabilly1 Před 2 lety +30

    Hilarious for Cleese to accuse anyone else of talking too much. He just liked the sound of his own voice! (As do I)

    • @advancelast1740
      @advancelast1740 Před 2 lety +1

      What, like the sound of his voice or yours ?

    • @andydixon2980
      @andydixon2980 Před rokem

      @@advancelast1740 I like the sound of Jeremy's voice, more than John's.

    • @planetX15
      @planetX15 Před 3 měsíci

      ​Clarkson?

  • @TheTruthKiwi
    @TheTruthKiwi Před 2 lety +13

    I love how they never took interviews seriously. So much dry humour 😁😁😁

  • @sebastianb.1926
    @sebastianb.1926 Před 2 lety +10

    Recently watched a David Kelly interview about the Icelandic studio audience for The Builders episode of Fawlty Towers. I have no idea if it was the algorithm that recommended me this precise video in which Cleese passingly mentions the same thing or if it was pure serendipity.

  • @zingzangspillip1
    @zingzangspillip1 Před 2 lety +6

    I love how it's the interviewer who came up with "Jones is Welsh", rather than John or Michael.

  • @Jalliams
    @Jalliams Před 2 lety +4

    What a delightfully candid interview. Thank you!

  • @andyg208
    @andyg208 Před 3 měsíci +1

    My grandmother had the exact same tree

  • @welshlad6427
    @welshlad6427 Před 2 lety +22

    Great film. Great comedy. Great times ❤️

    • @brendancadogan6235
      @brendancadogan6235 Před 2 lety +8

      Superb but Welsh.

    • @Costa_Conn
      @Costa_Conn Před 2 lety +3

      @@brendancadogan6235 he's not Welsh, he's a very naughty boy

    • @Cortinaman63
      @Cortinaman63 Před rokem +2

      Welsh Lad: Thanks for your nice comments about "The Meaning Of Life", As an Actor it is always nice to hear from people that enjoy a Production I have appeared in, together with a fantastic fellow Cast & Crew, I am so pleased you enjoyed the film, it was one of my personal Favourite Productions over many years in the industry to have worked on.

  • @watermelonineasterhay
    @watermelonineasterhay Před 12 dny

    Meaning of life is so underrated

  • @DusanPavlicek78
    @DusanPavlicek78 Před 2 lety +3

    This is absolutely delightful 😊

  • @masercot
    @masercot Před 2 lety +4

    The two were in a movie called "Fierce Creatures" and Palin played a zookeeper who couldn't stop talking...

  • @Jimfowler82
    @Jimfowler82 Před 2 lety +9

    I was nearly 2 months old when this was filmed. I still remember people wearing clothes like this deep into the 90s 🤣

  • @unchattytwit
    @unchattytwit Před 2 lety +4

    My favourite Python film - brilliant - it was all worth it.

    • @Cortinaman63
      @Cortinaman63 Před rokem

      Senkigtully 1 ; It was a lot of fun working on this film as one of the Cast, in Part Two "Growth & Learning" and I am so pleased you enjoyed it, thanks for your kind comment, about The Meaning Of Life, it is very much appreciated by myself, and I am sure by my fellow Cast & Crew,

  • @MrJamBluejam
    @MrJamBluejam Před 2 lety +3

    Meaning of Life in one word? John: "If I can't hyphenate dog's breakfast then I can't do it in one word". Lovely stuff.

  • @gus4u2c
    @gus4u2c Před 2 lety +7

    Meaning Of Life is my favorite Monty Python film! ❤️

    • @Cortinaman63
      @Cortinaman63 Před rokem +2

      gus4u2c: I am so pleased you enjoyed the Film, and thanks for your nice comment, as a member of the Cast, with a small featured part in the Film, it is nice to hear the work all my fellow Cast & Crew put in to making this is appreciated and enjoyed by people like yourself, and many thank for your support of the Film.

    • @planetX15
      @planetX15 Před 3 měsíci

      Life Of Brian edges it for me, but the Meaning Of Life is a definite second, both very close, great shows!

  • @nowthenzen
    @nowthenzen Před 2 lety +4

    The world was simple then and we were younger and more beautiful

  • @watermelonineasterhay
    @watermelonineasterhay Před 12 dny

    Michaels jumper is adorable

  • @excelents
    @excelents Před 2 lety +8

    2:30 context for the rainfall comment Ripping Yans starring Michael Palin czcams.com/video/YYpsz2eAKOs/video.html
    "It were always raining in Denley Moor, except on days when it were fine. And there weren't many of those. not if you include drizzle as rain."

    • @MrSimonmcc
      @MrSimonmcc Před 2 lety +1

      I watched that very episode only yesterday.

    • @RodericSpode
      @RodericSpode Před 2 lety

      I have to watch those again. That's a great line.

  • @MarcosElMalo2
    @MarcosElMalo2 Před 2 lety +5

    It was the dog’s breakfast aspect that I loved. It was a a return to form in a way, sketches loosely tied together thematically and absurdly.

  • @iwaisman
    @iwaisman Před 2 lety

    Thanks

  • @julianaylor4351
    @julianaylor4351 Před 2 lety +7

    They ate the salmon mousse!!!! John Cleese was brilliant as The Grim Reaper. 😁

  • @andylorenxx1
    @andylorenxx1 Před 2 lety +1

    Love this film

  • @wyskass861
    @wyskass861 Před 2 lety +5

    Comedians like these are keen observers of life and can't help be see the many absurdities. Then then point them out in exaggerated fashion in the their comedy. It's a necessary reflection for humans. You can see it when he jokes about the process of making movies. People who perceive can often get tired of th experience but allow us to laugh and notice things we haven't before.

  • @theguitardude5613
    @theguitardude5613 Před 2 lety +2

    My god I love these guys.
    If you could be anybody? A python.

  • @chuckselvage3157
    @chuckselvage3157 Před 2 lety +3

    Cleese sarcasm is gold.

  • @MoosesValley
    @MoosesValley Před rokem

    Brilliant !

  • @OGRE_HATES_NERDS
    @OGRE_HATES_NERDS Před 4 měsíci

    its christmas in heaven theres great films on tv

  • @andypalin3287
    @andypalin3287 Před 2 lety +2

    Palin heaven! 🤘🎸😎

  • @A-small-amount-of-peas
    @A-small-amount-of-peas Před 2 lety +5

    I fear its too late now but I always wanted a 2 man John and Michael movie where it's mainly them. They all had great chemistry but I always thought these 2 had the best

    • @Kasino80
      @Kasino80 Před 2 lety +3

      Considering Terry and Michael had the best writing partnership, it really is quite extraordinary how good these two are together. Most of the Python sketches with them are in the top ten of all their skits.

    • @charlie-obrien
      @charlie-obrien Před 2 lety +1

      The movie "A Fish Called Wanda" had both Cleese and Palin featured in very funny roles.

    • @A-small-amount-of-peas
      @A-small-amount-of-peas Před 2 lety

      @@charlie-obrien yes I know, but they had very little dialogue with each other

  • @greenvelvet
    @greenvelvet Před rokem +1

    When Palin mentioned the most uncomfortable scene in the movie, I thought he was going to mention the 'schoolmaster' scene

  • @michaeltimothycole
    @michaeltimothycole Před 2 lety +2

    Can you upload HangaRRR 17 the complete series.With grandmothers.With the grandmothers corolla forfeits.Uncut.30 minutes.ALL 32 episodes.PLease Paul Leyshon?.

  • @c.m.9369
    @c.m.9369 Před rokem

    I‘m so glad to hear Cleese describe it as this incoherent mess of a film, because that‘s how I always saw this movie X-D
    Obviously, it‘s hillerious in so many ways, but damn is it a rambling, meandering piece!

  • @emailyclake1706
    @emailyclake1706 Před 2 lety +5

    Superb but welsh. 🤣🤣🤣Taffy would love that one.🤣🤣

  • @CricketEngland
    @CricketEngland Před 2 lety +3

    Would love to see what material was left out of the film..

    • @charlie-obrien
      @charlie-obrien Před 2 lety

      There was a bit about Martin Luther being a rather lustful monk, that was cut out of one of the films. You can view it on CZcams and it's classic Python.

  • @ABC-yt1nq
    @ABC-yt1nq Před 2 lety +3

    I think that was the cheapest studio setup I've ever seen. Having said that, Python. Simply awesome.

    • @andrewphippsphillips1455
      @andrewphippsphillips1455 Před 2 lety

      Classic tree. On a par with the Steptoe Christmas tree

    • @charlie-obrien
      @charlie-obrien Před 2 lety

      But those were some quality sweatshirts the host gave out at the end. There's your budget.

    • @ankavoskuilen1725
      @ankavoskuilen1725 Před 2 lety

      Cheap but effectieve, better than meaningless glitter.

  • @bewareofchild2462
    @bewareofchild2462 Před 7 měsíci

    thank god for people like this in this world of.... well it's like that.

  • @ZEUSDAZ
    @ZEUSDAZ Před 2 lety +1

    Please put up Rocky III and Rocky IV "Film 82 and Film 85" :-)

  • @onlyme219
    @onlyme219 Před rokem +1

    Can we talk about that Christmas tree?

  • @jaybenny7719
    @jaybenny7719 Před 2 lety +1

    How hilariously dry! Fantastic.

  • @Nifilheimur
    @Nifilheimur Před 2 lety +2

    As an Icelander im amazed they managed to find 40 Icelanders that were so dry and boring?? They must have been banned from drinking in the studio then!

  • @lexvonghoul6996
    @lexvonghoul6996 Před 2 lety +2

    This is great 😂

  • @Mojo16011973
    @Mojo16011973 Před 2 lety +2

    I want him to talk about trains

  • @DJ-bj8ku
    @DJ-bj8ku Před 2 lety

    If I were a network exec, I’d give them total freedom to produce whatever they wanted. Imagine the possibilities.

  • @mickeydodds1
    @mickeydodds1 Před 2 lety +2

    Where's Barry Norman?

    • @mikemorgan7893
      @mikemorgan7893 Před 2 lety +3

      He left the film show for a couple of years

    • @treadstone1970
      @treadstone1970 Před 2 lety

      @@mikemorgan7893 actually Barry Norman always had other reviewers deputies for him while he took a little break.
      Michael Parkinson and Russell Harty were two who sat in for him on separate occasions.

  • @postmodernrecycler
    @postmodernrecycler Před 2 lety +5

    Maybe this film is dismissed as a string of comedy sketches, but I prefer to view it like 'The Decameron' or 'The Canterbury Tales': a series of tales told on a journey to the holy of holies. That's right, a tits-out Christmas pageant in Vegas.

  • @clayz1
    @clayz1 Před 2 lety +1

    Here: The fish slapping dance.

  • @reconquista1911
    @reconquista1911 Před 8 měsíci +1

    when saying "Happy Christmas" was still legal ;)

  • @gaskellr44
    @gaskellr44 Před rokem

    Can you imagine interviews nowadays? Where have all the Intellectuals gone!

  • @ozzie-sk9dh
    @ozzie-sk9dh Před rokem

    It was….. THE SALMON MOUSSE 😂

  • @steveb6103
    @steveb6103 Před 2 lety +3

    Have you confused your cat lately?

  • @ethanblackhurst8593
    @ethanblackhurst8593 Před 2 lety +3

    No expense spared on that Xmas tree. BBC looking after my money.

    • @andrewphippsphillips1455
      @andrewphippsphillips1455 Před 2 lety +1

      Steptoes Christmas tree, they borrowed it.
      In those days it wasn't about how garishly you decorate a studio

  • @LordBingham1
    @LordBingham1 Před 2 lety +1

    Have you ever seen a sadder tree?

  • @user-xd9yo3le7o
    @user-xd9yo3le7o Před 2 lety +1

    No expense spared on the Christmas Tree 🤔

    • @paulcallan8714
      @paulcallan8714 Před 2 lety +2

      Just thought the same thing .But maybe we just bling things up to much these days

  • @iconoclast137
    @iconoclast137 Před 5 dny

    go watch an interview with tim and eric and tell me they aren't doing the exact same thing

  • @billybronco4223
    @billybronco4223 Před rokem +2

    The Christmas tree budget at the BBC was quite low that year.

  • @simpsonsdiva
    @simpsonsdiva Před 2 lety +2

    This is just before I was born...so much brown

    • @mikearchibald744
      @mikearchibald744 Před 2 lety

      This was after the seventies, have you SEEN what people wore in the seventies? Eighties stepped down to brown and purple except for pop bands and punk, now everybody all wears black and we think we're more individualized.

    • @krashd
      @krashd Před 2 lety

      80's grey and brown was preferable to the 70's orange and yellow.

    • @mikearchibald744
      @mikearchibald744 Před 2 lety +1

      @@krashd Thats a matter of opinion, it was garish, but you ever notice since the vibrant colours of the sixties each decade has gotten increasing drab until there is no colour left at all.

  • @exessex3522
    @exessex3522 Před 2 lety +1

    "The Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood of England"? Which one is which? I reckon Cleese could do a Jimmy Carrey-class impersonation of Eastwood's squinting, mouth-contorting tough-guy face. So that leaves Palin as Paul Newman. Well, look at him - doesn't he just ooze Butch Cassidy?

    • @treadstone1970
      @treadstone1970 Před 2 lety

      Well John Cleese has actually appeared in a western before.

  • @clareswinney1087
    @clareswinney1087 Před 2 lety +4

    Superb but Welsh! 😂

  • @ctcurry1777
    @ctcurry1777 Před 2 lety +2

    The worst of the python films in my opinion...but still 10x better comedy than 99% of the crap produced today.

    • @mikearchibald744
      @mikearchibald744 Před 2 lety +2

      Absolutely, when three films are THAT good and for completely different reasons its hard to 'rank' and probably shouldn't even be attempted. The sketch form at least made up for 'and now for somethig completely different". Like they said in the interview, people always say they don't like it til they remember the sketches. Given that MOST comedies have about five good jokes in them, there really needs to be a different name for mel brooks and monty python.

    • @charlie-obrien
      @charlie-obrien Před 2 lety +1

      I rank it the third best Python film, but as you said that still puts it in the top 50 comedies of all time.

  • @johnhague5155
    @johnhague5155 Před 2 lety +3

    I sugest we shoulde as refer to john cleese as John Cheese. An immediate referendum should be called for to clear his name of all those dredful women who rob him of his money. Beastful those ladys. 💛🙏 Amen. JMH.

  • @advancelast1740
    @advancelast1740 Před 2 lety

    Icons

  • @Seminal_Ideas
    @Seminal_Ideas Před rokem +1

    The BBC at it's best. How I lament the decline of the beeb. Over 40 years ago now. A different country.

  • @themeaningoflifeexpert

    My free book has the answer to the meaning of life.

  • @mikearchibald744
    @mikearchibald744 Před 2 lety +2

    "superb, but welsh"

    • @Jeff_Vader
      @Jeff_Vader Před 2 lety

      I love it. When I was younger one of my brother's friends was being philosophical after he had a bad day in Wales (don't know what happened) and he came out with the wonderful phrase "I think, therefore I am.....not Welsh"

    • @mikearchibald744
      @mikearchibald744 Před 2 lety +1

      @@Jeff_Vader I'm not laughing at that as its not politically correct:)

    • @jonathanhough2203
      @jonathanhough2203 Před 2 lety

      @@mikearchibald744 I’m not laughing because it’s about as amusing as eating a bowl of dogshit but yknow….each to his own😐

  • @moaningpheromones
    @moaningpheromones Před 2 lety +2

    What the F is that thing he's sitting behind?
    I witnessed a vandal destroying origami artwork. I saw it all unfold.
    Isn't it odd we've got armpits but not legpits?

  • @jamietrev
    @jamietrev Před rokem +1

    Wasn’t that sweet

  • @aum3.146
    @aum3.146 Před 2 lety

    the meaning of life is where they came down from everest. it was a mess

  • @MakeSomeNoiseAgencyPlaylists

    and now we got ESSEX......🤮

  • @zogzog1063
    @zogzog1063 Před 2 lety

    Boring. Impossible? This is like the outtakes of a comedy where instead of all the best bits ...

  • @andypike1234
    @andypike1234 Před 2 lety

    Sweater

  • @sarahdee374
    @sarahdee374 Před 2 lety +1

    Love Cleese's work, but always found him kind of a whiny baby in interviews. If being a working comedian and writer is so miserable, maybe he should have quit and went to work digging ditches.

    • @garethhanby
      @garethhanby Před 2 lety +2

      It's called the "Sad clown paradox". Many comedians suffer from it.

    • @sarahdee374
      @sarahdee374 Před 2 lety +1

      @@garethhanby True. I think Basil Fawlty probably voices a of of Cleese's genuine thoughts. As I said, I do love his work and sense of humor.

    • @charlie-obrien
      @charlie-obrien Před 2 lety

      If he hadn't become a comic actor he would have been a lawyer, and lord knows we've enough of that sort.

  • @L_Martin
    @L_Martin Před 2 lety

    6:36 that set is absolutely GRIM. why were the 80s so determinedly ugly?

  • @witness1013
    @witness1013 Před 2 lety +3

    Horrible. This precisely defines why Brits are NOT funny.

    • @jaybenny7719
      @jaybenny7719 Před 2 lety +10

      We are not funny to you …. 😉

    • @richardmell299
      @richardmell299 Před 2 lety +13

      I'm flabbergasted, I don't think I'll sleep tonight with that News.

    • @witness1013
      @witness1013 Před 2 lety +1

      @@jaybenny7719 oh, quite the contrary,as a people, i find you, your love of Royals, and your love if importing welfare takers, very funny!

    • @SpotlessLeopard
      @SpotlessLeopard Před 2 lety

      Met us all have you misery arse?

    • @xenomorph6961
      @xenomorph6961 Před 2 lety +10

      Someone is still sore about the 'Life of Brian"!
      That makes me happy :P