This past Saturday, Terry Jones screened the first publicly-seen footage from his first film in almost two decades, ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING, for the crowds that came to see MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN and ERIC THE VIKING at the Aero in Santa Monica. This clip, featuring Simon Pegg and the voice of Robin Williams as his character's talking dog, is shorter than the 6-minute peek they got on Saturday, but we still get the introduction of Williams' character as he's given the gift of speech (though he still needs his BISCUITS!).
After seeing this clip, it makes sense why this project got put on the backburner in the aftermath of BRUCE ALMIGHTY. Watching Pegg trying out his omnipotent powers (bestowed upon him by aliens voiced by the surviving Pythons) does sort of harken back to that so-so Jim Carrey laugher where he did things like…answer e-mails fast and contort Steve Carrell's face on camera.
Williams was able to complete his work for this role before his heartbreaking passing, and hearing his voice sped up to match the hyperactivity of a dog puts a smile on my face. I remember some folks groaning at the idea of a Williams-voiced character in this flick, which, before his death, was primarily sold as a Python reunion. Now, they're unsurprisingly putting his participation front and center as part of the marketing, and now I can't wait to hear more of him teaching Pegg the ways of the canine (and of love). Who doesn't get a kick out of watching Williams-dog asking his owner about "The bitch he shagged last night"?
Can't wait to hear (and see) the aliens voiced by the Pythons.
ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING doesn't currently have a U.S. release date, but premieres in the U.K. on February 13th, 2015.
