Mel Brooks, one of the Kings of Comedy, once said: “Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall in an open sewer and die.” The line means that as long as it doesn’t happen to me, it won’t hurt as much. Saturday Night Live has pushed the envelope in its 50Continue reading “‘SNL’ Skit Did Go Too Far”
Tag Archives: mel-brooks
David Lynch Made Avant-Garde Cinema/TV Mainstream
I’ve often said even when David Lynch made a bad movie, it was still a lot better than some other director’s best movies. I remember watching the 2002 Academy Awards telecast and very briefly there was a shot of Lynch standing next to Robert Altman as they were casually talking. It was one of thoseContinue reading “David Lynch Made Avant-Garde Cinema/TV Mainstream”
Teri Garr, Gone But Not Forgotten
Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, it seemed Teri Garr was in just about every other movie that was popular. She started out acting in 1963 mostly as a background dancer in musicals when she was a teenager. But mainstream success didn’t happen until a decade later when she was cast by Francis FordContinue reading “Teri Garr, Gone But Not Forgotten”
‘The Blob’ Remake Makes A Bigger Splash On Reassessment
While it seems remakes/reboots are all the trends now with most of them failing, filmmakers decades ago seemed to get it right. John Carpenter’s The Thing is seen now as one of his best movies with a thrilling score by the late great Ennio Morricone. When Mel Brooks tapped David Cronenberg to do a remakeContinue reading “‘The Blob’ Remake Makes A Bigger Splash On Reassessment”
‘Remembering Gene Wilder’ Has Flaws But Unforgettable For His Fans
I think what made Gene Wilder so popular with a lot of young people especially with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was how there was a childish quality about him. There was a gullible niavete early in his career that made him likeable and even empathetic even though he wasn’t a Hollywood leading manContinue reading “‘Remembering Gene Wilder’ Has Flaws But Unforgettable For His Fans”
‘Blazing Saddles’ Turns 50
My aunt first told me about Blazing Saddles sometime in the 1980s but all she mentioned was the famous fart scene. A group of cowboy marauders are sitting around a campfire eating beans when one of them, Lyle (Burton Gilliam), leans over and lifts up his leg a little and lets one out. Then, theContinue reading “‘Blazing Saddles’ Turns 50”
Zane Says 