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BACK STORY, courtesy of the New York Times |
| “All we know is that it was a documentary about coconuts that rather lost its way.” |
| That’s Michael Palin, one of the members of the British comedy troupe Monty Python, riffing on the origins of their cult classic “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” |
| The spoof of the King Arthur legend, alternately hilarious and ridiculous, is frequently on top-10 lists of the greatest comedies. |
| Mr. Palin and the four other surviving members of Monty Python regroup at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York today for a 40th anniversary screening of “Holy Grail.” |
| Another member, Terry Gilliam, said a “lack of money” saved the film from mediocrity: “We couldn’t afford real horses.” |
| The Monty Python actors, now in their 70s, rose to fame with a BBC television series, “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” that ran from 1969 to 1974. Their surreal, nonconformist and irreverent humor influenced shows like “Saturday Night Live.” |
| On Saturday, they will also debut the feature-length documentary “Monty Python — The Meaning of Live,” which followed the clan on their reunion performances in London last summer. |
| Your Morning Briefing is published weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern and updated on the web all morning. |
Garvan Hill 