Episode 63 - Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life

The EscapeGoat Podcast

This week, my brother Matt returns to the show! We have a terrifically fun chat about the deeply flawed, maniacally disturbing and nasty but still kind of wonderful movie Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983, Terry Jones). In the first half, we discuss our general thoughts and reactions to the movie, from childhood exposure to it, til now. In the second half, we do a discursive trawl in rough order through the film's disparate sketches, songs and nightmare fuel. We hope it's a good listen - we enjoyed it!

0.00 Intro/preamble

0.16 The Meaning Of Life (pt 1) - general discussion of the movie and Python

0.55 The Meaning Of Life (pt 2) - rough in-order discussion of the movie's sketches, songs and other sequences

You can find the show on Twitter/X at @EGoat_pod (or tweet/post at me on @D_Faggiani - I'm also now on Bluesky) and email us with any feedback on [e-mail]. All our episodes so far are on Spotify, our YouTube channel, and Apple Podcasts. Do spread the word! We also have a Patreon - any amount of money will get you early access to episodes, and help support the show!

Matt and Mike can be found on Spotify (and other streaming platforms) with their regular co-hosted movie analysis show 'Matt and Mike Pull Focus' - Matt has previously appeared on several episodes of this show - including, as we mention in the show, our 2022 episodes on The Batman and Count Duckula, and our 2021 episode on Time Bandits, which functions as a natural companion piece to this installment. Check them out!

All original intro, outro and other incidental music recorded and made available by kind permission of Richard Gilbert.

NOTES

There's quite a lot of Python-related material (apart from the core shows/films) on Netflix at the moment - including an interview they did around 2013, where they talk about production elements of The Meaning of Life, amongst other things. Very illuminating. Also... if anyone else hadn't seen 'The Adventures of Martin Luther' scene cut from the film... here it is, via YouTube. Extraordinary.

The interviews Matt conducted quite recently which he references in the show, respectively with actors Vin Hawke and Toddy Walters, are both really, really worth checking out - would recommend!

Also, if you wish to hear my nephew performing his punk epic '8 million/10 million Babies' - and who wouldn't - here it is. Bracing stuff.