Better Late than Never on "Young Frankenstein"

Along the same lines of my blog yesterday, I recently watched, from start to finish for the first time, "Young Frankenstein".

I am a big time Mel Brooks fan, but seeing this movie in its entirety in one sitting has somehow eluded me. I guess I had opportunities and just passed them up. Or maybe I just assumed I had seen it because I know the big beats from the movie. But I was watching a clip from this movie on the internet and it was then I had realized I had never fully watched the movie. The clip is of a pretty famous scene too. It is Dr Frankenstein speaking with Igor about who's brain they used. Igor explains it was not the person they agreed upon, but someone named "Abbie Normal". Dr Frankenstein proceeds to choke him out and I was cracking up watching the clip. I happened to see the clip on the week where I got to pick the movie we watched for date night. My choice was made for me right then and there. I picked Dr Frankenstein and sat back and watched and discovered why this movie is so revered.

"Young Frankenstein" is one of the greatest comedies of all time. This movie was made in 1974 but it still felt as fresh as ever. Gene Wilder was an amazing comedic actor. The way he played the title role in this movie was different though. He took the role seriously, but when it was time for him to go big, his wheelhouse, he went as big as ever and absolutely destroyed. He was one of the best actors ever. The fact that he didn't get any awards consideration for this role is criminal. Not to be outdone, Peter Boyle was a revelation for me in this watch. I have only known him from "Everybody Loves Raymond", a show I only sparingly saw when walking through my home I grew up in as my folks watched. In this movie he was hilarious as The Monster. When he did the dance scene, he was incredible. When he finds love, that was great. When he is chained and runs away, hilarious. Boyle was perfect for this role. Marty Feldman as Igor was the perfect sidekick to Wilder. He was silly, big, funny and more than held his own. His look was so unique and so well crafted in this role. He made me laugh harder than Wilder at some points. Terri Garr, as Frankenstein's assistant, did a masterful job. She is a beauty, but she also was right there with all the stars matching the comedy. She had some excellent comedic timing here and really nailed it. Cloris Leachman was the consummate pro. She had a small role here, but she was so memorable. Whenever I hear her name from this movie being said, all I will think about is horses neighing uncontrollably. Kenneth Mars had some great moments as the Inspector. Gene Hackman, in an uncredited role, made me crack up. And Mel Brooks, in only one scene, did his thing as usual and was hilarious.

This movie is a classic for a reason. It is funny, well written, well acted and very well shot. I love the black and white aspect. I loved the "scary" music. But most of all, the chemistry between Garr and Wilder was unprecedented.

"Young Frankenstein" rules. I never had any doubts, but to finally see it from beginning to end, that only confirmed how truly wonderful it is. I loved this movie. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches "History of the World: Part II"

I'm a Mel Brooks fan so I was stoked to watch "History of the World: Part 2" this week. I have now watched six of the first eight episodes, I will finish it off tonight, and I have some thoughts.

I went back and rewatched "History of the World: Part 1" about a week ago. There is some problematic language and stuff in that movie, as with most stuff from that era of tv and movies, but damn it did it make me laugh. Brooks may be the funniest film maker of all time. There is no other comedy director who has made me laugh as consistently as him. Even his not so good stuff, "Robin Hood: Men in Tights", has its moments. But, I was a little hesitant going into this sequel, so many years later. I also read some stuff recently that said it felt "neutered" and called it a "let down". I have gotten none of that from the first six episodes. I have been laughing very hard at what I have seen so far. It has kept my attention. I have not found myself going to my phone at all while I watch the series. I also like that they have made it a series and not a movie sequel. That was the right move.

Also, when you have Nick Kroll, Ike Barinholtz and Wanda Sykes as the leads, that is top notch comedy for me. I am a fan of all three of these people and really enjoy their other work. The writing staff is full of comedy people that I hear on many podcasts every week. I feel like this new series was made for a comedy fan like myself. The jokes are rapid fire and funny. There are very few sketches that don't make me laugh. And the ones that don't hit as hard with me still work in the flow of the show.

The other actors that they got for this are big time people, Jack Black, Pamela Adlon, Tim Baltz, Dove Cameron, Jay Ellis, Zahn McClarnon, JB Smoove, Tyler James Williams, Johnny Knoxville, his "Jackass" co stars, Mitra Jouhari, James Adomian, Zazie Beetz, Ronny Chieng, Rob Corddry, Colton Dunn, Richard Kind, and so many, many more that I could name.That is a pretty hefty cast list. It has the big names I mentioned, and also some names of people who are about to hit big. Brooks, Barinholtz, Sykes and Kroll really wanted to get some of their friends in this, and their friends are giving wonderful performances.

I am also a fan of the whole sketch thing. I think this keeps my attention even more. Some of the sketches are long running. They evolve from each episode. But I appreciate the fact that they give each sketch about five to six minutes and move on. And the sketches that they shorten are explosions of comedy. There is this commercial bit about statues that is tremendous. It has made me laugh harder than most of the stuff on the show. But it all works for me.

As I said before, this feels like it is a comedic show made for my comedic sensibilities. I feel like they decided to make this show for my generation. I don't know many other 40 year olds that have seen the original "History of the World", but I know a bunch of 40 year olds who like this show. It has the same sensibility as the original, but it is all new sketches. Mel Brooks came on the first episode and said he wouldn't do this if it was just a remake. That was a smart, smart move.

I say ignore the critics and watch this show. Each episode is about 27 minutes long and they are packed with jokes. It is very good and I hope they make more. I am a fan. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Gene Wilder Gave Us the Gift of Pure Imagination

We have lost another big, big time legend. The great Gene Wilder passed away at the age of 82 reportedly in early August. I was late to his movies, but when I did see his stuff, I was immediately a fan. I loved his look, his style and, most importantly, his comedic chops. He was a funny, funny man. He made me laugh in pretty much everything I saw him in.

My first exposure to Gene Wilder was the classic movie, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". I saw this movie when I was very young, probably 8 or 9, and I didn't really understand it at the time. Actually, it kind of scared me a bit. But, when I was older, probably 16 or 17, I watched it again, and I was struck at how great this movie was. I had the preconceived notion that it still may be a bit scary, but I toughed it out and watched it again. The second time around, 8 or 9 years later, it was just great. I loved everything about the movie. I loved the jokes, the absurdity and the veiled horror in the movie. But, what I kept going back to, and the person I watched the most, was Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. His performance in this role is absolutely timeless. From the moment he shows up with the cane, then proceeds to lose said cane and does a sommersault, to the way he deals with the bratty children, to the way he treats the oompa loompa's and to how he finally realizes that Charlie is the only child that is truly worthy to be in his chocolate factory, it was all greatbecause of Wilder's performance. "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", after the second viewing, became a barometer for friendships and girlfriends for me. If new people that I met liked the movie, they had a leg up. If they mentioned Wilder's performance, I knew we were going to be friends for a long time. I still sit back and watch that movie to this day, and I'm still as moved by the movie, but more importantly, Wilder's performance, as I was when I watched it as a teenager. "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" is a great entryway to the genius that was Gene Wilder, especially for millennials. Don't waste your time watching Tim Burton's garbage remake. That movie is trash and Johnny Depp is no Gene Wilder.

After my renaissance, if you will, with Gene Wilder, I needed to see more. My dad and brothers told me to watch this classic comedy called "Blazing Saddles". It was at this time that I was getting more and more into comedy, be it stand up, TV or movies. They all raved about this classic Mel Brooks spoof of western movies. I was hesitant again, I'm not that big a fan of westerns, but I watched it anyway because Wilder was, at least I was told, genius in "Blazing Saddles". So, I watched it and was completely blown away by how great everything was in the movie. "Blazing Saddles" is the top tier of spoof movies. Every part, every role, every spoken word of dialogue, every set piece, everything was just perfect and hilarious. I was laughing the entire time. I look back at a movie like "Blazing Saddles" and I can't imagine anything like it would be made today, but back in the 70's, it was great fodder. And what makes this great is Cleavon Little, as Bart and Gene Wilder, as Jim. Their relationship throughout the movie is wonderful. The first scene where we meet Gene Wilder's Jim, in the jail, is classic. The whole back and forth about him being the fastest gun in the West and how he may have lost a step or two, but then proving to Bart that he still had it, all of it was hilarious and perfectly Mel Brooks and perfectly Gene Wilder. "Blazing Saddles" is so great, and it is made even better due to Wilder's performance. Wilder was a lock to give you a great performance, especially a deadpan comedic performance. He was like an all time great athlete. When people counted him out, he would achieve. When people expected greatness, he would go above and beyond expectations. And his performance in "Blazing Saddles" was masterful. The movie definitely stands the test of time. Watch it today, and I bet you will laugh just as hard as the people who first saw it in 1974.

After seeing "Blazing Saddles", I took a long break from Gene Wilder movies. It wasn't a conscious choice, I was in college, and had other stuff on my mind. When I met my wife, while we were still "boyfriend and girlfriend", she used to tell me that, if I liked Wilder so much, I should see "Young Frankenstein". It was many years later, after we had married, that I finally rented the movie, and we sat down and watched it together. I got the same feeling watching "Young Frankenstein", in my late 20's, that I got when I first saw "Blazing Saddles". "Young Frankenstein" was great, and Wilder was absolutely wonderful. He was the star of this movie. He was great in every facet. He was so weird, but so funny. His takes on horror where just perfect. He, and Mel Brooks, spoofed it fantastically. "Young Frankenstein" is a perfect comedy movie. Gene Wilder is so phenomenal in this role. With "Young Frankenstein", I made the decision that Wilder may be the best, or at least in the top three, of greatest comedic actors of all time. He was great in every thing that he did. And "Young Frankenstein" may be his coup de tat. As much as I love "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and "Blazing Saddles", "Young Frankenstein" is a comedic work of art. It's classic.

I know that Gene Wilder has done countless other things, i.e., his work with Richard Pryor, all the other movies he did with Mel Brooks and popping up on TV shows here and there later in his career, but these three movies are what I will remember most from Gene Wilder.

It doesn't just stop at movies for me. I love the fact that, without him, we may have never gotten to see the genius that was Richard Pryor, and vice versa. They were one of the greatest comedic duos of all time. The two of them working together is like having Magic and Bird on the same team, or Michael and Scottie. They made each other so much better and pushed each other to do great things. His look was undeniable as well. There was no mistaking when Wilder walked into a room. Everyone knew it was him. Look at the iconic hair. When my son was a baby, he had the wildest hair I had ever seen, and we called him "baby Gene Wilder".

Gene Wilder was a genius and a legend. He lived a long, fruitful life and he will be missed. There will never be another Gene Wilder. He was truly one of a kind. He has influenced so many people that I like, among countless others. He was, and always will be, one of the greatest. Hopefully you are making people laugh wherever you are right now Mr. Wilder, and keep using your pure imagination in the afterlife. RIP

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Follow him on twitter @tykulik.