The latest Pythonic news from round the globe.

September the 27th, 2002

An Apology
The Daily Ping would like to apologise for saying that extracts from Michael Palins book would be added on the following day. Unfortunately we have had problems accessing The Telegraphs website. However, I did read the article in the paper, and decided that it didn't really make sense as it seemed detached from the book (well, it was). It looks like a good book though, go buy it!

Mike's new book

September the 20th, 2002

Michael Palin Interview in The Telegraph
Well, just as we'd put an article in The Daily Ping about Sahara, it pops up in a national paper! Well, I like to think its more than coincidence anyway. Click here to see the full interview. There'll be extracts from his new book in tommorrows edition. You may be asked to register, but their version has pictures so it's worth it.

"I'm not smug, I'm just nice..." says Mike

September the 18th, 2002

Saraha to Hit the Shops Next Month
Mike's much awaited series Sahara is shortly to be released in the UK. In Michael's latest adventure he crosses the Sahara and learns how the people who live there survive such harsh conditions. Its set to hit UK shops on DVD on the 14th of October this year and includes extra interviews with Mike about everything from entering Africa to African toilets. More info closer to release date.

Mike's new book, and Basil Pao's book of Sahara images from the journey, forwaded by Michael.

Determined Gilliam Looks Set to Make Quixote Film
Of course we couldn't lose faith in Terry who is determined to realise his Don Quixote dream. After storms, F16 missiles and prostate infections the film had to be abandoned last year (a film, Lost in La Mancha, was made about the failure of the film. Review coming soon) but Terry is determined that in Depps next empty slot (September 2003) he'll buy back the script, get the crew together and will even change a few of the roles, that's if he can find $40 million from somewhere. Terry says, "The film is in my head. I've watched it there thousands of times. I just want to get it out. All I know is that in September 2003, Johnny has a window in his film commitments, and all my efforts are concentrated towards that." We look forward to it Terry!

Terry Gilliam and Johnny Depp on location

Busy Season For Eric
Well, when I say busy, I mean he appears twice this month. The USA will be lucky enough to have Eric star in a new series, The Soul Patrol. Eric plays Coffin Ed and theres a great article about it from canoe.ca which I've included here. Eric has also completed his much awaited sequel to the smash hit All You Need is Cash called Can't Buy Me Lunch. As Eric says in his The Soul Patrol interview, only George Harrison has seen the film but rumours are that it will be out at the beginning of 2003. The new film has an all star cast including David Bowie, Billy Connolly, Carrie Fisher, Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Robin Williams and Salman Rushdie not to mention Neil Innes, Ricky Fataar and John Halsey. Hopefully it will be as good as the first.

Father Cleese
John is set to play two Dads in films for 2003 and 2004. In 2003 John will be playing Alex's father in Charlies Angels 2, though no release date has yet been set. He is also going to appear in Shrek 2, which ahs already had an article on this website written about it but my computer crashed as it was saving. Anyhoo, John will be playing Fiona's Father. Filming (or rather animating) hasn't started yet and apart from the original main parts palyed by Eddie Murphy. Mike Myers, Drew Barrymore and John Lithgow, John is the only finalised cast. Shrek 2 will be realeased on the 18th of June 2004 in the States and the 9th of June in the UK.

Explosive action in Charlies Angels 2: Halo

Terry to Appear in Green Card Fever
Terry Jones will be appearing in the new comedy by Bala Rajasekharuni, Green Card Fever. The film's about a man who's visa expires in New York whilst he is in pursuit of a "green card"(please send me an eMail if you know what that is). Terry is to play Customer B and though no release date has been set yet, filming has started. I'll keep you posted so lets hope it's not going to be a repeat of John's Scorched which although completed for several months now still doesn't have a release date.

John's Q Suprise
John has said in a recent interview that he never intended to take over as Q so soon. John says, "They weren't intending to say goodbye to him. He was such wonderful company that we struck a deal. I was 60 when I started and Desmond was 80. So we agreed to go on together until he was 100, at which point I would have had enough experience to take over." Unfortunately Desmond died in a car crash at the age of 85 and John had to step up and fill the place. Look out for the new Bond film Die Another Day released on the 22nd of November 2002 in the UK. For other release dates, click here.

Terry Appears With Fellow Dinosaurs
Sorry, I couldn't think of a better title. Terry Jones appeared in Sky Ones Dinotopia as a messenger bird. Though the series got off to a bad start it was worth watching for Terry, and I'm not quite sure why I'm writing this article, but well done Terry, and if you didn't catch it this time make sure you watch one of the million repeats.

May the 13th, 2002

Fawlty Towers Hits the Press
I found this article in Torbay's Herald Express and thought that even though the articles not that great, it should be put on here anyway.
Basil Fawlty opens doors in the U.S
Our television producer son Simon has just spent a year in America making a documentary series, filming in Montana and editing in New York.
Browsing in a TV shop one day he spotted a Fawlty Towers DVD and, in a fit of nostalgic impulse, bought it.
There were all the hilarious programmes we have all seen so often with an unexpected bonus at the end, a ten minute feature with the title: "A visit to Torquay, home of Fawlty Towers".
He brought the video home with him and I had the oppurtunity to see it. To my suprise I found several familiar faces kept popping up.
The feature, obviously aimed at the American market, told the well worn story about how John Cleese dreamed up his eccentric hotelier series after staying at the Gleneagles hotel in Babbacombe and meeting the equally eccentric owner Donald Sinclair.
Fellow guests with Cleese at the time were members of the Monty Python team and they were subjected to a number of wierd Fawlty-style happenings including having one of their cases thrown over the nearby cliff as a suspect bomb. It was so wierd that most of the team checked out and went to stay elsewhere. But Cleese stayed behind, took careful notes and saw enough to inspire his brilliant comic series.
The story is told on the video by Donald Marks, who has run the Gleneagles in recent years in much more conventional style. And there are comments from other hoteliers including Paul Uphill, managing director of the Palace, who assures American viewers that they can expect a much more comfortable stay in Torquay.
There was also a starring role for my Herald Express colleague Paul James who was quite suprised when I told him about it. Paul says it is several years since the film unit were in the Bay and he had forgotten all about it. He never saw the finished product.
Some people might think that far from being an advertisment a reminder that Torquay was the home of probably the world's worst hotelier might put Americans off from visiting his home-town.
But it does show some glorious shots of the English Riviera and there is a well known saying about there being no such thing as bad publicity.

April the 8th, 2002

Love Thy Neighbour
John Cleese has put the house next to his own up for sale so he can pick his own neighbours. The �4million ($5.5million) luxury sea front home in Santa Barbara was snatched up by John about a year ago to stop roudy neighbours moving in and disturbing his peace. John says, "I'm not just selling a house, I'm buying a neighbour. I said to my wife that we were too old to move again. We're looking for a film director or maybe a scriptwriter - someone who doesn't have loud parties. The house has a big, wide front and no garden behind, so it's not so good for kids." So, if you don't have loud parties, wouldn't mind living next to John Cleese, and just happen to have �4million lying around, get out there to Santa Barbara!

Directings Terry-ble!
Terry Gilliam has recently commented that modern film directing is all about the shots and not about the story line. Terry said, "The guys who are shooting films now are technically brilliant. But there's no content in their films. I marvel at what I see and say: 'God, I wish I could have done a shot like that.' But the shots are secondary for my films, and with some of these films, it's all about the shots. I watched Tomb Raider last night. Technically, it's brilliant, but it's just crap! Every shot is beautifully composed, the lighting is great, the sets are great. But what's the point? I'm not sure people know what points to make. I'm not sure how in touch with reality anybody is, everybody's too busy phoning each other." Here here Terry!

Die Another Day
Yes, as promised we've got an update on Bond 20, the latest of the James Bond films. Madonna is to sing the title theme tune, with Halle Berry as the new Bond girl (for the cast list so far, click here). The Daily Ping will be keeping you updated on Johns appearances in the new flick, but if you're a real Bond buff you'll have to look on the Official website for other Bond news. For past news on Bond 20, click here for the official web site.

Good Omens
News has finally cropped up about Terry Gilliams new film Good Omens. Production is said to start this month, though nothing has really been decided yet. Rumours that the film was to star Christopher Lambert and Joseph Fiennes have been denied, and instead there is talk that Terry's favourites Robin Williams and Johnny Depp are to star. The film is to be produced by Samuelson Productions (Tom & Viv), Rennaisance Films(The Reckoning, The Safety of Objects, The Luzhin Defence) and Atlas Entertainment (Rollerball, Scooby-Doo, 12 Monkeys) and co-authored by Neil Gaiman (Babylon 5, Neverwhere, Avalon). Does this mean that this film might actually be getting off the ground, or are rumours that the funding for the project has fallen apart altogether (as mentioned in Total Film, 29/03/'02) true? We'll keep you posted.

February the 7th, 2002

Daily Ping launches!
Yes, it's here, The Daily Ping. The only place for news Pythonic, regularly updated for your visual enjoyment. And to commemorate this joyous occasion we're going to dance around the room with underpants on our head. We're not? Oh. Sorry. I'm going to dance round the room with underpants on my head. Oh, and in less important news, not concerning my, or indeed anyones pants at all, the Piranha Brothers have escaped.

Scorching news!
John Cleese blesses us this year with a new film titled Scorched. John plays a millionaire (as in Rat Race) named Charles Merchant, who, for reasons unknown, is hated by most of the residents. The film also stars Alicia Silverstone and Woody Harrelson and is set in a small deserted town. The main plot revolves around the town bank, which is due to be robbed any moment. The only problem is, is that it's being robbed by three different people, all without each other knowing.
Directed by Gavin Grazer, a relatively unkown director, but director of Waynes World II, I don't think this is a film to get your hopes up about, but I guess we won't know until it's released. Release date undecided. Sometime this year.

Poor Terry!
Taken from www.imdb.com with additional comments from me
Monty Python founder (founder?) Terry Jones faces hip-resurfacing surgery after spending Christmas in agony. But there's been at least one positive outcome from his painful experience - the actor/director, who's terrified of doctors and hospitals, claims the ordeal has helped him confront his fears of scalpels and needles. He says, "I'm glad to say it got very painful over the last few weeks, because that means I'm really pleased about having an operation." Jones, who is scheduled for surgery this weekend in London, adds that he hopes his discomfort wasn't too apparent when he filmed documentaries Hidden History Of Egypt and Hidden History Of The Roman Empire, aired on the Discovery channel in America and Britain. Jones narrates and stars in both. He says, "I hope my limp isn't too noticeable."

Bad Omen?
Rumours that Terry Gilliam is to Direct a film version of Terry Pratchett's 'Good Omens' have remained rumours for over a year now. Is this just slow progress, or will it be another Don Quixote? If you've heard anything we haven't, let us know! For more information on the book visit Turtles All the Way.

Young reporter dismayed!
Mr. John Cleese, I believe, denied having plastic surgery on his television programme 'The Human Face'. I quote: "As for me, I would never have plastic surgery. Granted I've had several hair transplants and not one of my teeth are real, but plastic surgery is not the way for me." Or something along those lines. Suppose you can't call it a quote really. Never mind. Anyway, the point is that he HAS had plastic surgery. Oh yes, around his eyes none the less. Says Mr. Cleese, " I would only ever have minor surgery, because too many stars have had their looks ruined. It has clearly gone wrong. A perfectly well known Englishman has ended up looking like a woman. I think the eyes are the only thing you can have done really." So from having nothing done, to having minor things done. Next, I suppose, will be only having the face done, then the thighs and finally the entire breast enlargement. Good luck, John.

"R"-lelujia
Filming for Bond 20 has finally started! Filming started on January 14th. Will keep you posted as soon as news of John is heard. To be released on 29th November 2002.

Secret is out!
It wasn't really a secret, I just needed a pun. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is to be released on the 15th of November this year. Keep your eyes peeled for more info.

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