Peter Cook

Profession

Actor, Writer, Soundtrack

Eric Idle Recalls Monty Python's Best

Eric Idle has every reason to gab. He's not only the creator (with John Du Prez) of the Tony-winning musical Spamalot, he's also the main attraction in the opener of Monty Python's Personal Best (premiering tonight on PBS; check local listings), a three-week series of specials featuring each Python player's favorite bits, along with new material. (Example: In addition to introducing gems like "Nudge, Nudge," Idle plays a German with a weird theory about Python humor.) To mark this recycling of material, Idle spoke with TV Guide about "the Beatles of comedy," one of his greatest influences and his plans for another stage musical. TV Guide: The Pythons have been described as "the Bea

Wed, Feb 22, 2006

Last night's adventure opened...

Last night's adventure opened with GIs sitting on toilets. Dig the symbolism. The plot: General Downer (get it?) has fresh commodes ready for delivery to the camp ("It smells like Trenton, N.J., out here!") but the trucks can't get through because a key bridge is being showered by mortar fire. Guess which squad is elected to wipe out the spotter? "If you don't want the s--t missions, don't be so good at them," Downer the bummer tells Scream. No thankless deed goes unpunished. What really smells about this big job is that they have no proof that their prime suspect — who parades in full view of the troops with his wife and son — is the spotter. Watching him play soccer with his boy, Angel observes that "he wants to show us he's the same as us... makes it hard for us to kill him." Over There is amazing in its economy of dialogue. Not a single word seems wasted. Everyone has some unique brand of wisdom (loved Dim's Beckett reference) no matter how confrontational they

Thu, Aug 18, 2005

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