Last summer I shared the super exciting (at least to me) news that a movie was getting made based on the late Graham Chapman's book A Liar's Autobiography. After patiently waiting for it to become a reality, I finally watched the film today.
The film is in extremely limited theatrical release and especially with the storms torture to the city I chose option number 2. A Liar's Autobiography is also available exclusively through the channel Epix; a channel needless to say I don't have which contains a website I don't subscribe to. However Epixhd.com allows free 14 trials and you don't even have to give them payment information and if you choose not to buy, the subscription mearly expires. Last night, minutes before the film became available (thankfully I had gotten my internet back a hour or so before) I started my free trial. Unfortunately, after an hour and a half of stop and starts and barely 15 minutes of actually watching the darn thing, I quit trying for the night and resumed this afternoon with less interruptions (though still not perfect streaming like I get from other sites.)
Disruptions aside, it was everything I could hope for and more. The fact that it is an animated feature allowed Chapman to be brought back to life and his voice track was created by restored recordings of the auidiobook of the same name. The voices of his fellow Pythons (with the exception of Eric Idle) were lended to play themselves as well as various other important figures in Chapman's life. There was even a beautiful moment where currently recorded Michael Palin interrupted dead for over two decades Graham and their animated characters had a cute banter. It was truly like watching the Monty Python team making something brand new together- you've got to love technology. Even Idle is included as a nonspeaking character and through the Monty Python recordings that were also lended to the soundtrack. Though the book was released about a decade before Chapman passed away from cancer, the movie brings a fitting ending by using footage of John Cleese's one of a kind send to his longtime friend at Chapman's 1989 memorial
If you are a fan of Monty Python, you will definitely enjoy A Liar's Autobiography however I think that, much like Chapman himself, it has a broader appeal. Viewers should always, however, take the title into consideration when watching some of Chapman's more outlandish claims as the book and movie are both more liar then autobiography.
***EpixHD.com bonus: If you can handle the buffering to watch it there, the website also has a documentary about Chapman himself.
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