Young Frankenstein (1974)

I love Mel Brooks movies. He takes classic films and iconic styles and technique, and turns it around and makes fun of them in an acceptable way. I grew up watching Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Robin Hood Men in Tights, Dracula Dead and Loving It, and High Anxiety. My parents were big fans of the films, and now I am as well. His style of exaggerating silly ideas and taking memorable moments and interpreting them literally made him a legend in the comedic film world.

Young Frankenstein is about the grandson of the famous Dr. Frankenstein, played by Gene Wilder, who tried to maintain a normal life away from the family fame. He is a doctor at a college, a professor of similar science as his grandfather. One day he receives the will of his grandfather and decides to go to Transylvania to see the family heritage. The castle is exactly as it was left, and Igor is there to greet him. Igor's grandfather used to work for Dr. Frankenstein as well. Marty Feldman played this role well. I really appreciate him as an actor and entertainer. With Mel Brooks as director, Marty never held back. Terri Garr plays the Swiss lab assistant, Madeline Kahn plays the prudish fiancee, and Cloris Leachman plays Frau Blücher who maintains the castle. While there Frederick Frankenstein goes back to his grandfathers notes and believes they have potential to work. He and Igor collect a recently buried body, a brain, and proceed to bring the man back to life using electricity. It works, but the monster has trouble learning. Now the Doctor needs to either destroy his creation or help him. Peter Boyle, as the monster, is very funny and animated in this role.

The humor in this film is typical Mel Brooks. The film is shot in classic style black and white, with camera technique similar to Alfred Hitchcock style. The script is very well written, and the acting is top quality with some of the greatest entertainers of that time. The surprise for me was seeing a younger Gene Hackman play a blind man who shows the monster some hospitality.

I will say too, that the humor in the film would be considered a bit old fashioned. We still see movies like this now, from Tropic Thunder to Dodgeball the humor is the same. However, the familiarity of the Mel Brooks style is easier understood by those who know the references. Most of his films were made in the 1970's. Presently, I don't think young people would relate to the humor or appreciate it.

Share these films with your family. There is something for everyone in each of them!
I haven't yet seen the broadway musical, but I hope to!