Monty Python will appear at 2015 Tribeca Film Festival to introduce new doc plus 40th anniversary of “Holy Grail”

It’ll be Christmas in April!

All of the surviving members of Monty Python — John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin — will come to New York City in April to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Monty Python and the Holy Grail as well as the international premiere of the 90-minute documentary, Monty Python — Meaning of Live, at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.

Here’s the documentary trailer, which aired on British TV last fall, and went behind the scenes with Python as they prepared for their final live reunion shows last July at The O2 in London:

“It is hard to believe that Holy Grail was first shown 40 years ago,” said Paula Weinstein, Executive Vice President, Tribeca Enterprises. “The film is so brilliant and the Pythons’ influence on contemporary comedy in cinema and television is so enduring that it feels as fresh today as it did decades ago. We are honored to welcome the Pythons to Tribeca and to share stories of their groundbreaking process with our audience through the international premiere of Monty Python – The Meaning of Live.”

“It’s amazing how lack of money saved us from mediocrity. We couldn’t afford real horses,” said Gilliam.

Palin added: “The Pythons are looking forward very much to the Tribeca Film Festival and the chance to meet anyone who can remember why we made Monty Python and The Holy Grail. All we know is that it was a documentary about coconuts that rather lost its way. If anyone at Tribeca can explain why we made it and didn’t call it Braveheart then our visit to New York will not have been wasted.”

Idle continued: “I often had the feeling the movie might make a good Broadway musical….”

The 40th anniversary screening of Holy Grail and celebration with Python happens April 24 at the Beacon Theater.

The Tribeca festival also will hold special screenings of both Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life.

Tickets will be on sale on March 23 for American Express Card Members and March 28 for general public at tribecafilm.com.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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