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Young Frankenstein

Young Frankenstein

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $13.48
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: It's just so funny
Review: A lot of comedy gets dated. For instance, the SNL skits that I used to love as a kid now are just plain... well... lame. 'Seinfeld', while great for its time, needs to be taken off the air and put away before it gets played out by the networks like 'Cheers' and 'Mash'. So that's where I am coming from when thinking about older comedy. This is not the case with Young Frankenstein.

The movie is flat out funny. Gene Wilder couldn't have been better in this film and the fact that it's black and white only adds to the feeling of the movie. Definitely recommend this over other Mel Brooks films as well (Blazing Saddles, Space Balls, Robinhood- Men in Tights, etc.)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This Creation Has Life
Review: I have seen all of Mel Brooks' films, and I consider Young Frankenstein to be his finest work. All the jokes still work in this movie, even 26 years after it was theatrically released. Young Frankenstein is a great parody for three reasons. The first, every actor in the cast are at their hysterical best. This illustrious cast includes Gene Wilder (Dr. Frankenstein), Teri Garr (Inga), the late Marty Feldman (Igor), Madeline Kahn (Frankenstein's Fiancee), Peter Boyle (the creature), Cloris Leachmann (Frau Breuheimer), and an amusing cameo by Gene Hackman (the blind old man). Second, Young Frankenstein was filmed in glorious black and white. Therefore, an audience could automatically connect this film with the two films that it lampoons, Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein, also filmed in black and white. Lastly, Young Frankenstein utilized the same lab equipment that was used in the original Frankenstein film. This gave Young Frankenstein visual authenticity. Along with Tootsie, Airplane, and There's Something About Mary, Young Frankenstein is one of the funniest comedies in cinematic history. Young Frankenstein is the benchmark that all other movie parodies should be compared to. No DVD collection would be complete without Young Frankenstein.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Classic!
Review: I just watched this for my first time last night. It's not very often that I watch so-called "Classic" and say "I can definitely see why this movie is a classic!", but after watching this movie, I can definitely see why this is called a classic. The movie was really good, better than I expected. Some of the jokes are kind of lame compared to today's tastes, but there were some parts that I thought were just hilarious, I even had to rewind the movie at a few parts, cause I was laughing so hard.

Mel Brooks has a very odd taste in comedy, some of the comedy is just bizarre, but I love it! I didn't think it was as funny as "Spaceballs", but it still deserves a viewing. The only other Mel Brooks movies that I've seen are "Robin Hood: Men In Tights" and "Life Stinks", and they're both pretty good too. If you like the other Mel Brooks movies, then you'll probably like this one too.

The cast was great too. I loved Peter Boyle as the monster and Teri Garr is great too. As I was watching the movie I was trying to think of what other movies I'd seen with Gene Wilder, and I couldn't think of any. I thought that was so odd that I know who the actor is, but I couldn't think of any of his films. When I finished the film I went and looked up his movies on IMDB and noticed that I hadn't seen a single movie with him in it. Although, I have seen parts of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". Is that sad or what? I guess I've got some movie watching to do.


Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Funny how that works out.
Review: I remember seeing this movie advertised at a drive in movie theater when I was a kid. At the time, I got the impression it was not a movie my parents approved of for anyone.

Now, almost 25 years later, it's one my father and I laugh about regularly and my mom will admit, with some embarrassment, she really enjoys.

Funny how family priorities can shift.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Loving, Hysterical Spoof
Review: I saw Young Frankenstein a long time ago, and thought it was really funny. I've recently seen FOR THE FIRST TIME the original Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, and Son of Frankenstein. After having seen these classics, I can truly appreciate all of the jokes in Young Frankenstein, as well as see what a totally LOVING tribute this movie of Mel's is to the first three Frankenstein classics. For example, I thought Kenneth Mars's character with his wooden arm was just some wacky Mel Brooks thing - but, no, the inspector in "Son of" had a wooden arm just like Kenneth's, and the inspector and Dr. Frankenstein played darts in "Son of" too.

One little weird coinky-dink which I just discovered tonight regards Madeline Kahn's singing of "Oh sweet mystery of life at last I've found you..." after she and the monster make love. Well, what's funny about this is that this song is from a movie called "Naughty Marietta" which happens to co-star Elsa Lanchester, the original BRIDE whom Madeline is parodying! (I've been watching anything with Elsa in it ever since I saw Bride.)

See the three original Frankensteins, then revisit (or see for the first time) Young Frankenstein. It becames crystal clear what a brilliant film Young F. is. And, for shear Mel Brooks wackiness that has nothing to do with any of the three Frankenstein movies, you've gotta love the "Puttin' on the Ritz" scene. I don't want to spoil it, I'll just say it will leave you grabbing your sides with tears rolling down your cheeks. Young F. has got to be Mel Brooks at the top of his game!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: There wolf!
Review: I watched this hilarious spoof so many times on video as a teenager that I had it memorized by the time it came out on DVD. But that did not stop me from buying the DVD, of course. Why? The film is an absolute must-have for any self-respecting movie fan. I first popped in the DVD with the Mel Brook's commentary track and subtitles switched on -- and it was almost like watching the movie that first, glorious time. Another big plus about the DVD are the bonuses: I never knew that the film was actually the brainchild of Gene Wilder and that he is the one who should have walked away with the Oscar screenplay award, not Mel Brooks.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: IT'S ALIVE... with COMEDY!
Review: I watched this movie with my Dad about 2 weeks ago. I give it 4 stars because while yes, it is funny, I was expecting just a tiny bit more after seeing The Producers. Don't get me wrong, this is a comedy masterpiece in it's own right. Mel Brooks alumnus Gene Wilder brilliantly showcases his comedic genius with a flat out amazing cast to back him up. I paticularly enjoyed the return of another Mel Brooks alumnus, Kenneth Mars. Having seen him not long before as Franz Leibkind in The Producers made his Inspector General even funnier to watch (the dart scene was one of my favorite scenes!). Igore and Inga gave the film delightful comedic relief. Freddy's interaction with the Creature, played by Peter Boyle made each scene they have together come alive with hilarity. The ending is histericaly perfect. However, I felt that some of the adult content wasen't necessary even if it was funny. (I personally think that the minimal innuendo was what made The Producers so funny.) So, if you don't mind a little crassness, put on the ritz and put this movie in your video or dvd player!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: "Roll, roll, roll in ze hay."
Review: Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" is not only a loving tribute to James Whale's original Frankenstein films, but a wildly entertaining spoof that still generates laughs years after its original release. This is Brooks in his prime and that is indeed a wonderful sight to behold.

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) is the grandson of the notorious Victor Frankenstein. After reviewing his grandfather's work, Frederick tries to recreate the famous reanimation experiment at his ancestral castle. Frederick succeeds in bringing his own creation to life but as luck would have it, there is a problem with the brain implanted in the monster (Peter Boyle). Soon, the monster is roaming the countryside and finding itself in one hilarious situation after another until Frederick catches up with him and promptly puts his tap-dancing talents to good use.

"Young Frankenstein" is blessed with top quality comedic performances from start to finish. Wilder and Boyle are pitch perfect as the doctor and his creation and the supporting cast of Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Terri Garr, Cloris Leachman, and Gene Hackman all shine. The production design also is top notch as the Frankenstein Castle's interiors and exteriors are faithfully recreated - with the help of some of the original props - in glorious black and white and literally look like holdover sets from Universal's "Frankenstein" (1931) and "The Bride of Frankenstein" (1935). You would never think that source material like Mary Shelley's original work could inspire such a funny film, but leave it to Brooks to prove it could be done.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This Film Puts on The Ritz
Review: Of the various film parodies that director Mel Brooks concocted this ranks at the very top. He's got all of the elements in place: a terrific cast, great black-and-white photography, great production values. Like any great parodist realizes is that you have to have some kind of affection for the genre you're sending up and it's apparent that Brooks' loved those old 1930's monster movies. The film is chock full of great set pieces and double entendres(when I first saw this as a child I didn't get most of them). There is also a classic scene with Gene Hackman in an unbilled cameo. The ensemble cast is one of the best ever assembled for a comedy. Gene Wilder achieves just the right tone as Victor Frankenstein. Teri Garr is voluptuous and funny as his assistant Inga. Marty Feldman is loony as the hunchback Eye-gor. Peter Boyle is monstrously funny as the Monster. The rest of the cast(Cloris Leachman, Kenneth Mars, Madelyn Khan,etc.) are all given the opportunity to shine here. If you want to demonstrate to a younger viewer that a film can be funny and a little naughty and not smutty then you can show them "Young Frankenstein".

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brilliant, Perfectly Cast Comedy, Rib Tickler Supreme
Review: Thirty years have not tarnished the unequivocal hilarity of Mel Brooks' send-up of classic 1930's horror movies. With stiff competition from "The Producers" and "Blazing Saddles", classics in their own right, this is arguably Mel Brooks' comedy high watermark. This masterwork is just one of those serendipitous circumstances when all the elements work beautifully and in just the right amounts. First, there are the visual elements...the sharp black-and-white cinematography by Gerald Hirschfeld and the authentic-looking production design and set decoration by Dale Hennesy and Bob De Vestal. Then there is the endlessly clever script by Brooks and star Gene Wilder, which ranges from broad slapstick and farce to bawdy burlesque humor to sharp irreverent satire. They have written a king's ransom in funny lines that have since become part of comedy film lore..."Werewolf?...There wolf. There castle."..."He vas my...boyfriend!"..."It's Eye-gor"...""Put...the candle...back".

The casting is impeccable. As Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced "Fronk-en-steen" to escape his "cuckoo" bloodline), Wilder balances his trademark wide-eyed innocence with the character's monomaniacal drive with perfect aplomb. Teri Garr and cross-eyed, bug-eyed Marty Feldman lend able comic support as Inga and Igor, the doctor's nubile "laboratory assistant" ("Roll, roll, roll in da hay") and the hunchback, inexplicably British footman ("What hump?"), respectively. Kenneth Mars has a funny turn as the police inspector, looking very much like a direct cousin of his Führer-loving Franz Liebkind in "The Producers". Deglamorized to the point of being heroic, Cloris Leachman is wonderfully over-the-top as Frau Blücher, still holding a torch for the original Dr. Frankenstein and whose very name makes the horses whinny in fear. Of course, she did a variation of this role in Brooks' later "High Anxiety" as the evil Nurse Diesel. Peter Boyle, well before his paternal curmudgeon on "Everybody Loves Raymond", makes a lovably menacing monster, his fearful nature offset by a soft-shoe turn with Wilder on "Puttin' on the Ritz". An almost unrecognizable Gene Hackman provides a memorably riotous cameo as Harold, the blind monk ready to make espresso for his new friend. Even with all this keen competition, Madeline Kahn still stands out as Elizabeth, the doctor's high-maintenance fiancée, who in one of the most hilarious scenes, gets seduced by the monster and climaxes with a rendition of "Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life" that would make Jeanette McDonald blush. Just about everything she says gives me an uncontrollable case of the giggles. She is well missed.

The DVD has several worthwhile extras such as a few deleted scenes and outtakes, including a ridiculous "Actor's Parade" sequence that has no purpose but to make the entire cast pass by the camera. There is also a 36-minute making-of documentary, which is informative, entertaining and includes even more outtakes. There are also a couple of oddly amusing Mexican TV interviews with Feldman, Wilder and Leachman. This is a true comedy classic well worth owning and watching over and over again.


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