First Class
The Full Monty
British comedy troupe Monty Python attained
legendary status long ago, but for the past couple
of decades they’ve been in a state of limbo. Fans
hungered for a reunion, and their appetites were
whetted by occasional Python appearances at
comedy festivals and the like. Now, though, it
looks like the Flying Circus is o;cially folding
its tent. The group’s final bow will come in a
six-part documentary series, Monty Python:
Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut), airing
on IFC. Exploring the Python phenomenon
from start to finish, the series features all the
surviving Pythons (John Cleese,
Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle and Michael
Palin) plus high-profile fans such
as Seth Green, Eddie Izzard and
Hugh Hefner. The documentary
will air alongside Python classics
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
and Monty Python’s Life of Brian
as part of Python Week on IFC,
Oct. 4–10. For loyal fans, Python
newbies and all manner of bra-
wearing lumberjacks, this is an
event not to be missed. ifc.com
D
LUNAR
LUXURY
Do your thumbs hurt
from too much texting? Joanna Robinson has the cure: the
Crackberry Massage,
20 minutes of hand
and arm massage
for $26.
Robinson is a
28-year-old Wash-
ington, D.C., dweller
who recently opened
Lunar Massage, a
massage studio for
people who don’t
usually get massages. Situated in the
Mount Vernon Square
neighborhood, near
the Convention Center and just north of
Chinatown, Robinson
expects to open
new locations in the
coming year.
The flagship
studio has some
novel touches. For
one, customers
remain clothed, so
they can get their
massage and then
get back to whatever else they were
doing—such as being
tourists or legislating.
Lunar Massage
also looks cooler
than most massage
studios—it’s in a converted townhouse
and has big windows
and local art—and
Robinson DJs from
her computer all day,
playing jazz in lieu of
New Age music.
The massages are
focused on relieving
stress and pain—
knots between the
shoulder blades, or
fingers that hurt from
too much texting—
and prices are accessible, from $26 for a
20-minute massage to
$108 for a 90-minute
treatment. There also
is a $49 hour-long
massage/nap combo
for the seriously sleep
deprived, which could
be anyone in this town.
“I am not a spa person,” says Robinson.
“I don’t want to pay
for the slippers and
the robe. I just want
someone to relieve
my stress or my pain
if I have a big knot in
my back.”
