He’s the master of slapstick and one of the reasons why comedy is still such an interesting genre. Mel Brooks has made some seriously controversial movies in his life but the truth of the matter is that every single one of them has had merit in some way or another. He’s dealt with realistic issues and even tackled some of the more uncomfortable truths of the world in many different ways but he’s always been able to make us laugh along the way. It’s surprising to find that some people don’t take his work that seriously and think he’s not that great, but quite honestly everyone is entitled to their opinion. Slapstick obviously doesn’t work for everyone.
Here are five of the greatest scenes from his movies that people still love to watch.
5. Young Frankenstein
Gene Wilder was a regular in a few of Brooks’ movies and was a well-renowned actor and comedian. His dry sense of wit was almost always appreciated since he could deliver on his lines with such stunning precision and draw the moment out to just the right length for it to be uproariously funny. Like this moment in which he figures out that Igor gave him an abnormal brain for his creation, he let’s the moment draw out just long enough for people to appreciate the gravity and the humor of the situation.
4. Robin Hood: Men in Tights
It was never uncommon to see Brooks in his own movies. A lot of directors will interject themselves into their own films for some type of effect. Some people think it’s vanity, others that the directors are seeking a little glory and want to upstage the other actors, but in truth it’s none of those things sometimes. It stands to reason that Brooks was just having fun a lot of the time.
3. Life Stinks
Okay so this might be grandstanding a little but to be quite honest he was one of the biggest names in the entire movie so it’s not as bad as it looks. There weren’t a lot of big name actors in this film and to this day it’s not really remembered all that well by a lot of people. It’s one of those movies you had to watch when it initially came out or pick up just on a lark. Once you watched it though you couldn’t stop laughing.
2. Blazing Saddles
This is hands down one of Brooks’ most racially charged films since it deals with life in the old west and uses a slew of racial stereotypes and terms that by today’s standards just aren’t okay in society. In film they’re still used but Brooks seemed capable of using them in a way that was just flat out offensive and yet making it a comedic moment despite the vulgarity of it.
1. Spaceballs
This scene is simply one of the best in the entire movie. The surreal quality of it and the manner in which the actors respond to seeing themselves on screen is just classic. While the entire movie is just one big spoof there are many moments such as this that make Spaceballs a unique film in its own right.
Mel Brooks is by far one of the funniest men to ever work in the industry.
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