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Am I the only one who doesn't find Mel Brooks movies funny?

posted 3 years ago by OvertonPendulum (4026)
29 replies | jump to latest

I grew up watching spoof movies of the 80s and 90s. I loved Airplane, I loved the Naked Gun trilogy, I even liked the Hot Shots and the earlier Scary Movie movies and I simply hate what has happened to the entire genre since. However for some reason most of Mel Brooks movies don't stake a cord in me, most of them just aren't funny. Blazing Saddles wasn't funny, Spaceballs wasn't funny, Young Frankenstein wasn't funny. His only movie I found moderately funny was Robin Hood men in Tights.

[–] JaqenHgar (731) 3 years ago

To each their own, but it's funny that you mentioned Airplane, Naked Gun, and Hot Shots, because everyone of those films relied on the same form of humor that Mel Brooks made famous. If there was no Mel Brooks, it's a very good possibility that there wouldn't be any of those films you mentioned enjoying.

[–] pjl69 (2647) 3 years ago

I don't find Brooks funny either. Zuckers and co just made much better and funnier films.

OTOH, his production company Brooksfilms produced The Elephant Man and David Cronenberg's The Fly, so something good has come out of his career and it wasn't a complete waste.

[–] thermo (40) 3 years ago

The only Mel Brooks film i kinda liked was Dracula, and i consider Naked Gun and Airplane! my favourite spoofs. Mel Brooks himself is funny performer but his films as a whole, not so much. Maybe just bits and pieces like the horses whinnig gag in Young Frankenstein and Jesus in HOTW.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Probably not. It's just your taste. It's all good.

[–] kwestmo (4385) 3 years ago

Sounds like generational taste. That being said I was young when Brooks hit his peak (TP, BS, YF), I find those movies hilarious. (Tho BS seems dated to me now.) However, I find his subsequent 70's movies, HA and SM, not funny.

I don't care for his 80s-plus output it seems to be derivative of movies like Airplane and the NG series, which makes me understand why his humor doesn't appeal to you.

Comedy is very subjective.

[–] sslssg (34323) 3 years ago

No. I'm not a huge fan of his films, but I do actually like Spaceballs, and Robin Hood Men in Tights.

[–] horrorfan000 (2317) 3 years ago

Probably not.People have different tastes when it comes to humor.I don't find them as funny as classics like Airplane or The Naked gun but i enjoy them.The Genre's pretty been dead for a while.The last decent one i found was a Lethal weapon spoof from the 90s called Loaded weapon 1.

[–] R_Kane (15828) 3 years ago

Zero Mostel, one of the greatest comic actors ever, DETESTED Mel Brooks. Brooks tried to direct Mostel in The Twelve Chairs. Mostel remarked on-set, “A director? There’s a director here? THAT’S a director?” See, Brooks tried to make Jewish comedy for Gentiles. Doesn’t work.

[–] trevorh321 (5495) 3 years ago

What did you think of Hot Shots Part Deux?

[–] OvertonPendulum (4026) 3 years ago

Not as good as the first.

[–] Roguemail (1614) 3 years ago

My take on this is that Brooks golden era was 70s, and maybe late 60s (The Producers as an example).

Back then that sort of scattershot, sexist, overt and often juvenile humour was very common. So movies like The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein chimed with audience tastes of the day and we're loved and revered.

But when it got to the 80s and 90s , it always seemed to me that Brooks was still mired in the mindset of the 70s. But audiences had moved on, tastes and attitudes had changed.

Robin Hood was a good example for me. The silly camp and gay references started to feel tired. The world had changed, but Mel had not moved on.

And things got even worse in the 90s with movies like Life Stinks.

I still love Producers, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles and even High Anxiety and Spaceballs though.

[–] jekporkins (1973) 3 years ago

Odd how different people are about comedy. I think Part Deux is one of the funniest movies of all time and twice as good as part one. Probably because I was such an 80s action junkie it resonated with me...