Peter Lovstrom Movies

From the directing team of identical twin brothers Timothy Quay and Stephen Quay, Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life focuses on the experiences of Jakob Von Gunten (Mark Rylance), who has come to the titular institute to train to become a manservant. Amidst a series of unorthodox lessons under the instruction of brother and sister Johannes Benjamenta (Gottfried John) and Lisa Benjamenta (Alice Krige), Jakob becomes attracted to Lisa and she to him. As the magnetism between the two of them intensifies, Lisa's health declines more and more, leading Johannes to question Jakob's influence on her. The screenplay was adapted from the novel Jakob von Gunten by Robert Walser. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

The Meaning of Life is without a doubt the most tasteless of the Monty Python feature films; it also happens to be one of the funniest. Life's questions are "answered" in a series of outrageous vignettes, beginning with a pre-credits sequence at a staid London insurance company which transforms before our eyes into a pirate ship. One of our favorite bits involve the National Health doctors who try to claim a healthy liver from a still-living donor, pointing out that there's nothing in his contract preventing this. And of course, there's the scene with the world's most voracious glutton, who brings the art of vomiting to new heights before his spectacular demise. Be warned: though hilarious, this may be the grossest bit of comedy filmmaking ever conceived (there aren't enough words in the world to describe it in detail!). Loyal Pythonites Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin star in The Meaning of Life and share writing responsibilities, while Jones is in the director's chair this time out. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide