Certain individuals have erroniously indicated in these reviews that the Special Edition will not have commentaries or other special features. They are wrong.The special edition will contain the following:
A "21st anniversary" cut of the film that is 24 seconds longer, Dolby digital 5.1, a subtitle track for people who don't like the film (with text from Shakespeare's Henry IV), an onscreen screenplay option, audio commentary with Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Eric Idle and Michael Palin, and Follow the Killer Rabbit option. Disc 2 contains "Three Mindless Sing-Alongs" and "The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations" featurette, "How to Use Your Coconuts" educational film, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail in Japanese" (with English subtitles), the BBC Film Night special "On Location with the Pythonos", an interactive cast directory, still galleries with Terry Gilliam's original sketches and behind-the-scenes photos, "A Load Of Rubbish" with mystery items, unused ideas and other material, and finally two trailers and weblinks.
There will be no special features with the special edition? RUBBISH! This is not simply a reissue of the older DVD with new sound and audio as some have implied.
Sony did a 1080p transfer(1.66:1 original aspect ratio) of this movie that looks amazing! There's lots of strong detail in faces, clothes, as well as surroundings like buildings, grass, trees. Flesh and earth tones look very natural. Blacks are deep. Strong color is not going to jump out at you, but that's just the nature of the film as the outdoor setting of much of the movie's grass, dirt, and rocks(browns, blacks, grays & greens) never contained strong color elements. But what color there is (like in the tabards,coat of arms, shields) looks very good indeed. Is the movie without soft shots or grain? No, but they've brought out a whole lot of nicely rendered detail that makes the movie a joy to watch. Until now, I feel like I've only seen this movie through a fog. Well, the fog has finally lifted and everything looks sooo fresh.
The audio is a lossless soundtrack (DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless). Voices sound very crisp and clear. Sound effects in general are very good. Audiofiles will notice some very rich sounding sections, but also some that are just acceptable. Overall, it is very enjoyable with nice use of surround sound and I think most people will be more than happy with it.
LOTS OF EXTRAS: (Some New Stuff)
Lost Animations (1080p, 12:55) Features Gilliam animations deleted from the film. ***New for this blu-ray release***
Outtakes & Extended Scenes (1080p, 18:57)***New for this blu-ray release***
MORE INCLUDED EXTRAS:(Some HD, some SD)
Subtitles for People Who Do Not Like the Film (From Henry IV pt. 11).
3 Mindless Sing-Alongs (480p, 5:10).
How To Use Your Coconuts (An educational Film) (480p, 2:58)
Quest for the Holy Grail Locations (480p, 47:00) Special Documentary
Cast Directory Photo Gallery (1080p).
Lego Knights (480p, 1:43): A lego recreation of the "Camelot's a silly place" scene.
Meanwhile, King Arthur & Sir Belvedere...
Elephant & Castle
Run Away!
The Tale of Sir Robin
The Tale of Sir Lancelot
BBC Film Night
Re-release Trailer
There are a couple more Commentaries, a Japanese version of 2 scenes(English subtitles), a UV Digital Copy and some credits AND the first subtitle from the opening credits that was missing on the Special Edition DVD is back. Comes in BLUE AMARAY CASE, NO SLIPCOVER.
If you've never seen this movie, you are seriously missing out. Monty Python and the Holy Grail [Blu-ray]
Endless re-watchability.
FREEBIE FOR iPad Owners: Free After Rebate--get the related iPad app called "Monty Python: The Holy Book of Days" ($4.99, App Store) Recreates the 28 days of location shooting of the landmark film. Mail-in rebate if you buy the iPad app AND the blu-ray. Rebate info is supposed to be on the back of a sticker on the outer wrapping, but some people are reporting there is no sticker so I've included all the rebate details in the first comment below this review.
According to the App Store:
"With your iPad and Blu-ray player synced via your WiFi network, the app becomes your remote control and lets you see the exact scenes talked about in The Holy Book of Days. It's an entirely new way of watching the film."
UPDATE: 7/10/12 the "Monty Python: The Holy Book of Days" app for iPad is still available on iTunes but it's $4.99 now, no longer free.
Buy Monty Python and the Holy Grail (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) (1975) Now
This is what dvds were invented for -there are so many great features here! So in addition to seeing one of the funniest movies ever made, you can be entertained for hours with the extras, and the extras are terrific: subtitles in English, French or Spanish; audio track choices -English (the original mono or a brand new full stereo version), French, a directors' (Gilliam and Jones) track or a commentary track with Cleese, Idle and Palin; a copy of the script overlaid on the film; a painstaking, hilarious Henry the IV-ish subtitle for those who don't like the film; a hard-of-hearing feature; killer rabbit easter eggs; animated menus using Gilliam's original animation; karaoke renditions of 'Knights of the Round Table', 'Sir Robin' and the 'Monks Chant'; a delightful 45 minute visit to the locations with Jones and Palin; an educational film about the 'other' uses of coconuts; Japanese versions of the French Castle and Knights Who Say Ni scenes, including references to the 'holy sake cup'; a 1974 BBC Film Night visit to a location site during filming; photos of tickets, press releases, reviews, posters, production stills and original artwork; trailers; cast credits (Palin played over a dozen parts!) with pictures of each character; a Lego knights version of the Camelot scene; pictures of sketches that were never used (a killer snail?!); a web link.A lot of effort went into this special edition dvd, and it shows. I particularly enjoyed seeing Jones and Palin visit locations. They were in a jolly mood, their comments are interspersed with film footage, and they meet affectionate and funny fans along the way.
If you like this film you will love this dvd version; if you love the film, you wil adore this two-dvd set. An essential item for your collection.
Highest recommendation.
Read Best Reviews of Monty Python and the Holy Grail (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) (1975) Here
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is one of the greatest comedies of our time (in fact I think I'm going to watch it right now,) however, this "Collector's Edition" is just the same as the "Special Edition" but it comes in a fancy-dancy box and comes with a book (whooooooo!!!!) and a film cell (aren't you impressed, I thought so.) So, if you are a hardcore fan you might just want to get it because it has the Python name on it. Us regular fans will stick with our old copies of the Special Edition (for it is the same)Want Monty Python and the Holy Grail (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) (1975) Discount?
In the early 1970's the Monty Python troop (Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, and Terry Jones) stars from the immensely popular television series Monty Python's Flying Circus began producing, with the help of a fundraising concert headlined by Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd (You lie!! No, I didn't!), initial photography on what would later become (from all my extensive years of movie watching) the single most unforgivably sidesplitting, enormously irreverent, shrewdly perceptive, unremittingly uproariously aggressive, gruesomely hysterical, and endlessly quotable comedies EVER. Not even Mel Brooks's Best Efforts (The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein) comes very close to the revolutionary medieval merriment sustained in this royal purebred of cult classics. BAR NONE. No contest here.Endlessly stockpiled with hauntingly hysterical sketches that will probably never leave your mind (no matter how hard you try) including, The Knights Who Say Nei, The Self-Abusing Monks (Eah aay ess eay dom eay nay), The Black Knight, The Trojan Rabbit, the Ever-Appearing Verbally Abusing French (I don't want to talk to you no more!!!), The Enchanter Named Tim, The Killer Bunny, The Bridge of Death (What is the capital of Hysteria?), The Old Woman Named Dennis, and so many countless more great sketches to include here that I'd die trying. Monty and Python and the Holy Grail remains an ever-enriching mirthful cult-classic that just seems to improve with age. Since Columbia has a bountifully hefty new special edition of the Holy Grail out now there should be no excuse, if you've never seen it (I think I'll go for a walk!!), just drop everything your doing (including Bringing Out Your Dead) and go experience this life changing movie today. You won't be disappointed, just tell them the Knight Not Appearing In This Film sent you, and they'll know what to do.
As for the options on the special edition here's a run-down:
Disc One: -"21st Anniversary" cut of the film running an extra 24 seconds; -Anamorphic Widescreen; -Dolby 5.1 track; -Original Mono Track; -Audio commentary with Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Eric Idle and Michael Palin; -subtitles "for people who don't like the film" (you get the text from Shakespeare's Henry IV instead); -an "on-screen screenplay" feature which lets you read the screenplay as you watch the film; -"Follow the Killer Rabbit" feature;
Disc Two: "Three Mindless Sing-Alongs"; -"The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations" featurette; -"How to Use Your Coconuts" educational film; -"Monty Python and the Holy Grail in Japanese" (with English subtitles); -the BBC Film Night special "On Location with the Pythons; -an interactive cast directory; -still galleries with Terry Gilliam's original sketches and behind-the-scenes photos; -"A Load Of Rubbish" with mystery items; -unused ideas and other material; -two trailers
and web-links.
Both discs represent the absolute final word resource for EVERYTHING and I do mean everything you'd need to know about the Python's greatest film. An Absolute Necessity for any Python Fan!!
P.S. You can't base a system of government just because some watery tart threw a sword at you.
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