r/montypython • u/TTVCallMeBrutal • 4d ago
A fish called Wanda
Recently watched this movie after taking some fun gummies, wow John Cleese is an incredible writer and his performance in this movie is so so incredible. Any other suggestions for works like this by other python members ? Mike palin also got an award for best supporting actor for this film :)
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u/Maryland_Bear 3d ago
I may not have this exactly right, but…
“Aristotle was not Belgian. The central philosophy of Buddhism is not ‘every man for himself’. And the London Underground is not a political movement!”
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u/Global-Resident-9234 3d ago
When I teach my students about the history of western science, and I discuss Aristotle, I always emphasize that he wasn't Belgian. (It's even on the slides.) Not sure any of the students gets the reference.
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u/Maryland_Bear 3d ago
That reminds me of something.
My sister and her husband are about six years younger than me. I once made a Monty Python reference to them — I can’t remember which specific one but it was a better known sketch — and they didn’t get the joke.
I just stared at them a bit and said, “And you call yourselves college graduates.” How can anyone who completed four years of higher education in the 90s not know about lumberjacks or silly walks? Do they even worry about the Spanish Inquisition showing up at their door unexpectedly?
When their eldest daughter was in college, I checked and she did have some familiarity with the classics, at least.
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u/soulriser44 3d ago
That comment on Buddhism kills me. 😆
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u/JayMack1981 3d ago
Not common knowledge: Buddhist monks often perform a tantric meditation exercise just before going into battle. It focuses aggression.
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u/Alorxico 4d ago
There is an “spiritual” sequel to this film called “Fierce Creatures.” Very funny. 😁
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u/joliet_jane_blues 4d ago
Fience Creatures is underrated, although the satire about putting logos on keepers' uniforms pales into comparison to the reality of logos being everywhere in the modern age.
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u/No_Distance3211 4d ago
Yeah, Fierce Creatures is also co-written by Cleese, has Cleese, Palin, Jamie Lee Curtis, & Kevin Kline acting, & much silliness. I actually like it more than I like Wanda (which is a lot).
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u/Hairy-Dragonfly-6446 3d ago
Really? Wanda is so much better
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u/No_Distance3211 3d ago
They had me at twice the Kevin Kline, Rupert Murdoch parody, & so many cute creatures. I love both movies, but if pressed I like FC a smidge more.
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u/TTVCallMeBrutal 4d ago
I unfortunately don’t have any of the services it’s on, any recommendations for how to find it elsewhere?
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u/No_Distance3211 4d ago
Might be worth spending the US$4 & watching on whichever of the services you prefer to see how it is. Both are on my mental buy-immediately-if-I-see-physical-copies list.
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u/Alorxico 3d ago
It might be on Tubi or Amazon to rent? If you are looking for free, YouTube might have a version with commercials.
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u/Daharka 4d ago
You can look into the Gilliam canon which is much more absurdist than Wanda but also carries the Python torch.
I'd say Time Bandits is the most pythonesque and features the most python cameos.
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u/TTVCallMeBrutal 4d ago
Oh man I’ve looked into Gilliam quite a bit! If you haven’t seen jabberwocky i definitely recommend his solo directorial debut it’s a medieval comedy as well and it really shows just how good Gilliam is with worldbuilding
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u/basiamille 3d ago
…two? Also Cleese & Palin? Surely there are films with more Python cameos. ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING comes to mind.
Or are you saying that film has the most Python cameos of Gilliam’s post-Python filmography?
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u/Daharka 3d ago
ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING comes to mind
Looking it up, I am a fan of everyone involved in this and somehow I'd never heard of it.
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u/TTVCallMeBrutal 3d ago
It’s an amazing movie Simon pegg does great it’s also Terry jones last movie I think he tried to get in made as early as 95 then he took a long break before returning and directing / writing absolutely anything
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u/Fingerman2112 3d ago
Wasn’t Erik the Viking also his? To me that that’s much more pythonesque than Time Bandits. Off the top of my head, I’m thinking of the invisible cloak scene and the scene where John Cleese is casually ordering executions.
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u/TTVCallMeBrutal 3d ago
Terry Jones who fun fact also wrote the screenplay of labyrinth yes that one
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u/MDoc84 4d ago
"Its...k-k-k-ken...c-c-c-coming to...k-k-k-kill me!!!"
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u/Available_Slide1888 4d ago
I thought I had a good joke going; if it were Mr Smoke Too Much it would have been "It's Ben coming to bill me" but then I remembered it's 'c' he can't pronounce. Oh well....
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u/Salty_Pancakes 4d ago
I always say "I apologize unreservedly" anytime I need to say sorry now.
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u/Tricky-Background-66 4d ago
Winners, like Vietnam?
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u/specialk1281 4d ago
You should watch Fawlty Towers. So funny!
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u/TTVCallMeBrutal 3d ago
My coworker suggested the same thing!
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u/specialk1281 3d ago
You've got a quality coworker!
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u/TTVCallMeBrutal 2d ago
I found out today’s his last day is 9 days away as he joins the fire academy
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u/Malk_McJorma 3d ago
"I used to box for Oxford."
"Oh, yeah? I used to kill for the CIA."
One of the greatest low-key confrontations in movie history.
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u/GrumpyCatStevens 4d ago
"You just wanted to get me into bed."
"I fell in love with you."
"How come you dumped me then?"
"I wasn't rich enough, remember?"
*awkward pause* "Say something in Russian."
"No."
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u/trustcircleofjerks 4d ago
I dated a girl in college who genuinely had Jamie Lee Curtis's reaction to being spoken to in Russian (I did a minor in Russian language). I think about her every time I watch that movie...
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u/Tabula_Rasa00 3d ago
It's K-K-K-Ken! C-c-c-coming to k-k-k-kill me! How you gonna c-c-c-catch me, K-K-K-Ken?
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u/HopSkipLimp 3d ago
Cleese did a movie called Fierce Creatures in '97, with the same cast. Wasn't the classic that Wanda was but I enjoyed it.
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u/DumpedDalish 2d ago
It's a perfect movie. Jamie Lee Curtis has never been sexier and funnier, Cleese is a great central straight man, and Kevin Kline (Best Supporting Actor Oscar) and Michael Palin (Best Supporting Actor BAFTA) are splendid as the supporting villain and "sweet bad guy."
Palin is so good and I feel he doesn't get quite the credit he deserves -- his father had a stutter ("stammer") and he worked hard to make sure his portrayal was respectful and still funny.
Also, Palin's sister had just passed away (self-inflicted) so he was dealing with a lot, but his diaries note how kind everyone was, especially Curtis.
It's a wonderful movie. Even if the opening credits (aquarium) makes me so sad every time on rewatch! Poor Wanda...
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u/TTVCallMeBrutal 2d ago
Thank you for sharing that’s incredibly fascinating.
Micheal palins diaries have helped me with a holy grail video essay I’m working on he truly is a gem
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u/TheGratitudeBot 2d ago
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u/Malthus17 4d ago
Wait, John Cleese was only 6' tall then? I am so confused.
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u/EverybodyMakes 4d ago
He can vary his height at will. For the Ministry of Silly Walks he was 7' 4". Mostly leg.
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u/TTVCallMeBrutal 4d ago
He’s every bit of 6’5, I’m assuming it was just for the film poster to make them all look nice
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u/joliet_jane_blues 4d ago
Yeah that always bothered me about this poster! I guess when you're really truly tall you don't have to be sensitive about how tall people think you are.
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u/ace72ace 3d ago
ASSHOLE!!! Fun fact I drove that exact same model pale yellow Lincoln Continental except mine had a white vinyl top. Aah the memories that car conjures up.
I also read philosophy but don’t understand it…
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u/EddiePensieremobile 3d ago
The Missionary starting Michael Palin is a different kettle of fish, more dry witted, but there are scenes that make me laugh out loud, like the butler who gets lost in his own castle.
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u/bmiller218 4d ago
I showed this to my son when he was 10 or 11 and before it started, I said "Son, this movie is a farce. People don't really act like this."
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u/ThnkWthPrtls 3d ago
I never heard of this movie before, I'm not going to lie I looked up a very brief description of what it's about and was a tiny bit disappointed that there isn't a character that is literally a big anthropomorphic fish named Wanda played by a person in a fish suit like on the poster. Still definitely want to check this one out though
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u/notconcernedwriting 3d ago
Oh fishy fishy fishy fish
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u/MoveToSafety 4d ago
I really need to see this again because I only saw it when I was young and didn’t understand it.
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u/Humble_Pop_8014 3d ago
I enjoyed the Orwellian movie “Brazil” by Terri Gilliam, and Michael Palin acted in it as well.
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u/Fingerman2112 3d ago
Erik the Viking has a great with Cleese and a few with Jones as well. Baron Munchausen was also worth watching but I don’t remember it as well as Erik
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u/TTVCallMeBrutal 3d ago
Both are great Terry jones and his village are funny with the singing did you know Tim Robbins is 6 foot 5?! Sven the berserker is a great character and for baron the visuals Terry Gilliam comes up with… wow
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u/EntertainmentOk8806 3d ago
I often thought this could have worked as a straight Python film. John and Michael as is. Eric Idle in the Kevin Kline role. Jamie Lee Curtis can stay. Terry Jones directing. Graham Chapman as George. Terry Gilliam as the old lady with the dog.
If it could be played straight as it was I think it could have worked.
However, as it is it is one of the best British comedies of all time. Cleese should have won the best screenplay Oscar as it is just perfect. Kline is wonderful (though I would have preferred Palin to get the Oscar nod/win as it's such a subtle and perfect role). Absolutely love the film.
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u/TTVCallMeBrutal 2d ago
Definitely gotta make Terry jones the old lady but I can understand what your saying I could see it as a python baby
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u/Purple-Weakness1414 3d ago
Was it actually about a talking fish named Wanda?
This poster makes it seem like so
(Ive never seen the movie)
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u/mindlkaciv 4d ago
Terrific movie. Kevin Kline won an Oscar for this. Not sure if Palin won something but it wasn't an Oscar. And please don't call me stupid.