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The Producers (The 1967 version. The 2004 version is the musical filmed as a movie, and it doesn't quite translate) Clue Robin Hood: Men in Tights Spaceballs Haunted Honeymoon
I’m not sure how you feel about musicals, but as a COMEDY, Singin in the Rain is absolute genius. Jean Hagen as Lina Lamont is one of the greatest characters in all of film history.
“This is like, defeating racism.” YES! That was the whole reason for the movie - to show how stupid stereotypes and racism are. Mel Brooks set out to break every rule in Hollywood when he made this movie - and did. Even the farting scene was the first of it’s kind. If you haven’t seen Young Frankenstein, that’s a must.
I was 11 or 12 when this movie came out and, because it was rated R, I talked my mom in to taking me to go see it in the theater. One of my lasting memories in life is how hard my mom laughed throughout the movie, nearly falling out of her seat during the campfire scene. After that, it became a tradition for us to go see all the Mel Brooks movies in the 70s together. Mel Brooks brought us closer together, and I am forever grateful for that.
On the radio a dj played the quote of Bart saying, "Hey where the white women at!?" I swear I was the only one who laughed the most in public from that line because I knew where it came from.
@@platinumspider7859 No, the left wing nut jobs are not the same, so I don't use it for them. It's the right wing morons who choose to refuse to acknowledge facts.
When people tell Mel Brooks that Blazing Saddles couldn’t be made today, he always says “we couldn’t make it then either!” Brooks has also said that he brought Richard Pryor on with the intent for him to play Bart, but the studio wouldn’t insure the production because of Pryor’s drug use, he was too unpredictable. So he brought Pryor in to write, assuming he’d write the Bart stuff but ended up Pryor wrote the Mongo stuff and Brooks wrote the racial humor.
Though of course the writing was a very ensemble thing, and the fact that Pryor was there the whole time helped Brooks really go all in on making the stupid racists really stupid and really racist.
They were probably afraid he would set himself on fire like he did b4 I can’t remember if he was stone dead drunk or high as a kite but he got it into his head that it would b a good idea to set himself on fire
@@ArthurSB73 Not exactly. They made the joke and she didn't get it so she sued. That was something else she was known for. Mel just paid it because he respected her so much.
"they lose me right after the bunker scene" still gotta be my favorite blink and you'll miss it lines, so glad you included it also glad you enjoyed your experience :)
The fart scene was the first time farts were put in a film. There was an actress named Heddy Lamar and she wasn't amused. She was quite brilliant and laid the scientific foundation for Bluetooth. If you enjoy Mel Brooks films you might also enjoy High Anxiety wherein Mel spoofs Alfred Hitchcock films.
It seems that, for the most part, they have been mostly forgotten. I love watching a lot of youtubers checking out these classics (near my childhood), and I can't recall anyone catching that line.
It's mostly because there's no real opportunity for young people to catch most classic comedy. And, in many cases, it's hard to get them interested in it because a lot of the old jokes are genuinely pretty terrible. Not necessarily in Laurel & Hardy's case, but there's a lot of questionable humor in the old days. And it's not a matter of being thin-skinned on anyone's part. There's a difference between a joke that mocks the stupidity of a stereotype, and a joke that exploits a stereotype. That was one of the reasons Mel Brooks was always so good...because he handled that difference better than almost anyone. Most of his predecessors and contemporaries...just didn't even recognize the difference.
I’m not sure how many people are aware of L&H these days… although I have a friend who worships Oliver Hardy as a comic influence, which is pretty unusual for a guy covered in tattoos 😂
Also, when the studio saw the final cut they demanded Mel make a bunch of cuts like the use of the "N" word, the fart scene & so forth. Mel told the studio he would cut all those things out. Instead he left it completely alone and scheduled a sneak preview screening with all the items the studio wanted cut out intact. When the studio saw the audience roar with laughter at everything they wanted cut...they gave the green light to release it as is. It was a phenomenal success
Their was a time when saying a racial slur and that included the N word wouldn't get you cancelled let alone have your life taken away. Why? because we were smart enough to distinguish between using a word with intent of hateful racism and using within context ie quoting a movie scene or reading a book. Oh and I'm Mexican American btw just in case you were wondering.
In many interviews he says they called them into an office told him what they wanted him to take out he wrote them all down in a piece of paper and when he left the meeting he crumpled up the paper and threw it away.
Mel Brooks parodic commentary on Racism is a hoot and a half, i've watched it so many times and it's still funny today. RIP Gene Wilder and Harvey Korman for helping make this timeless.
Burton Gilliam, who plays Lyle, was really uncomfortable about the dialogue he had. He went and apologised to Cleavon Little, who told him “if I thought you would say those words to me in any other situation we’d go to fist city, but this is all fun. Don’t worry about it.”
Harvey Korman as "Hedley Lamarr" still keeps me in stitches. His snide, under the breath asides are perfectly timed, and utterly hilarious. Glad you enjoyed.
The best satire of all time. If you like this, The Producers (both the 1968 and 2005 versions) are excellent. The remake is filmed like a stage play and wildly politically incorrect. Richard Pryor co-wrote this and was set to star, but it went to Cleavon Little after the production company wouldn't ensure Richard because of his drug use. It's the same reason Bobby Brown didn't play Powerline in A Goofy Movie and the role went to Tevin Campbell, who, like Cleavon, killed it in the role.
I am so glad you are going back and watching older movies for the first time. I would love to see more of this. I would also love to see some more "off the wall" reviews of genre films from the 60s, 70s and 80s. There are so many movies in that arena that influenced modern day film. Keep up the great work!
This is my absolute favorite movie! When I was hospitalized in 2015, I listed it as such on my “Getting to know you” poster, and the head nurse bought a DVD copy of it for me from a garage sale. That copy is one of my most prized possessions. Note: I usually don’t share that movie’s title when I speak to school audiences
So you know, Randolph Scott was a very famous western actor from the 30's till "Ride The High Country" in 1964, his last film. The actor who played Mongo played Professional Football for the Steelers I think. He was a Defensive Tackle, if I recall. This was shown on regular TV back in the 70's with NOTHING cut out. It was the first FART to air on network TV.
So I saw this when it came out. I talked my father into taking me, it was an R film, and it was an event. The audience I saw it with was constantly laughing, including my Dad. I think, for me that is what cemented this movie in my life. My Dad and I actually laughed like loons at this movie. We shared it. While some like yourself can enjoy(?) the film, you really had to be there, in the time, to appreciate the impact of watching it. Three scenes, Jim telling Bart that the townspeople were morons; The fart scene; and Mongo's statement about being a pawn in the game of life, floored everyone. It was just a thing to experience.
Mel Brooks wrote the theme song. As you noticed, he wanted the movie to feel like a real Western so he got Frankie Laine, who's voice was connected with Westerns, to record it. He didn't tell Laine it was a spoof so it would have the same feel the other themes did.
Classic. Every comedy angle covered. Sadly this movie can never be made today even if it's hilariously written in the best/worst taste. Mel is a genius. Check out please "Young Frankenstein" & "his Hitchcock tribute "High Anxiety". Get well soon the both of ya's.
Oh god, there’s gonna be a LOT of editing involving a certain word. Lol. Love this movie, probably top 2 Mel Brooks films alongside Young Frankenstein.
@@ScorpionStrike7 Robin Hood Men in Tights, Dracula: Dead and Loving it, History of the World Part 1. he's also starred in a few other movies, including Hotel Transylvania as Grandpa Vlad.
The " Airplane" movies are great, they are total satire with lots of non PC jokes. A great romantic comedy is " The Goodbye Girl" , Richard Dreyfus won an academy award for best actor for his role in the film. Hope you feel better soon.
Probably my favorite comedy of all time!!! I have to say, I am surprised by some of the movies you had never seen before: Forrest Gump, Shawshank and Blazing Saddles? Wow! But...it has been fun to watch them again through your eyes. I even got tears watching you get tears in Forrest Gump. Keep up the good work! - JR
There's a new animated film called Paws of Fury that's actually a remake of Blazing Saddles. They actually credit the Blazing Saddles writers for the story.
SOOO glad you are watching this movie has been one of my favorites since i was a kid, my grandpa showed me this when i was very young and has been a classic since
Bart and Jim’s relationship is the most beautiful representation of what race relations should look like ever captured on film IMO. It’s kinda sad that it hasn’t been topped since the ‘70s. Maybe there are other great examples, it’s just that none come to mind.
I only ever watched Blazing Saddles because I saw Mel Brooks' other movie, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and it makes a reference to Blazing Saddles. I got curious and decided I needed to get what the joke was. I get it now.
I am old enough to remember the public controversy when this was set to run on American network tv for the first time unedited. Yes, they were going to show the campfire scene with all the sound effects and at its proper length. Previous airings had completely removed the campfire scene or shortened it to a few seconds with muted sound. The racial slurs in the film were fine and always ran unedited but, god forbid if we hear fart sounds. I first saw they had edited the slurs in this film for the first time about 20 years ago. It is odd to look back and see how things have changed.
I love the "knock on barbed wire" gag just before the campfire bit. One old, old joke that is usually missed is when Bart says "down to the orange roof on Howard Johson's outhouse". Howard Johson was a chain of hotels and coffee shops with distinctive orange roofs to make them stand out. Hotel=outhouse?
29:39 FYI, Mel Brooks' style of humor is very political and *very* Jewish. And the more you know about Jewish humor, the more you appreciate this movie. You know how in "Everything Everywhere All At Once" Weyland uses kindness as a weapon/survival tool? It's the same thing with Jews and humor, especially dark political humor. And Mel Brooks is a master of weaponizing comedy against systems of oppression. It's kind of his thing. Speaking of which, Linday Ellis made a video essay in 2017-ish called "The Producers, and the Ethics of N@zi Satire." It's excellent. She even talks about Blazing Saddles in the context of Brooks' career and his use of humor. I'm not including the link, because youtube comment moderation is weird about links, but if you type "Lindsay Ellis Producers" into the youtube search bar, it should come up.
I very much enjoyed your reaction! Some of Mel Brooks's later movies, from the 1980s and on, get closer to a series of spoof-sketches, but in this one he keeps the overall plot (mostly) in mind. Another movie where he did even better at that (released the same year, incredibly!) is Young Frankenstein. I'm not saying everyone would find it his funniest -- that's a matter of taste -- but it feels the most satisfying to me as a movie because it sticks close to the classic story, while having plenty of laughs. And Gene Wilder is at the center of that one. You noticed Richard Pryor's name as a writer. Mel Brooks wanted him to play Bart too, but the studio considered him uninsurable after his drug arrests, so Cleavon Little was cast.
I'm so happy you watched this movie, never knew you've never seen it, I hope there's more Mel brooks movies you haven't seen I love you reactions, been watching since you hit 50k
There's a movie called To Be Or Not To Be, which Mel Brooks remade, starring himself and his wife, Anne Bancroft. It was originally Jack Benny and Carole Lombard. The movie is a comedy, but there are dramatic parts to it, as well, it takes place during the German invasion of Poland. Brooks/Benny is the head of a Polish theater whose wife is having an affair with a Polish Air Force pilot. There are many anti-German parts to it. The original was made during the war. The movie is absolutely wonderful.
The perfect storm of funny people. Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder, Madeline Khan, Harvey Korman.. could it get any better? Loved this film as a kid and still do now
There was a time in the 80s, when I would quote this movie from start to finish, every line. At school, at work, at parties...people would be dying laughing....join in and play a part. Can't really do that performance today.
Yes it was Hedy Lamar they were referencing. Just a little more about Hedy Lamar that I as a tech nerd love about her, she is really one of the most important inventors of our modern world and doesn’t get nearly the praise she should. Back during World War II, Hedy invented frequency hopping, which is a base technology underlying all of our communications today. Your cellphone would not work if not for Hedy Lamar.
Thanks for watching this. I think what you reference as sketch is actually vaudeville. Mel Brooks, like the Marx Brothers (who also used vaudeville, used his films to make commentary. So there are a lot of references in this movie, some topical for the time and others genre specific. The film is a homage of sorts to Hollywood (the musicals) in my opinion. It referenced a now nearly defunct Howard Johnson restaurants and chains and stores that sold 31 flavors of ice cream (note the reference to one flavor in the movie) that dominated the landscape of the United States at the time. The film spoofs westerns and what themes were never addressed (racism and prejudice) in them while sticking to the technical format of making a good western and thus they made a good western movie. Mel Brooks, whose family fled from the Ukraine, often stuck anti-Nazi material in his movies. The nuanced bitterness of the racist Camptown Races song being requested and the crooned high brow popular 1934 Cole Porter Broadway tune "I Get A Kick Out Of You" song being given as a answer to a racist request. The Jesse Owens reference was not only a topical refence of that time but Owens upended Hitler's notion of racial superiority in the (36?) Olympics. And as others have mentioned the use of Yiddish to convey risque or offensive language to make a joke. If a name is mentioned it might be a spoof of a real person with interesting entertainment/political/cultural backstory. I appreciated the German/Prussian jokes with Ms. Von Shtupp. The film throws a ton of vaudeville humor and gags at you, like a shotgun of comedy. it's too bad some of the humor is dated and hard to reference now. I like Brooks earlier films, this included (my parents, liberals in the 70's, loved this film. My father in particular who is culturally Jewish). I was not a fan of his later stuff: Men in Tights, Space Balls, etc.
One of my favorites growing up, and still today. The most recent movie that really captures this kind of genius is jojo rabbit, Mel Brooks himself said everyone should see it.
Great reaction and if you want to see some more Mel Brooks films, then I would recommend Young Frankenstein, Robin Hood Men in Tights, and Dracula Dead and Loving It.
There are tons and tons of inside jokes and easter eggs with Mel Brooks movies. Even the fact that Hedley Lamarr has to keep correcting other's when they mispronounce his name as Hedy
Hedy Lamar was known as The Most Beautiful Girl in the World but was also a brilliant inventor. She developed a frequency jumping device to combat torpedo guidance systems. The navy passed on it but it was later used as the basis for the essential technologies used to make cell phones possible. Sadly she never made a dime from it.
Mel Brooks' three best films are easily argued as his ones with Gene Wilder; The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein (which is one of my favorite movies in general, so funny).
This is one of my three top romantic pairings in film: Cleavon & Gene had such great chemistry, and Bart & Jim get to ride off into the sunset together! 💜 Also, there’s some great commentary with the Jewish actors being used as Native characters: frequently Indigenous people were portrayed by either Jewish or Mediterranean actors in classic films
This was actually the first movie to have a fart joke on screen. The new animated movie Paws of Fury is actually a loose adaptation of Blazing Saddles. Brooks is a credited writer and voice actor in it.
If you haven’t seen Mel Brooks’ The Producers (the Wilder, Mostel one) or Young Frankenstein you should 100% make time for them. Both wonderful and quotable comedies.
When the first comment came in about "Laurel & Hardy shandshake" I went "What?" Seconds later: OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Yup was just thinking it was some old school terminology at the time haha
I'm almost saddened that Cleavon Little, who played Bart, hadn't been in other big, recognizable movies or projects the rest of his career. He's so good. I thought he would have been in other movies I have seen.
There's an interview where Mel Brooks tells about making this movie. The suits at the studio would tell him "You can't put that in the movie!" and Mel would say, "You're right! I'll take it out!" and then tell his staff, "Leave it in!" So the suits were pretty much in the dark until it hit the theaters, and it was such a big hit they weren't about to do anything. Mel Brooks likes to take on racism by making the racists look like the fools they are. Check out "To Be or Not to Be" that takes place in Poland during WWII. GREAT MOVIE!
Richard Pryor's original punchline to the "Is it twue you people are gifted... oh it's twue its twue," was Bart replying "Baby, stop sucking on my arm."
“Mongo only pawn….in game of life…..” Me and my family quote this movie so much! The appropriate parts hahahahaha. When I saw that you posted this I was like “oh…..how’s this gonna work?”
I love the fact you're going to the classics. I worked in the movie theater for 8 years in the early 80s so imagine all the Blockbusters I saw when they first came out :-)
John Wayne's actual reply to Mel Brooks was that he didn't think a movie like this would be good for him to do, but he'll be first in line to watch it.
Oddly, the movie almost wasn't released. Not because of all the slurs used, but because of the campfire fart scene! The executives eventually decided to hold their nose & release it. The rest is history.
greg the actor who played mongo was a former nfl player for the Detroit Lions and he was inducted into the nfl pro football hall of fame last year . he was also 1 of the main characters to 80's comedy classic "Webster"
The campfire scene was the 1st major motion picture toot ever. The parts of Bart was meant for Richard Pryor and Jim was originally played by another actor...but he showed up too drunk to work...so he was fired and replaced by Gene.
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What other comedies you recommend?!
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Young Frankenstein!
The Producers (The 1967 version. The 2004 version is the musical filmed as a movie, and it doesn't quite translate)
Clue
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
Spaceballs
Haunted Honeymoon
History of the world pt 1. Very underrated! It’s freaking hilarious
Going back a lot... Arsenic and Old Lace.
Also Harvey is an odd one.
I’m not sure how you feel about musicals, but as a COMEDY, Singin in the Rain is absolute genius. Jean Hagen as Lina Lamont is one of the greatest characters in all of film history.
“This is like, defeating racism.” YES! That was the whole reason for the movie - to show how stupid stereotypes and racism are. Mel Brooks set out to break every rule in Hollywood when he made this movie - and did. Even the farting scene was the first of it’s kind. If you haven’t seen Young Frankenstein, that’s a must.
I was 11 or 12 when this movie came out and, because it was rated R, I talked my mom in to taking me to go see it in the theater. One of my lasting memories in life is how hard my mom laughed throughout the movie, nearly falling out of her seat during the campfire scene. After that, it became a tradition for us to go see all the Mel Brooks movies in the 70s together. Mel Brooks brought us closer together, and I am forever grateful for that.
My family enjoys Mel Brook films too. Robin Hood: Men In Tights, is our favorite of his films.
Great story! I was around that age too when my mom let me watch it on HBO. One of their first movies.
Such a classic film... so many quotable lines. "Somebody go back and get us a shitload of dimes" kills me every time.
"Piss on you, I'm workin' fer Mel Brooks!"
On the radio a dj played the quote of Bart saying, "Hey where the white women at!?"
I swear I was the only one who laughed the most in public from that line because I knew where it came from.
"God darnit, Mr Lamarr, you use your tongue prettier than a twenty dollar whore!"
The movie sucked.
In the middle of the desert and they can just go around the toll gate, just absurdly hilarious. Love this damn movie..
"You know...morons" was indeed adlibbed by Gene Wilder, and Clevon Little's reaction was absolutely spontaneous.
Mel Brooks: "Normally i'd say cut, but in this instance, fuck it we're keeping this roll."
I use that line a Lot when talking about some of the right wing folks these days.
Glad I picked up on something haha
@@jonjohns8145 If you don't use it for both sides then you might need to check a mirror.
@@platinumspider7859 No, the left wing nut jobs are not the same, so I don't use it for them. It's the right wing morons who choose to refuse to acknowledge facts.
When people tell Mel Brooks that Blazing Saddles couldn’t be made today, he always says “we couldn’t make it then either!”
Brooks has also said that he brought Richard Pryor on with the intent for him to play Bart, but the studio wouldn’t insure the production because of Pryor’s drug use, he was too unpredictable. So he brought Pryor in to write, assuming he’d write the Bart stuff but ended up Pryor wrote the Mongo stuff and Brooks wrote the racial humor.
Though of course the writing was a very ensemble thing, and the fact that Pryor was there the whole time helped Brooks really go all in on making the stupid racists really stupid and really racist.
Thank you, I get tired of all the way back when claims… in almost any context. Mel knows, the more things change the more they stay the same.
I was just about to post the very same comment.
They were probably afraid he would set himself on fire like he did b4 I can’t remember if he was stone dead drunk or high as a kite but he got it into his head that it would b a good idea to set himself on fire
@@jpetersgoyanks So, you think this movie can be made today and taken the same way? I'm just asking to make sure I understand what you're saying
Hedy Lamarr wasn't just an actress. She was the inventor of signal hopping, which was the basis for modern wireless communication.
It’s HEADLEY!
Yes she was and she is in the inventor's Hall of fame.
She actually was suing Mel Brooks for misuse of her name and the joke from the 'governor' was a nod to that.
What's funny is that Marlene Dietrich didn't sue him as well.
@@ArthurSB73 Not exactly. They made the joke and she didn't get it so she sued. That was something else she was known for. Mel just paid it because he respected her so much.
i love this movie for how it doesn't take itself seriously. it makes fun of racism and makes it stupid to believe in it and for that, I love it
Mel Brooks is a legend of classic comedy. ❤️
yeah... it's a comedy lmao
"they lose me right after the bunker scene" still gotta be my favorite blink and you'll miss it lines, so glad you included it also glad you enjoyed your experience :)
The fart scene was the first time farts were put in a film. There was an actress named Heddy Lamar and she wasn't amused. She was quite brilliant and laid the scientific foundation for Bluetooth. If you enjoy Mel Brooks films you might also enjoy High Anxiety wherein Mel spoofs Alfred Hitchcock films.
Great to see someone suggest 'High Anxiety' a rarely seen, and grossly underrated movie!
the "Laurel and Hardy handshake" is one of the most overlooked jokes of all time
It seems that, for the most part, they have been mostly forgotten. I love watching a lot of youtubers checking out these classics (near my childhood), and I can't recall anyone catching that line.
It's mostly because there's no real opportunity for young people to catch most classic comedy. And, in many cases, it's hard to get them interested in it because a lot of the old jokes are genuinely pretty terrible. Not necessarily in Laurel & Hardy's case, but there's a lot of questionable humor in the old days.
And it's not a matter of being thin-skinned on anyone's part. There's a difference between a joke that mocks the stupidity of a stereotype, and a joke that exploits a stereotype. That was one of the reasons Mel Brooks was always so good...because he handled that difference better than almost anyone.
Most of his predecessors and contemporaries...just didn't even recognize the difference.
I’m not sure how many people are aware of L&H these days… although I have a friend who worships Oliver Hardy as a comic influence, which is pretty unusual for a guy covered in tattoos 😂
My dad had to explain it to me. I was in my 30s and actually knew who Laurel and Hardy were and yet still missed it. 😳
Agreed! But the even more obscure one is Governor La Petomane being named after a professional farter
Also, when the studio saw the final cut they demanded Mel make a bunch of cuts like the use of the "N" word, the fart scene & so forth. Mel told the studio he would cut all those things out. Instead he left it completely alone and scheduled a sneak preview screening with all the items the studio wanted cut out intact. When the studio saw the audience roar with laughter at everything they wanted cut...they gave the green light to release it as is.
It was a phenomenal success
Their was a time when saying a racial slur and that included the N word wouldn't get you cancelled let alone have your life taken away. Why? because we were smart enough to distinguish between using a word with intent of hateful racism and using within context ie quoting a movie scene or reading a book. Oh and I'm Mexican American btw just in case you were wondering.
In many interviews he says they called them into an office told him what they wanted him to take out he wrote them all down in a piece of paper and when he left the meeting he crumpled up the paper and threw it away.
@@AdamFink83 It's true, I just cut the story short for context
@@SalGomez I'm just glad he had final cut and didn't have to listen.
@@nenecitosart1405 Orale Vato!
Mel Brooks parodic commentary on Racism is a hoot and a half, i've watched it so many times and it's still funny today. RIP Gene Wilder and Harvey Korman for helping make this timeless.
Greg is on a hot streak with these movie picks!!!
GET WELL SOON GUYS!!!
Really loving these new movie reactions!
Burton Gilliam, who plays Lyle, was really uncomfortable about the dialogue he had. He went and apologised to Cleavon Little, who told him “if I thought you would say those words to me in any other situation we’d go to fist city, but this is all fun. Don’t worry about it.”
And he is actually a pretty good singer.
Harvey Korman as "Hedley Lamarr" still keeps me in stitches. His snide, under the breath asides are perfectly timed, and utterly hilarious. Glad you enjoyed.
The best satire of all time. If you like this, The Producers (both the 1968 and 2005 versions) are excellent. The remake is filmed like a stage play and wildly politically incorrect. Richard Pryor co-wrote this and was set to star, but it went to Cleavon Little after the production company wouldn't ensure Richard because of his drug use. It's the same reason Bobby Brown didn't play Powerline in A Goofy Movie and the role went to Tevin Campbell, who, like Cleavon, killed it in the role.
I am so glad you are going back and watching older movies for the first time. I would love to see more of this. I would also love to see some more "off the wall" reviews of genre films from the 60s, 70s and 80s. There are so many movies in that arena that influenced modern day film. Keep up the great work!
One of the best comedies of all time, Brooks was a genius!
The movie is awful. Not even close to being funny.
He still is! Mel Brooks is still alive and kicking.
This is my absolute favorite movie! When I was hospitalized in 2015, I listed it as such on my “Getting to know you” poster, and the head nurse bought a DVD copy of it for me from a garage sale. That copy is one of my most prized possessions.
Note: I usually don’t share that movie’s title when I speak to school audiences
The movie is awful. Not even close to being funny.
Ooooh yay!!! So excited for this reaction!!!! Another good classic Mel Brooks comedy that I think you'd love is Robin Hood: Men in Tights!!!
Yaaasssss!!!!!
Yes!!!
One of my all time favorite comedies. Clevon Little threatening himself floors me everytime
So you know, Randolph Scott was a very famous western actor from the 30's till "Ride The High Country" in 1964, his last film. The actor who played Mongo played Professional Football for the Steelers I think. He was a Defensive Tackle, if I recall. This was shown on regular TV back in the 70's with NOTHING cut out. It was the first FART to air on network TV.
My dad saw this in theaters when it was released and said it was the hardest he had ever laughed at a movie. 😂
My dad told me he went with a mate and as soon as they started singing, they were laughing continuously. Best film he’d ever seen.
So I saw this when it came out. I talked my father into taking me, it was an R film, and it was an event. The audience I saw it with was constantly laughing, including my Dad. I think, for me that is what cemented this movie in my life. My Dad and I actually laughed like loons at this movie. We shared it. While some like yourself can enjoy(?) the film, you really had to be there, in the time, to appreciate the impact of watching it. Three scenes, Jim telling Bart that the townspeople were morons; The fart scene; and Mongo's statement about being a pawn in the game of life, floored everyone. It was just a thing to experience.
The movie is awful. Not even close to being funny.
Great comment!
OMGG!!! THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!!! I’m so glad you did this movie!!!
Mel Brooks wrote the theme song. As you noticed, he wanted the movie to feel like a real Western so he got Frankie Laine, who's voice was connected with Westerns, to record it. He didn't tell Laine it was a spoof so it would have the same feel the other themes did.
Laine watched it after and he liked it regardless :D
Classic. Every comedy angle covered. Sadly this movie can never be made today even if it's hilariously written in the best/worst taste. Mel is a genius. Check out please "Young Frankenstein" & "his Hitchcock tribute "High Anxiety".
Get well soon the both of ya's.
And keep it going with HISTORY OF THE WORLD (part 1) - of course, a part 2 would never manifest… 😀
One of my all time fav comedy films. So well made and written, and far cleverer then most give it credit for. A triumph as far as I'm concerned.
Oh god, there’s gonna be a LOT of editing involving a certain word. Lol. Love this movie, probably top 2 Mel Brooks films alongside Young Frankenstein.
Yup. Kept getting yellow dollar bills. This is cut #5 lol
@@ReelRejects sounds right.
What else has he made besides those two and Space Balls?
What word?
@@ScorpionStrike7 Robin Hood Men in Tights, Dracula: Dead and Loving it, History of the World Part 1. he's also starred in a few other movies, including Hotel Transylvania as Grandpa Vlad.
The " Airplane" movies are great, they are total satire with lots of non PC jokes. A great romantic comedy is " The Goodbye Girl" , Richard Dreyfus won an academy award for best actor for his role in the film. Hope you feel better soon.
Probably my favorite comedy of all time!!! I have to say, I am surprised by some of the movies you had never seen before: Forrest Gump, Shawshank and Blazing Saddles? Wow! But...it has been fun to watch them again through your eyes. I even got tears watching you get tears in Forrest Gump. Keep up the good work! - JR
There's a new animated film called Paws of Fury that's actually a remake of Blazing Saddles. They actually credit the Blazing Saddles writers for the story.
"I don't see how you could make this film today."
He infamously says he couldn't make it back then, either. He just did anyway.
SOOO glad you are watching this movie has been one of my favorites since i was a kid, my grandpa showed me this when i was very young and has been a classic since
Bart and Jim’s relationship is the most beautiful representation of what race relations should look like ever captured on film IMO. It’s kinda sad that it hasn’t been topped since the ‘70s. Maybe there are other great examples, it’s just that none come to mind.
Rush Hour
I'm joking
Lethal Weapon Brooks & Murtaugh.
@@fmyates good one!
Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor in Silver Streak and Stir Crazy.
I only ever watched Blazing Saddles because I saw Mel Brooks' other movie, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and it makes a reference to Blazing Saddles. I got curious and decided I needed to get what the joke was. I get it now.
I am old enough to remember the public controversy when this was set to run on American network tv for the first time unedited. Yes, they were going to show the campfire scene with all the sound effects and at its proper length. Previous airings had completely removed the campfire scene or shortened it to a few seconds with muted sound.
The racial slurs in the film were fine and always ran unedited but, god forbid if we hear fart sounds. I first saw they had edited the slurs in this film for the first time about 20 years ago.
It is odd to look back and see how things have changed.
Mel Brooks is always a good choice, esp. when you're not feeling well. Hope you and John are feeling better soon! :)
I love the "knock on barbed wire" gag just before the campfire bit. One old, old joke that is usually missed is when Bart says "down to the orange roof on Howard Johson's outhouse". Howard Johson was a chain of hotels and coffee shops with distinctive orange roofs to make them stand out. Hotel=outhouse?
Just the look (bathtub scene) “Taggert…” 🤨
And Dom DeLuis steals the scenes he’s in 🤣🤣
As a Gen X, I grew up watching Mel Brooks movies. This is probably the best. This was a great cast.
29:39 FYI, Mel Brooks' style of humor is very political and *very* Jewish. And the more you know about Jewish humor, the more you appreciate this movie.
You know how in "Everything Everywhere All At Once" Weyland uses kindness as a weapon/survival tool? It's the same thing with Jews and humor, especially dark political humor. And Mel Brooks is a master of weaponizing comedy against systems of oppression. It's kind of his thing.
Speaking of which, Linday Ellis made a video essay in 2017-ish called "The Producers, and the Ethics of N@zi Satire." It's excellent. She even talks about Blazing Saddles in the context of Brooks' career and his use of humor. I'm not including the link, because youtube comment moderation is weird about links, but if you type "Lindsay Ellis Producers" into the youtube search bar, it should come up.
“System of oppression” 😂
I very much enjoyed your reaction! Some of Mel Brooks's later movies, from the 1980s and on, get closer to a series of spoof-sketches, but in this one he keeps the overall plot (mostly) in mind. Another movie where he did even better at that (released the same year, incredibly!) is Young Frankenstein. I'm not saying everyone would find it his funniest -- that's a matter of taste -- but it feels the most satisfying to me as a movie because it sticks close to the classic story, while having plenty of laughs. And Gene Wilder is at the center of that one.
You noticed Richard Pryor's name as a writer. Mel Brooks wanted him to play Bart too, but the studio considered him uninsurable after his drug arrests, so Cleavon Little was cast.
My goodness you are really going thru the classics...not sure how you missed this one til now...couldn't be made today but I love it!
One of my favorite movies of all time. Blazing Saddles never stops being funny no matter how many times I rewatch it
I'm so happy you watched this movie, never knew you've never seen it, I hope there's more Mel brooks movies you haven't seen I love you reactions, been watching since you hit 50k
There's a movie called To Be Or Not To Be, which Mel Brooks remade, starring himself and his wife, Anne Bancroft. It was originally Jack Benny and Carole Lombard. The movie is a comedy, but there are dramatic parts to it, as well, it takes place during the German invasion of Poland. Brooks/Benny is the head of a Polish theater whose wife is having an affair with a Polish Air Force pilot. There are many anti-German parts to it. The original was made during the war. The movie is absolutely wonderful.
Totes agree! it's a much-overlooked classic!
The perfect storm of funny people. Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder, Madeline Khan, Harvey Korman.. could it get any better? Loved this film as a kid and still do now
There was a time in the 80s, when I would quote this movie from start to finish, every line.
At school, at work, at parties...people would be dying laughing....join in and play a part.
Can't really do that performance today.
All of the Mel Brooks collection is great, Robin Hood Men In Tights and Spaceballs are classic
“Hey boys, look what I have here!”
“Hey where’s the white women at?!”
Funniest line ever.🤣👍
And his delivery is priceless!
On holidays, my family used to put this on and act it out in front of the screen, a la Rocky Horror!
I saw this at my local theater a few years ago. Totally packed house. Second most fun I've had at a theater since I saw Pootie Tang with a full house.
Yes it was Hedy Lamar they were referencing. Just a little more about Hedy Lamar that I as a tech nerd love about her, she is really one of the most important inventors of our modern world and doesn’t get nearly the praise she should.
Back during World War II, Hedy invented frequency hopping, which is a base technology underlying all of our communications today. Your cellphone would not work if not for Hedy Lamar.
Yeah she wanted to use the tech for torpedoes, but sadly at the time the Navy didn't want to listen to her.
@@thepayne7862 Yeah, getting rather old and could not remember if it was torpedoes or what.
Thanks for watching this. I think what you reference as sketch is actually vaudeville. Mel Brooks, like the Marx Brothers (who also used vaudeville, used his films to make commentary.
So there are a lot of references in this movie, some topical for the time and others genre specific. The film is a homage of sorts to Hollywood (the musicals) in my opinion. It referenced a now nearly defunct Howard Johnson restaurants and chains and stores that sold 31 flavors of ice cream (note the reference to one flavor in the movie) that dominated the landscape of the United States at the time. The film spoofs westerns and what themes were never addressed (racism and prejudice) in them while sticking to the technical format of making a good western and thus they made a good western movie. Mel Brooks, whose family fled from the Ukraine, often stuck anti-Nazi material in his movies.
The nuanced bitterness of the racist Camptown Races song being requested and the crooned high brow popular 1934 Cole Porter Broadway tune "I Get A Kick Out Of You" song being given as a answer to a racist request.
The Jesse Owens reference was not only a topical refence of that time but Owens upended Hitler's notion of racial superiority in the (36?) Olympics. And as others have mentioned the use of Yiddish to convey risque or offensive language to make a joke. If a name is mentioned it might be a spoof of a real person with interesting entertainment/political/cultural backstory. I appreciated the German/Prussian jokes with Ms. Von Shtupp.
The film throws a ton of vaudeville humor and gags at you, like a shotgun of comedy. it's too bad some of the humor is dated and hard to reference now.
I like Brooks earlier films, this included (my parents, liberals in the 70's, loved this film. My father in particular who is culturally Jewish). I was not a fan of his later stuff: Men in Tights, Space Balls, etc.
Definitely watch more Mel Brooks film, especially Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs, & Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
Ooooh this is a classic! Just when I needed something to watch...the channel is really coming through for me lately. Just what I needed 😁
Madeline Kahn was brilliant in this, loved her in everything…..including Young Frankenstein, you will love it, it’s a must see!
She's also hilarious in the film "Clue".
I find it funny that many reactors don’t catch the Howard Johnson’s joke now. I’m too old apparently, lol.
Excellent Reaction! Great comments. Have not seen this film in years. Thanks for inviting us along!
One of my favorites growing up, and still today. The most recent movie that really captures this kind of genius is jojo rabbit, Mel Brooks himself said everyone should see it.
O boy. This is gonna be exciting. I LOVE this movie, but sadly don’t think this type of movie would ever be made today though sadly.
No worse than average episode of Family Guy really.
Ya, but they say the N slur a lot in the movie.
Great reaction. Love blazing saddles. I think you'd also loved his first movie The Producers from 1967. Great movie also with Gene wilder
11:21 This is my favorite joke in the entire movie so glad it cracked you up as much as it does me.
Actually, the scene you thought looked like an outtake really was spontaneous and a real reaction to Wilder improv'ing. :)
Comedy is chicken soup for the soul. This is the "soul food" deli special. "You should LIVE so long that you'll see a movie this funny again!"
If you haven't seen Robin Hood: Men in Tights it's also Mel Brooks and is hilarious! Cary Elwes is the lead.
That’s actually the one Mel brooks film I grew up on!
Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs, History of the World, Men in Tights, and The Producers are the other "Must See" Mel Brooks movies.
Gene Wilder was truly one of a kind
Great reaction and if you want to see some more Mel Brooks films, then I would recommend Young Frankenstein, Robin Hood Men in Tights, and Dracula Dead and Loving It.
There are tons and tons of inside jokes and easter eggs with Mel Brooks movies. Even the fact that Hedley Lamarr has to keep correcting other's when they mispronounce his name as Hedy
Hedy Lamar was known as The Most Beautiful Girl in the World but was also a brilliant inventor. She developed a frequency jumping device to combat torpedo guidance systems. The navy passed on it but it was later used as the basis for the essential technologies used to make cell phones possible. Sadly she never made a dime from it.
"That's HEDLEY!" lol
I'd highly suggest Robin Hood Men in Tights, another Mel Brooks movie and an absolute blast!
this movie is ALL TIME! im so excited for you
Mel Brooks' three best films are easily argued as his ones with Gene Wilder; The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein (which is one of my favorite movies in general, so funny).
My grandfather showed me this movie when I was 10😂😂😂
One of Mel Brooks classics. Young Frankenstein and the Producers too. You’re right on with the social commentary.
One of the best comedies of all time.
This is one of my three top romantic pairings in film: Cleavon & Gene had such great chemistry, and Bart & Jim get to ride off into the sunset together! 💜
Also, there’s some great commentary with the Jewish actors being used as Native characters: frequently Indigenous people were portrayed by either Jewish or Mediterranean actors in classic films
This was actually the first movie to have a fart joke on screen. The new animated movie Paws of Fury is actually a loose adaptation of Blazing Saddles. Brooks is a credited writer and voice actor in it.
Paws of Fury to me looks like a Hong Kong Phooey movie but they couldn't get the rights.
If you haven’t seen Mel Brooks’ The Producers (the Wilder, Mostel one) or Young Frankenstein you should 100% make time for them. Both wonderful and quotable comedies.
Greg, please watch History of the World Part 1 and Young Frankenstein if you have yet to watch those Brooks' classics...
It is so sad that all the stars of this movie are now deceased, except for Mel Brooks. So much talent in such a small space.
When the first comment came in about "Laurel & Hardy shandshake" I went "What?" Seconds later: OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Yup was just thinking it was some old school terminology at the time haha
I have not laughed so hard in a while XD thanks man!
I'm almost saddened that Cleavon Little, who played Bart, hadn't been in other big, recognizable movies or projects the rest of his career. He's so good. I thought he would have been in other movies I have seen.
Yeah he is absolutely brilliant in this. He did have a bigger Broadway career but he died quite young if I remember correctly.
There's an interview where Mel Brooks tells about making this movie. The suits at the studio would tell him "You can't put that in the movie!" and Mel would say, "You're right! I'll take it out!" and then tell his staff, "Leave it in!" So the suits were pretty much in the dark until it hit the theaters, and it was such a big hit they weren't about to do anything.
Mel Brooks likes to take on racism by making the racists look like the fools they are. Check out "To Be or Not to Be" that takes place in Poland during WWII. GREAT MOVIE!
Richard Pryor's original punchline to the "Is it twue you people are gifted... oh it's twue its twue," was Bart replying "Baby, stop sucking on my arm."
“Mongo only pawn….in game of life…..”
Me and my family quote this movie so much! The appropriate parts hahahahaha.
When I saw that you posted this I was like “oh…..how’s this gonna work?”
Richard Pryor was supposed to play the sheriff but the studio told Mel no. So Mel hired him as part of the script writing team.
A great classic, slap stick humor never lets down .
I love the fact you're going to the classics. I worked in the movie theater for 8 years in the early 80s so imagine all the Blockbusters I saw when they first came out :-)
Richard Prior was supposed to play Bart. Mel wanted John Wayne for Gene Wilders character but knew he’d never get him.
John Wayne's actual reply to Mel Brooks was that he didn't think a movie like this would be good for him to do, but he'll be first in line to watch it.
Oddly, the movie almost wasn't released. Not because of all the slurs used, but because of the campfire fart scene! The executives eventually decided to hold their nose & release it. The rest is history.
greg the actor who played mongo was a former nfl player for the Detroit Lions and he was inducted into the nfl pro football hall of fame last year . he was also 1 of the main characters to 80's comedy classic "Webster"
8:42 I've watched this film a dozen times and THIS is the first time I noticed the Laurel and Hardy joke.
I hope you'll watch more Mel Brooks. I personally love Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Gotta love Cary Elwes.
The campfire scene was the 1st major motion picture toot ever.
The parts of Bart was meant for Richard Pryor and Jim was originally played by another actor...but he showed up too drunk to work...so he was fired and replaced by Gene.
All Mel Brooks movies break the fourth wall. It’s his thing.