Mel Brooks & Gene Wilder’s follow-up to their Westerns parody Blazing Saddles takes things in a decidedly more grayscale direction. Add Marty Feldman as Eye-gore and this is pure comedic movie magic. I could make an extended review based purely on the quotes of this movie, but I won’t. I can’t. Nobody can touch the pure genius that was committed to film here. If you’ve seen it, you know. For those that have not, for the love of all things undead and scantily clad and slightly maybe potentially hunchbacked, watch this as soon as you can and discover what a sense of humor really is.
Professor “Fronkensteen” is making waves in the academic world of brain science. He scoffs at his family name and heritage, forging new paths in kneeing old men in the balls and sticking scalpels into his own leg, when he gets an unexpected visitor. Turns out, he inherited a castle that isn’t totally creepy (but yeah, it’s totally creepy), and a strange mix of people to help him make new discoveries. Or is it old discoveries, but with a modern twist? Yeah, no, it’s the old ones. And while history doesn’t repeat itself, it sure does rhyme. And kicks out a great dance number to boot.
Co-written by Brooks and Wilder, their homage to the classic monster movie Frankenstein is a spectacular comedic gem. Added bonus is “lab assistant” Inga, one hot little minx known as Teri Garr in some circles, who most certainly appreciates nice knockers as much as anyone else. Blind Monk(?) Gene Hackman does a nice little appearance, too. A bit toned down from the more boisterous comedy of their previous film, this still provides endless quotable lines and visual gags to satiate even the most jaded. If this movie doesn’t make you laugh multiple times throughout, you are dead inside, and I pity your poor black husk of coal that makes up your innards. One must always know why horses whinny when they hear the name “Blücher.”
