Just thought I'd share with you this interesting little snippet on Mel Brooks from Esquire, which I just stumbled upon.
I particularly like the part about comedy not being frivolous, that it needs to have heart. I'm paraphrasing, of course, but when I think about my favourite comedies, it's true - there's something deeper going on than just 'wacka wacka' type stuff. Buffy, Muriel's Wedding, Kung Fu Hustle, I could go on for a while here...even Spaceballs, which at the time, I thought was the funniest thing on the planet - no pun intended - a big part of the appeal was, I guess, heart-type stuff, in that case, a real belief in the chemistry between Bill Pullman and Daphne Zuniga. Oh and John Candy was just so damn cute.
Anyway, I've just realised I'm starting off my morning by psychoanalysing Spaceballs, so I guess the day is gonna be all downhill from here.
Need. More. Coffee.
5 comments:
Hey Brody, thanks for stopping by - LOVE your blog, btw. I will link you soon!!
"Story" is one I've been meaning to get my hands on for ages, I've heard it's brilliant. Thanks for reminding me...*scrawling on Christmas list*
Sigh, I can feel the more coffee pain currently my brewer is doing it's strange and bitchy once a week f*%$ you and throwing of steam but only about an inch of sludge no coffee. Damn I hate that thing if it was not so pretty it would be pushing up daisys.
Very good article I love how he says his greatest time was until he was 9 it is so true at 9 things change you know more therefor see more and things start to be more real life and that was like 70 years ago wow imagine todays kids 9 is halfway to 30 for some of them. Now the Disney generation is popping out babies while they are still the Disney generation...Jamie Spears is preggo news flash from MSN this AM. WTF I am so turning off Disney what a terrible influence for our young kids. Ok I am rambling need to tinker with coffee machine before I go nutso. Have a great day!P
Mel Brooks - now there's a man who knows the awesomeness of mothers - and Fred Astaire movies!
Not a huge fan of Spaceballs, but The Producers (both) and Men in Tights and a coupla his other works are awesome. (Check out 'To Be Or Not To Be' where he doubles up with wife Anne Bancroft)
I had a read of his biography a few months ago. It was awfully written, but he seems to be every bit as psycho in real life as his films are, and then some.
Melissa - I feel your pain on the coffee front!! I know, I'm always looking at my kids thinking how weird it is that when we have no responsibilities or things to worry about, we don't even realise that's something to be treasured!
Mr Anon - Not a fan of 'Spaceballs?' Perhaps you saw it too late. I got in early on the action, I believe I was 9 or 10 on first viewing, the perfect age for such ludicrous stuff - speed and otherwise.
Oh yeah, I forgot he was married to Anne Bancroft. I saw a really cool doco on TV a couple of years back about the making of the new version of The Producers. His passion was what struck me, big-time, just the way he even described the meaning behind the songs. Pity his bio was badly written, has he done an autobiography? One which I read last year which was fantastic was Gene Wilder's...
Anyway, I'm totally rambling. Off to bed!
I think Spaceballs is of its time, a good Star Wars send up, though it's dated now. The Robin Hood story is sort of more timeless.
I'd love a Mel Brooks autobiography. He's done plenty of interviews and tells a wicked story. Apparently before he put together the Producers a second time he was working on the script of a film version of his life in the army, which would have been interesting - but knowing his comedy, it's obvious you've got to take anything he says about himself with a huge grain of salt.
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