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Showing results for tags 'Gene Wilder'.
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I'd seen clips from the early Woody Allen comedy, "Everything You Always Wanted To Know about Sex* (*But Were Afraid To Ask)," and when I was in elementary school, heard little "secrets" about this racy movie, which consists of seven semi-short segments - each unrelated to the others, but all related to questions about sex (which remain pertinent to this day). I was expecting virtually nothing from this film, but it delivered more than anticipated. Very few things are "ha-ha funny," but much of it is clever, and it has aged surprisingly well. In terms of recommending it, I'd say that if you like "The Kentucky Fried Movie" and "Sleeper," you'll probably enjoy this. Actors include Gene Wilder (in an outrageous role that will make you cringe if you're seeing this on a first date), Burt Reynolds, Woody Allen, John Carradine, Lou Jacobi, Louise Lasser, Regis Philbin (!), Anthony Quayle, and Tony Randall. If you look at our small list of 1971-1972 Films in the Film Index, you'll see that this movie fits right in with its time. -
I don't often go back to watch old favorites, because usually they flop. Films I remember fondly for any reason leave me cold and a little sad a decade or two or three later. There are a few exceptions, of course, and after the recent discussion on this site of Blazing Saddles, I feel compelled to mention The Producers. The film has its flaws, but nothing has ever tickled my (often broken) funny bone as much as the epic production number "Springtime for Hitler", a brilliant send-up of Busby Berkeley choreography and probably a bunch of other old Hollywood film tropes and traditions. -
Interesting piece on the 40th Anniversary of Blazing Saddles. On my personal list of one of the 10 best movies ever made (it's an idiosyncratic list). -
"Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein" are two of the greatest comedies I've ever seen and they both starred Gene Wilder. Mel Brooks is certainly a comedic genius, but I don't think these movies would have been nearly as good without Wilder. I think I'll give Blazing Saddles a view tonight. And then maybe watch the best skit from "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex": -
There are a handful of films that "I want to see, despite not dying to see them," mainly because they're such staples of American society that I feel like I'm missing out by not having done so - "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" was one of them (until about thirty minutes ago). goldenticket will disembowel me for saying this, but I "liked" it without loving it. I realize it's 44-years-old (the time elapsed between "The Wizard of Oz" and this was only 32 years, if that puts the age of the film into perspective), and I'm glad I saw it while at the same time wishing it would end just a bit sooner. I really didn't know anything about the movie going into it, so it had nothing to do with me knowing the plot in advance. That said, I can easily see this being considered a children's classic, even though "children's" must be put in quotes, like a Grimm Fairy Tale. I also liked the ambiguity of the children's fate - this film was not condescending at all. Loved the Oompa Loompas! There is absolutely an overlap between these two songs (and it's ironic that Johnny Depp was in the remake). Whether or not it was "inspiration," "borrowing," or something more than that, I'll leave up to the readers: Circular
