Young Frankenstein

How have I gone this far without telling you, or reminding you, about this great piece of film work. This classic is one of my all-time favorites. If you have not seen it, I recommend a rental. If it's been 35 years, refresh your memory the fun way.

Just before the end of 1974, this movie came out. I remember seeing it in one of the big old movie houses, balcony and all. I think I remember laughing so hard... well I don't need to finish that story.

Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder are comedic geniuses s in their own right. When they got together to write and direct this piece. The DVD special features tells the crazy story about how the script was written.

Marty Feldman may not be well-known to most of today's movie audiences. No modern comic side-kick comes even close. He has he look, the voice, and the timing. He set the bar very high, and in my opinion, all others just limbo under it.

Cloris Leachman has served well in almost every Mel Brooks film. In this one, she is just stone cold funny. Peter Boyle was perfect as the "monster". Teri Garr was stunning in her first role in a real movie. And see if you can recognize Gene Hackman without checking the credits first. Most audiences at the time did not.

How many of these names are familiar to you? These names were a solid part of the movies I grew up with. Some have left us. The rest eventually will. But they will all be remembered for how they helped us to see the funny side of every day life.

Now, back to this classic movie. Horror movie spooks are pretty popular these days. Few if any come as close to retelling the story while doing a fantastic parody. If you look closely you may recognize the equipment from the original Frankenstein movies. Yes, the same prop-master was used. Who goes to those extremes in today CG world?

Watch this movie with someone who will appreciate all the great gags, one-liners, and all the fourth wall breaches.

Spanglish

If you are not ordinarily an Adam Sandler fan, and skipped this movie for that reason, I suggest you reconsider. This story is not about a goofy every-man getting away with the absurd, and accomplishing the improbable. That alone takes it out of the realm of the typical Sandler movie.

Written and Directed by James L. Brooks, who also wrote and directed Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News, and As Good as it Gets. He has written a ton of stuff, and produced tons more. But, when he directs his own writing, awards are given. He has 3 Oscars himself, and directed 9 actors who have won for their roles. His work has attracted over 46 nominations for big trophies. That gets my attention.

Paz Vega (10 Items or Less) is the real star of this story. She is smart, she is funny, she is adorable. In this specific case, she is a immigrant in LA struggling to grab the brass ring. I'm sure there are at least a few thousand who can identify with this situation.

In fact, Sandler is really down the list, in my opinion, of the features in this project. Tea Leoni (The Family Man and Fun With Dick And Jane) is outrageous in her portrayal of our typical stressed out, insecure, housewife.

But, she is outshone however, by Cloris Leachman who has played more crazy people than most actors have played roles. Brava Ms. Leachman. More. More. More.

Watch this movie with someone who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps.