5 ms·

History of Mel Brooks: Both Parts

59 points by samclemens 7y ago

ggm 7y ago
Young frankenstein is my personal favourite, because it explores the tropes so beautifully. Also, marty feldman but that is less about Mel Brooks and more about the cast. Still, one of the important roles of a director/producer like Brooks, is assembling the perfect ensenble. The Producers is amazing. Put in time, to take things as raw as recent history (less than 20 years) and cast zero mostel into the stereotype role... The sad part is the 'do you have to be unhappy to be this funny'
- hirundo 7y ago
  A kid I knew from boy scouts in the '70s was a huge Mel Brooks fan. He would quote dialogues from Brooks' movies at length. He was always trying to make other people laugh and usually succeeded, because he had all of Brooks best material to work with. It was a task to get a serious word out of him. I got to know him better in the scouts, sleeping in the same tent on hikes and such. Turns out he was about the most miserable person I knew. When he killed himself at age 18 I was horrified if not greatly surprised. Like Robin Williams, but less brilliant and with a shorter arc. So yes, I've always thought that there was a connection between inner depression and outer zanyness.
mcnamaratw 7y ago
I'm sure it's important for somebody to write about the less fun side of the guy ... but I want the fun side.
- jaclaz 7y ago
  >....but I want the fun side. From "Life stinks": Where's your sense of loyalty, honesty, decency? Mr. Bolt, we're lawyers.
maroonblazer 7y ago
>The roots of Brooks’s anger are surely complex, yet clues are scattered throughout his interviews. “I always felt it was my job to amuse those around me,” Brooks once said. “Don’t ask why.” You don’t need to be a Freudian to see how such a burden could stir up intense resentment, even rage, at an audience. Several comedians I've come across seem to share this attribute. Robin Williams and Jonathan Waters immediately come to mind. To a lesser extent Martin Short. They seem almost desperate to get a laugh. It can become overbearing to those watching. >Politically, Brooks was a liberal—or so people assumed after Blazing Saddles. Ooof...some of the liberals you see these days (I consider myself liberal) would be outraged at "Blazing Saddles". I re-watched it recently and wasn't sure if the film would survive today.
- GiorgioG 7y ago
  > Ooof...some of the liberals you see these days (I consider myself liberal) would be outraged at "Blazing Saddles". I re-watched it recently and wasn't sure if the film would survive today. No it wouldn’t survive today. Too many people would have their feelings hurt and we can’t have that - even if it’s just for laughs. I recently watched it with my 13 year old daughter and I was shocked that she loved it (surprisingly) - after which I explained to her that these kinds of movies can’t be made anymore because too many people would be outraged.
  - ses1984 7y ago
    >I explained to her that these kinds of movies can’t be made anymore because too many people would be outraged. I don't get this attitude. I think movies like this aren't made any more because they wouldn't be original or worth making. They wouldn't be commercially viable. Outrage is only going to come from a minority, and everyone else just won't care. I think we have so far passed the degree of shock that people don't even notice any more. Borat, South Park, Tropic Thunder, Shameless, The Boondocks, examples are easy to find and I don't even care for this flavor of humor. I guess these examples are mostly from several years ago or more, but I have been hearing "these kinds of movies can't be made anymore" for the last 20 years.
mgamache 7y ago
Most (maybe all) good comedy comes from a dark place. Comedians can have profound demons driving them. Mel Brooks is no exception, I think in their attempt to make us laugh is to try and escape their personal hell. I know this may seem a dramatic sentiment, but really look at the best comedians and it’s full of really messed up people.
jacquesm 7y ago
"Still dying..." If you like Mel Brooks make sure you check out Tommy Cooper as well. Both definitely suffered from Pagliacci syndrome. My personal take on this is that you have to get roughly down to the zeroth floor of life when humor is all that will keep you going in order to be that funny because afterwards everything will be funny. There is - or rather was - a Dutch humorist named Max Tailleur, whose byline was 'I laugh so I don't cry'. Food for thought.
cryptoquick 7y ago
I'm sad to say, I initially read this as "History of MacBooks". I'm also sad to say that I had the tune of "The French Mistake" stuck in my head for an entire week.
- hibbelig 7y ago
  And I was thinking of the story of Mel, a real programmer...
billman 7y ago
Fun fact: Mel Brooks took drum lessons from Buddy Rich.

59 points by samclemens 7y ago

ggm 7y ago

Young frankenstein is my personal favourite, because it explores the tropes so beautifully. Also, marty feldman but that is less about Mel Brooks and more about the cast. Still, one of the important roles of a director/producer like Brooks, is assembling the perfect ensenble. The Producers is amazing. Put in time, to take things as raw as recent history (less than 20 years) and cast zero mostel into the stereotype role... The sad part is the 'do you have to be unhappy to be this funny'

hirundo 7y ago
A kid I knew from boy scouts in the '70s was a huge Mel Brooks fan. He would quote dialogues from Brooks' movies at length. He was always trying to make other people laugh and usually succeeded, because he had all of Brooks best material to work with. It was a task to get a serious word out of him. I got to know him better in the scouts, sleeping in the same tent on hikes and such. Turns out he was about the most miserable person I knew. When he killed himself at age 18 I was horrified if not greatly surprised. Like Robin Williams, but less brilliant and with a shorter arc. So yes, I've always thought that there was a connection between inner depression and outer zanyness.

mcnamaratw 7y ago

I'm sure it's important for somebody to write about the less fun side of the guy ... but I want the fun side.

jaclaz 7y ago
>....but I want the fun side. From "Life stinks": Where's your sense of loyalty, honesty, decency? Mr. Bolt, we're lawyers.

maroonblazer 7y ago

>The roots of Brooks’s anger are surely complex, yet clues are scattered throughout his interviews. “I always felt it was my job to amuse those around me,” Brooks once said. “Don’t ask why.” You don’t need to be a Freudian to see how such a burden could stir up intense resentment, even rage, at an audience. Several comedians I've come across seem to share this attribute. Robin Williams and Jonathan Waters immediately come to mind. To a lesser extent Martin Short. They seem almost desperate to get a laugh. It can become overbearing to those watching. >Politically, Brooks was a liberal—or so people assumed after Blazing Saddles. Ooof...some of the liberals you see these days (I consider myself liberal) would be outraged at "Blazing Saddles". I re-watched it recently and wasn't sure if the film would survive today.

GiorgioG 7y ago
> Ooof...some of the liberals you see these days (I consider myself liberal) would be outraged at "Blazing Saddles". I re-watched it recently and wasn't sure if the film would survive today. No it wouldn’t survive today. Too many people would have their feelings hurt and we can’t have that - even if it’s just for laughs. I recently watched it with my 13 year old daughter and I was shocked that she loved it (surprisingly) - after which I explained to her that these kinds of movies can’t be made anymore because too many people would be outraged.
- ses1984 7y ago
  >I explained to her that these kinds of movies can’t be made anymore because too many people would be outraged. I don't get this attitude. I think movies like this aren't made any more because they wouldn't be original or worth making. They wouldn't be commercially viable. Outrage is only going to come from a minority, and everyone else just won't care. I think we have so far passed the degree of shock that people don't even notice any more. Borat, South Park, Tropic Thunder, Shameless, The Boondocks, examples are easy to find and I don't even care for this flavor of humor. I guess these examples are mostly from several years ago or more, but I have been hearing "these kinds of movies can't be made anymore" for the last 20 years.

mgamache 7y ago

Most (maybe all) good comedy comes from a dark place. Comedians can have profound demons driving them. Mel Brooks is no exception, I think in their attempt to make us laugh is to try and escape their personal hell. I know this may seem a dramatic sentiment, but really look at the best comedians and it’s full of really messed up people.

jacquesm 7y ago

"Still dying..." If you like Mel Brooks make sure you check out Tommy Cooper as well. Both definitely suffered from Pagliacci syndrome. My personal take on this is that you have to get roughly down to the zeroth floor of life when humor is all that will keep you going in order to be that funny because afterwards everything will be funny. There is - or rather was - a Dutch humorist named Max Tailleur, whose byline was 'I laugh so I don't cry'. Food for thought.

cryptoquick 7y ago

I'm sad to say, I initially read this as "History of MacBooks". I'm also sad to say that I had the tune of "The French Mistake" stuck in my head for an entire week.

hibbelig 7y ago
And I was thinking of the story of Mel, a real programmer...

billman 7y ago

Fun fact: Mel Brooks took drum lessons from Buddy Rich.