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British Humor

British Humor. Generally, a style of comedy with common elements that originates and is popular in the UK, but has become popular worldwide Heavy use of sarcasm with a deadpan delivery, can be seen sometimes as insensitive because no subject is off-limits

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British Humor

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  1. British Humor • Generally, a style of comedy with common elements that originates and is popular in the UK, but has become popular worldwide • Heavy use of sarcasm with a deadpan delivery, can be seen sometimes as insensitive because no subject is off-limits • Satirical takes on history, art, literature and British society • Absurdity – playing a very ridiculous situation or character as completely serious • Dark humor is an offshoot of the absurd nature of British comedy – playing serious situations for humor

  2. Monty Python • Most successful British comedy troupe • Formed in 1969 to produce Monty Python’s Flying Circus TV show • Sketch comedy series that ran for 45 episodes in UK • Found success in America in 1970s when PBS would rerun the episodes at night

  3. Monty Python’s Flying Circus

  4. Monty Python • Cleese, Idle, Chapman, Palin, Jones were the main writers/performers – met and formed comedy partnerships while enrolled in Oxford and Cambridge universities • Gilliam featured mainly as the cartoonist and directed the films along with Jones • TV series was followed by 4 feature films: And Now For Something Completely Different, Holy Grail, Life of Brian, The Meaning of Life

  5. Monty Python and the Holy Grail • Produced in 1974-75 between the 3rd and 4th seasons of Flying Circus • Featured the 5 members playing several roles (including women) – which was standard in their TV work • A loose plot that serves to connect a series of sketches • Partially financed by rock bands such as Pink Floyd who were big fans of Monty Python • On several critics’ and magazines’ ‘funniest films’ lists

  6. Comedy Styles • Physical Comedy – Not as prevalent as in the other films we have watched, but there are several sight gags as well as a few scenes that make heavy use of cartoonish slapstick • Verbal Comedy – Absurd conversations, logic arguments, puns/wordplay, emphasis on dialogue to deliver humor

  7. Comedy Styles • Satire/Parody – The plot concerns King Arthur’s search for the holy grail, however the film takes the opportunity to satirize medieval Europe, chivalry, folklore/mythology and social classes • Dark Humor – Cartoonish violence is at the center of many sketches that treads over the line from simple slapstick into dark comedy. • *Continue to write your observations of examples of each type of comedy in your notebook. Keep a running list that will be graded after all comedy films have been screened.

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