If the National Lampoon defined American comedy in the ’70s, Monty Python was the defining force of British comedy during that era. The comedy of John Cleese, Graham Chapman and the rest of the Monty Python cast made for a night-and-day constrast with the “Animal House” bunch. They were brash, but often more intellectually so, and moments of social commentary are paired with obscure sketches.
The guard scene features Eric Idle, Michael Palin and Graham Chapman. The film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” doesn’t need much explanation: it’s a compilation of sketches with a loose plot line of the Arthurian Grail quest that’s abandoned when it doesn’t suit the moment.
This sort of absurdity is timeless, from medieval times to the shining future.
