When you can't afford horses, just create one of the greatest gags in history. Whatever works, I guess.

"Whitty dialogue" *Nee Nee Nee Nee*

i love how the end of the movie is a literal cop out

I learned that strange women laying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.

19:44 Sadly Terry Jones passed away from his dementia on January 21, 2020. Rest in peace Terry.

I think this movie, more than anything, is an excellent example of how constraints can yield better results. Because of its small budget, they had to come up with very creative solutions to make the movie work, and the result is a hilariously absurd comedy unlike any other made before or since.

The fact that Terry Jones is now unable to speak due to dementia is so incredibly heartbreaking. Of all the people to be struck by that fate, losing the voice of a comic genius like Jones seems so cosmically cruel.

"You're missing an arm!" "No I'm not." "LOOK!" "I've had worse." "YOU LIAR!" "COME ON YA PANSY!"

I learned that even as an amputee, I can still kick some ass.

The great thing about the coconuts substituting for horses is that in German the movie is called "Die Ritter der Kokosnuss" ("The Knights of the Coconut").

Fun fact: the guy in the middle of a shave wasn't an actor, he was just a normal civilian doing his thing until he saw the crowd and checked out the commotion.

man, it teaches us how to infiltrate a castle, how to find a witch, how to beat a bridge keeper, how to deal with cheeky Frenchmen, what does it not teach us??

I always thought the coconut riding was deliberate and not because the budget. In Germany the movie is actually called "Monty Python and the Knight of Coconut"

Having never been around for film intermissions, I never got the intermission gag from this film- it had to be explained to me. Once I realised that everyone would be getting up to go to the snack bar/toilets etc during it, it became the funniest part of the film for me imagining how close everyone got to the doors before the action came thundering back and made everyone scramble back to their seats!

I never actually realized that the running scene was the same shot repeated. I honestly just thought he was really, really slowly approaching. I feel like I completely misunderstood the joke.

I was entirely unaware of Terry Jones' dementia until watching this video. Now I am tremendously sad. :,(

"In the frozen land of Nador, they were forced to eat Robin’s minstrels…and there was much rejoicing." My favorite line from the movie, and it's simply narration over some of Gilliam's animation.

I agree that the time wasting jokes in the movie are great. The Holy Hand Grenade scene is my favorite scene in the, even if it probably lasted longer than it should’ve, but of course you wouldn’t get any scene like that from any other movie.

One interesting thing that I noticed you left out. The Pythons originally had Neil Innes record music for the movie, but since the budget was so cheap, it sounded kind of pathetic for lack of a better word. So they went to some music library place to find music to use for there film. And they soon REALIZED that the music they chose was important because it allowed the film to be more like the epics that they were mocking. Having stuff like the visuals and soundtrack juxtaposed against their brand of humor only made the film much funnier.

"´Tis but a scratch"

holy hand grenade is not a waste of time. it's comedy's few precious gemstones; from whatever angle you loook at it.

the subtitles aren't Swedish at all. A direct translation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail would be: "Monty Python och den heliga graal". "Wik", "Ik" and such aren't Swedish words, they're gibberish. And you are quite correct, "ø" is found in Norwegian and Danish but not in Swedish. It's mostly just English with a few nonsensical variations. You might be aware of this already, but I wasn't sure so I wanted to let you know, just in case

The line "More witches!" wasn't in the script.

"Five is right out"

This movie is more accurate than most of the historical movies made nowadays.

Actually the castle they used for most of the filming is Dune Castle. The castle surrounded by water is Castle Stalker, which was only used as Castle of Aaaargh at the end of the film. BTW, if you visit Dune Castle the audio guide is narrated by Terry Jones and after every bit about the history and whatnot you can also choose to hear a bit about the filming that was done in each part. highly recommended!

To me Holy Grail is the perfect comedy film and Monty Python is the perfect comedy group, it's amazing what got away with back in the day and the humor still works perfectly. Amazing films and amazing show.

"It's only a model." -Terry 'the only American' Gilliam.

What I learned: 1. How to know if someone is a witch 2. African and European Swallows 3. The Brutality of rabbits 4. You don’t vote for kings 5. How to be a king 6. Insults

A friend & I went to see "... HOLY GRAIL" at the Egyptian Theater a few years ago with Terry Jones present. His son was there & ended up answering many of the questions during the q & a. Some time later we heard about Terry's dementia & realized why one of the wittiest & smartest people who ever lived needed help answering questions about a masterpiece that he helped create. Beside his Monty Python work I would highly recommend seeking out some of his other tv work like THE CRUSADES & THE BARBARIANS to remind you what an intelligent & witty man this was.

I've always loved the way Holy Grail looks. The combination of scenery and lighting, as well as the occasional smoke machine, ultimately makes the film genuinely atmospheric, which only serves to highlight the ridiculousness of the performances. One of the greatest and most underrated uses of juxtaposition in film.

I guess Orson Welles was right. He said "No limitations is the ENEMY of art"

Terry died today. He was one of my heroes, showing you can be great, be kind, and have a ton of heart all at the same time. This really is an amazingly good look at film making. Your video will live on for many years, it's so well done. Thank you for making me feel.,... better.

When it comes to "time jokes", it remind me of the scene in the movie Spaceballs by Mel Brooks, where the Darth Vader charachter ask what happend to then and gets the answer from his friend: "Just missed it!" Darth Vader: "When?" Friend: "Just now!" Darth Vader: "When will then be now?" Friend: "Soon!"

My dad made me watch this movie w him when i was young so it’s a really nostalgic movie for me. I remember when i told him “such an old movie it must be really bad” but wow i was so wrong, i also watched the life of brian w him. I’m so glad my dad introduced me to these amazing movies :D

I think you left out the single most important thing we learned from the Holy Grail: We now know the earth to be banana shaped. Indeed, this one simple fact has stymied the flat earth crowd to no end. Of course, the second most important fact deals with the relationship between Sheep's Bladders and earthquakes.

Holy grail is my favorite comedy movie, simply because of its comedic simplicity. It has no need for entirely complex jokes or entirely complex plots, and nearly all of its scenes are hilarious whether it be because of a weight ratio argument, political joke, cutout/model joke, or a flesh wound, this movie in it’s entirety is a perfect example of a true comedy movie.

"but...your arm's off!"

this ended up being almost more of a little known-trivia vid than an analysis haha but I'm not mad at all. Great research man, one of my favorite films of all time. Pythons rule

My favorite movie scene and line are both in this film. Scene: the ‘how did you get to become king?’ scene. Line: ‘are you suggesting coconuts migrate?’

God bless you: my favorite movie. Not only is it ridiculously funny, but the production of this film is amazing

I remember the first time I saw this, (78), down to the minute. It was 9 hours after I had my appendix removed. I laughed so hard I was was holding the incision out of fear it would break open. On a side note, I know some sources claim nothing was ad-libbed but it's wrong. The most well known is probably ad-libbed. Probably the most well known is John Cleese when he played the enchanter. On a side note,

2:25 THE BRIDGE OF DEATH WAS THE FIRST SCENE SHOT OF THE FILM! (Near Glencoe; 30th April and a bit on 1st May 1974.) Then they moved out west to Castle Stalker to shoot Castle Aaargh! (2nd May) Then on 3rd-6th May they did the Cave of Caerbannog, the Old Man From Scene 24 and the Holy Hand Grenade. These scenes were filmed near Killin on Loch Tay. (On 4th May, whilst working on the Killer Rabbit, they were listening to the radio: Liverpool beat Newcastle 3-0 in the Cup Final.) On 7th May they moved on to Doune Castle where they spent the next 3 weeks or so, and did most of the scenes in the film. 31st May is Palin's last day on the film. Before leaving Scotland, the remaining Pythons[Chapman and the directors] film the army attacking near Stirling. In June, with a very small crew due to lack of money, they shoot the Black Knight in Epping Forest. Lancelot running towards camera, being arrested and Arthur with Patsy arriving on hill - the very first shot - are shot on Hampstead Heath. From reading Michael Palin's diary I could get even more detailed, but even I can get bored...

We had the movie recorded on a VHS. During so many years and watchings, I was continually mad about SOMEONE recording over the end of the movie with some other crap. Until I saw it on tv, and it also ended with the police.

That's no ordinary rabbit lad...

No movie has ever made me laugh out loud like Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I was In High school at the time this movie came out. My younger brother is 11 years younger than me, so he was too young to enjoy or understand the comedy then, because he was only 6 or 7 years old. I finally introduced him to it in the 1980s when he was about 14 or so. I thought I might have killed him when he was laughing so hard he couldn’t breath, turned red and rolled out of his chair to the floor. Anything that really cracked him up made him go limp like that since he was a baby. Him and I always claim this movie as the funniest comedy ever made and still is. There are few things that make me laugh out loud. I am a comedy writer, so I am familiar with how to set up a gag to pay off. Usually the best comedy is when the punchline is completely unexpected. Most comedy movies I see can’t make me laugh out loud because they use the same formulas that have been around since Vaudeville, so I find the comedy extremely predictable, so I’m rarely caught off guard, which would make me spontaneously let out a boisterous laugh. There was not much predictable in The Holy Grail. Monty Python is complete silliness and most every gag is so out-there, that it is always a surprise. The first time watching the movie, I was sore from laughing by the time King Arthur defeated the Black Knight..... well, he never really defeated him, they decided to call it a draw.... the Black Knight did anyway. Monty Python’s humor made me look at comedy in a whole different way. I can credit a lot of my best material as being inspired by their brilliant comedy. MP has made several movies and they are all funny as hell, but The Holy Grail is their masterpiece, I my opinion. Even after 40 years after first seeing this movie, it can still make me laugh at many scenes and I still find new things I didn’t notice before every time I watch it. It’s amazing. I don’t understand why most women do not get this brilliant comedy. MP has always had a predominately male fan base, with a few women or girls that find it funny. Luckily, my wife loves this movie and she finds something new to laugh at every time she watches it again.

I love the little details that you might not spot the first time. Here’s two I found: In the bridge scene while their on the rocks crossing over there one of the characters say “hey look it’s the guy from 24” quietly. A fun fact is that that is a reused character from scene 24. I was really surprised on how many 4th wall breaks that was put into this film for being released in 1975. Before the witch scene, or right before the people have the witch, he is releasing a shallow holding a coconut. This is a reference to the conversation at the first castle, which happened minutes before, which is one of the details you really gotta pay attention to when hearing lines, or seeing in the background.

I was in the 10th or 11th grade when this came out. Me and my friends must have saw it at least four times at the theatre. Funniest shit we had ever seen.

This has such artistic English product energy, like the budget is whatever your parents are willing to let you use and no one’s taking the presentations seriously so your group just decides to have a fun time

Q; How do you know so much about swallows? A; Well, you have to know these things when you're a king, you know.

RIP Arthur "Two-Sheds" Jackson

What I definitely learned from this movie was how to know for sure if one is a witch.

I learned how to see if someone is a witch. Very helpful.

The fact that people have doodled for centuries makes me happy.

R.I.P Terry Jones you were an amazing comedian man. 😢

Pretty much every day since 1975 someone in my family will quote something from this movie. We all have different tastes, but everyone loves this film.

I can still remember being taken to this when I was 13 yrs old, I had already watched some of the TV show and their first movie which was a sort of best of the TV show, but I liked what I seen, but I had to go with my uncle as it was PG and you had to be a certain age, but it was the most hilarious thing I'd ever watched and because of the laughter ,I missed scenes because of it, but it didn't matter as we came back a few times as it was so great and I've watched it now more times than I can count, but it's still fresh and I can still laugh and enjoy it like the first viewing , and that's the product of great film making and story! I wish we still had that in today's world but ,there's still the classics!

What made the movie for me was that Gilliam attention to detail. It was clear that he has a real passion for Medieval history.

What it taught was that you only needed creativity, passion, hilarity and original music to make a great classic, and high crossing film only with your weekly allowance.

I've been to the castle they used in the film, it has an audio tour narrated by Terry Jones detailing both the castles actual history, and it's story in the film there were also Swallows nesting there for the added bonus

"Oh, some lovely filth over here"!

i thought the holy grail was actually one of the most brilliant, atmosphere-rich films I'd ever seen - now i realize it was the gilliam effect

What did I learn from Holy Grail? That rabbits can be more dangerous than they look; that shrubberies are suprisingly valuable; and if all else fails, you can always run away. 😂👍

The castle Surrounded by water is called Castle Stalker and was only used for the end of the movie from afar. Doune Castle is the castle in most of the movie. The French castle, the Beacon grail Castle, the wedding castle, all Doune. They had to make a few floors for that movie inside I think, they weren't there when I visited. You can rent coconuts there to ride around with if you ever visit. I visited in 2009 and the back curtain wall had fallen down by then. My brother fell down the hill Arthur gets mocked on, it's a bit steep lol. Good historical castle to visit too as it looks like castles actually did, Edinburgh is like Castle Disney land.

"on second thought, lets not go to Camelot, Tis a silly place"

I do so love Terry Jones. I think Graham will always be my favorite Python.... and John Cleese has remained something of the visual icon of the group's comedy, with his foreboding height and physical dexterity. But Jones's ability to assume the most vulnerable straight man, or morph into complete insanity or absurdity, all while keeping a keen sense of humanity with his facial expressions, is what sells me fully on him as a member of the group. He was and is the heart of Monty Python.

My personal favourite quote and illustration of the Python's creativeness is when the knights are approaching Camelot and we just the end of the conversation between King Arthur and Sir Bedervere. It's this... Sir Bed: "And that my liege is how we know the world to be banana-shaped" King: "This new learning amazes me Sr Bedervere. Explain to me again how a sheep's bladder may be used to prevent earthquakes" He's about to explain when someone shouts: "Look, Camelot!" and they roll into the main scene. I love the fact that we only catch the end of what sounds like a fascinating conversation!

The genius of 2 coconuts pretty much says it all. Pure comedic heaven.

🤣 they found the grail at Harrods at the holy grail counter 🤣😂🤣 That would have been the perfect ending

Correction: Doune Castle (pronounced "doon" or "dune") is actually *not* the castle in the lake. It's a castle near Stirling surrounded by fields and countryside and is under the care of Historic Scotland. This is the same castle where they filmed the French Knights and the Torjan Rabbit, which were filmed on the grounds surrounding Doune. You can pay to go and visit there and you can take an audio guide narrated by Terry Jones with you as you look around.

I love that you added the get on with it part in the intro

I watch every one of your videos as though it were an event. Fantastic job as always.

Love of this movie and the Pythons in particular has lead to my meeting some very interesting and fun people. At a meeting or in a class or something and someone does or says a Python related bit! "How long is it"? "That's rather a personal question sir".

This was a wonderful video, the language structured so you don't have to have previous knowledge of film making to understand and appreciate it. Well done you! I didn't know Terry Jones is struggling with his health. How horrible for him, for all of them, and for MP fans. I wish him well.

When you get an ad about a filmmaking class on a video about filmmaking. *T H E Y K N O W .*

The family that plays in a scene together stays together😂😂

"Do you mean an African or a European Swallow?" "What? I don't know that! Waaaaaahhhhhh"

German title:"The Knights of the Coconut"

One of my most unique memories. I attended a rainbow gathering in Washington state. Well it turned very rainy and cold at elevation, it became a struggle. If you didn't have rain gear and a good tent it became very challenging. The meadows were tall grass you would get wet to your waist with a few steps. The trails and fire roads turned to mud, cars were getting stuck trying to leave and blocked the road. I was there in one of the early Subaru's and fancy gear for me. One miserable night by a roaring fire (lots of wood in Washington forests) a group of college students from Berkley recited most of the Holy Grail scenes. I didn't know people could remember so much. I have rarely ever witnessed so much joy and laughter with the stragglers around that fire that night, taking are minds off the weather. To this day that is some of my favorite dialog...for the...farcical aquatic....watery....tarts.

I have no idea where they got King Arthur's theme in this movie, but damn it's actually so good I use it to motivate myself when making basic homework

I really enjoyed your look at The Holy Grail. Loads of interest thoughts and observations. I'm a Monty Python fan and I've watched lots of documentaries about them, however its always great to find another well made and insightful one. Also, 'hats of to you' for actually taking the time to thank the members of Monty Python at the end of your film. So many film makers don't do that and I really think they should.

What I learned. "Necessity is the mother of all inventive comedy".

Both this and life of brian hold up as some of the best comedies ever

Watching the Holy Grail when it was first release, was the sole time in my life when I've laughed so hard that the pain of it forced me to the floor...and in a cinema, a proper big old style formal one with red velvet curtain. Plus I was too young to understand the content of many of the jokes. Watery tarts, moistened bints, and autonomous collectives were all to be properly enjoyed in future viewings. I've heard it said, I think by Michael Palin, that Terry Gilliam is superb at visual storytelling, but loves chaos, whereas Terry Jones was excellent at gathering masses of details and information in his head and creating order out of it. So the film benefited hugely from both their approaches.

Fab work and really interesting. Thanks !

As a Scottish person I can tell you that the "-brugh" "Edinburgh" is not pronounced "-berg" like "ice-berg". It is actually pronounced like "bruh" So it's "Edin-bruh". And "Doune" castle is pronounced "Dune" so it rymes with tune.

I love that the german title "Die Ritter der Kokosnuss" (english "the knights of the coconut") was only possible because they couldn't afford horses XD

HAHAHA. I just watched this AGAIN last night. 🤣

Sooooo.... I never told my son but he was made on the floor of my husband and my first apartment while we watched Monthy Python and the Holy Grail and smoked some weed. He is in film school now. lol. I don't know if I should ever tell him.

I discovered you through Kubrick's 2001, now Holy Grail? I know this is going to be good! you are top drawer material, much respect. Some day when I have a little extra cash I'm going to support your work.

Most of my favourite comedy skits and characters from python are with Terry Jones and Michael Palin, something I've only just realised. There's just something so completely on the mark, but also good natured and light-hearted about them when they got together. Just wonderful, I'm so grateful to have witnessed it...!

"And Now for something Completely Different" was MY introduction to Python... And I was completely hooked after that. Then Live At the Hollywood Bowl, Meaning of life, then (the holy grail) Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Just incredible comedy and script writing. It wasn't until years later that I 'got' Life of Brian.

Maybe you could do Gilliam's masterpiece 'Brazil'.

3 years later and I have a feeling that modern movie makers have forgotten everything that makes a movie good. Just pump out a sequence of action scenes with no intermissions or reflections and then people leaves the cinema with a WTF happened feeling.

That guard scene plus the swamp castle scene still crack me up to this day. Shame about Terry Jones, I hadn't heard that.

came back to watch this after I found out about Terry Jones... May he rest in peace

Your videos are excellent. Very fascinating and well put together.

I learned that a collection of memes and tumblr shitposts can make a great movie

''Adopt, adapt and improve. Motto of the round table.''

It is correct that they used Doune castle, which is pronouned "Doon". But the shot of the castle surrounded by water is a different castle in Scotland which is privately owned called Eilean Donan Castle. The close up shots at the castle wall looking up at the french guy is Doune Castle. ( another fun fact, the village of Doune is where it is believed the pistol was manufactured that fired the first shot in the American War of Independence)