GIVE MY CREATION LIIIFE!

A Film Parody by Mel Brooks Reviewed by Mary Afanador

From the quotable one-liners, to the hilarious cast, Mel Brooks wrote and directed a masterpiece, delivering the outstandingly clever film, Young Frankenstein. Brooks is known for his outrageous story plots, and parodies such as Spaceballs, a spoof on Star Wars and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. However, the list is far from ending there. In this film, hes put a sidesplitting twist on an old time favorite horror story. Although Brooks directed and wrote the film, Gene Wilder, who delivered a memorable performance in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was also credited for co-writing

the screenplay in this film. Brooks created a sequel to a novel, of sorts, that was published by Mary Shelley in 1818 simply titled Frankenstein. Gene Wilder plays Fredrick Von Frankenstein, the grandchild of Victor Von Frankenstein, who has bequeathed his castle and eccentric reputation to him. Accompanied by his smart-aleck hunchback, Igor, played by Marty Feldman, the two make a perfectly hysterical bickering pair. Inga, the striking, sometimes air-headed lab assistant is played by Teri Garr, whose audience would absolutely want to have a, Roll in ze hay with her after this performance.

Even though he grunts and groans throughout most of the movie, Peter Boyle delivers the perfect balance of the frighteningly comical Frankenstein Monster. Boyle and Wilders rendition of, Puttin on the Ritz caused me personally, some serious laughing cramps. It is absolutely hysterical. Cloris Leachman plays the almost villainous housekeeper, whose name can only be described as the horse-startling Frau Blucher (given the horses whinny every time her name is spoken). This film will undoubtedly have

to him. He sets out for Transylvania to discover the motives behind his grandfathers infamous idea to reanimate dead tissuein other words, bring the dead to life. There, he does not fall short of just that. With the help of his newly acquainted lab assistants, Inga and Igor, he immediately discovers his grandfathers private library and scientific notes. After a sleepless night, the doctor decides that he can carry out his grandfathers work and sets out to find a suitable corpse for his experiment. After

Figure 1 Shows the trio reacting to an unexpected knock at the door while the doctor chokes Igor.

you rolling in the aisle. Mel Brooks will have you begging for more before it even ends! Neurosurgeon, Dr. Fredrick Frankenstein has just learned that his crazed grandfather has left his castle and legacy

finding the body, he gives his bug-eyed, clumsy assistant Igor the task of retrieving the brain of a famous scientist to put into the specimen. He instead comes back with an, Abby Normal brain which he decides to NOT tell the doctor. After believing his

experiment had failed, the doctors broken spirit is short-lived. While the trio is enjoying their dinner, the doctor cant seem to figure out who out of the three is making a yummy sound. They discover his experiment was a success and the Monster had come to life. Though he nearly strangles the doctor to death after the sight of a lit match, after a quick game of charades with his assistants, they finally sedate the monster. The doctor then strangles Igor for allowing him to put an abnormal brain into a, seven and a half foot long, 54 inch wide gorilla! The trio is then visited by an impossible-tounderstand Inspector Kemp, who is suspicious of the new Frankenstein descendant. The monster is kept locked to a table but is soon set free by Frau Blucher. The monster roams the town, amusingly encountering a young girl and a lonely blind man. The doctor and his assistants finally lure the monster back into their custody where the doctor decides to make his failed experiment into a successful scheme. Though the film was made in 1974, the movie was set in the early 30s. It was unheard of in the 70s up until that point to make a black and white film. With all the advancements in technology and film making, it seemed slightly absurd. That didnt stop Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder from making the film as accurate in the times as possible but also transporting the audience to an unworldly type place. It opens with a crash of lightning and the title flashing as though being surged with

electricity. The transitions from scene to scene make it apparent that the film adapted to an early 30s film. They cleverly incorporate a shot of a sketch drawn by Igor to describe the monster that hangs over a fireplace that fades into an actual hanging man. I thought it was incredibly clever for a film like this. There may not be big blockbuster explosions or gruesome monster make-up, but the team delivers the perfect balance of 30s goodies and 70s effects and quality.

Figure 2: The doctor is shocked to find out Frau Bucher had kept many secrets from him.

From the suspenseful scene of the doctor trying to pull off a successful grave

robbery while simultaneously talking to for this particular movie to not be able to the constable, to tickle your funny bone in hypnotizing the monster, some way. Parodies like all of the music in the film this and other older From the very first day when filthy was carefully comedies are not bits of slime crawled out of the sea incorporated with violins appreciated by and called to the stars 'I am man', and an orchestra. Even everyone, but if this our greatest dread has always been the music is memorable in movie doesnt make you the knowledge of our mortality. But this movie! The beautiful at least smile, I dont tonight, we will hurl the gauntlet of sounds of the violin lead know what will! In my science into the frightful face of the audience to a specific opinion, this is one of death itself. Tonight, we shall ascend into the heavens! We shall mock the emotion from scene to those classic movies that earthquake! We shall command the scene. They use upbeat, should be on everyones thunders and penetrate the very fast paced violin strokes list to see before they womb of impervious nature that increase in speed die. Especially if you herself! building the intensity of consider yourself a move suspense of what will enthusiast, this should happen next. The hypnotic violin puts the absolutely be somewhere on there! I monster in a state of total bliss causing absolutely give it a 5 out of 5 rating and the audience to become hypnotized would recommend this to any movie lover! themselves. It will be hard for the audience not to pretend to catch invisible butterflies while listening to the serene violin. Young Frankenstein has been an all-time favorite of mine since I was a very young child. Comparing Mel Brooks films to any person or movie is near impossible for me. Though he takes the ideas from their original form, he molds them into instant classics with non-stop laughs. The cast and crew of this film is so well put together that Brooks continued to use most of his actors in other movies he made. The humor is different from what it used to be in the 70s, obviously, but I find that its hard

Figure 3: Igor finds the brain of the famous scientist Hans Delbruck. The doctor and the monster performing "Puttin' on the Ritz"