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19.
The Producers: 1968 (PG) -8
USA / MGM
90% (CF)
I was first introduced to the great Mel Brooks when I was around 8 or 9. We were on a family vacation with my aunt, uncle, and my cousins at the beaches of North Carolina. The adults went to the local mom and pop video store and rented a few movies for the evening. One of the movies happened to be Spaceballs. I loved that movie and over the years continued to rent Mel Brooks’ movies from Blockbuster. This included personal favorites like History of the World Part One, Robin Hood Men in Tights, Young Frankenstein and even Dracula: Dead and Loving It (I am sure I am in the minority there). But the movie of his that was my absolute favorite in terms of concept, I did not see until I was around 16 years old or so; which was The Producers. Two Jewish Broadway producers hatch the perfect scam. Raise a million dollars then put on a $60,000 flop and pocket the rest of the money. All they had to do was find a guaranteed flop. And they find it in Springtime for Hitler.
Now this is a very funny movie to begin with, and some pretty stinging satire against the Nazis, never missing a beat to mock Hitler and the Third Reich. Kenny Mars was particularly funny in this movie as Franz Liepkind. But what I really love about Mel and his humor is just how politically incorrect a lot of his humor can be. I mean here was a movie that had a full musical number with chorus girls dressed as SS officers. We look back on it now in the present day as a classic bit, but back then it was still very taboo. I got to give credit to Mel for going with that gag. Making Mel Brooks one of my favorite comedic directors, as well as one of my favorite directors of all time.
The Producers: 1968 (PG) -8
USA / MGM
90% (CF)
I was first introduced to the great Mel Brooks when I was around 8 or 9. We were on a family vacation with my aunt, uncle, and my cousins at the beaches of North Carolina. The adults went to the local mom and pop video store and rented a few movies for the evening. One of the movies happened to be Spaceballs. I loved that movie and over the years continued to rent Mel Brooks’ movies from Blockbuster. This included personal favorites like History of the World Part One, Robin Hood Men in Tights, Young Frankenstein and even Dracula: Dead and Loving It (I am sure I am in the minority there). But the movie of his that was my absolute favorite in terms of concept, I did not see until I was around 16 years old or so; which was The Producers. Two Jewish Broadway producers hatch the perfect scam. Raise a million dollars then put on a $60,000 flop and pocket the rest of the money. All they had to do was find a guaranteed flop. And they find it in Springtime for Hitler.
Now this is a very funny movie to begin with, and some pretty stinging satire against the Nazis, never missing a beat to mock Hitler and the Third Reich. Kenny Mars was particularly funny in this movie as Franz Liepkind. But what I really love about Mel and his humor is just how politically incorrect a lot of his humor can be. I mean here was a movie that had a full musical number with chorus girls dressed as SS officers. We look back on it now in the present day as a classic bit, but back then it was still very taboo. I got to give credit to Mel for going with that gag. Making Mel Brooks one of my favorite comedic directors, as well as one of my favorite directors of all time.