The passion of a Criterion junkie
Right on cue for the Jewish Səfîrat Hā‘ômer (Counting of the Omer)—that grueling 49-day marathon between Passover and Shāvū‘ōṯ (or Pentecost for us Christians)—the Criterion Collection has finally bestowed upon us Monty Python’s Life of Brian on Blu-ray. Nothing says religious observance quite like high-definition upgrade and blasphemy:
I will concede one thing: the booklet design is fantastic:
I firmly believe that funny is simply funny, regardless of what dimension, universe, galaxy, planet, country, zip code, or culture you hail from. Case in point: I’m Filipino, yet I effortlessly grasp and adore British comedy—Keeping Up Appearances, Absolutely Fabulous, Little Britain, Are You Being Served?, Charlie Chaplin, Mr. Bean, and the original The Office (in that order—to name some). But for the life of me, I cannot fathom the appeal of Monty Python, its sprawling web of alumni, or their entire brand of comedy. It is a mystery that eludes me entirely.
Consequently, I also get absolutely nothing out of Monty Python’s Life of Brian, which is a real shame considering it is, at its core, a Jesus movie. The legendary “Biggus Dickus” and Latin conjugation scenes—arguably two of the holy grails of Python fandom—evoke nothing but crickets from me.
Why, then, did I buy the Blu-ray? Because I am a helpless Criterion junkie who cannot resist a branded, numbered spine.
Film historians will relentlessly remind you that Monty Python’s Life of Brian is “essential cinema” and that Monty Python is objectively “the best.” But let’s be real: there is no such thing as “the best.” There are only phenomenal spin doctors, aggressive publicists, and highly effective managers.
And junkies who keep buying their product.