BRING…MR. WILDER…BECK!

With the recent passing of the great Gene Wilder it felt necessary to take a look back at one of his most marvelous, and less known and recognized great performances, in “Young Frankenstein”.

Directed by Mel Brooks, Wilder plays Fredrick Frankenstein (or Froaderick Fronkensteen as he prefers to have it pronounced) the grandson of the infamous scientist in this classic Brooks vision in the world of the well-known story.

After hearing of his grandfather’s death, Fredrick is invited to Transylvania to prove he is not as crazy as his family name suggests. And even as he adamantly expresses his disinterest in his grandfather’s work, he finds himself dragged into it to the point where he himself brings his own monster to life. As the result of an abnormality with the creature, the events that ensue are both intriguing and hilarious.

Alongside Wilder on the screen includes the likes of Marty Feldman, Terri Garr, and Peter Boyle not to mention a few familiar faces from the Mel Brooks movie world like Madeline Kahn and Cloris Leachman. There might also be a small appearance from a young man named Gene Hackman playing a blind man.

As with any comedy, especially one by Mel Brooks, there is a certain group of people who will love a film like this and another who will not. There are plenty of things you could change, but doing so would take away from the magic this film creates and is unnecessary due to the slapstick nature of it all. And if you’ve enjoyed any other projects with Brooks and Wilde involved with it, then this is just another to add to eithers library.

If you are an avid fan of comedy and are fine with straight forward jokes, laughs that are created by a play on words as well as those made by observations and complete ridiculousness, and you are able to follow the simple story and the vast humor within, you will have a great time watching this movie.

Roasted Ripper Score: A

(9 Humps/10)

Dedicated to Willy Wonka, Jim, Leo Bloom, and many other great characters better known as Gene Wilder

Kung Wow: Enter the Fun

In 2002 Steve Oedekerk directed, wrote, and stared in this humorous adaptation of an old style martial arts movie. Containing footage from the 1976 Hong Kong film “Hu He Shuang Xing” aka “Tiger & Crane Fists”, the producers removed the original voices and soundtrack replacing each with new versions changing the story into one of their own.

We follow The Chosen One (Oedekerk) from his infancy when his parents are killed to adulthood where he finds their killer, Master Pain aka Evil Betty (Fei Lung via archive footage), and attempts to seek his revenge. Along the way, he meets the likes of Master Tang (Hui Lou Chen – archived footage), Wimp lo (Lau Kar-wing – archived footage), and Ling (Tse Ling-ling – archived footage).

Although it obviously pokes fun at old martial arts movies, these are not the only ones on the receiving end of their jokes. ‘The Matrix’, ‘The Lion King’, and rapid close-ups all make appearances within. There are a lot of laughs to be found and not a single serious moment as this is the true definition of a ‘stupid comedy’. But like most that receive this title, that is what makes it truly great.

This is clearly a movie that is not for the serious movie goer, but if you are someone that just loves a comedy for all its ridiculous moments, then you will find this movie thoroughly entertaining. It’s combination of slapstick comedy, array of unique characters, and use of the technology at the time allowed Oedekerk to create this comedic piece.

Throwback Lesson: The chicken goes cluck-cluck and the cow goes moo. Pigs go oink-oink, how about you?

Roasted Ripper Score – B (8/10 Silly Voiceover’s)

Throwback Review of the Week: Murder by Death

By Kevin A’Hern

If Condition Don’t Change, This Movie Funny

This week we take you back to the year 1976 where we look at one of the greatest comedies of all time, Murder by Death. The creative minds of writer Neil Simon and director Robert Moore bring a movie with laughs along the same lines as what can be found in Airplane and anything from Monty Python. So if you’ve seen these movies and others like them, you will absolutely love this masterpiece.

The story follows five well known murder mystery writers who are all brought together to a secluded house where they are put in a scenario that forces them to use the skills they have all developed over the years. The mystery they are all brought there to solve: A series of murders that occur right under their noses.

The magnificent cast includes the likes of Eileen Brennan (Clue), James Coco (The Cheap Detective), Peter Falk (The Princess Bride), Alec Guinness (Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope), Peter Sellers (The Pink Panther Strikes Again), and Truman Capote (author of In Cold Blood) amongst the many other talents that fill this comedy classic.

It is obvious that many people are afraid to go back this far into the past, but for this, as well as all the others mentioned above, it is a must see for anyone who claims to be a comedy fan. Given the time period it was shot in it is easy for one to pick apart any little issues their might be within it. But if you are able to look past any and all of those and just enjoy the greatness that is this movie, you certainly won’t be disappointed and will more than likely be drawn into any other movies these tremendous actors performed in.

And now, this week’s TBLEU (Throwback Lesson for Everyday Use)

Throwback Lesson: Never look too closely. See big picture. Things not always as seem, and seeming’s not always as thing. (watch movie and maybe you get word usage) And be weary of cow on wall.

Roasted Ripper Score – A