We from Wansmakelijk Goed adore movies that do not always fit in with the (big) crowd. From horror, to drama, to comedy, from amazingly good to astoundingly bad: all our nights are thematized by ”distaste”. Whether we’re talking about gut-wrenching gore, deliciously dire B movies or those uncomfortable or controversial masterpieces, we love it all and therefore select the most satisfying nourishment for the distaste buds!

Monty Python’s Life of Brian is the third movie created by the Monty Python crew and directed by Python member Terry Jones. When it was released in 1979, this controversial movie about Brian, who is constantly being confused with Jesus Christ, caused quite a stir. The movie was even banned in countries such as Norway, Italy and Ireland, as well as in certain Southern States in the US. In some places the ban lasted multiple decades. Theatres that did screen the movie were picketed and plagued by religious factions, with the Pythons privy to death threats. However, they did always stoutly claim that they had no intention of destroying anyone’s faith. Yet besides simply making people laugh, the aim certainly was also to urge people to always remain critical and never blindly follow any ideology or such.

Only a few days before shooting was set to start, EMI (the company financing the movie) withdrew, claiming that a satire about the life of Jesus was considered “too risky”. Luckily, ex-Beatle George Harrison came to the rescue and saved the movie by funding it.

Terry Jones was surprised by all the stir the movie caused. “I never thought it would be as controversial as it turned out, although I remember saying when we were writing it that some religious nut case may take pot shots at us, and everyone replied, ‘no’. I took the view it wasn’t blasphemous. It was heretical because it criticised the structure of the church and the way it interpreted the Gospels.”

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