Eurogamer meets Monty Python

Terries Jones and Gilliam talk games.

Interview by Ellie Gibson Contributor

Published on 22 Dec 2010

EurogamerThat's the game I've been waiting for my whole life... Are you interested in videogames generally? Or could you not give a toss?

Terry Gilliam

[Shakes head]

Terry Jones

Well, um...

Terry Gilliam

Pfft. We have lives to lead.

Terry Jones

No, we're fascinated by videogames.

Terry Gilliam

Oh yes, we're fascinated, that's the correct answer.

Terry Jones

We just want to spread the pleasure that they can give.

Terry Gilliam

I'm amazed we even have time to talk to you because normally we'd be out there gaming away, 24 hours a day.

Terry Jones

Yeah.

Terry Gilliam

Yeah.

EurogamerI heard from one of the chaps making the game that you, Mr Gilliam... He used the word "anarchist". He said you wanted to break the rules of gaming and do things like 'Waste a life' instead of get an extra life, and that you wanted to tell the players at certain moments to perhaps do something else, like read a book of philosophy or learn an actual skill... Is that true?

Terry Gilliam

That's what I wanted. It's not what we've achieved, I'm afraid. So if you want to read a book you're going to have to go and buy one.

I thought the games could be much more wild like that and throw people back into the real world occasionally, so they're actually learning something, gaining something, rather than just escaping from a life on the tube. Obviously they've ignored me because they know these things won't make a penny.

Terry Jones

But if you spent your life on the tube you'd want to escape, wouldn't you?

Terry Gilliam

That's true. Luckily we have limos so we don't know about that world.

Terry Jones

Do you have a limo? Hmph...

Terry Gilliam

We're on camera.

EurogamerApart from the Facebook game, obviously, you're probably best known for Monty Python...

Terry Gilliam

Really?

EurogamerWell, I'd never heard of it till this morning. But during my extensive research on Wikipedia I noticed that you, Mr Jones, wrote the script for Labyrinth...

Terry Jones

Yes, I did.

EurogamerIt's one of my favourite films and I was just wondering, did you put in the script... Did it say, "David Bowie must wear these grey tights"?

Terry Jones

No, no no no. In fact I didn't want David Bowie in the film at all, actually. Well actually no, that's not true.

Terry Gilliam

That's why it didn't break the box office records, it was those tights that he wore.

EurogamerI dunno...

Terry Gilliam

Did you grow up with those tights as a dream?

EurogamerIt was my first erotic experience, those tights. You two have basically shaped my whole life in so many ways.

Terry Jones

It wasn't throwing up the baby in the air?

EurogamerOh that's why I'm still childless, it was terrifying. But do you think Labyrinth might make a good videogame?

Terry Jones

Actually it would, come to think of it, yeah. I mean you could have the whole thing with the hands, which was my idea, and... Yeah, could be a good idea.

Terry Gilliam

What about Munchausen or Time Bandits or any of my films?

Terry Jones

Oh, your films? Your films?

Terry Gilliam

Could they make games, Terry?

Terry Jones

No, I don't think so. No.

EurogamerBut Monty Python is why we're here today, so looking back all those years ago, if someone had said to you, 'In 40 years' time, you're going to be doing this game that's on this computer that everyone can play...' What would you have said?

Terry Jones

Argh, I mean, I always thought it was a shame that Python would be just come and gone. In fact actually it nearly was gone, because we learned about sort of '73 I think it was, our video editor said they were going to wipe the first series.

So we smuggled the tapes out of the BBC and put them onto Phillips VCR, which is a defunct system nowadays. For about six months I thought those, in my cellar, were going to be the only evidence of Python.

Terry Gilliam

The crime wasn't necessary in the end.

Terry Jones

They didn't wipe it.

Terry Gilliam

It could have been a whole life of crime at the beginning. We could have started doing bootleg copies, we could have been rich.

Terry Jones

Well, I wouldn't have let you in on it, Terry.

EurogamerI'm being kicked out, so thank you ever so much. Good luck with the drugs.

The Ministry of Silly Games is due to launch early next year. To sign up for the public beta, visit MinistryOfSillyGames.com.