Spaceballs*. 1987 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Starring: Mel Brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, George Wyner, Dick Van Patten, Michael Winslow, Joan Rivers (voice), Lorene Yarnell, Jim J. Bullock, Dom DeLuise (voice), John Hurt
Director: Mel Brooks
Spaceballs is available from Amazon as a regular DVD, a collectors' edition, or one half of a double feature with Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
This would probably be my favorite Mel Brooks movie, next to Blazing Saddles. It's a science fiction parody film focusing primarily on the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as references to Star Trek and Alien among other films. However, it is notable that Brooks waited about ten years to make a film parodying Star Wars. Roger Ebert suggested in his Spaceball review that the movie definitely should've been made several years sooner, and apparently, by 1987, Star Wars parodies were completely uncool to moviegoers (yes, he really hinted at this).
Somewhere in a galaxy very, very, very, very far away, Planet Spaceball has wasted all of its air, and plans to extract the air supply from neighboring planet Druidia. Spearheaded by President Skroob (Brooks), the Spaceballs plan to abduct the Druish princess Vespa (Zuniga), who is being pushed into an arranged marriage to the narcoleptic Prince Valium (Bullock) by her father King Roland (Van Patten). Vespa runs out during the ceremony with the Droid of Honor, Dot Matrix (Yarnell & Rivers), and escapes into space, where thay are attacked by Spaceball One, a ridiculously gigantic spacecraft under the command of Dark Helmet (Moranis) and his right-hand man, Colonel Kernal Sandurz (Wyner).
King Roland hires Captain Lone Starr (Pullman) and his sidekick, the half-man, half-dog Barf (Candy) to track down and save Vespa. Lone Starr and Barf are facing a deadline to pay back their enormous debts to the hideous Mafioso Pizza the Hutt (DeLuise), so they accept the assignment. They manage to rescue Vespa and Dot Matrix from Spaceball One by radar jamming (raspberry), and escape with light speed, which Spaceball One outdoes by shooting way up to ludicrous speed, which proves painful to Dark Helmet before and after. Unfortunately, Lone Star's flying Winnebago, the Eagle 5, runs out of fuel, and crashes on a desert planet called Vega, where they meet the wise and powerful Yogurt (Brooks), who introduces Lone Starr to the SCHWARTZ!, as well as the numerous merchandising opportunities that the film would provide.
The Spaceballs aren't completely incompetent, and they use an "instant cassette" of the film so far to track down Vespa's location. They trick her into coming out of hiding and capture her again. Lone Star and Barf must rescue the princess yet again, but will the Spaceballs breach the protective field keeping Druidia's precious atmosphere before then?
Highly recommended, and you have to admit that you're still anxiously awaiting the inevitable sequel, Spaceballs II: The Search for More Money.
* The Movie Sign DVD review!
Showing posts with label mel brooks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mel brooks. Show all posts
Monday, June 8, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Silent Movie
Silent Movie. 1976 20th Century Fox.
Starring: Mel Brooks, Marty Feldman, Dom DeLuise, Bernadette Peters, Sid Caesar, Harold Gould, Ron Carey
Also Starring: Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Liza Minnelli, Anne Bancroft, Paul Newman, Marcel Marceau, Henny Youngman
Director: Mel Brooks
Amazon.com listings: Available as a single DVD, or part of the Mel Brooks Collection.
Mel Funn (Brooks) was once a great Hollywood director, but after a long battle with the bottle, his career went on the downward path. Not to worry, though, he has a great new proposal for the Chief of Big Picture Studios (Caesar), with the help from his assistants Dom Bell (DeLuise) and Marty Eggs (Feldman). Mel's new screenplay is for the first major silent film in forty years. The chief rejects the idea, but he changes his mind after a telegram comes from the New York conglomerate Engulf & Devour (Gould & Carey), who are definitely interested in engulfing and devouring Big Picture Studios. An agreement is made, provided Mel can attract some of Hollywood's biggest stars to be in the film.
Fun, Eggs and Bell go out and hire Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Liza Minnelli, Anne Bancroft, and Paul Newman for the movie, but when they ask Marcel Marceau, he replies Non, which happens to be the only spoken word in the entire movie (this automatically makes this scene the most clever one in cinematic history, thank you very much). Engulf and Devour are worried that Mel will save Big Picture Studios, so they send Vilma Kaplan (Peters) to distract and seduce the director, and then pretend to fall in love with her. Mel falls for her, but realizes the truth the day before filming is to begin, which sends him back into alcoholism. This changes Vilma's feelings for him, and she gathers Eggs and Bell to find Mel and get him sober, which they do with the aid of several hundred cups of coffee. Evidentally, they never thought about caffeine poisoning.
The silent film is filmed and completed on schedule, but Engulf and Devour steal it from the theater before its world premiere. Vilma distracts the duo while Funn and company steals the film back, which results in the obligatory slapstick car chase and final fight scene involving cans of soda being launched like grenades. The film is brought back to the theater, where it's a huge success.
Recommended movie.
Starring: Mel Brooks, Marty Feldman, Dom DeLuise, Bernadette Peters, Sid Caesar, Harold Gould, Ron Carey
Also Starring: Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Liza Minnelli, Anne Bancroft, Paul Newman, Marcel Marceau, Henny Youngman
Director: Mel Brooks
Amazon.com listings: Available as a single DVD, or part of the Mel Brooks Collection.
Mel Funn (Brooks) was once a great Hollywood director, but after a long battle with the bottle, his career went on the downward path. Not to worry, though, he has a great new proposal for the Chief of Big Picture Studios (Caesar), with the help from his assistants Dom Bell (DeLuise) and Marty Eggs (Feldman). Mel's new screenplay is for the first major silent film in forty years. The chief rejects the idea, but he changes his mind after a telegram comes from the New York conglomerate Engulf & Devour (Gould & Carey), who are definitely interested in engulfing and devouring Big Picture Studios. An agreement is made, provided Mel can attract some of Hollywood's biggest stars to be in the film.
Fun, Eggs and Bell go out and hire Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Liza Minnelli, Anne Bancroft, and Paul Newman for the movie, but when they ask Marcel Marceau, he replies Non, which happens to be the only spoken word in the entire movie (this automatically makes this scene the most clever one in cinematic history, thank you very much). Engulf and Devour are worried that Mel will save Big Picture Studios, so they send Vilma Kaplan (Peters) to distract and seduce the director, and then pretend to fall in love with her. Mel falls for her, but realizes the truth the day before filming is to begin, which sends him back into alcoholism. This changes Vilma's feelings for him, and she gathers Eggs and Bell to find Mel and get him sober, which they do with the aid of several hundred cups of coffee. Evidentally, they never thought about caffeine poisoning.
The silent film is filmed and completed on schedule, but Engulf and Devour steal it from the theater before its world premiere. Vilma distracts the duo while Funn and company steals the film back, which results in the obligatory slapstick car chase and final fight scene involving cans of soda being launched like grenades. The film is brought back to the theater, where it's a huge success.
Recommended movie.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The Producers
The Producers. 1968 Avco Embassy Films; owned and distributed to DVD by MGM.
Starring: Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Kenneth Mars, Lee Meredith, Estelle Winwood, Christopher Hewett, Andréas Voutsinas, Dick Shawn, Renée Taylor
Director: Mel Brooks
Available at Amazon.
This was the first film directed by Mel Brooks, who only saw fit to reference it at least once in every other move that he has directed since then!
An aging and failed Broadway producer named Max Bialystock (Mostel) has found himself romancing rich old women in exchange for money for his "next play". A nebbish accountant named Leo Bloom (Wilder) arrives to do the producer's books and finds a two thousand dollar error in the accounts of Bialystock's last play. After being conned into hiding the fraud, Bloom has a revelation while shuffling numbers ("Creative accounting"), and Bialystock immediately puts the idea into action: massively overselling shares in a Broadway production, and then purposely making the play a spectacular bomb. No one would ever audit its books, avoiding a payout, and leaving Bialystock and Bloom free to escape to Rio de Janeiro with the money. Leo is reluctant at first, but eventually changes his mind.
After extensively searching scripts for unproduced plays, they find one that can't fail (or succeed?): Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva as Berchtesgaden, which Max describes as a "love letter to Hitler", and it was written in total sincerity by a deranged ex-Nazi Franz Liebkind (Mars), who has since settled in the Big Apple. After convincing Liebkind to sign over the stage rights, promising him that they will show the world the "true Hitler, the Hitler with a song in his heart", Max and Leo hire the worst Broadway director out there, Roger De Bris (Hewett) to stage the play. Apparently, anything De Bris directs closes on the first day of rehearsal. The part of Hitler is given to a charismatic but perpetually stoned hippie named Lorenzo St. Dubois (Shawn), popularly known as LSD, and he wandered into the wrong theater by accident dyring the casting call. Bialystock then fleeces dozens of rich old women, managing to sell 25,000 percent of the play.
Springtime for Hitler turns out to be a cheerfully upbeat, and completely tasteless musical story of the life of Hitler, with an extravagant production number kicking off the play. To the dismay of Leo and Max, and to the outrage of Liebkind, the play is a hit, largely thanks to LSD's portrayal of Hitler. Hilariously, the attempt to sabotage the newest Broadway sensation backfires for Leo, Max, and Liebkind, and they are sent to prison after being found incredibly guilty of bombing the theater. No matter, though. The three of them collaborate on a new play for their fellow convicts called Prisoners of Love, and utilize the same scam as before.
Highly recommended movie!
Starring: Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Kenneth Mars, Lee Meredith, Estelle Winwood, Christopher Hewett, Andréas Voutsinas, Dick Shawn, Renée Taylor
Director: Mel Brooks
Available at Amazon.
This was the first film directed by Mel Brooks, who only saw fit to reference it at least once in every other move that he has directed since then!
An aging and failed Broadway producer named Max Bialystock (Mostel) has found himself romancing rich old women in exchange for money for his "next play". A nebbish accountant named Leo Bloom (Wilder) arrives to do the producer's books and finds a two thousand dollar error in the accounts of Bialystock's last play. After being conned into hiding the fraud, Bloom has a revelation while shuffling numbers ("Creative accounting"), and Bialystock immediately puts the idea into action: massively overselling shares in a Broadway production, and then purposely making the play a spectacular bomb. No one would ever audit its books, avoiding a payout, and leaving Bialystock and Bloom free to escape to Rio de Janeiro with the money. Leo is reluctant at first, but eventually changes his mind.
After extensively searching scripts for unproduced plays, they find one that can't fail (or succeed?): Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva as Berchtesgaden, which Max describes as a "love letter to Hitler", and it was written in total sincerity by a deranged ex-Nazi Franz Liebkind (Mars), who has since settled in the Big Apple. After convincing Liebkind to sign over the stage rights, promising him that they will show the world the "true Hitler, the Hitler with a song in his heart", Max and Leo hire the worst Broadway director out there, Roger De Bris (Hewett) to stage the play. Apparently, anything De Bris directs closes on the first day of rehearsal. The part of Hitler is given to a charismatic but perpetually stoned hippie named Lorenzo St. Dubois (Shawn), popularly known as LSD, and he wandered into the wrong theater by accident dyring the casting call. Bialystock then fleeces dozens of rich old women, managing to sell 25,000 percent of the play.
Springtime for Hitler turns out to be a cheerfully upbeat, and completely tasteless musical story of the life of Hitler, with an extravagant production number kicking off the play. To the dismay of Leo and Max, and to the outrage of Liebkind, the play is a hit, largely thanks to LSD's portrayal of Hitler. Hilariously, the attempt to sabotage the newest Broadway sensation backfires for Leo, Max, and Liebkind, and they are sent to prison after being found incredibly guilty of bombing the theater. No matter, though. The three of them collaborate on a new play for their fellow convicts called Prisoners of Love, and utilize the same scam as before.
Highly recommended movie!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
High Anxiety
High Anxiety. 1977 20th Century Fox.
Starring: Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Ron Carey, Cloris Leachman, Howard Morris, Dick Van Patten, Jack Riley, Barry Levinson
Director: Mel Brooks
Available at Amazon as a single DVD, or as part of the Mel Brooks Collection.
Mel Brooks wrote, directed, and starred in this 1977 film that was intended as a tribute to, and a parody of suspense films, notably the films made by Alfred Hitchcock. There are references and parodies of other movies, such as Blowup, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and The Pink Panther, among others.
Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke is the new administrator of the Psychoneurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous. He also suffers from "high anxiety", and even the plane landing at a "very dramatic" airport in Los Angeles proves to be traumatic. Throughout the movie, Thorndyke finds himself subjected to situations that aggravate his fear of heights.
The previous director of the institute died under suspicious circumstances. After arriving, Thorndyke meets some of his new colleagues, like the domineering nurse, Nurse Diesel (Leachman), and her BDSM lover, Dr. Charles Montague (Korman), who is treated like a dog in their relationship. Dr. Montague is also jealous of Thorndyke, since he was originally supposed to take over the institute. Professor Lilloman (Morris), alias "Professor Little Old Man", is helping Thorndyke with his high anxiety, whenever he isn't appearing to be dead while asleep, which "scares the hell out of everyone". Thorndyke also employs Brophy (Carey) as a chauffeur who has problems lifting large objects.
Thorndyke meets a millionaire patient named Arthur Brisbane, who believes himself to be a cocker spaniel. Actually, this is a man planted by Nurse Diesel and Dr. Montague to impersonate the millionaire. Victoria Brisbane (Kahn) asks Thorndyke to help her regarding her dad, where they discover that the inmate is not the real Arthur Brisbane.
Nurse Diesel also has her flunky "Braces" (Rudy De Luca) kill Dr. Wentworth (Van Patten) after he tried to leave the institute. Wentworth knew everything that was going on, and his conscience finally drove him out, which alarmed Nurse Diesel, who was afraid he would talk. Braces is also employed to impersonate Thorndyke while shooting a man at the hotel where the genuine article is staying. Luckily, Brophy took a picture of the crime, with the real Thorndyke emerging from an elevator in the background.
It's up to Thorndyke to save Brophy and Brisbane (the real one this time) while conquering his high anxiety.
Recommended movie.
Starring: Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Ron Carey, Cloris Leachman, Howard Morris, Dick Van Patten, Jack Riley, Barry Levinson
Director: Mel Brooks
Available at Amazon as a single DVD, or as part of the Mel Brooks Collection.
Mel Brooks wrote, directed, and starred in this 1977 film that was intended as a tribute to, and a parody of suspense films, notably the films made by Alfred Hitchcock. There are references and parodies of other movies, such as Blowup, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and The Pink Panther, among others.
Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke is the new administrator of the Psychoneurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous. He also suffers from "high anxiety", and even the plane landing at a "very dramatic" airport in Los Angeles proves to be traumatic. Throughout the movie, Thorndyke finds himself subjected to situations that aggravate his fear of heights.
The previous director of the institute died under suspicious circumstances. After arriving, Thorndyke meets some of his new colleagues, like the domineering nurse, Nurse Diesel (Leachman), and her BDSM lover, Dr. Charles Montague (Korman), who is treated like a dog in their relationship. Dr. Montague is also jealous of Thorndyke, since he was originally supposed to take over the institute. Professor Lilloman (Morris), alias "Professor Little Old Man", is helping Thorndyke with his high anxiety, whenever he isn't appearing to be dead while asleep, which "scares the hell out of everyone". Thorndyke also employs Brophy (Carey) as a chauffeur who has problems lifting large objects.
Thorndyke meets a millionaire patient named Arthur Brisbane, who believes himself to be a cocker spaniel. Actually, this is a man planted by Nurse Diesel and Dr. Montague to impersonate the millionaire. Victoria Brisbane (Kahn) asks Thorndyke to help her regarding her dad, where they discover that the inmate is not the real Arthur Brisbane.
Nurse Diesel also has her flunky "Braces" (Rudy De Luca) kill Dr. Wentworth (Van Patten) after he tried to leave the institute. Wentworth knew everything that was going on, and his conscience finally drove him out, which alarmed Nurse Diesel, who was afraid he would talk. Braces is also employed to impersonate Thorndyke while shooting a man at the hotel where the genuine article is staying. Luckily, Brophy took a picture of the crime, with the real Thorndyke emerging from an elevator in the background.
It's up to Thorndyke to save Brophy and Brisbane (the real one this time) while conquering his high anxiety.
Recommended movie.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein. 1974 20th Century Fox.
Starring: Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Teri Garr, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Kenneth Mars, Gene Hackman, Mel Brooks (uncredited)
Director: Mel Brooks
Available at Amazon as a single DVD, or as part of the Mel Brooks Collection.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Wilder) is the grandson of Victor Frankenstein, as well as a professor at an American medical school. Frederick would prefer not to discuss his grandfather, insisting that his surname is pronounced "Fronk-en-steen". However, he still inherits his family's estate in Transylvania, and travels there, without his fiancee Elizabeth (Kahn). Frederick meets his new lab assistant Inga (Garr) along with Frau Blücher (Leachman) and Igor (Feldman). Igor insists that his name is pronounced "Eye-gor", and don't you forget it.
Late one night, Inga and Frederick discover the secret entrance to his grandfather's laboratory via a fake bookcase. Frederick reads his grandfather's journals, and is inspired to resume Victor's experiments in reanimating the dead. He and Igor steal the enormous corpse of a recently executed criminal, but Igor steals the wrong brain from the local "brain depository". Successfully reviving the monster (Boyle), it attacks Frederick after Igor strikes a match, which means it must be sedated. Igor also gets attacked when he reveals that he supplied "Abby Normal's" brain.
The locals are concerned about Frederick continuing his grandfather's work, and Inspector Kemp (Mars) pays him a visit, demanding assurance that he's not creating another monster. Frederick learns from Frau Blücher that the monster loves music, which he uses to lure the escaped monster back to the castle on one occasion. Eventually, he teaches the monster some basic commands, followed by their version of "Puttin' on the Ritz". The monster is later captured by the police, but escapes, and manages to win over Elizabeth, who is in town to surprise Frederick.
Kemp leads a mob to the castle just after Frederick, who by now has fully embraced his heritage, had brought his monster back home. Before they can take any action, Frederick transfers some of his stabilizing intellect to the creature, who can now reason with and placate the mob. The monster marries Elizabeth, while Frederick and Inga marry.
One of the great American comedies of all time, featuring an amazing performance from Wilder. Highly, highly recommended.
Starring: Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Teri Garr, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Kenneth Mars, Gene Hackman, Mel Brooks (uncredited)
Director: Mel Brooks
Available at Amazon as a single DVD, or as part of the Mel Brooks Collection.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Wilder) is the grandson of Victor Frankenstein, as well as a professor at an American medical school. Frederick would prefer not to discuss his grandfather, insisting that his surname is pronounced "Fronk-en-steen". However, he still inherits his family's estate in Transylvania, and travels there, without his fiancee Elizabeth (Kahn). Frederick meets his new lab assistant Inga (Garr) along with Frau Blücher (Leachman) and Igor (Feldman). Igor insists that his name is pronounced "Eye-gor", and don't you forget it.
Late one night, Inga and Frederick discover the secret entrance to his grandfather's laboratory via a fake bookcase. Frederick reads his grandfather's journals, and is inspired to resume Victor's experiments in reanimating the dead. He and Igor steal the enormous corpse of a recently executed criminal, but Igor steals the wrong brain from the local "brain depository". Successfully reviving the monster (Boyle), it attacks Frederick after Igor strikes a match, which means it must be sedated. Igor also gets attacked when he reveals that he supplied "Abby Normal's" brain.
The locals are concerned about Frederick continuing his grandfather's work, and Inspector Kemp (Mars) pays him a visit, demanding assurance that he's not creating another monster. Frederick learns from Frau Blücher that the monster loves music, which he uses to lure the escaped monster back to the castle on one occasion. Eventually, he teaches the monster some basic commands, followed by their version of "Puttin' on the Ritz". The monster is later captured by the police, but escapes, and manages to win over Elizabeth, who is in town to surprise Frederick.
Kemp leads a mob to the castle just after Frederick, who by now has fully embraced his heritage, had brought his monster back home. Before they can take any action, Frederick transfers some of his stabilizing intellect to the creature, who can now reason with and placate the mob. The monster marries Elizabeth, while Frederick and Inga marry.
One of the great American comedies of all time, featuring an amazing performance from Wilder. Highly, highly recommended.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
To Be or Not to Be
To Be or Not to Be. 1983 20th Century Fox & Brooksfilm.
Starring: Mel Brooks, Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Christopher Lloyd, Tim Matheson
Director: Alan Johnson
Available as a single DVD, or as part of the Mel Brooks Collection.
A remake of the 1942 movie of the same name starring Carole Lombard and Jack Benny, staying extremely faithful to the original movie, except for acknowledging that homosexuals were persecuted by the Third Reich along with the other victims of the Holocaust. Also, the character of Professor Siletsky (here played by Jose Ferrer) was changed into a comedic figure, even somewhat of a buffoon, as opposed to the original film, where he was completely serious.
Frederick and Anna Bronski (Brooks & Bancroft) star as a husband and wife team in the Polish theaters during World War II, having to make adjustments after the Nazis rolled in and conquered Poland. Anna, who object to her husband's insistance that her name appear in parentheses on the marquee, always has an eye for the handsome young servicemen who worship her every night in the theater. This doesn't sit well with Frederick, who also has a penchant for being all over the map onstage, performing Hamlet's soliliquy, and starring in a revue called "Naughty Nazis" on the same night. Frederick also seems to have a problem with one (always one, every single performance) audience member who gets up and walks out in the middle of the Hamlet bit.
Anna becomes smitten with a pilot named Sobinski (Matheson), who keeps getting up and leaving during Frederick's big scene. After the Germans invade and quickly overrun the "doormat of Europe", Sobinski rushes to England to fly and fight alongside the Polish squadrons of the Royal Air Force. He returns with Professor Siletsky (Ferrer) on a mission to organize the Polish resistance. Siletsky is secretly a Nazi collaborator, and Sobinski's love letters to Anna have attracted the attention of the Gestapo. Frederick and his troupe need to think fast, and put on the performances of a lifetime to save Anna, and escape unharmed from the Nazis. Hopefully, nobody walks out in the middle of the performance...
Charles Durning is along for the ride as Colonel Erhardt, and plays it so over the top that he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Recommended film, although my one complaint about the DVD is that it doesn't include the Mel Brooks music video for "To Be or Not to Be (The Hitler Rap)", which peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Since the DVD doesn't seem to have it, even as an easter egg, I'll include it right here. Enjoy, and can you believe that such a song almost was a Top 10 smash?
Starring: Mel Brooks, Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Christopher Lloyd, Tim Matheson
Director: Alan Johnson
Available as a single DVD, or as part of the Mel Brooks Collection.
A remake of the 1942 movie of the same name starring Carole Lombard and Jack Benny, staying extremely faithful to the original movie, except for acknowledging that homosexuals were persecuted by the Third Reich along with the other victims of the Holocaust. Also, the character of Professor Siletsky (here played by Jose Ferrer) was changed into a comedic figure, even somewhat of a buffoon, as opposed to the original film, where he was completely serious.
Frederick and Anna Bronski (Brooks & Bancroft) star as a husband and wife team in the Polish theaters during World War II, having to make adjustments after the Nazis rolled in and conquered Poland. Anna, who object to her husband's insistance that her name appear in parentheses on the marquee, always has an eye for the handsome young servicemen who worship her every night in the theater. This doesn't sit well with Frederick, who also has a penchant for being all over the map onstage, performing Hamlet's soliliquy, and starring in a revue called "Naughty Nazis" on the same night. Frederick also seems to have a problem with one (always one, every single performance) audience member who gets up and walks out in the middle of the Hamlet bit.
Anna becomes smitten with a pilot named Sobinski (Matheson), who keeps getting up and leaving during Frederick's big scene. After the Germans invade and quickly overrun the "doormat of Europe", Sobinski rushes to England to fly and fight alongside the Polish squadrons of the Royal Air Force. He returns with Professor Siletsky (Ferrer) on a mission to organize the Polish resistance. Siletsky is secretly a Nazi collaborator, and Sobinski's love letters to Anna have attracted the attention of the Gestapo. Frederick and his troupe need to think fast, and put on the performances of a lifetime to save Anna, and escape unharmed from the Nazis. Hopefully, nobody walks out in the middle of the performance...
Charles Durning is along for the ride as Colonel Erhardt, and plays it so over the top that he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Recommended film, although my one complaint about the DVD is that it doesn't include the Mel Brooks music video for "To Be or Not to Be (The Hitler Rap)", which peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Since the DVD doesn't seem to have it, even as an easter egg, I'll include it right here. Enjoy, and can you believe that such a song almost was a Top 10 smash?
Saturday, January 10, 2009
History of the World, Part I
History of the World, Part I. 1981 Brooksfilm & 20th Century Fox.
Starring: Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman, Gregory Hines, Spike Milligan, etc.
Narration: Orson Welles
Director: Mel Brooks
Buy History of the World, Part I at Amazon.
A satirical look at the so-called historical spectacular film genre, including the sword and sandle epics, and the period costume drama sub-genre. The film's four main segments begins with a skit set during the Dawn of Man, complete with the obligatory 2001: A Space Odyssey jokes, minus the monolith. After that, Moses (Brooks) comes down from Mount Sinai, having received the Laws from God (voiced by an uncredited Carl Reiner). He announces to the people the Fifteen....whoops! Looks like there's just going to be Ten Commandments for all to obey. Oy!
A long segment set in the days of the Roman Empire follows that one, followed up by a shorter, but far more musical one about the Spanish Inquisition, which surprisingly, did not make a single reference to the similar Monty Python routine. The fourth sketch is set during the French Revolution, where we all learn that "it's good to be the king!" This one ends when characters from the Roman Empire segment invade, rescuing some characters in need. Deus ex machina time!
Wait! A teaser trailer for History of the World, Part II follows, featuring Hitler on Ice! A Viking funeral! Jews in Space!!
(Too bad they didn't find any more money...oh wait, that's the non existant sequel to Spaceballs. My bad.)
Recommended!
Starring: Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman, Gregory Hines, Spike Milligan, etc.
Narration: Orson Welles
Director: Mel Brooks
Buy History of the World, Part I at Amazon.
A satirical look at the so-called historical spectacular film genre, including the sword and sandle epics, and the period costume drama sub-genre. The film's four main segments begins with a skit set during the Dawn of Man, complete with the obligatory 2001: A Space Odyssey jokes, minus the monolith. After that, Moses (Brooks) comes down from Mount Sinai, having received the Laws from God (voiced by an uncredited Carl Reiner). He announces to the people the Fifteen....whoops! Looks like there's just going to be Ten Commandments for all to obey. Oy!
A long segment set in the days of the Roman Empire follows that one, followed up by a shorter, but far more musical one about the Spanish Inquisition, which surprisingly, did not make a single reference to the similar Monty Python routine. The fourth sketch is set during the French Revolution, where we all learn that "it's good to be the king!" This one ends when characters from the Roman Empire segment invade, rescuing some characters in need. Deus ex machina time!
Wait! A teaser trailer for History of the World, Part II follows, featuring Hitler on Ice! A Viking funeral! Jews in Space!!
(Too bad they didn't find any more money...oh wait, that's the non existant sequel to Spaceballs. My bad.)
Recommended!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
Robin Hood: Men in Tights. 1993 20th Century Fox.
Starring: Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, Roger Rees, Amy Yasbeck, Dave Chappelle, Issac Hayes, Tracey Ullman, Patrick Stewart, Dom DeLuise, Dick Van Patten, Mel Brooks
Director: Mel Brooks
Buy Robin Hood: Men in Tights at Amazon. It's also part of the Mel Brooks Collection with seven other movies that you've probably already bought before!
Your typical Mel Brooks spoof, this one is a satire of the Robin Hood legend.
Robin of Loxley (Elwes) is captured during the Crusades, and imprisoned at Khalil Prison in Jerusalem. He escapes with the help of another inmate named Asneeze (Hayes), and frees all of the other prisoners. Asneeze asks Robin to find his son, Ahchoo (Chappelle) in England, which he does almost immediately upon returning. Plot convenience, mind you.
In England, Prince John (Lewis) has seized control of the kingdom while King Richard (Stewart) is away fighting in the Crusades, and John is abusing his power. Robin also finds that his family's castle has literally been taken away for nonpayment of taxes. Aligning with Ahchoo, a blind family servant named Blinkin (Mark Blankfield), Little John (Eric Allan Kramer), and his friend named Will Scarlet O'Hara (Matthew Porretta), Robin vows to regain his father's land and out Prince John from the thrown. Robin also attracts the attention of Maid Marian (Yasbeck), who is seeking out the man who has the key to her heart...and chastity belt.
However, the evil Sheriff of Rottingham (Rees) also desires Maid Marian, and he'll stop at nothing to deflower her. Also, how will King Richard deal with Prince John's mishandling of the empire upon returning from the Crusades? Also, how many references to his past films can Mel Brooks write into this one?
Recommended. It's not the best movie Mel Brooks ever made, but it was the first one I ever saw in a theater, and thus, has some sentimental value. In an English class in junior year of high school during personal introductions, I listed this (at the time) as my favorite movie. Someone asked me "Is there another movie that you've seen recently that you liked?"
Actually, there wasn't. I wasn't too crazy about film back then.
Starring: Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, Roger Rees, Amy Yasbeck, Dave Chappelle, Issac Hayes, Tracey Ullman, Patrick Stewart, Dom DeLuise, Dick Van Patten, Mel Brooks
Director: Mel Brooks
Buy Robin Hood: Men in Tights at Amazon. It's also part of the Mel Brooks Collection with seven other movies that you've probably already bought before!
Your typical Mel Brooks spoof, this one is a satire of the Robin Hood legend.
Robin of Loxley (Elwes) is captured during the Crusades, and imprisoned at Khalil Prison in Jerusalem. He escapes with the help of another inmate named Asneeze (Hayes), and frees all of the other prisoners. Asneeze asks Robin to find his son, Ahchoo (Chappelle) in England, which he does almost immediately upon returning. Plot convenience, mind you.
In England, Prince John (Lewis) has seized control of the kingdom while King Richard (Stewart) is away fighting in the Crusades, and John is abusing his power. Robin also finds that his family's castle has literally been taken away for nonpayment of taxes. Aligning with Ahchoo, a blind family servant named Blinkin (Mark Blankfield), Little John (Eric Allan Kramer), and his friend named Will Scarlet O'Hara (Matthew Porretta), Robin vows to regain his father's land and out Prince John from the thrown. Robin also attracts the attention of Maid Marian (Yasbeck), who is seeking out the man who has the key to her heart...and chastity belt.
However, the evil Sheriff of Rottingham (Rees) also desires Maid Marian, and he'll stop at nothing to deflower her. Also, how will King Richard deal with Prince John's mishandling of the empire upon returning from the Crusades? Also, how many references to his past films can Mel Brooks write into this one?
Recommended. It's not the best movie Mel Brooks ever made, but it was the first one I ever saw in a theater, and thus, has some sentimental value. In an English class in junior year of high school during personal introductions, I listed this (at the time) as my favorite movie. Someone asked me "Is there another movie that you've seen recently that you liked?"
Actually, there wasn't. I wasn't too crazy about film back then.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Blazing Saddles
'Scuse me while I whip this DVD out...
Blazing Saddles. 1974 Warner Bros. Pictures
Starring: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn, Alex Karras
Director: Mel Brooks
Buy Blazing Saddles at Amazon.
One of the funniest American films ever made, Blazing Saddles is the story of a railroad worker named Bart (Little) who is elected sheriff of a frontier town called Rock Ridge in the Wild West as a tactic to run the place into the ground so the railroad can seize the land Rock Ridge was built on. With his sidekick Jim (Wilder), the seemingly permanently inebriated cowboy formerly known as The Waco Kid, Bart hatches a plan to save the town and its citizens as only they can (a fake Rock Ridge, anyone?) Memorable scenes include the epic fight scene that literally breaks the fourth wall, Bart taking himself hostage to get out of an awkward situation after being introduced to a town full of bigots, and of course, Alex Karras slugging a horse.
The 30th anniversary DVD linked above also features the short-lived adaptation for television, Black Bart, which CBS aired once on April 4, 1975. Louis Gossett Jr. plays the title role, and late '70s sitcom star Steve Landesberg takes Wilder's role as Jim. I haven't watched the show yet, aside from the first few minutes, but I honestly wasn't that impressed with what I saw.
Highest recommendation.
Blazing Saddles. 1974 Warner Bros. Pictures
Starring: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn, Alex Karras
Director: Mel Brooks
Buy Blazing Saddles at Amazon.
One of the funniest American films ever made, Blazing Saddles is the story of a railroad worker named Bart (Little) who is elected sheriff of a frontier town called Rock Ridge in the Wild West as a tactic to run the place into the ground so the railroad can seize the land Rock Ridge was built on. With his sidekick Jim (Wilder), the seemingly permanently inebriated cowboy formerly known as The Waco Kid, Bart hatches a plan to save the town and its citizens as only they can (a fake Rock Ridge, anyone?) Memorable scenes include the epic fight scene that literally breaks the fourth wall, Bart taking himself hostage to get out of an awkward situation after being introduced to a town full of bigots, and of course, Alex Karras slugging a horse.
The 30th anniversary DVD linked above also features the short-lived adaptation for television, Black Bart, which CBS aired once on April 4, 1975. Louis Gossett Jr. plays the title role, and late '70s sitcom star Steve Landesberg takes Wilder's role as Jim. I haven't watched the show yet, aside from the first few minutes, but I honestly wasn't that impressed with what I saw.
Highest recommendation.
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