Rating: 
Summary: The best thing Mel Brooks ever did!
Review: I laughed so hard that I honestly thought I was going to die
Rating:
Summary: Where Did I Go Right?
Review: The Producers is the best of Mel Brooks' trio of masterpieces, which includes Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles. Who knows if this is one of the funniest movies of all time? It's on my list of the funniest, though. You either love Mel's work, or you think he's inane and over-the-top; or both. Gene Wilder's best work may be found in Mel's movies; and Zero Mostel would certainly have been a mainstay in Mel Brooks movies if not for his unfortunate demise. The Producers is full of funny one-liners, and outrageous sight gags. Even the aspects that seem "dated" are still funny, because they were played over-the-top ridiculous in the first place; their datedness just plays into their over-the-topness now.
Rating: 
Summary: DOOZY PREMISE WITH *SOME* GOOFY GAGS, BUT..
Review: The theme held so much promise -- a couple of spent-out producers setting out to create the worst play ever to exploit an accounting glitch with finances. But something happened on the way to the execution. The comic timing is good, and Zero and Gene have an engaging chemistry which dangles a promise in the first 30 minutes. There was even an occasional giggle here and there, but soon the clock was ticking and I had only found the film annoying, overacted and frequently just downright silly. It's basically two guys fumbling around like a couple of idiots for a farcical hour and thirty minutes. "Springtime for Hitler" could've been hilarious, but even that fell flat. Come on, a drug-induced sixties, flower-power stoner playing Hitler is supposed to be funny? There's a whole bunch of weird bits of comedy that are definitely original. But that's all they are. That originality sports very little zest or appeal. Did I have to be born in the late sixties to get the humor? Is this a dated comedy? Maybe I missed something. Perhaps a rental if you have a particularly open evening.
Rating:
Summary: "The Fruer Was A Great Dancer"
Review: After seeing the Broadway show and now owning the movie I have come up with the opinon that the movie is actually better than the smash-hit Broadway show despite the fact it only contains two songs-- one of which was cut from the Broadway show. So if you expect it to be anything like the Broadway show your in for a rude awakening!
In this Motzel and Widler give great performances along with the hippie who sings the song "Flower Power" at his audition and manages to get the role of Hitler in Bialy's "Springtime For Hitler." The jokes in this movie never fail to make me laugh along with the hilliarous ex-Nazi who is now a pigeon collector. There is not a bad scene in this movie and Wilder gives his best performance.
The quality of the DVD is good and it's a movie I watch over and over again! If your a fan of good dialouge and old comedies this movie is at least worth a look at! All in all buy or rent this one!
Rating: 
Summary: The greatest comedy of all time?
Review: I've got to say I was very excited about watching this movie. It had got 5 stars in the TV guide. Talking about how a re-make is being made and how there is a Broadway show of it. My wife was feeling ill so I thought it's the perfect day to watch this "greatest comeday of all time".
Within ten minutes we were wondering if there was any point in watching more. As the movie was supposed to be so good we continued to watch. Repeatidly saying "this is stupid!".
To put it bluntly it is the worst movie I have ever seen. Perhaps we don't have a sense of humour, perhaps we just don't understand art. I would strongly recommend not buying this movie!
For a truly funny movie I would recomment "Harold and Maude" (1971) by Hal Ashby.
Rating:
Summary: thoroughly tasteless...thouroughly hilarious
Review: Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder (and crew) make this movie version so very special.(More than the stage musical). They team up in a scam to make financially floundering Max(Mostel) bounce back by creating a play that is sure to fail...at least that's the plan.
In bad taste and hilarious, revealing the comic genius of Mostel, Wilder, Brooks etc. in satire even more likely to offend than that in Brook's 'Blazing Saddles'.
Rating: 
Summary: Laugh at Nazis - it's ok
Review: Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) is fed up. He is a fat, ageing, has been theatre impressario - many years and drinks past his halcyon best. And he is broke. But his nervous and neurotic accountant, Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder) suggests a scam - collect a whopping amount of sponsorship money to produce a play, and, so long as the production is a complete flop, the money doesn't have to be returned to its providers.
So Bialystock goes about charming vunerable little old rich ladies into pouring money into his production, 50% of the profits guaranteed - to hundreds of them. With the kitty established, the task is to find the worst possible production. Leafing through old scripts, Bialystock thinks he has hit the jackpot with 'Springtime for Hitler, a Musical'- 'a delightful romp at Berchestechst garden with Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun', written by Franz Liebkind (Kenneth Mars), a Nazi crackpot who insists aggressively in a drunken stupor that Hitler was a much better painter than Churchill: 'He could paint an entire appartment in one afternoon, two coats!'. They find the right director - transexual Roger De Bris (Christopher Hewitt), the only director known to have a play close after the first night of rehearsals. For Hitler himself, flamboyant and camply eccentric lounge singer Lorenzo S. Dubois (Dick Shawn). They get him to portray Hitler in quintessential 60s flower child mode.
How can such a production fail to be a disaster? Well you can guess what happens, and, true, the play is fairly predictable once the initial plan is in motion, but no less enjoyable for it. In fact, the glorious comic potential of the idea is the funniest thing about this movie, some scenes don't quite come off as well as they might, the humour is primarily in the immediate comic impact of the characters themselves rather than the dialogue, which is patchy at times.
This movie holds an important place in cultural history as it marks a turning point in public reactions to Nazism. The cast was predominantly Jewish and, 23 years after the end of World War II, found it liberating to be able to laugh at and mock the ideology of Nazism and all it stands for. Fair enough. The ability to laugh at the memory is an important reaction to hold alongside remembrance, horror and prevention. Since then, Nazism has been common material for comedians to use - John Cleese's 'Don't mention the War' scene in the 1970s British comedy 'Fawlty Towers', for example, 'Dad's Army', ''Allo 'Allo' and 'Monty Python' all include scenes of dressing up as Nazis. After all, why shouldn't we laugh at Hitler? Societies that don't take extremist dictators seriously are less likely to elect them.
Rating:
Summary: On the short list of best-ever comedies!
Review: Hilarious comedy from beginning to end, "The Producers" is both intelligent and wacky, full of all kinds of humor, as well as the jaw-droppingly funniest showtunes you'll ever hear! So much is packed into this little Mel Brooks gem; parodies of hippies, bimbos, broadway musicals and most of all, Nazis! Gene Wilder gives an over-the-top performance as the hysterical insecure accountant who joins with the immortal Zero Mostel (as the granny-conning broadway "big-shot") in bringing the loyal idiot Nazi's (Kenneth Mars) play "Springtime for Hitler" to life.
Zero's presence dominates throughout, but the supporting cast is hilarious as well; Christopher Hewitt as the goofy effeminate director as well as (forget his name) who plays his ultra-flamboyant assistant, Lee Meredith as the dancing Scandinavian secretary, and Dick Shawn in the unforgettable role of the hippie that maybe took too many 'trips' who plays Hitler on stage.
So many moments in the film are hysterically funny and memorable: The auditioning Hitlers, The crowd's first glance as the play begins (as well as Brooks' great lyrics for the songs e.g. 'don't be shtupid be a shmarty, come'n join da Nazi pawty!' to the shocked audience), Dick Shawn singing his terrible (but hilarious) hippie song, Lee Meredith, who dances when told to "go to work".
Like any great comedy, it only gets better upon repeat viewings, so definitely buy it!
Rating:
Summary: Only here are ex-NAZIs funny!
Review: The Producers is one of my all-time favorite comedies. Zero Mostel is perfect. Gene Wilder can work your nerves a bit when he goes over the top but still there is Kenneth Mars to look forward to. Kenneth Mars to an audience member during his show when he realizes that it has been turned into a farce, "You shut up! You are za audience. I am za author. I out-rank you!" I think this is one of the funniest lines in the film. My second favorite section is where Gene and Zero are leaving Kenneth Mars' apartment and they are wearing NAZI armbands. Gene rips his off and spits on it as he throws it into the trash. Great stuff!
Rating:
Summary: Great film, nice DVD treatment
Review: I have to admit, The Producers can be a little hit-and-miss when it comes to being funny, but when it hits it REALLY hits. The opening titles set the tone brilliantly for this outrageously camp farce. Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder are an unforgettable combination as the Broadway producers of the title, who figure they can make more money from a flop than a success. The result of their scheming is an ingenious pastiche, Springtime for Hitler, a "gay romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden". The Producers is wittily absurd and highly entertaining.
The two discs are doubtless for show, as the extras run to not much more than an hour, and would easily fit onto the same disc as the film. Nevertheless, the making-of documentary is enjoyable and of good quality.
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