Mel Brooks - High Anxiety

0:00 It is September. It is that time of the season when I'm not ready to watch all the scary movies. I want to ease into it with some thrillers, some mysteries. This is where Alfred Hitchcock comes into play. Amber You got a favorite Hitchcock film or what are some of your favorite Hitchcock movies? Oh my gosh, I have actually this weekend been having a marathon of Hitchcock movies and it's it's hard to pick a favorite, but I'm gonna go with notorious, notorious. Okay, you said it's hard to pick a favorite. You give me, give me, give me your like, your top What are your top three when it comes to Hitchcock. My top three are well Notorious, obviously, Vertigo and Rear Window. Oh, those are all excellent choices. I'll be honest. I would love to talk about Hitchcock films.

0:53 So why don't we talk about a film by Mel Brooks, his nineteen seventy seven underrated classic High Anxiety. Hello everybody, and welcome back to a Film by podcast. I'm Jeff Johnson, and you have probably noticed my co host Brad Kozo is taking some time off, which means there are some changes, not unlike the changing of the drapes in the Psychotic Game Room. I'm happy to welcome to the show Amber Lewis of the Docking Base seventy seven podcast.

2:04 Hello, Amber, Hey, I am very excited to talk about this one. I know you, as you know, I love Docking Bay seventy seven. You're kind of like the voice of reason, I would say, so, I'm sure. I'm sure all our listeners are curious. Amber, what's your sign? It's unlisted? Oh perfect, that's absolutely perfect. So Amber, this is not your first time that we've that we've talked. We've actually talked before. You did one of our Lost nineteen eighty six episodes for Patreon. You were with me and Andrew Blakeley when we discussed the Mosquito Coast. Yes, the great Uh we're over Phoenix Harrison Ford. Yes, Yes, that is available on our Patreon. I know you. You'll be joining me again this Saturday for another episode. The good news there, everybody, is that our Patreon is now offering seven day free trials, So do not wait. Amber has got some awesome things to say about the Mosquito Coast.

3:09 You gotta go back and check that out. Patreon dot com slash a film by podcast Now then Amber High Anxiety. Do you want to you want to let the listeners know what this movie is about. Mel Brooks plays a famous psychiatrist who is taking over the head position at a psychiatric facility, and there are some staff numbers there that aren't too happy about that and are willing to go to great links to get him out and get his job for themselves. So mel Brooks creates a satire that combines the psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud and the suspense of Alfred Hitchcock. And despite this, it's got to be one of his most underrated films, right, I would say so. I had never even seen it until you contacted me about this episode of the podcast. Yeah, you know, mel Brooks, he's just had such an incredibly long career, and you know, there's so many of his movies that I think people tend to watch over and over and over in at least I do. So I've seen Young Frankenstein like four thousand times, but some of his other films, you know, not as much, or you know, in this case at all. So I was surprised to find out that he was such a Hitchcock fan, and that he wanted to make this like kind of satire tribute film to a director he just considered. You know, we all considered to be a genius, but it's just genius to genius. Yeah, this movie

4:42 opens with the title card dedicated to the master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, and you're right, he loved hitch and like you, I it was a long time before I saw this. I actually several years ago they released the Melbrooks Collection. It has nine of his eleven movies, and there were a and full of them. I had never seen two of them I had never even heard of. And you know, it's one of those things where when you're when you're going through it, it's like, you know, where's spaceballs, where's blazing saddles? Give me some Robin Hood mennetits? And then I'm like, okay, what's high anxiety? And I was shocked to learn it's this this great Alfred Hitchcock homage slash spoof and it became one of my all time favorites for mel Brooks. Let's talk a little bit about the cast.

5:27 Mel Brooks as doctor Richard H. Thorndyke. Initially he wants Jean Wilder, who was unavailable at the time, most likely working on a movie called The World's Greatest Lover. Have you have you ever heard of? Okay, you've seen it. Okay, I have not seen it, and from your reaction, I'm guessing I need to yea. Yeah. Jean Wader writes, directs, and stars in it with Carol Kane and Dom DeLuise. I'm in right there, so yes, but sadly Jean not in for high anxiety. And when they're they're kind of talking, they're workshopping it. Mel says, I'll do it. You know. His buddies are kind of like they're trying to be nice. They're like, well, we're looking for a carry grant leading man type of guy. You know. He's like, no, I'll do it. Yeah, but maybe someone a little taller and more handsome. He's like, I will do it. So that's my really only quibble with the movie is I would love to see what Gene Wilder would have done in that lead role. I think a little bit of Mel goes a long way.

6:33 I think he is misused as the lead and being in like every scene. I love it when you get like just a little hit of him. My favorite, all time, hands down, funniest performance he's ever given is in The Muppet Movie, Like I will laugh until my stomach hurts. I mean, he's just so funny and it's just that little cameo. So that was the thing for me that makes this not one of my favorites is just there were other I think actors that could have sold this lead a little better. Really, now, see that's that's ironic because where I'm so used to seeing Mel do the cameos that he's always accustomed to doing. I was really surprised when this one, when I see this one for the first time several years ago and see that he's in it, he is the lead. I wasn't ready for that. I was it was refreshing because I guess because it's something I haven't seen. I hadn't seen before. And you're right, he is such a presence that you know, he when he shows up, I mean he drops like a like a you know, like a bomb, you know, and it's just like there's so much so in this film. I think, I know he's walking a fine line, you know. He was really it was really important to him that it's not just a full on comedy that he wanted to have this, you know, the moments of suspense. He wanted to have the moments where there's some lighter moments for him so well, And in preparing for this episode, I've watched a lot of interviews with him

8:07 and a lot of documentaries and things like that, and he's so intelligent and so articulate. And the one thing that comes across very strongly is and probably to the point that he only has directed eleven movies, he really writes and makes movies about things that he feels very strongly about, Yeah, and that he's really passionate about. So you could tell that this was something that was just so important to him. Well, and it has to be because he's wearing so many hats in this right, I mean, he's starring in it. This is his first time producing, it's his first time in a speaking leading role. You know. The year before, in seventy six, he does Silent Movie, which you know I'll be covering on Friday with Scott Hoffman for our nineteen seventy six series. But he also goes beyond that because he's also credited as a composer and lyric writer for the film's theme song, which he even performs in this Sinatra like fashion, and I gotta say he's really good. Yeah, yeah, he claims. He claims that several Vegas hotels try to sign him after seeing him singing the movie, and that's scene aside from just being taken aback by the fact that he actually can see he can't perform in that fashion. I love the bit about Cincinnati where he mentions the big the big red machine. You know, we're we're hometown, We're Cincinnati kids. So the first time I saw that, I was like, yes, you know, I'm doing that kind of cat skills. Yeah, talking

9:39 to the crowd, you know, Borscht Belt kind of thing. That was one of my favorite. Mom Oh it's gold. Where are you from? Sin Tonai? Great town? Love that big Red Machine. He's fantastic in it. But yes, he is not nearly and I say this respectfully, he is not nearly as as fantast as Madeline Cohn as Victoria Brisbane. Oh my gosh, everything she does, My god, that woman was just amazing. This is This is her third of four films with mel She's the leading lady, but doesn't appear until the middle of the film. You know as like this this uh this film fatale type role and that's it kind of harkens back to what Hitchcock would do. You know. Sometimes his his leading lady wouldn't show up till the middle of the movie. Sometimes they started the start of the movie and then they were gone psycho exactly. But uh, I mean she has such a hilarious introduction with when she meets him at his hotel, and that that heavy panting, you know when she walks in the door.

10:48 She's like, go back, go in, go on, go reck, don't let any see you. Get down lower. Oh, She's fantastic. That whole that, that whole that what's your sign bit that they that they do. Yes, I think he got her. I think he got her brand of talent and comedy in a way that few other people did. Yeah, they talk about you know, when you when you look at some of the behind the scenes stuff on this film, a lot of people involved talked about how her delivery makes it funny, you know. They they talked about Madelon Khan finding the comedic moments where people didn't even think to look, and she does it in this movie when she meets mel Brooks in the in the park and she kind of has that that hysterical moment where she's really just going off the rails. I kind of feel like that's an early look at what she does in Clue as Miss White that you know that flames sas Yes, deep, Yeah, she has like that same kind of breakdown in this film, and I have to believe that when she was doing Clue, they're like, yeah, we need something like that, let's go for it.

11:58 Let her just when she gets out of the car and she's head to toe and Louis Vatton and then like you realize that the car is shut wrapped and Louis Vatton like I died. Yeah, Like the first time you see her, she's got the purse, and then the second time it's at that full on pant suit the car has you know, yeah, I thought that was kind of weird. And that's that's a joke at at the industry itself. Apparently this was a time in Hollywood when you had to be very careful about name brands showing up in the film. Wasn't as you know, it wasn't as acceptable as it as nowadays. So Brooks is like, if I'm going to do it, I'm I'm going all in on it, right. Speaking of going all in, Cloris Leachman as Nurse Diesel, A little bit of her for me goes a long way. She can be a little much for me. But what sells it is Harvey Corman. Oh gosh, yeah, the two of them together just yeah, yeah, well we'll tell yeah, because he was the only one I want to talk about him playing doctor Charles Monty. But but Chloris Leachman is equal parts hilarious and horrifying in this movie.

13:13 I like, first time I've seen it, I would like, uh, like I might be the guy that, you know, when the lights are out, I might, for a minute had that fear of like, you know, like I'll see like a vision of like the Exorcists, like Linda Blair or something in my head that you know, like that kind of scares me. Yes, Nurse Diesel became that that that that I don't want to be alone in the dark type of type of fear. Brooks gives her carte blanche basically to develop the role, and in addition to ad libbing a lot of dialogue with Harvey Corman, it's her idea to smear the lipstick on her teeth and and uh, you know that faint little mustache she has that creeps little details. I love that she came up with that. Yeah, I'm relieved that she came up with it because the first time I saw this, and I'm watching it on a high I'm watching a Blu ray on a high def LED TV and I see, I see it well, and I was I was immediately like saddened, as like, was this poor woman aware that this was gonna show up and come on? So it's it's it's it's a relief to know that that was her doing that stuff on purpose. Even the voice that she uses where she speaks through those gritted teeth, she got that. She says she got that from from Ed Sullivan. She was trying to basically trying to imitate, what how the way he talked and when you hear when you think back to his now that I think about it, I

14:43 can see it. It's yeah, it's right there. You mentioned Harvey Corman, another one of Mel's go to actors. This is his second of four films with Mel. You know, he did Blazing Saddles High Anxiety, History of the World Part One, and then his one of his last ones was Dracula Dead and Loving It ninety five. The banter that they have him and him and Chloris Leachman. It's their own little movie. Yes, like they're just doing their own thing the whole time. That he that mel Brooks is in San Francisco, and the mystery is is, you know, unraveling for us. I can't help but wonder, like what's going on back at the at the at the at the at the psychiatric place, because what are those two up to? What are they plotting? Yeah, they're Oh, they're fantastic. I mean you have to expect that from him. I mean what he did, like what ten fifteen years on the Carribournette Show, so his comedic timing is is perfect as well well. And I kind of felt like, speaking of the Carol Burnette show he did, he and Carol Burnette did that Alfred Hitchcock movie Rebecca. They did a spoof and that and he played maximum de Winter and I got like a hint of that in this movie.

15:56 I'm like, I think he's doing a shade of that a little bit, right. Yeah, that's that's a great movie too. We covered we covered that one a while ago. Rebecca. If anyone hasn't seen that. That's a that's a definite classic on YouTube. I just watched it the other day. It's available on YouTube. I am one of the suckers, Like when Criteria, the Criteria Collection releases a movie and it's okay, well it's Rebecca, so how good can it look? But you're here's my money because like on all the all the back behind the scenes stuff, it's you know, yes, I'm in I'm in for it. Let's talk a little bit about the background in this movie. So Mel, you know, I know we've talked about him being a huge fan of Hitchcock. He wants to do the film that you know, walks the line between parody and homage. He goes so far as to get his director photography to ensure camera setups and the lighting are what Hitchcock would use. Like he talks a little bit about this behind the scenes, he's like, yeah, you know, typically I'm not as involved with the cinematographer. But I was really a pain in the butt because I was just like, wait, wait, is this an angle that Hitchcock would use? Is this you know, because there's you know, we talked about Hitchcock at the beginning of this and there are so many aside from just uh spoofs and parodies that are kind of taken from Hitchcock movies. There's a lot of there's a lot of camera setups, there's a lot of angles.

17:23 You know, this film feels like an Alfred Hitchcock movie, so much so that Hitchcock even said I wish I would have made this so yes, but also like done with just an incredible amount of hilarity, like when they're shooting up through the glass coffee table, keep moving the saucers and kept up the camera like, Yeah, at first you kind of don't get what's going on, and then when you realize it's hysterical. Yeah, is it helped me out? Is that? Is it notorious or was it spellbound that that had that weird angle? I think that was notorious? Was it notorious? I think you're I think that's what it is too. Uh yeah, because it's you're like, wow, this is a clever angle. Yeah, It's like you're like I kind of felt my head like like moving, you know, trying to see around it. I love it. I'll talk about a photo confidence though. Mel sends the script over to Hitchcock Hitchcock enjoys it so much he invites Brooks over for lunch. He offers him notes on using his movies, and he even suggests a joke that he comes up with. Have you heard that? Have you heard about this? That they music because it reads it hysterical. Yeah, so you know the idea that Hitchcock gives him, you know, he says, hey, you know, it'd be great.

18:45 You know, if Thorndyke is running away from either the police or the killer, let him jump, you know, dramatically jump off the dock onto a boat. Only to realize that the boat is docking. Yeah, that was such a great gag, you know what. It works though, And it did work because we've seen this. I don't know if you remember this. Incidentally, that exact joke is in Weekend of Bernie's in nineteen eighty nine. Oh my gosh, I know I've seen Weekend of Bernie's maybe once. Yeah. They get invited out to Bernie's house and they see that they're missing the ferry and they're like, come on, we can make it. And the one guys like, oh, we're not gonna make it. And Andrew McCarthy's like, we're gonna make it, and they do this just crazy hero dive off the off the dock onto the boat, and then they get up and they see that the boat's docking. Yeah, it works, It totally works.

19:38 And that's something that I read that I thought was interesting because I think one of the problems that I had with the movie too was I feel like he should have picked just one, okay, one Hitchcock movie to do and maybe throw in like a little wink to another movie, kind of like Spaceballs was a Star Wars movie. Yeah, but then like you have the alien gag, Okay, you know that kind of thing. But one of the Roger Ebert's review mentions that Hitchcock movies are hysterical, Like he had a very subversive sense of humor. So it's not surprising that he came up with like a really good gag for this movie because there are a lot of different points where he marries that suspends that tension with something completely you know, hilarious.

20:26 Hitchcock was a funny individual. I just don't think audiences are conditioned to watch a Hitchcock movie planning planning to laugh. So it's almost like when you when you when you do catch yourself laughing. You kind of feel guilty because you don't. I just watched the guy you get stabbed. I should not be laughing at this, But that was funny. Yeah, there's Yeah, hitch had some moments where you you kind of had to stifle some laughter here and there. Here it's it's this is like, this is the for me. It's the Hitchcock movie where you're allowed to laugh as much as you want. Right, Good, speaking of some funny moments, and I know we'll talk. We'll talk about some laugh out loud moments here. Shortly, Mel hires the same animal trainer that Hitchcock used for the birds to train the pigeons for the yeah, the pigeon. The pigeon scene that that spoofs the birds.

21:19 Uh you mentioned that poop? Oh my gosh, that scene. The FX guys use mayonnaise and chopped spinach to create the pigeon poop. It was very effective. It was because like that's that's one of those moments where I feel my I find myself I'm laughing, and then as it as the joke goes on, I'm starting to get a little repulse. Like Lord forbid, anyone is eating, like any kind of dip. You know, you're snacking on chips and dip. You know, No, that's not the scene for you at all. Let's take a short break and then when we come back, we'll talk about some We'll talk about some laugh out loud moments. Okay, Jason, test of our friendship, which is better Van Halen or Van hagar Man? Honestly, I think Van hagar has better music. Oh no, no, no, no, it's Van Hampy. You're wrong. What about Michael Jackson's bad album versus Michael Jackson's thriller out thriller obviously best seller ever.

22:12 No, no, see, people tricked themselves and believe that it's actually bad. Okay, Trading Places versus Coming to America. Trade Places is the funnier movie out of this this dw No, We're Coming to America is the funniest movie of all time. So if you find yourself backing one of us or the other of us, you need to be listening to the Shirley You can't be serious podcasts. That's right. We have a friendly discussion. D and I are best buddies, and we take a deep dive and look at the behind the scenes stuff, the history and the fun facts of all these wonderful movies and music from our youth. It's really just an opportunity for us to geek out about the things that we really loved growing up. For example, do you know the actor that was in Star Wars, Batman eighty nine and Raiders of the Lost Ark Chris Harrison Ford. Harrison Ford wasn't in Batman?

22:52 Oh yeah, Billy d Williams. Billy D Williams was not in Raiders of the Lost Stark. Who was it? Well, you've got to tune in to the Shirley You Can't Be Serious podcast when we discuss Raiders have Lost Dark Dresses back to the future to find out the answer. Now, Jeff, you know I love my extras and my bonus features. Now, are you ready to offer some to our listeners? Absolutely, Brad. That's why we've launched via film by Patreon. Starting for as little as three dollars, you can become a production assistant to receive a film by merchandise and gain access to our exclusive content. That's right. Each month, we'll be offering up everything from episodes about our favorite actors to audio commentaries of our favorite and not so favorite movies. And for you fans of the familiar, we've got a nice surprise, right Jeff, That's right, brad Our Patreon is the only place you'll get access to the lost nineteen eighty six episodes. We're covering twenty more movies from nineteen eighty six, and we've got some of our favorite guests joining in. Now. You mentioned merchandise stickers, t shirts, our new color changing stadium cups exclusive to the Patreon. So join today and get down on all the great bonus content. Hi, I'm dating the host of the docu based seventy seventh podcast. We talk about everything from Anthrax to the Muppets to West Side Story. All right, boys, buckle up, because we have hit the bottom of the barrel. Because he slaughters all the Tuscan Raiders.

24:25 The fact that she stays by his side, that that tells me everything I need to know about these women that write letters to the serial killers in prison. You know, it makes it made sense. You know Moby Young Sad always dumped Tim. That was the theme song. You know when you listen, Tim, did you have the volume on? The witches are definitely much more nightmare fuel, But the fact that they look like the Texas Chainsaw centerfolds. If Jango Fett is so awesome, he's hired to be cloned. Why the hell isn't he doing job? You like, my client's getting impatient? Well then what you slack ass mother? Why won't you do it? You know you're just check us out on Apple podcast, Good Pods, pod Bean, or wherever you get your podcasts. We are back with Amber Lewis from the Docking Base seventy seven podcast and we are talking about mel Brooks high anxiety.

25:26 Amber one more thing before we talk about some funny stuff. Apparently the term high anxiety was created by mel Brooks and is now used today to describe individuals that suffer from anxiety but manage daily life quite well, that's so interesting. That's that's really interesting. Where art, you know, or life is imitating art. I think that was kind of cool. But so many, so many fun moments in this movie. But I gotta I gotta say, watching this recently again, there are still there's there's a couple of moments where I catch myself literally laughing out loud. Any any scene like that come to mind for you? Or I know there's gotta be a couple, right, I was gonna say, I have a list actually kind of lowbrow, but I cannot help myself. The very in the very opening, when he's in the limo headed to the institute and there's dramatic music playing, and then he looks over and there's a beust next to him with the symphony in the music, I fell out. I died. It was so good. Oh it's hilarious. But but a night. I know he's done it before. It so well A not to the composer too, though, And I apologize for not knowing his name or her name off the top of my head. But this is a great score on this movie, you know, so so much, so much. Well, the music they were playing in that moment was

26:56 Giselle, but still okay, yeah, but but yes, the rest of the music is really the film score is fantastic, so much to the point that when you when you have the blue ray of this and I'll talk about this later, but one thing I'll tell you right now, there's the you have the option of the isolated film score soundtrack. So if you just want to watch the movie with just the film score. I love when movies when when blue rays do that, Oh it's fantastic. Well, I'm gonna give a shout out to my man Dayton Johnson because I missed all this fun stuff because I strained it and I didn't have the Blue Ray, so you got all the cool stuff. Yes, yes, as Dayton reminders of physical media is better than streaming. Yes, yes, let me let's uh, I'll throw one at you. The fruit cup scene with Cloris Leachman and Harvey Corman, The way she says fruit yeah when he yeah, when Melbrooks when his character first arrives to the institute and you get this this horrifying nurse character that she plays. She's it's weird because she's very staunch about the whole Dinner is at eight and if you're late, you would not get a fruit cup.

28:14 And you're like, okay, but that moment was for the inmates. Yeah, yeah, there's Yeah. The staff is at dinner and here comes Harvey Corman and he's like kind of you know, shuffling down the steps and they you know, clearly he's the last one at the table, but the bell has rung and the waiter like picks up his fruit cup and leaves, and Corman does this great physical comedy where he like gets down and gets his you know, gets his napkin and grabs his spoon and like just scoops up air before he realizes that there's no fruit and he's like, I'm thirty seconds late.

28:55 And Chloris Leachman, Oh my god, the way she it's like tantalizing, which is yeah, he's leaning in because yeah, and then she just just flips the spoon back into her mouth and slurps it up. H just it's it's disgusting and it's hilarious and I cannot get enough of that scene. Love that one. I actually was already laughing in that scene because I love when they're panning in from the outside into dinner and the camera crashes into the window. Yeah, the camera is kind of a character in this movie when you think about it. When it because they we get that little bit of a fourth wall break where the camera sometimes goes too far or goes it gets too close, and then the characters react to it. Yeah you're yeah, you're out. You're absolutely right. You're already laughing at that at that dinner scene. But man, the fruit cup really really tease it up. You get another one, Yeah, I have a couple more but okay, lay him on me. The Psycho scene with the newspaper in the shower, like the way that he first of all like takes it too He does it almost shot for shot from the original movie, but like takes it too far where like he's like really going at it with the soap and like like just forever.

30:26 And then the guy comes in with the newspapers like here's your paper, yeah, Dennis the bell Boy, and then definitely swirling in the DC Oh my god, Yeah, this is definitely one for me, Dennis the bell Boy. They kind of they take their time. Mel Brooks takes his time setting up this joke because he checks into the hotel and the bellhop is like, all right, anything, I guess I'll stake a new He's like, yeah, can you give me a paper newspaper? He's like sure. They get up to the room and he's like, oh, where where's my paper? And he's like alright, like he asked, like what he's really put out, you know, and then he's like, what's I get your stupid paper? And then he gets back downstairs and Dennis, mister Thorndyke is asking for his paper. He's like, oh, you know, he's the dude's freaking out. So when he comes back up and you already know what's happening because mel Brooks does that gratuitous shower scene, which is hilarious because it's, yeah, he's over, he's just lathering up, and you get that classic shadow and the guy has rolled up the newspapers like here's your paper, and he's just jamming it at him. Yeah, the the the newsprint, ink swirl going down the tub drain. Uh in a perfect, you know, shot for shot remake of Gently's murder scene and Psycho. I love that moment.

31:52 It's hilarious. But the fact that he was so diligent to make it as authentic as he could. My understanding is that Anthony Perkins, when he first saw this movie, the shower scene obviously is his favorite scene, but it's because of the like you mentioned that the ink going down the drain, he just thought mel Brooks is a genius for doing that, and I agree with him. Uh, Dennis the bellboy, that's that's a you know who? That is right? No, Oh, you're in for a treat. I'm gonna I'm gonna through a couple couple names. I'm gonna through a couple of titles at you and you tell me if you've seen him, because some of them, I well, some of I know you've seen. In one in particular, I know you love classics. How about this, you know, classic film, Diner, classic baseball, classic, the Natural? Oh my god, how about this one one of your favorites, Young Sherlock Holmes.

33:00 Yes, Good Morning Vietnam. Oh who doesn't love that movie? Yeah? How about rain Man? Oh? I love rain Man. Yeah. Okay, So all these movies I've just given you, those are directed by Barry Levinson. And Barry Levinson is, in fact the guy playing Dennis the bub Boy. I saw he had a writing credit, yeah, which I was like, oh my god, little baby Barry Levinson, like, yeah, talking about learning at the feet of a master. Yeah, gosh yeah, but but oh my god, that's him. I gotta watch it again. Yeah. Some of these, some of these iconic movies that we have seen over the past couple of decades that you can quote. They're so quotable.

33:46 I know, and you know not that Young Sherlock Holmes is overly quotable. But I know when this kind of hit, uh steelbook release not too long ago, I know we were all talking like, oh, I got it, you know, and I'm getting it and I want it. Yes, yeah, But what's one of those movies that you know you loved as a kid and then you watch it again and you're like amazed at how well it holds up and how well it was made. And yeah, I'll tell you right now, we have not done an episode on Barry Levinson, but but if we do, I kind of feel like we need to do young Sherlock Holmes. And I'm telling you right now, I want you back for that one. So oh yeah, heck, we'll have to have you back for that one. I have a funny, funny story for that one too for you. Oh okay, all right, we'll save it because in the I think we're gonna make that happen. Then awesome, So let's do a little background about mel mel Brooks before you get we get into his philmography.

34:39 Amber. I'll tell you typically i'll spend a good, you know, four or five minutes here kind of kind of kind of talking up the director. But it's mel Brooks, right, So I'm going to hit you with a couple of highlights before we move on. Melvin James Brooks born Melvin Kaminski on June twenty eighth, ninth, teen, twenty six, means he recently celebrated. Yeah, he recently celebrated his ninety seventh birthday this year. Look at all the things he's seen. Yes, well, I liked that you you say that because shortly after starting out as a comic writer for Sid Caesar's Variety Show, he serves in World War Two as a combat engineer and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. That is one of the biggest, most brutal war battles that you know. I mean, how many movies have they made.

35:34 It's it's a part of every war film that we see about World War Two. Mel Brooks was there, which just blows my mind. After the war, he begins improvising comedy routines with Carl Reiner, who you know, obviously the director of Summer School, which we covered, and the father to director Rob Ryner. Yeah, we did, we did, and we even did Rob Brenner episode Man. All kinds of spinoffs on this this one, right. Yeah, but he you know, and he had worked with Rob or Rob, he had worked with Carl on the Sid Caesar Show. Amber he is one of the very few people to have the egott as it's as it's called yes for the for listeners if you don't know what an egot is, that's when someone gets an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. And it's so rare that it happens that there are literally like a handful of people that have done it, and mel Brooks is one of them. I'm gonna we could talk all night about his illustrious career. I mean, we're talking about a career that has spanned over seven decades. So rather than do that, I'm gonna tell everybody right now. And I know you and I talked about this a week ago. On Max there's an HBO original documentary. It's like an hour and ten minutes long, but it is packed to the gills. It's called mel Brooks Unwrapped and it just provides you an amazing look at this guy's career. Well, and I'm going to counter that also, it is a great documentary. I had just watched it right

37:07 before we hopped on here. It's spectacular. But even better than that. Also on Max is his conversation with Dick Cavett. Oh I didn't know that, And yeah, he Dick Havitt is just one of the great interviewers, just has a great flow and a great way of like pulling information out of people. Carl Reiner is on that show as well, and it's just a great, hilarious conversation. And then also on Netflix, the Jerry Seinfeldt show Comedians and Cars Getting Coffee, Jerry does an episode with Carl Reyner and mel Brooks who eat dinner together every night on TV tres watching Jeopardy, which I just think is the greatest thing ever. And these two just bouncing it back and forth, like Jerry just looks like a kid in a candy store.

38:06 Oh he's gotta be right. Uh, I'll tell you that. The idea of those two their their friendship and and just dinner every night, that could have been That could have been an unscripted reality show. Yeah I would have. I would have been glued. Oh what a genius idea because the whole two thousand year old man bit. Yeah, it's just the two of them started goofing around in the rider's room. Yeah exactly. Let's talk about this band's impressive but the but small. Philmography nineteen sixty seven, his feature film debut, The Producers. Oh my god, I to this day when Springtime for Hitler comes on, I just cry, like it is so funny.

38:57 Mm hmm. This one. I mean the Melbrooks collection that I got, this one is sadly not in it. Like it's it's missing two movies from his whole phmography and this is one of them. And it just it pains me. But I wonder if it has something to do with because of the Broadway show or it must there's gonna be some kind of rights issue. Yeah, something something, something's going on. But man, if you think about it, a movie that funny and then one of the great like Broadway shows like Massive hit Oh, and think about even back in sixty seven, think about how controversial it was, you know, like there was a lot of studios that were like, yeah, we're not doing this right, you know, and this is this is this is this is mel Brooks. Like, Hey, I've got a lot of clout because I'm a television guy behind the scenes. This is not the Melbrooks that you and I know. So the idea that it even got made is this when it got made was is astounding to me. But what a fantastic one less fantastic. Three years later he does with it. With the money he makes from the producers, he does a film called The Twelve Chairs in nineteen seventy. I've never even heard of it. This is okay. So this is one of those where I was like, I mentioned that there's a couple of movies in this collection that I'm like, you know, I've never heard of this movie, or what is this movie? Yeah, I uh, I gotta be honest, it's one.

40:24 And I was like, just even looking at you know, I know, yes, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but like, just looking at the DVD cover art, I'm like, I watch it sometime. Twelve Chairs not one of his better films, you know, yeah, not not really successful. I'll tell you one thing though, that makes this movie a must watch if you're especially if you're Mail Brooks like a completist. It has a a very young Franklin Jella like he it's it's yeah, it's mel Brooks Franklin, Angela and Dom DeLuise and uh Man and and well who else is there is Marty Feldman from Young Frank's Yeah, So but yeah, Franklin Jella is I don't know what he's like. It is early twenties maybe, like he's have you ever seen have you ever seen Darby O Gill and the Little People? Oh? Yes, that is anual watching in our house.

41:25 Yeah, every every Okay, Okay, so sat Patrick's day. Remember the first time you saw it and you were blown away by the young, strapping Sean Connery, little baby Sean Connery singing away. So that's that's the that's the vibe you get with Franklin Jella because you're like, holy cow, like look at frankl Angella, like he is like he could have played a superhero like he That's that's the kind of bill that he has. This is nineteen seventy okay, because it's like four years later he did Dracula with Sir Lawrence Olivier. Yeah, and we referred to this as the Sexy Dracula. But you would you would not mind if he should. You'd be like, it's fine, okay, Oh yeah, you have Frankly and Jela. You could get it, all right, I'll tell you what ember you might you might. Yeah, it's it's a it's a unique story. You know.

42:17 I won't I won't spoil it for you, but the story we all know. Four years later, he's he's back with Blazing Saddles, Oh my god, taking on racism like nobody has before since. Yeah, this is this is one of those movies where I've never seen it. Remember, like growing up, you'd see an R rated movie on TBS or you know whatever, and they would have to cut a bunch of stuff that change them. You know that they changed the words to different words. I couldn't even imagine, you know, I wouldn't. I wouldn't. I truthfully, I wouldn't because even today, you know, the way our society is, like, you could never make Blazing Saddles today. Oh good god. No. But for reasons I can't even explain. This is still a beloved movie. We still, we still laugh at it. We still you know, it's one of those like now, like like a streaming platform they show it, but then you get the warning label like, hey, this is not politically correct.

43:22 You know, this is like cancelable though that's even a word, like you can't you can't cancel mel Brooks, can't you? Yeah? I don't think so. I think you appreciate what he was trying to say and yeah in your face, like, yeah, this is a this is a must watch. Uh, it's one of it's one of his best, you know, it's it's definitely in the top fantastic. This is his first time working with Gene Wilder, and he's got the uh the double shot here because also in nineteen seventy four he's got Jean Walder back in Young Frankenstein. Oh my god, I love that movie so damn much. Like would this be your favorite you think? Or yeah, probably, I mean even just for the train station scene with Gene Wilder and Malan Cohn, like yep, the hair, the hair, Like I can't even like, I love this movie so much and so quotable, so funny. I almost love it better than you know, the original Frankenstein. It's but it's weird. It's this is one of those where I know a lot of people when in this time of year rolls around and you have a love for the universal monsters. I know a lot of people do like the trilogy. They you know, and it's it's Frankenstein, Brida Frankenstein, and then Young Frankenstein. Yes, I love that.

44:54 Yeah, and you would think it doesn't work, but it works, especially when you think about some of the weird stuff happening in Brighter Frankenstein. That's a that's that one's an excellent bridge between Frankistein and young Frankistein. So I recommend doing doing that fun little trilogy two years later. Its nineteen seventy six. We won't talk a whole lot about this because I want to save it for this Friday when when Scott shows up. But he does something called silent Movie. You have you seen this one. I've seen parts of it, I've never seen the whole thing. The idea that he can take a gimmick like this in nineteen seventy six and sell it and make it work is astounding.

45:39 Whether you like the movie or you don't like it. The idea that we're we're getting a silent movie, you know, straight up silent film in nineteen seventy six. It's you know, it's just it's mind blowing. I love that kind of risk taking. Though. I'm going to take this, you know, weird idea and just die. I've ran it in If it doesn't work. This this rexa director, you know, but it doesn't wreck mel brooks Uh. We've been talking about high anxiety. A couple of years later, back to Controversy History of the World Part one. I remember the first time I saw this. It was probably early eighties. You know, I'm like eight nine years old. It's on TV. You know, we're watching HBO or Cinemax or something like that, and I kind of turned it on during the uh the Gregory Hines harem scene. I watched it too young, like, I think a lot of the jokes went over my Oh yeah.

46:40 I remember being confused, and then you know, years later, I was like, oh now, I ah, now I understand. Uh yeah again this is this is one of those It's classic mel Brooks. It's it's a lot of fun. You know, he rounds up a lot of people that he's worked with it before. You know, Harvey Corman's back, and then he's with he's with new people like Gregory Hines, and it's fantastic. Nineteen eighty seven Spaceballs, oh my other absolute favorite. You know, mel Brooks said, you can't do good satire unless you love the thing that you're making fun of. And you can just tell he loves the industry that he's in, He loves movies, he loves watching him. He lives, making him really respects other filmmakers, and I mean, I think just takes the wind out of Lucas's sales in such a loving way. Yeah, well, you know, you got it right there, he respects other filmmakers. The idea, you know, and this I know this story has been been heard before, but the idea that he approaches, George says, you know, he fells. He tells him like, hey, I want to do a send up of Star Wars and you know the main character. And Lucas is all for it, but he's like, hey, he can't look like Han Solo. You can't let him dress like Con Solo. Like that's the one

48:14 weird stipulation that George Lucas has. Yes and no, yeah, no merchandise and no Han Solo for your lead. So what's what's meld? He turns right around and he makes a joke about merchandising in the movie and his his lead character does not look like Han Solo but does in fact dress a lot like Indiana Jones. That is just him just jabbing George Lucas, but in a fun way, like hey, I did what you said us? Yeah, yeah, spaceballs for me, It's got to be the most quotable Melbrooks movie because I to even you know, even today, I still will randomly quote it, not even thinking that I'm quoting it. You know, it's it's a part of the Spaceball's dialogue. The Spaceball's script is just it's part of American culture, pop culture. It's it's ingrained us. You know.

49:12 Yes, I think it hit it just the right time. Oh gosh, dude, that was Yeah, because his next three movies they're not on that level of like Spaceballs is or you know, young Young Frankenstein is nineteen ninety one. He does a movie called Life Stinks. Truthfully, I have not seen this one. I haven't either. I remember it from my Blockbuster video days, like the trailer being on the video that you had to run showed all the trailers and that sort of thing. But I don't think i've ever seen this one. I don't know that you're gonna you're gonna care for this one because he's back in the lead role and this one just doesn't work for me. Yeah. So he's he's a filthy rich businessman and that's a corporate rival that he can live on the streets of la without the comforts of home or money, which proves to be tougher than he thought, and almost tell me that that just reading that sounds like it's kind of like a trading places kind of a thing happened. Yeah, down in Beverly Hills. Yeah, exactly, like there was kind of a run of those. Yeah. I don't know. It's not part of that box set. I don't know if I'll ever get around to seeing it. But what is in the box set.

50:30 The last film in the Melborough's collection box set is, in fact, nineteen eighty three's Robin Hood Men and Tights. I'm gonna ask you point blank, is this better than than the Kevin Costner Robin Hood or the Sean Connery Robin Hood or the Errol Flynn Robin Hood? Like where do you amber? Where do you rank Robin Hood? Minnetits against the other giants. I would say, I really really love the Kevin Costner Robin Head. I gotta say, like the things was it the summer? Like I think he saw it like three times in the theater, So yeah, I would put it right behind that. Though, Okay, you would not be wrong. It is.

51:16 It is so good. I actually watched that last night and h and I was like, yeah, you don't want I want something I want to I just want a dumb comedy. Yeah, let's let's see Robin hood. I haven't you know we're talking. We're talking about Bob Brooks tomorrow. Let's why not? Yea, yeah, it is Richard Lewis just the absent minded prince that he plays like. He's Yes, it's not that he's the villain, but he's he kind of is he's not aware that he is. Tracy Ullman as the Witch is I crack up laughing every time she's on the screen. And uh, I always forget that Dave Chappelle was in this, you know this is this is like yeah, he plays uh a chew you know?

52:08 So yeah, I love this one man. It's it's it's a lot of fun. I don't know that I would put it, you know, I don't know how i'd rank it as high as like top three, but it's it's in the conversation. Maybe yes, it's got some fun. Uh what did you think? Two years later he does he does his last currently his last film, Dracula Dead and loving it. Just the title, it's hilarious. I didn't actually watch this I was burnout on Leslie Nielsen m because we had had like what six or seven naked gun Well, well police acappy we did, but he you know he did, uh he did the show please squad, and then we had I think was there three? I thought there was only three there. I know I was being a smart Sorry, Okay, I was like, am I missing some naked gun movies? But yeah, I mean I like Airplane? Yeah, but that's kind of like and then I'm done, Okay, you know. So yeah, I never did see Dracuilla Dead and loving it, but I probably would like it because I love Dracula and I like things that make fun of Dracula. As Wow, we'll check it out. It's uh, it's streaming on to Be right now. I think if it's not to be, it's Pluto, or maybe

53:40 it's both of them. But I know I watched this one. Yeah, I know, I watched this one a couple of days ago, and it was either to Be or Pluto. So so head head to those two. But to your point, Leslie Nielsen, he's he's maybe the greatest spoof actor and mel Brooks is the greatest spoof director, so this should have been a no brainer. This should have made all the money. It didn't know, and it's really not that well received. You know, I don't know, it's it's fun, but I think the problem is and you kind of you kind of alluded to this. You know, we hit a point where we're kind of over the spoof the satire comedy movies. They you know, they're not hitting the way they used to. And this is nineteen ninety five when this movie comes out. I'm telling you, if this movie would have come out in the eighties, I think it would have been a massive hit for him. That's interesting. Well, you know, sometimes you run out of Halloween movies to watch and you don't want to watch necessarily something really gory.

54:38 So that'll be a fun one to turn on. Yeah, I think you'd have some fun with it. My only what if to it, This is a situation where Dracula dead loving it. If we could have had it in the eighties and he could have teamed up with Franklin Jella, who he knew, you know, we could have whether it's whether it was a couple of years after Langella's Jacula or a couple of years. Well, if it's a couple years that would have been great because like he'd alreadys done the straight Dracula, now we're going to do the funny Dracula. I think it would have been fun. So let's talk. Let's let's wrap it up here. Surprisingly, when we when we when we get to this moment, we always talk about what's next for this director or what we'd want to see in them do so I am happy to say mel is currently writing and producing an upcoming TV special, Young Frankenstein Live. It's going to be so good, you know, aside for the obvious reasons. I hope the writers strike and the the sag strike, I hope they end soon so he can get back to work on this. Yes, let me ask you this. If you could see mel Brooks do another film, Like, if he's gonna do another movie, what would you want to see him do? I don't know. I think definitely musical, Okay, I don't know. Maybe you know, he kind of likes to delve into things that you know, like I said, he takes personally and he feels strongly about so, you know, our current like political climate, I think we are craving some laughter and you know, like Randy Rainbow does those great parody songs that just kind of lighten the burden that

56:09 you're carrying. So I think that might be, you know, to see mel like just hold a magnifying glass up and make us laugh at our current situation. If anyone could do it and be successful at it and get away with it, it would have to be mel Brooks. Yes, yeah, I'm I'm gonna give you my my pick. And I have to give credit a friend of mine, Case Kimmel, who you know, I know he, I know he listens to this show Case if you're listening to this, giving you full credit on this one. We were talking a while back. We're talking about mel Brooks and how great it would be if he would do another Spaceballs movie, and Case gave me the title or he basically he said, this is what it should be called. And it's one of those titles where it's like, you know what, it's confusing, but then it doesn't need an explanation because it's mel Brooks. His suggestion, Let's see mel Brooks do Spaceballs three. The Search for Spaceballs too? Is that that so ver is that perfect? I was so proud of him that that night I was like, well done. Yeah. The comedy muse was sitting on his shoulder.

57:23 Yes, it was. Let's close out with high anxiety. Do you recommend seeing this film? Yeah, it's fun and especially if you're you know, kind of like we were talking about with horror movies, like it's fun to you know, watch the original Frankenstein Brider Frankenstein like you suggested, and then dive into Young Frankenstein. Or similarly, we'll watch the original Dracula and then we'll throw in Dracula dn loving it and see how that flies. I think, you know, watch yourself some Pitchcock and then turn on high anxiety and enjoy the spoof. You know this, Yeah, this is this is a muscy for any fan of mel Brooks or Alfred Hitchcock. As soon as I was done watching it, I was so ready to watch all the Hitchcock movies. This movie for for the Hitchcock aficionado. You are watching it and you're laughing, but you're also like, I know that scene or I know that I know that shot, and then it like me, I'm just excited about go back and see him now, you know, even like the locations, like we're you know, San Francisco, Brooks nails that San Francisco aesthetic with this movie, and I'm immediately I can't wait to watch Vertigo. I was gonna say, if you've seen Vertigo even once, you know, like I know that bridge where he's standing, like, yeah, that park is right there, it's right there. The mission, you know, we get he uses the mission again. It's fantastic. I you know, like I said, I've been, I've been I've been talking up this, this box set this whole time. This you know this one's in it? Where did you? Where did you see this one? I rented it on Prime three

58:57 ninety nine. I ended up running it twice. It was that good because I wanted to see it. Oh yeah, did he like it? Yes, Okay, he loved it. He was caught up in trying to spot all the Easter eggs, like which movie was which? And this is This requires multiple multiple viewings because you want to watch to have to enjoy the movie, but then you want to go back and start picking it apart and finding all the all the fun stuff. Speaking of fun stuff, there is a there's a great documentary on the movie. If you if you've got the Blue ray, not necessarily the box set, but if you have even if you have the Blue Ray of High Anxiety. There's a great documentary about the film. Uh. It's got some fun audio options where you can watch it with like a Hitchcock trivia thing going on. Oh my gosh. And then there's this great one, the are you very very nervous test? So you'll it plays the movie and then randomly will ask you questions and then you have to use your remote to answer. It's like a multiple choice thing. I will spoil it, but like the first step was the first one is like a Rorshak question and you you know, you go for the obvious answer, and then it's like and then it tells you know. It's like you can almost hear mel Brooks reading the why You're wrong. Oh my god, there's there's some fun stuff on there. Uh, Amber I, speaking of fun, I have had a blast talking with you about mel Brooks. Very happy that you joined us today. Oh, thank you so much. It was a great time. We're not done talking about mel Brooks. This Friday on our limited nineteen seventy six series, Scott Hoffman joins me to discuss mel Brooks Silent

1:00:29 Movie. Uh. And then on Saturday, Amber, you're back on our Patreon to do another nineteen eighty six episode, one of the lost episodes. You know you want to tell us, you want to tell the listeners which one we're doing. Yep, get your science books out, kids, We're doing the Manhattan Project. Yes, nineteen eighties, John Lithgow. What more do you want? Yep, Crime era John Lithgow. Yes. Until then, please reach out to us uh www dot a film by podcast dot com. We have recently revamped the website. There's uh, you know, we're writing articles now, we're doing videos now. There's even some fun trivia stuff on there. If you like, uh like just doing like little little trivia games. Uh, you'll find it there on our website. So please reach out, subscribe, let us know what you like, what you want more of. Hit us up on social media, uh, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. You can find us at a Film by Podcast and of course you can always email us directly at a Film by Podcast at gmail dot com.

1:01:39 So let us know what you think of mel Brooks, if you got a favorite movie of his, let us know what you think of High Anxiety, and let us know, uh if we need Amber back in the uh the co host chair, because I you know, I thought, I think you knocked it out of the park, and uh, I've already I've already penciled it in and we got to talk. Barry Levinson, Young Sherlock Holmes. Yes, love it. Until next time it's you that I blame. It's very clear to me, I've got to giving Hi Sciety you wing Hi a text where you're from? Cincinnati, gray Town loved that big red machine.

1:02:34 He's up under league Winie. Hello Young,