The movies that everyone secretly loves and won't admit it...Part 2...Mel Brooks' films

In the beginning there was "The Producers", still snappy and quick witted, considering it's age. Great performances all around, and wonderful story about two producers who realise that they would make more money if they produced a flop and the show got shut down, than if they had an actual success. A classic film, not just for Brooks, a must-see for any film fan!

Brooks' 3rd directorial outing is probably his most famous. Mel Brooks' timing with this western farce was perfect in so many ways, westerns were on their way out, and becoming a bit of a joke in and of themselves, the racial situation in the nation at the time, and perfect blend of parody and strait comedy ever captured on film. Richard Pryor is the only thing missing from this movie, he was set to play the lead, but the studio was afraid his brash humor would scare-away regular old white-folk, but he does still get a writing credit.

Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder teamed up again, in Brooks' take on classic horror movies. Another classic with just as many classic moments as "Blazing Saddles", though maybe not as tight of a script, still a classic by any means.

More charming than funny, but still a decent watch even if at least once, Brooks' love letter to the silent films of ol'.

This time Mr. Brooks does his spin on Hitchcock! Again, classic.

A hilarious romp through time, starting with the beginning, as little skit-like vignettes take us from one important moment of human history to another. The 10 Commandments bit still makes me crack up just thinking about it!!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE7tTT8khf0

Brooks waited a few years between Directing gigs, but when he did return, he came back with a bang, and decided to take on the sci-fi genre head on! Still a cult classic, and damn near a classic, but doesn't get the respect that "The Producers", "Blazing Saddles", and "Young Frankenstein" get. Obviously his most under-appreciated work. May da' scwartz be wit youuuuu!!!!!

This is that movie in Brooks' life that most Director's have where they put so much into them, and get so little out, and they change as a director from that moment on. Every director seems to have that movie, I could list them for days, but in this case, it was Brooks' first attempt at directing a strait forward comedy. Not a parody or send up. Just a strait forward story. The movie has it's moments but doesn't stand up to his previous work, and unfortunately Brooks' movies after this follow the same pattern as many other Directors.

Mr. Brooks went back to what he was known for, following his somewhat of a mis-step with "Life Stinks". Brooks was fresh on the booties of another Robin Hood movie, starring Kevin Costner, and basically just did a by the numbers parody of that movie. Yeah it has it's moments, but here is where you can see that Mr. Brooks is just going through the motions and doing what is expected of him, even more so in his last feature...

Mr. Brooks had stated in interviews at the time, from my memory, that this was supposed to be a counter-part to "Young Frankenstein", but it seems more like someone TRYING to make a Mel Brooks' movie, than an actual Mel Brooks' movie. Only a few scattered laughs in a movie that is even low-brow for Mel. Mr. Brooks hasn't directed since. He has been working on musical versions of his other movies, and producing, acting and some voice over work. Unfortunately for us he hasn't been making movies since. Maybe someday the bug will bite him again, and we'll get maybe one more good one! We can all hope!!!!