"THE MEL BROOKS COLLECTION"
Blu-ray Review
by Kevin Carr
| BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: ***** (out of 5 stars) Studio: 20th Century Fox Back to DVD Review Home |  |
To celebrate his career in cinema, Fox has released “The Mel Brooks Collection” on Blu-ray. This box set includes nine of his most celebrated pictures, many of the releases available for the first time in the high-definition format.
It’s a hefty release, coming in a thick box set with a collectible 120-page hardcover book “It’s Good to Be the King,” exclusive to this release.
Each Blu-ray comes with its own bonus content. Obviously, his more monumental releases (like “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein”) are packed with features while his lesser releases (like the early 1970s flick “The Twelve Chairs”) is left standing alone.
Five films include isolated score tracks while four of them include pop-up trivia tracks. Additional bonus content includes more than a dozen featurettes scattered through the releases, including six which are new to the Blu-ray format. Films like “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” “Spaceballs” and “To Be or Not To Be” include vintage interviews and documentaries, but most of the featurettes include interviews from the 2002 DVD releases.
Additional features include commentaries and some deleted scenes for the more important films, various still galleries and trailers for the films in the Mel Brooks collection.
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"THE TWELVE CHAIRS" Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) Rated G Directed by: Mel Brooks Back to DVD Review Home |  |
Squeezed between “The Producers” and “Blazing Saddles,” this forgotten Mel Brooks movie stars a young and fit Frank Langella as Ostap Bender, a Russian con artist trying to make a buck against the backdrop of Communism. Upon learning that a family had hidden jewels in an antique set of chairs, Ostap joins forces with the family’s sole heir to track down the chairs and hopefully become rich.
This film is notable because, along with “The Producers” and “Life Stinks,” it’s one of the few Mel Brooks movies that isn’t a spoof. Based on the novel of the same name, “The Twelve Chairs” is a nice film but hardly stands out above Brooks’ other masterpieces. It is also notable because it is the only G-rated film that Brooks released.
I remember seeing “The Twelve Chairs” when I was a kid and enjoying it then. It’s more straightforward than Brooks’ other works, and the performances are pretty good, including an early appearance by Dom DeLuise as a priest also tracking the bejeweled furniture.
The weakest of the films in this set, “The Twelve Chairs” is still nice to revisit, if for no other reason that to catch a glimpse of Brooks’ work before he became an icon.
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"BLAZING SADDLES" Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: ***** (out of 5 stars) Rated R Directed by: Mel Brooks Back to DVD Review Home |  |
The 70s was the heyday of Mel Brooks, and 1974 was his biggest year ever. “Blazing Saddles” came out to rave reviews and shocked audiences. While some elements may seem tame by today’s standards, it was groundbreaking... not just because it was the first film from a major studio to feature fart humor (which is now commonplace and even overdone in some G-rated Disney releases), but because it challenged many racial attitudes of the day.
There is so much brilliance in “Blazing Saddles.” Not only did it set a new mold for spoof movies, catching the love of the western movie before that genre rode off into the sunset later in the decade, but it was the first film to really feature the Mel Brooks’ ensemble, including Harvey Korman, Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn and several actors reserved for smaller roles, like Liam Dunn.
“Blazing Saddles” was the first film that Brooks made in the widescreen format, and that aspect ratio is perfectly preserved on the Blu-ray release. For someone like me who had to settle for the butchered television cut as a child, it is a welcome relief to see the film again in its unedited glory.
“Blazing Saddles” continues to be one of Brooks’ finest and edgiest films.
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"YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN" Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: ***** (out of 5 stars) Rated PG Directed by: Mel Brooks Back to DVD Review Home |  |
As a fan of horror movies, and a special love for the classic Universal monster movies of the 1930s and 1940s, I have ranked “Young Frankenstein” as my favorite Mel Brooks movie of all time. It was a perfect collaboration with Gene Wilder, whose over-the-top yet dead-serious performance as Frederick Frankenstein is what makes the movie click.
“Young Frankenstein,” while a spoof, also works as a straightforward comedy film. It lovingly sends up the classic monster movie genre while retaining its spark for comedy in the storytelling sense. Even characters like Kenneth Mars’ Inspector Kemp fit perfectly within the story and don’t seem to be forced of dropped in for a joke.
One of only two Mel Brooks films to feature Marty Feldman before his death, “Young Frankenstein” is a treasure of comedy. In a strange way, I felt a bit sad watching the movie again because I am reminded how many of the key players are no longer with us (e.g., Feldman, Peter Boyle and Madeline Kahn).
One of my fondest memories of watching “Young Frankenstein” is at an all-night horror movie marathon, and the film played perfectly in front of a scary movie crowd. It did not seem out of place at all, and this is a testament to how brilliantly made it was.
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"SILENT MOVIE" Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars) Rated PG Directed by: Mel Brooks Back to DVD Review Home |  |
Made in the wake of Mel Brooks’ one-two punch of awesome that was 1974’s releases of “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein,” he was offered an opportunity to take some risks. Brooks loved the era of silent films, so he made his own silent movie, appropriately named “Silent Movie.”
The film tells the story of an alcoholic movie director who is trying to get a silent movie made in Hollywood in the wake of a corporate takeover of the studio. Originally conceived to be completely silent, the film was given a soundtrack of whimsical music and slapstick folio, with a single word of dialogue uttered by Marcel Marceau.
“Silent Movie” may not be the most cohesive of Mel Brooks’ movies, but it is still fun to watch. Brooks goes back to the techniques of slapstick and sight gags to drive the comedy home. Having a supporting cast of actors like Sid Caesar, Charlie Callas and Bernadette Peters raises the quality of the film significantly.
At times, “Silent Movie” is rough. Other times, it’s pretty damn hilarious. But overall, it’s a neat excursion from Brooks’ other films.
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"HIGH ANXIETY" Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) Rated PG Directed by: Mel Brooks Back to DVD Review Home |  |
Mel Brooks wrapped up the 1970s with a loving send-up of all things Hitchcock with his thriller spoof “High Anxiety.” Loosely based on the plots of “Vertigo” and “North by Northwest,” “High Anxiety” tells the story of a leading psychiatrist who discovers a plot of murder and skullduggery in the Psychoneurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous.
Continuing his tradition of a stellar ensemble cast, Brooks relies on Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn and Cloris Leachman to give the comedy a brilliant spin. As a long-time fan of Hitchcock, I have loved “High Anxiety” from the first time I saw it. Having recently watched “North by Northwest,” I am reminded of how spot-on some of the elements of this spoof was. (Of course, the best mini-spoof in the entire movie is the loving tribute to “The Birds.”)
Like “Young Frankenstein” and “Blazing Saddles,” “High Anxiety” works beyond just being a spoof. It’s not just a string of jokes laid out on celluloid, but rather it is a loving tribute to Hitchcock’s work and actually comes together as a story in itself.
I may not have seen every film referenced in this movie (and there are dozens of them), nor do I necessarily get all the jokes, but that’s what makes “High Anxiety” work. The more Hitchcock films you watch, and the more times you watch this movie, the better the experience gets.
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"HISTORY OF THE WORLD: PART I" Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) Rated R Directed by: Mel Brooks Back to DVD Review Home |  |
As Brooks came into the 1980s, he gave us probably his last great film, “History of the World: Part I.” The movie turns away from his previous string of telling an actual story and turns more into a sketch comedy show. This works to a degree simply because it allows the film to move pretty fast.
Brooks’ classic cast of actors are with him in this movie, including Madeline Kahn, Ron Carey, Dom DeLuise, Cloris Leachman and Harvey Korman. Like Monty Python’s “The Meaning of Life,” this is a ribald look at a massive subject matter. It’s Mel Brooks at his raciest since “Blazing Saddles,” and the movie is more notable for individual sketches than the film as a whole.
Gems in this film include “The Inquisition” musical number and the now famous line from the French Revolution, “It’s good to be the king.”
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"TO BE OR NOT TO BE" Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) Rated PG Directed by: Alan Johnson Back to DVD Review Home |  |
This is a notable inclusion in “The Mel Brooks Collection” because “To Be or Not to Be” is the only film in here that Brooks did not himself direct. Instead, he stars opposite real-life wife Anne Bancroft, letting his long-time choreographer Alan Johnson take the helm.
Not a spoof of any genre, this straightforward comedy is a remake of the 1943 classic film in which Frederick and Anna Bronski, Polish theater performers who find themselves embroiled with the Resistance when the Nazis invade Warsaw. The Bronskis work with an Allied airman (Tim Matheson) to stop the Gestapo from learning the identities of Resistance leaders, and they hope to escape Poland with the friends and relatives of their theater troupe.
As a World War II drama, and as a comedy as well, “To Be or Not to Be” works. It deals with some heavy subject matter, but like many Mel Brooks comedies, it does so with tenderness and lightheartedness at the same time. This is probably the most dramatic of Brooks’ works, and it shows that he actually has some acting chops on him.
Probably most interesting about this film is the ancillary music video that Brooks released in 1983, “Hitler Rap,” which was banned in Germany. While not available on the Blu-ray, you can find it on YouTube here [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu2NqfISm9k]. Trust me, it’s one bizarre, steeped-in-the-80s performance. But it shows that Brooks is a master of using comedy to criticize and humiliate.
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"SPACEBALLS" Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) Rated PG Directed by: Mel Brooks Back to DVD Review Home |  |
As a “Star Wars” baby, I have a certain love for “Spaceballs.” It’s not Brooks’ greatest film, but along with “Young Frankenstein,” it is a loving send-up of one of my favorite genres. In this film, Brooks spoofs the “Star Wars” story and highlights some other science fiction pieces, including a brilliant mini-spoof of “Alien.”
After having a chance to revisit most of Mel Brooks’ great films form the 1970s, it was a little odd to look at “Spaceballs” again. Several members of his ensemble (e.g., Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman and Gene Wilder) are noticeably absent. Brooks replaces them with a younger cast of comedians who are fine comedic actors in their own right (e.g., John Candy and Rick Moranis). But there’s something missing with this change of the guard.
Ultimately, “Spaceballs” shows Brooks nearing the end of his cinematic career, though it is still funny and a loving tribute to the science fiction genre.
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"ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS" Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) Rated PG-13 Directed by: Mel Brooks Back to DVD Review Home |  |
Rounding out “The Mel Brooks Collection” is the 1993 film “Robin Hood: Men in Tights.” While there really isn’t a “Robin Hood” genre, this film came in the wake of a studio battle between “Robin Hood” films (ultimately won by Kevin Costner’s “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves”).
Like “Spaceballs,” this film represented a changing of the guard, with almost no one left over from Brooks’ original classic ensemble. The cast of characters don’t fit together as well, and it feels less like a Mel Brooks film because of this.
The most disappointing thing about this movie, in particular after watching it more than 15 years after its release and in the wake of his better work, I noticed a lot of recycled jokes, not just from Brooks’ movies but from other comedy as well. (In particular, the “walk this way” gag was overdone in the 70s, and it only worked in “Young Frankenstein” because it added something new.)
Once a master of the spoof genre, Brooks paved the way for the dreadful team of Friedberg and Seltzer by overplaying some jokes and explaining ones that didn’t need to be explained, like reminding the audience that “Blazing Saddles” had a black sheriff in it.
“Robin Hood: Men in Tights” isn’t terrible, and it has some pretty funny moments. Still, it’s not Brooks’ best (and it paved the way for films like “Dracula: Dead and Loving It,” which is a sad thing).
