Rating: 
Summary: Until a Special Edition comes along ...
Review: ... this will have to do. But that ain't all bad.Politically incorrect and loving it, "Blazing Saddles" holds up as a comedy nearly 30 years after its release, and maybe even has gotten funnier as Americans get more uptight. Heaven help us if we lose our ability to laugh at the outrageous. And while the bathroom humor (and the campfire scene) gets all the notice, there are some very subtle jokes in the film, such as the "laurel and hardy handshake" and "Thank you, Van." As for extras ... there's not much. A trailer, both widescreen and cropped versions, and an monologue by Mel Brooks that plays over the first half of the movie. It's not scene-specific, but it's worth listening to. For instance, Gene Wilder wasn't even supposed to be in the movie. To find out who was, and why Wilder got the part ... listen to the interview. This film cries out for a special edition. A scene-specific commentary by Brooks and co-writers Andrew Bergman and Richard Pryor. A making-of documentary. The scenes that were edited into the TV version of the movie (like the diving scene and the governor's visit to the fake Rock Ridge)...
Rating: 
Summary: Funny, funny, funny! Even nearly 30 years after its release
Review: Blazing Saddles was released by Warner Brothers in 1974. Run time is 93 minutes. The late Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder are the principal actors. Co-stars include none other than Slim Pickens, with Harvey Korman, Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, and Mel Brooks.
Directed by Mel Brooks
Genre - Comedy From an opening scene with a number of blacks and what appear to be Oriental laborers working on building the railroad to a final scene where the two stars dismount their trusty horses to ride off into the sunset in a limousine, this was one hilarious movie. In the first five minutes, we see an invitation by the white work gang supervisors reversed: a hilarious harmonious rendition of "I Get No Kick from Champagne." When asked to sing a more traditional slave song, the work gang says they don't recognize "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" or the "Camp Town Ladies." Soon the white cowboy supervisors are singing and leaping around in their asinine rendition of the latter song. The look on Cleavon Little's face as he smirks at the silly antics of seven white cowboys jumping and singing the song is priceless. It ends while the gag is still funny when Slim Pickens shows up. Firing a revolver into the air, he enters hollering "What in the wide, wide world of sports is a-goin' on here?" Pickens (Mr. Taggart) asks the supervisor to send a couple of men ahead to check on the possibility of some quicksand (don't want to risk the horses!). As the two laborers ride off on a handcar, they start singing the "Camp Town Ladies." The tone is set for the remainder of the film. The story line revolves around the appointment of Cleavon Little as the sheriff of the small town of Rock Ridge. Hedley Lamar, assistant to the Governor and State Procurer wants to take over Rock Ridge so he can sell the property to the railroad at a profit. After checking a couple precedents in the state statute books under "land snatching" a plan is formulated. Taggart's men are sent to "whomp and stomp" the town into selling out to new owners. The town appeals for a new sheriff. Howard Johnson (1 flavor!) and his relatives (Gabby, Olsen, Samuel, etc.) meet in a church and decide to try to stick it out, if only they can wire the governor and convince him to appoint a new sheriff. We learn that the governor's agents intend to appoint Little as sheriff, hoping to see the black sheriff fail to win acceptance of the townspeople. Rock Ridge will fall and be sold to the land speculator (the Governor's assistant, attorney general, and "State Procurer"). The new sheriff turns out to be a formidable foe, winning the support of the town drunk (Wilder) who also happens to be the fastest gun in the west. Through a series of sight gags and improbable situations (including a toll booth in the desert, where we hear Slim Pickens order his man: "Someone go back and get a ---- load of dimes!" you'll laugh until the end. My favorite scenes include the stage performance of "I'm Tired" by Madline Kahn, the hangman's gallows, the now infamous campfire scene, and my all time personal favorite: Mel Brooks performance as the cross-eyed, cigar smoking governor. I'm no fan of self-important politicians and Mel Brooks pulls his part off beautifully. Check out the title written on the back of his tuxedo ... "Gov." As Brooks carelessly signs a couple of bills, he mutters "Work, work, work." He makes a statement to the staff followed by the question ... "how 'bout a harrumph?" Harrumph, harrumph. "Gentlemen, we've got protect our phony baloney jobs!" A close look at the film's credits reveals that Mel Brooks wrote the music and lyrics for the classic "I'm Tired" performed by Madeline Kahn, along with two other original songs. Mel Brooks and Richard Pryor are among those credited with the screenplay. This one's worth an hour and half. Don't take the film's slapstick racist, religious, sexist and even campfire humor too seriously, folks. Just sit back and laugh at Mel Brooks' classic.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: From the songs to the politically incorrect jokes no 18 year old should be allowed to vote without seeing the absurdity of modern prejudice through the eyes of past reality.
Rating:
Summary: Brooks Commentary NOT scene-specific
Review: I can't believe I'm giving this movie four stars instead of five, since it is my nomination as the funniest film ever made. I bought this new disc because it promised a "scene specific" commentary by Mel Brooks. Not true. My copy of this 30th anniversary disc has the same non-specific commentary by Brooks as my previous disc. It's still terrific, however, and is recommended if you don't have the earlier dvd of this movie. Also, the picture quality of the transfer is excellent.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Farce
Review: I love this movie. Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder do an excellent job of playing off of each other. This movie is a must-see for anyone who appreciates comedy. Some of the jokes fall flat, but this might just be the most memorable comedy flick of all time.
Rating:
Summary: Holy Underwear - what a funny movie!
Review: If Mel Brooks was born with 100,000 jokes and gags, 95,000 wound up in this movie. By far the strongest movie in the Brooks stable of send-ups (they're not snooty enough to be satires), this movie lampoons Westerns with his trademark low-brow and some high(er)-brow humor. The plot, in a nut shell - The evil Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman, in a performance I think bests his Carol Burnett ones) wants to run the railroad through peaceful Rock Ridge. Rock Ridge won't get out of his way, so he hires a black man as sheriff of the town, thinking this will accomplish his goal. But the sheriff (Cleavon Little) is just a little too smart (and stylish) for this to work. A fairly laid-back Gene Wilder plays The Waco Kid ("my name is Jim, but people call me...Jim."), Cleavon Little's quick-drawing sidekick. Together they clean up the town, foil Heddy's ("Hed-ley's") plans, and tear up a small portion of Hollywood along the way. This movie is completely un-apologetic and un-PC in it's approach to racism - there's no way it would have been made in the last 20 years and but Mel Brooks would have the courage - but it's not a racist or preachy movie. It's just funny.
Rating:
Summary: People Just Call Me.....Jim
Review: Mel Brooks' 1974 comedy classic was a real ground breaking comedy in certain aspects. It certainly wasn't the first zany, screwball comedy to come along, but it was pretty much the first comedy to push the envelope and deliver such an outrageous, low brow type of comedy that is now so familiar with millions of filmgoers. The film is also noted for it's tone, and it's remarks towards black people. The movie is a satire on every cowboy/western movie cliche there is. And it seems to pretty much have them all down. There is a plot, such as it is, but with a movie like this, and others like it, the plot doesn't really matter as much. It's pretty much only here to set up the movie and it's characters with joke after joke. The great Harvey Korman plays Headley Lamarr(Not Heddy), a land robber who plans on having a railroad go through the quiet, peaceful town of Rock Ridge and steal their land. And how does one go about it?. He concots a scheme that includes creating a posse of criminals and varmin, and gets a new sheriff that he knows will be a failure and taken out within 24 hours. Cleavon Little plays Black Bart, a railroad worker who is chosen as the new sheriff. With the help of Jim, otherwise known as The Waco Kid, the fastest gun in the west, Bart takes on the villainous Lamarr and tries to save the town. The brilliant and legendary Gene Wilder plays Jim to perfection. The guy can do no wrong. His quick hand moments are hilarious. Little was a perfect choice. He is sly and charming, and is winning in every scene. Brooks appears himself as the governor, in a funny, and rather small, role. Brooks peppers his film with other fine characters and actors. The fantastic Madeline Khan plays Lili Von Shtupp, a German saloon singer doing her best Marlene Dietrich impression. Khan is such a gifted comedic actress, and it seems like she never gets the recognition she deserves. She did receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for this role, and that is quite something since such a role rarely gets acknowledged in such a way. Dom DeLuise has a small cameo as a director, and future "Webster" star Alex Karras plays Mango, a tough brute sent to take out Bart. And Slim Pickens also co-stars as Mr. Taggart, Lamarr's right hand man. Four writers, including Brooks himself and Richard Pryor, penned the hilarious script. Pryor was supposed to play the role of Black Bart in the early stages too. Brooks even helped co-write the songs used in the film, including the great title tune, sung by Frankie Laine, and the song Khan sings at the saloon titled "I'm Tired". The movie pretty much holds nothing back, and does everything to make you laugh and milk a joke, sight gag, or physical stick for all it's worth. They throw in everything but the kitchen sink. Well, on second thought, they throw in the kitchen sink too. The movie does get wild in the finale, breaking down that "third wall", and it seems to completely ride off the rails a bit. It is certainly a laugh-a-thon, but not all of it works. But it doesn't really matter, since when one joke or sight gag doesn't hit it's mark, another few will be right along before you can acknowledge a limp joke. It's hailed as one of the best comedy classics, and it deserves it's praise, but the early Zucker Brothers films are better. Still, one can't help but question it's place when it includes the horse punching scene and, of course, that infamous sittin' 'round the campfire moment. I don't know if Brooks has been this funny since. Watch it and have a good laugh.
Rating:
Summary: The ESSENTIAL comedy CLASSIC
Review: Mel Brooks' career really took off with this rip-roaringly hilarious send up of everything Western. Cleavon Little as the first black sherrif in the west with Gucci saddle bags shines in his best role. The cast is loaded with Brooks regulars; Gene Wilder, Harvey Korman, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Khan and, of course, Mel himself! All having a hell of a laugh at the expense of EVERYONE! That's EVERYONE! Even the bit players leave you crying with laughter! Especially Alex Karras' horse punching Mongo and Slim Pickens moronic railroad foreman Taggart. This film gets a ton of flack these days for being "racist"? People who see this film in that sort of light should take off their blinders and realize that political correctness is just another form of censorship. Why can't you let free thinkers enjoy a GREAT MOVIE without having to worry about the thought police busting down their doors? The top notch script, written by a "collective" of writers including Richard Pryor(who wrote most of the more racially charged material and finds it hilarious), is so full of verbal jabs and visual japes that you will find yourself visiting this movie over and over again when you need a good dose of laughter. Don't let the conservatives scare you off, this is one of the funniest films ever made! Enjoy repeatedly!
Rating:
Summary: Saddle Sores
Review: Mel Brooks's hilarious spoof of the western remains a comedy classic. Released at a time when the term politcal correctness wasn't invented yet, Blazzing Saddles lets loose and doesn't look back. Filled with uproarious off the wall humor, watching the film again, made me apreciate it even more. The late Cleavon little, stars as Bart, the first black man to serve as Sheriff of Rock Ridge. Gene Wilder is the Waco Kid, the deputy, Harvey Korman is Hedley Lamarr, a ruthless Attorney General, and the late Madeline Kahn is Lili Von Shtupp. The film has so many funny moments that pretty soon you'll forget all about the plot and just enjoy the film for what it is--a screwball comedy. The finale alone is worth the price of admission and will have you in stitches.At first, I was so stoked about the release of the 30th Anniversary Edition, especially given that, the previous DVD of Blazzing Saddles was a disappointment in many respects. While the reissued disc is much improved, I cannot give it a 5 star rating either. The picture and sound presentation gets a much needed boost, with a digital transfer and remastered sound using Dolby 5.1. Despite the promise of new a scene specific audio commentary with Brooks, the track is lifted from the previous release. The track only lasts for the film's first 55 minutes with the director talking about a myriad of subjects. While it's great to hear him talk about the movie, I wish the track were recorded while he was watching the film, and it didn't end so abruptly. The retrospective featurette called "Back in the Saddle" has members of cast and crew recollecting how the film came together. Some of the information from the "commentary" is repeated throughout the nearly 30 minute segment. A disc highlight for me is the brief, but well done, tribute to the late great and very underated Madeline Kahn, who was a true grand dame of comedy. After the success of the film, a TV pilot called "Black Bart", was produced in 1975, tryng to recapture the spirit of the movie. While an interesting little television oddity---it's still pretty painfull to watch. The deleted scenes, which run nearly 10 minutes, would have been put to better use, had some of them not been used in the retrospective. The theatrical trailer tops of the bonus material. Even though the extras on the disc are a letdown in many respects, Blazzing Saddles is still a riot, and is a must for fans of Brooks' earlier films
Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE ALL-TIME GREAT COMEDIES
Review: not sure how many people haven't seen this great movie that require a review but here goes...
Simply put this is one of the greatest comedies ever produced. This Mel Brooks spoof of westerns is one of the funniest movies beginning to end I've ever seen.
Harvey Korman plays Hedley Lamar, a ruthless land grabber who wants to take over the town of Rock Ridge to become rich once the railroad goes through. So he conceives a plot to take over byt first having the governor (Brooks) appoint a black sheriff Bart(Clevon Little) to the bigoted town.
Bart is despised by the townfolk and his only friend is a drunken gunfighter Jim, the Waco Kid played by Gene Wilder. Soon the pair have to unite the town to fight off Lamar and his gang of bandits and restore peace to Rock Ridge.
The Film spoofs all the old westerns such as Jack Starrett playing the drunken, Gabby Hayes rols as Gabby Johnson. By the way...everyone in Rock Ridge seems to be named Johnson incluing Howard and Van! Then there's Madeline Kahn doing her best Marlene Deitrich imitaion as Singer Lili Von Shtupp who is sent to seduce Bart.
The sight gags are too numerous to mention...but Bart riding through the desert with a jazzy backround and then seeing Count Basie's Orchestra in the middle of the desert stands out, as well as the toll booth in the middle of nowhere that slows the bandits down as they are forced to return to get a $hit load of dimes!!! And of course the climax as they burst off the set in a huge fist fight, and into the set of Dom DeLuise shooting a gay chorus line musical is a scream.
I've always felt this was Mel Brooks' best film. The commentary is good but i wish it was a full length commentary with some addl. cast members.
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