The Guardian Unlimited – Saturday 30th September, 2000

Cleese & Co Voted For Top Comedy

What have the Monty Python team ever done for us? They gave us the funniest film of all time, according to film fans who have voted their 1979 hit Life of Brian top in a poll of comedy films compiled by Total Film magazine.

John Cleese and company scored another hit in the poll, with Monty Python and the Holy Grail coming in at number five. Life Of Brian – classic moments include the “what have the Romans ever done for us?” routine – caused a rumpus when released and was refused a certificate by many authorities.

Another British product, Withnail & I, was at number three, behind the disaster movie spoof Airplane! Withnail, starring Richard E Grant and Paul McGann, was released with little fuss 15 years ago but went on to become a classic.

The full list is:

1. Monty Python’s Life of Brian
2. Airplane!
3. Withnail & I
4. There’s Something About Mary
5. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
6. American Pie
7. Groundhog Day
8. Some Like it Hot
9. Blazing Saddles
10. Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

Pat has kindly sent us some more pics from what is proving to be the sentimental mushy fave REG movie for lots of the girls out there – Jack and Sarah. Click here to see them. She also managed to find an advert for the animated Miracle Maker, click here to see it as well as telling us this:

The new Withnail and I DVD has been released. Haven’t fully explored the DVD yet, but it includes a Theatrical Trailer and interactive menus.

A Behind The Scenes Clip From “The Age Of Innocence”

The Power Of The Web!

By Monica Bretherton.

The story behind this filmclip is that someone had given me a pile of super-8 film to use on some film project. I was with Tomi Streiff on the set of “The Age Of Innocence”, which was being filmed in Brooklyn Heights, and we were trying to put together some footage as background for a story about two production assistants working on the film. The actors in the film were shooting a dinner party scene (thus the formal attire).

Richard E. Grant had no doubt observed us lurking around (I should add that we looked a little too eccentric to be true paperazzi) and decided to do a little counter-shooting.

I never pursued the film project once we used up all the Super-8, as I realized it was overly complicated, but this clip and a conversation I had with Martin Scorcese’s mother about corsets (they leave bruises) were little treasures I came away with.

The footage is digitized from a VHS dub of a HI-8 home transfer and compressed to run as a flash film, so the quality isn’t great. Tomi Streiff had the dubious distinction of being the cameraman, so please credit him. He will find it amusing that this little clip is out there.

Regards,
Monica Bretherton.

In August I thought it would be nice idea to ask REG some more questions and let some newbies get a chance, so we had our second chance at a REGiment exclusive interview with REG. Click here to read it.

2000

Richard was recently spotted at an Elton John event to raise money for AIDS. It cost £1000 a head, and took place at Elton’s house in Windsor.

The first picture features REG with his old pal Lulu, and Sam Taylor-Wood, the artist responsible for the mural outside Selfridges.

The second, from left to right, features Michael Caine’s wife, Elton John, Sean Connery, Lulu, REG and Sean Connery’s missus. Very dashing.