Mr. Creosote
Encyclopedia
Mr. Creosote is a fictional character who appears in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. Creosote is a monstrously obese restaurant patron who is served a vast amount of food while vomiting repeatedly. After being persuaded to eat one more mint, he explodes in a very graphic way. The sketch is the first part of "Part VI: The Autumn Years" of the film.
The character is played by Terry Jones
(who is also the director of the film).
dines at a French
restaurant. The entrance of this morbidly obese middle-aged man is accompanied by ominous music and is followed by a short dialogue with the maître d', played by John Cleese
:
Creosote is then led to his table, and once seated starts projectile-vomiting, failing to hit the bucket he had requested a moment before. The floor quickly becomes covered in vomit, and so do the cleaning woman and the maître d's trousers. Creosote listens patiently while highlights of the evening's menu are recited to him; after vomiting on the menu held open in front of him by the maître d', he orders all of the dishes listed by the maitre'd. As a result, he is served moules marinieres, pate de foie gras, beluga caviar
, eggs benedict
, a leek tart
, frogs' legs
amandine and quail's eggs on a bed of mushrooms all mixed together in a bucket with the quail
eggs on top and a double helping of pate. The appetizers are followed by the main course of Jugged Hare, with a sauce of truffles, bacon, Grand Marnier, anchovies and cream. For apéritifs
, Mr. Creosote has six bottles of Château Latour
1945, a double jeroboam of champagne, and half a dozen crates of brown ale
– considerably less than his usual allowance.
He finishes the feast, and several other courses, vomiting profusely all over himself, his table, and the restaurant's staff throughout his meal, causing other diners to lose their appetite (in some cases, even throwing up themselves). Finally, after being persuaded by the smooth maître d' to eat a "wafer-thin mint", he explodes, covering the restaurant and diners with innards and partially digested food – even starting a "vomit-wave" among the other diners, who leave in disgust.
When the explosion clears, Creosote is still alive, but his chest cavity is now blasted open, revealing his spread ribs and still-beating heart. As he looks around, seemingly confused by what has just happened, the maître d' calmly walks up to him and presents "the check, monsieur."
the way paraplegics use a wheelchair
. The stroll is set to Creosote's theme music: "I love my fat, my fat loves me; when we're together, we're as big as three..."
" film violence, director Quentin Tarantino
has confessed to being nauseated by this scene, although critics with stronger stomachs have praised its dark humour (Leonard Maltin
declared it "an unforgettable scene, like it or not"). It was filmed in the Porchester Centre, a public building owned by the City of Westminster
on Porchester Road, London.
The copious amounts of simulated vomit were created by blending a mixture of ground potatoes with water and other coarse vegetable materials.
It was revealed by John Cleese in a documentary The Meaning of Making 'The Meaning of Life (2003) accompanying the DVD of the film that the sketch, originally written by Jones and Palin, was initially rejected, but Cleese eventually decided that the sketch suffered only from a flawed construction and rewrote it with Graham Chapman. At the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival – Tribute to Monty Python it was claimed Cleese was taken with the unflappable maître d' character. Jones at first thought Creosote should be played by fellow Python Terry Gilliam
, but Gilliam persuaded Jones to play it himself.
The character is played by Terry Jones
Terry Jones
Terence Graham Parry Jones is a Welsh comedian, screenwriter, actor, film director, children's author, popular historian, political commentator, and TV documentary host. He is best known as a member of the Monty Python comedy team....
(who is also the director of the film).
Synopsis
In the sketch, Mr CreosoteCreosote
Creosote is the portion of chemical products obtained by the distillation of a tar that remains heavier than water, notably useful for its anti-septic and preservative properties...
dines at a French
French cuisine
French cuisine is a style of food preparation originating from France that has developed from centuries of social change. In the Middle Ages, Guillaume Tirel , a court chef, authored Le Viandier, one of the earliest recipe collections of Medieval France...
restaurant. The entrance of this morbidly obese middle-aged man is accompanied by ominous music and is followed by a short dialogue with the maître d', played by John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
:
| Maître d | Ah, good afternoon, sir; and how are we today? |
| Mr. Creosote | Better. |
| Maître d | Better? |
| Mr. Creosote | Better get a bucket, I'm gonna throw up Vomiting Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose... . |
Creosote is then led to his table, and once seated starts projectile-vomiting, failing to hit the bucket he had requested a moment before. The floor quickly becomes covered in vomit, and so do the cleaning woman and the maître d's trousers. Creosote listens patiently while highlights of the evening's menu are recited to him; after vomiting on the menu held open in front of him by the maître d', he orders all of the dishes listed by the maitre'd. As a result, he is served moules marinieres, pate de foie gras, beluga caviar
Caviar
Caviar, sometimes called black caviar, is a luxury delicacy, consisting of processed, salted, non-fertilized sturgeon roe. The roe can be "fresh" or pasteurized, the latter having much less culinary and economic value....
, eggs benedict
Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict is a dish that consists of two halves of an English muffin, topped with ham or bacon, poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce.-Origin:There are conflicting accounts as to the origin of Eggs Benedict, including:...
, a leek tart
Tart
A tart is a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry. The pastry is usually shortcrust pastry; the filling may be sweet or savoury, though modern tarts are usually fruit-based, sometimes with custard....
, frogs' legs
Frog legs
Frogs' legs are one of the better-known delicacies of French and Cantonese cuisine. They are also eaten in other regions, such as Thailand, Vietnam, the region of Alentejo in Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, northwest Greece, and the Piemonte region in Italy, as well as the Southern regions of the...
amandine and quail's eggs on a bed of mushrooms all mixed together in a bucket with the quail
Quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
eggs on top and a double helping of pate. The appetizers are followed by the main course of Jugged Hare, with a sauce of truffles, bacon, Grand Marnier, anchovies and cream. For apéritifs
Apéritif and digestif
Apéritifs and digestifs are alcoholic drinks that are normally served with meals.-Apéritifs:An apéritif is usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. This contrasts with digestifs, which are served after a meal for the purpose of aiding digestion...
, Mr. Creosote has six bottles of Château Latour
Château Latour
Château Latour is a French wine estate, rated as a First Growth under the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. Latour lies at the very southeastern tip of the commune of Pauillac in the Médoc region to the north-west of Bordeaux, at its border with Saint-Julien, and only a few hundred metres from the...
1945, a double jeroboam of champagne, and half a dozen crates of brown ale
Brown ale
Brown ale is a style of beer with a dark amber or brown colour. The term was first used by London brewers in the late 17th century to describe their products, such as mild ale, though the term had a rather different meaning than it does today...
– considerably less than his usual allowance.
He finishes the feast, and several other courses, vomiting profusely all over himself, his table, and the restaurant's staff throughout his meal, causing other diners to lose their appetite (in some cases, even throwing up themselves). Finally, after being persuaded by the smooth maître d' to eat a "wafer-thin mint", he explodes, covering the restaurant and diners with innards and partially digested food – even starting a "vomit-wave" among the other diners, who leave in disgust.
When the explosion clears, Creosote is still alive, but his chest cavity is now blasted open, revealing his spread ribs and still-beating heart. As he looks around, seemingly confused by what has just happened, the maître d' calmly walks up to him and presents "the check, monsieur."
Deleted Footage
Scripted, but omitted from the final cut of the movie, was introductory footage of Creosote going for a morning stroll; because of his humungous girth, he must use a wheelbarrowWheelbarrow
A wheelbarrow is a small hand-propelled vehicle, usually with just one wheel, designed to be pushed and guided by a single person using two handles to the rear, or by a sail to push the ancient wheelbarrow by wind. The term "wheelbarrow" is made of two words: "wheel" and "barrow." "Barrow" is a...
the way paraplegics use a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
. The stroll is set to Creosote's theme music: "I love my fat, my fat loves me; when we're together, we're as big as three..."
Reception
Despite his own proclivity toward gruesome or "wetSplatter film
A splatter film or gore film is a subgenre of horror film that deliberately focuses on graphic portrayals of gore and graphic violence. These films, through the use of special effects and excessive blood and guts, tend to display an overt interest in the vulnerability of the human body and the...
" film violence, director Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
has confessed to being nauseated by this scene, although critics with stronger stomachs have praised its dark humour (Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
declared it "an unforgettable scene, like it or not"). It was filmed in the Porchester Centre, a public building owned by the City of Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
on Porchester Road, London.
The copious amounts of simulated vomit were created by blending a mixture of ground potatoes with water and other coarse vegetable materials.
It was revealed by John Cleese in a documentary The Meaning of Making 'The Meaning of Life (2003) accompanying the DVD of the film that the sketch, originally written by Jones and Palin, was initially rejected, but Cleese eventually decided that the sketch suffered only from a flawed construction and rewrote it with Graham Chapman. At the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival – Tribute to Monty Python it was claimed Cleese was taken with the unflappable maître d' character. Jones at first thought Creosote should be played by fellow Python Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
, but Gilliam persuaded Jones to play it himself.