It's Bound To Be A Funny One..."Mel Brooks: Make A Noise"

Mel Brooks: Make a Noise (2013)

TV-PG

Starring Mel Brooks

Written and Directed by Robert Trachtenberg

The Story:

Part of the PBS "American Masters" series, this in-depth biography finally lets Mel Brooks talk about his favorite subject: himself!

Okay, that may or may not be true, but for the first time that I can recall, here's Mel opening up about his life, his career and his films, in his words, as well as some of his collaborators over the years.

If you've never seen his work, this will help showcase his efforts in one career spanning retrospective and you'll begin to understand why he's so funny and a comedy legend.

If you're a fan of his work, this is icing on a delicious cake of a career.

The great thing about Brooks career, is even his bad stuff is good, when compared to other offerings.
It's only when you compare one Brooks film to another that you can really see the difference, which also elevates how truly great his best films really are.

The biography also reveals a lot of interesting facts that you may be unaware of, or have simply forgotten over the years.

Definitely worthwhile.

Currently streaming on Netflix as of this writing. You can probably also find it, and other American Masters episodes on the PBS.org website.

Final Grade: B+

What In The Wide Wide World of Sports Is "Django Unchained" Doing Here?

How the South Was Won...

The Story:

Django (Jamie Foxx) is a slave who is rescued by Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a bounty hunter.  He needs Django's help identifying three bounties, and offers to give him some of the reward.  The two get along quite well, and Schultz takes him under his wing.  Django proves to be rather adept at being a bounty hunter, and asks for Schultz's help to find his wife ( Kerry Washington) who has been sold to a southern plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio).  The two pull off an elaborate scheme to get to attempt to buy her freedom, but there's a good chance not everyone will walk away from this plan unscathed.

Dear Quentin Tarantino-

I apologize to you on behalf of all of the things I've ever said about your movies.

I didn't enjoy Pulp Fiction, I'm not even sure I finished it, and was unimpressed with Kill Bill.

So I believe I added him to the short list of directors whose work I do not like, and therefore will avoid.

Then I watched Inglourious Basterds, and rather enjoyed it.

So I'm now in a conundrum, has Tarantino's work shifted over time, perhaps showing me a growth in his work?
Was I simply missing out on the greatness that people profess of his work, or was I just not feeling that great when I watched Pulp Fiction?  I do remember being sick that day...

Or do I only respond well to genre films from him, From Dusk till Dawn (horror), Inglorious Basterds (WWII) and now Django (Western) ?

I'm not sure.

But I really enjoyed this film.

Jamie Foxx did a great job as the slave turned gunslinger, and owned the role.  I read that it was designed for Will Smith, but he turned it down because he thought Django wasn't the main character, or because he doesn't kill the bad guy (DiCaprio) at the end.

First, I'm glad that Will Smith didn't take this role.  It would have been too hard to see the guy who grinned his way through Wild Wild West try and become a hardline bounty hunter.  While he can go dramatic, I think he's seen too much as the fun actor to bring the edge that's needed to this part.

Plus, he's wrong.

The REAL bad guy of this film is not DiCaprio.  It's Samuel L. Jackson's character.  Take him out of the equation, and everyone walks out of this film alive.

Never have I rooted for a character to get killed more in a western, and his death was spectacular, and well deserved.

Jamie Foxx works well as the star of the film by allowing everyone else to overshadow him, something that I don't think Will Smith's ego would allow.

One of those, Christoph Waltz is simply amazing in his role as Dr. Schultz.  This is his second Oscar under Tarantino's hand, and he deserved both, as he was the most mesmerizing character in both of those films.

DiCaprio goes full on Johnny Depp mode as the bad guy, and I think he really plays well as the bad guy.  It's a role very unlike him, and I think Tarantino brought out the best in his actors.  Reading the background of the film, they say he used a real glass and actually cut his hand in one scene so that real blood and anger were on his face.

Method actors, gotta love 'em!

: )

Finally, I would be remiss to say that I would like to thank Mr. Tarantino for balancing out two of the most gruesome scenes ever filmed (The Dog and the Mandingo Fight) by trimming their grossness, but also by putting in two of the funniest scenes not in a Western by Mel Brooks.

1) The first big shootout in Candie Land.  The guy screaming in pain as he was shot repeatedly by accident... sorry, that was just hilarious.  That whole gunfight was epic and well done.
2) The Regulators getting to ride, but first discussing their masks.  Hahahahahaha... that was so politically incorrect, it was awesome.


My hat is off to you sir, thank you for an excellent movie.

I may have to revisit your catalog and see if my initial opinion was wrong, or if we've just both changed over the years.


Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I could be persuaded to do either.  Be advised, the film is rather lengthly (nearly 3 hours) but sure doesn't drag like it's 3 hours.

100 Greatest Movies of All Time...That I Own. # 52 ~ Young Frankenstein

It would be hard to argue that Young Frankenstein is Mel Brooks' finest film.  While not as side-splitting as Blazing Saddles, this has enough laugh out loud gags and more subtle and visual humor to impress the audiences that have enjoyed it for the last few decades.

I would have to say that much of the credit needs to go to Gene Wilder, in both instances, for grounding the manic, throw it at the wall and see what sticks that Mel Brooks would become with his later films.

However, Young Frankenstein plays as a love letter/homage and direct spoof to the early 30s monster movies from Universal, yes, Frankenstein in particular.

Using much of the same props from the original film and shooting in glorious black and white, Brooks has created a timeless movie that is still as fresh and funny today as it was in 1974.

With Gene Wilder in the title role of the man who is desperately trying to escape his family name and crazed history... he slowly succumbs to the madness thanks to the help of his assistant Igor and the fact that...

It just might work!

I'll assume you read the previous paragraph with the appropriate introductory pronunciations of the character names. : )

If not, you now have.

And naturally, if you've never seen this film, it is just one of a half million gags that you have to see to enjoy.

If I had to recommend only one film to show people who ask "What was Mel Brooks best movie?" this would be the obvious choice.

Even Frau Blucher would agree.

:: in the dark, horses whinny! ::

100 Greatest Movies of All Time...That I Own. # 71 ~ Blazing Saddles

Mel Brooks finally lands on the list, with one of his two best movies.  Blazing Saddles, the send-up of Hollywood westerns.  If you've never seen the movie, you owe it to yourself to watch it.

You'd do it for Randolph Scott!

And then, that joke would make sense.

Plus a million others.  Mel Brooks and company were firing on all cylinders with this production.  The gags are fast and furious, and if you've only seen the edited version, you've never seen the movie.

The first time I saw it, was naturally on television.  Trust me, censoring this movie doesn't do it justice.  How else can a scene of enjoying dinner around the campfire make no sense without that added sound of what's taking place?

It just doesn't work!

Of course, there is that other thing.

You know, like Gabby Johnson announcing the arrival of the new Sheriff in town.

"The Sheriff is a N..<BELL GONG!>"

Yep, the N word flies fast and furious in the movie, but when viewed in context, ala Huck Finn, it works, and works correctly as a barometer for race relations and how far they've come...and how far they still have to go.

Cleavon Little carries the movie on his shoulders.  It would be hard to imagine anyone else handling the role.  I've heard they considered Richard Pryor for the role, but his style and delivery seem much harsher than what Little provided.

With a town full of Johnsons, a dippy Governor, Mongo and of course Heddy "That's Hedley" LaMarr, the cast if filled with irreverent screwballs.

It's a great film, and a shame that Brooks later parodies, while amusing, did not carry the laugh-out-loud moments of Blazing Saddles.