A few years after starring in The Producers, actors Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder would reunite in a screen adaptation of Rhinoceros. The 50th anniversary came and went with hardly any celebration. A few weeks after it hit theaters in 1974, Wilder would be seen again in the Mel Brooks classic, Blazing Saddles. Anyway, the 1974 film brings Eugene Ionesco’s play to the screen. After watching Remembering Gene Wilder in late January, I decided to…
"Rhinoceros Marked 50th Anniversary in January"Tag: Gene Wilder
Remembering Gene Wilder is a moving and well made documentary about a comedian that provided us with many laughs in his career. It’s hard to believe that this summer will mark eight years since Wilder’s passing. I still remember learning the news and wanting to watch a film in tribute. This was before we had a surplus of screeners, not to mention my physical collection on hand. Luckily enough, The Crowd Theater announced a screening…
"Remembering Gene Wilder Offers Laughs And Tears"
Western comedy The Frisco Kid, starring both Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford, arrives on Blu-ray via the Warner Archive Collection. The Blu-ray is sourced from a new 1080p HD Master and presented in 1.85:1 widescreen. In terms of audio, the film features DTS-HD MA MONO 2.0 sound. What follows is my original review after watching the film on HBO Max in March: The Frisco Kid is a solid Western comedy following an immigrant rabbi and…
"The Frisco Kid Arrives On Warner Archive Blu-ray" The Frisco Kid is a solid Western comedy following an immigrant rabbi and the bank robber who befriends him along the journey. The Frisco Kid is an appropriate companion piece to films such as Blazing Saddles and Jews of the Wild West. It’s quite a different film from the Mel Brooks comedy. While this film may be a comedy, it feels more true to the Western experience. I mean, just watch Jews of the Wild…
"The Frisco Kid: A Solid Western Comedy"
Blazing Saddles, the 1974 film starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, is one of the best comedies ever made in the history of cinema. “You’ve got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know…morons.” – Jim the Waco Kid. Mel Brooks movies are among the films that I watch when battling depression. While I almost opted to watch The Producers,…
"Blazing Saddles: One of the Best Comedies Ever"
Timothée Chalamet was recently announced to star in a Willy Wonka origin story based on works from the antisemitic Roald Dahl. Is this film really necessary? I’ll dive into my thoughts of the film, starring Timothée Chalamet, shortly. But before I do, let me talk about some of the other recent projects originating from Roald Dahl works. When I first watched Steven Spielberg’s The BFG in 2016, many of us were just learning about Dahl’s antisemitic…
"Timothée Chalamet, Willy Wonka, and Roald Dahl"
The Producers gets a new Blu-ray from Kino Lorber and while the laughs are still there, the bonus features fall short of previous editions. While the film isn’t being released in 4K Ultra HD, this version is a 4K restoration. The bonus features are a bit different from Shout! Factory’s 2013 collector’s edition. The key difference being a Playhouse outtake substitutes for Mel and His Movies: The Producers. Since the Shout! Blu-ray is now unavailable,…
"The Producers: Mel Brooks Classic Gets New Blu-ray" Mel Brooks’ feature directorial debut starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, The Producers, is one of the best comedies of all-time. When producer Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) learns from accountant Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder) that he can turn flops into money-makers, it changes everything. Hysterics ensue for a solid hour and a half. There’s nothing more to say about the plot. Mostly, this is because the film is over 50 years old. You know what…
"The Producers: One Of The Best Comedies Ever"