Knights Who Say Ni in fear. After this demonstration of their power, the head knight threatens to say "Ni!" again unless the travelers appease them with a shrubbery; otherwise they shall never pass through the wood alive. When Arthur questions the demand, the knights again shout "Ni!" until the travelers agree to bring them a shrubbery, which the head knight specifies must be "one that looks nice. And not too expensive." In order to fulfill their promise to the Knights of Ni, the party visits a small village, where Arthur and Bedivere ask an old crone where they can obtain a shrubbery. The woman
Monty Python and the Holy Grail dangerously contagious." Penelope Gilliatt of "The New Yorker" called the film "often recklessly funny and sometimes a matter of comic genius." Other reviews were less enthusiastic. "Variety" wrote that the storyline was "basically an excuse for set pieces, some amusing, others overdone." Gene Siskel of the "Chicago Tribune" gave the film two-and-a-half stars, writing that he felt "it contained about 10 very funny moments and 70 minutes of silence. Too many of the jokes took too long to set up, a trait shared by both 'Blazing Saddles' and 'Young Frankenstein.' I guess I prefer Monty Python in chunks, in its