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UTUSN

(77,795 posts)
Sun Aug 21, 2016, 03:05 PM Aug 2016

My favorite Mel BROOKS movie happens to be *his* favorite, too!1 Just 2 peas in a pod, us!1

********QUOTE*******

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/08/21/mel-brooks-looks-back-blazing-saddles-could-never-get-made-today.html
[font size=5]Mel Brooks Looks Back: ‘Blazing Saddles’ Could Never Get Made Today[/font]

In a world gone mad, Mel Brooks, now 90, is determined to get people back on his laugh track. Earlier this year, members of the Writers’ Guild of America voted for the 101 funniest screenplays of all time. Brooks was the only writer to have [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]three scripts he wrote or co-wrote in the top 12[/FONT]: his Oscar-winning original screenplay for The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein.

On September 1st at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, after a screening of Blazing Saddles, Brook will discuss why the classic western sendup is still a riot 42 years after its theatrical debut. If that weren’t enough, a coffee table book of Young Frankenstein will debut this fall.

Brooks is one of precious few to capture the [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]EGOT[/FONT], taking home Emmy, Tony Grammy, and Academy Awards. Like Don Rickles, Tony Bennett, and his close friend Carl Reiner, who co- created the 2000 Year Old Man bits, Brooks represents an era of show business that will pass when they do. But until that day comes, this old man river of laughs just keeps rollin’ on.

.... Do you feel any of your pictures are underrated?

The Twelve Chairs. It was a nice, sweet film with a funny performance by Dom DeLuise—his best, I believe, other than when my wife Anne Bancroft directed him in Fatso. [FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: yellow"]My favorite film nobody saw is Life Stinks[/FONT]. I play a multimillionaire who makes a bet with a peer that he can survive on the streets as a homeless person. You root for this guy and you laugh with him, not at him. You know, basically all my films are about greed versus humanity. I never want people to leave one of my productions feeling depressed. If you come out of the play The Producers humming “Springtime for Hitler” and having a smile on your face, then I’m a happy man. Do you realize the last time I was at Radio City Music Hall was when The Producers won more Tonys than any play in history?! That place is bigger than some New England states. I’m going to be there with Blazing Saddles September 1st. I may be a 2,000-year-old man but I can still see empty seats. Since I’m not getting paid for this fantastic interview I’m giving you, then do your best to help me fill those seats. Is that too subtle?!

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12 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
My favorite Mel BROOKS movie happens to be *his* favorite, too!1 Just 2 peas in a pod, us!1 (Original Post) UTUSN Aug 2016 OP
Mel Brooks is awesome. Blazing Saddles is awesome. Initech Aug 2016 #1
Why Brooks has not yet been awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is a mystery Auggie Aug 2016 #2
wow...didn't realize this... dhill926 Aug 2016 #9
He needs to get this now, not posthumously ... Auggie Aug 2016 #11
Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein are such classics by now dixiegrrrrl Aug 2016 #3
especially in Harvey Korman's voice... dhill926 Aug 2016 #10
All of the above Maynar Aug 2016 #4
My favorite Blazing Saddles story eggplant Aug 2016 #5
Madeline Kahn was superb in both of those movies. DawgHouse Aug 2016 #6
... pinboy3niner Aug 2016 #7
"Was Bismawck a Hewing?" lastlib Aug 2016 #8
There is just too much genius between these 2 people: Mel & Madelyn: UTUSN Aug 2016 #12

Auggie

(33,248 posts)
2. Why Brooks has not yet been awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is a mystery
Sun Aug 21, 2016, 03:43 PM
Aug 2016

Previous recipients below. Goldberg, Tomlin, Crystal, Fey, Ferrell, Leno, Murray, Murphy DeGeneres, Tomlin before Brooks??? That is seriously screwed up. Mel writes, directs, produces and performs. He should have come right before or after Reiner.

1998 – Richard Pryor
1999 – Jonathan Winters
2000 – Carl Reiner
2001 – Whoopi Goldberg
2002 – Bob Newhart
2003 – Lily Tomlin
2004 – Lorne Michaels
2005 – Steve Martin
2006 – Neil Simon
2007 – Billy Crystal
2008 – George Carlin (posthumously)
2009 – Bill Cosby[5]
2010 – Tina Fey[7]
2011 – Will Ferrell[8]
2012 – Ellen DeGeneres[9]
2013 – Carol Burnett[10]
2014 – Jay Leno
2015 – Eddie Murphy[11]
2016 – Bill Murray

Auggie

(33,248 posts)
11. He needs to get this now, not posthumously ...
Sun Aug 21, 2016, 07:23 PM
Aug 2016

Brooks practically invented a new style of film comedy.

dixiegrrrrl

(60,168 posts)
3. Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein are such classics by now
Sun Aug 21, 2016, 03:54 PM
Aug 2016

I love that Mr. dixie and I know every line and so do our adult children.


Hedly Lamar........instant mental laugh.

eggplant

(4,220 posts)
5. My favorite Blazing Saddles story
Sun Aug 21, 2016, 05:40 PM
Aug 2016

I was visiting family in Phoenix, AZ back in the late 80s, and the local TV channel had one of those late movies hosted by a local personality. Their job was to introduce the movie and provide a small amount of commentary during the commercial breaks.

*Every* time the guy would talk about the movie, he would *profusely* apologize for just how racist the film was (and this was the edited-for-television version!) -- he simply didn't get it. He couldn't grasp the idea that it was *supposed* to be incredibly racist ("Alright! We'll take the niggers and the chinks, but we DON'T WANT the Irish!&quot . It made watching it that much funnier and sadder, too, actually.

UTUSN

(77,795 posts)
12. There is just too much genius between these 2 people: Mel & Madelyn:
Sun Aug 21, 2016, 10:30 PM
Aug 2016

A comment from YouTube: [font size=5]She is the greatest gone too soon.[/font]


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