The Holy Grail
of Autographs

Despite how many years I've been autograph-hounding, there are some celebrities that still blow me away when I meet them. They're not your typical Hollywood A-list stars, either. They're British comedy royalty, and getting all of them in one room is rare.

I'm talking about the cast of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. This 1975 British comedy is a cult classic, endlessly quoted and endlessly rewatched, and those of us who love it know it will have your sides hurting from laughter.

The movie is so hilarious that it's still one of the most quoted comedies ever made, and the Pythons all went on to remarkable careers. John Cleese became a household name, Michael Palin a beloved TV traveler, Terry Gilliam a visionary director, and Eric Idle took the film to Broadway as Spamalot.

Admittedly, Cleese's was the career I followed most closely, so meeting him was the part I'd dreamed about the longest. I was just as excited to meet Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam.

So when they reunited with the rest of the Pythons at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival, I had to be there to finally meet them in person. The film celebrated its 40th anniversary that year, so the festival held a special screening and panel at the Beacon Theatre on April 24. Apart from Graham Chapman, who played King Arthur and died in 1989, all five surviving Pythons were there, with John Oliver as host.

Seeing them in real life was great, but what truly floored me was seeing how many fans the movie actually had. I'd always felt like a lonely fan, since my cinephile buddies didn't know the film. It always felt like such a niche love.

Little did I know that many more people loved it just as much as I did. I almost felt emotional seeing the Beacon Theatre filled to the brim with fans. And I'm sure the cast felt the love, too, even as they cracked jokes throughout the panel.

My highlight was when I went up to the cast and asked them to sign my poster. I only got to John Cleese, Eric Idle, and Terry Gilliam, but I was still happy I got to meet any of them at all. I would've loved to have met everyone who was there, including Michael Palin and the late Terry Jones.

They were the holy grail for us autograph hounds since they rarely appeared together in public. I don't think I would've gotten that chance if the Tribeca Film Festival hadn't staged the reunion in the first place.

This poster isn't going anywhere. And if you love Monty Python and the Holy Grail as much as I do, I hope you'll spread the word about it to anyone who hasn't seen it yet. We need more audiences to know about this comedy masterpiece.