Monty Python's Life of Brian to begin, long-time Monty Python fan and former member of the Beatles, George Harrison, arranged financing for "Life of Brian" through the formation of his company HandMade Films. The film contains themes of religious satire that were controversial at the time of its release, drawing accusations of blasphemy, and protests from some religious groups. Thirty-nine local authorities in the United Kingdom either imposed an outright ban, or imposed an X (18 years) certificate, effectively preventing the film from being shown, since the distributors said it could not be shown unless it was unedited and carried the original AA (14) certificate.
Monty Python's Life of Brian upon "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", and was sung by the rest of the Monty Python group at Graham Chapman's memorial service and at the "Monty Python Live At Aspen" special. The song is a staple at Iron Maiden concerts, where the recording is played after the final encore. For the original British and Australian releases, a spoof travelogue narrated by John Cleese, "Away From It All", was shown before the film itself. It consisted mostly of stock travelogue footage and featured arch comments from Cleese. For instance, a shot of Bulgarian girls in ceremonial dresses was accompanied by