SPACEBALLS: THE TVTROPES FORUM THREAD

So, since no one did this already, I decided to make a thread for all of the Tvtropes forumites to discuss stuff about Spaceballs. Simple. Now go forth and make silly references!

Spaceballs? Oh shit, there goes the planet.

How? Are we going to suffocate it with Mega Maid?

May the shwartz be with ya! -SPACEBALLS: THE YOGURT ACTION FIGURE

This movie has been one of my favorites since I was a kid. :)

Is Pizza coming for us?

SPACEBALLS: THE FORUM POST ANALYSIS

Spaceballs occupies an interesting territory for spoof flicks especially for Brooks. Its not quite an outright affectionate parody like Young Frankenstein or Blazing Saddles (as I suspect the former were likely closer to his tastes than Star Wars was), nor is it the skewering that Men in Tights is.

Its one of those films that on paper was unlikely to hold as much pop culture resonance as it has ended up having. Given how Brooks parodied bedrock or classic Hollywood genres (musicals, westerns, monster movies, historical Epics, silent movies, suspense thrillers) doing a direct spoof of such a contemporary franchise (albeit one that had already entered its pop culture hibernation period), must have looked like it was gearing for being a dated piece.

While some aspects are products of their time (certain effects, VHS scene) its a kudos to the film that even an appearance by a black stormtrooper in the desert in 2015 teaser still has people busting out the Spaceballs references. The Schwartz has stayed with us indeed.

Worth noting is that Roger Ebert argued that the film should have been made 10 years earlier when Star Wars satire would have been more fresh. So perhaps it looked like the opposite opinion, actually.

Which makes its continued relevance all the more interesting, with it's release at the time being neither fresh enough satire of a new cultural piece or a nostalgic parody of a prototypical film genre.

Granted the SW franchise has been solidified as a classic now, yet as I mentioned post ROTJ/pre-91 it was not out of the question to assume the entire series would end up being a significant touchstone of its time, but not with any broader resonance than that, not unlike how I suspect something like James Cameron's Avatar will be for its period of release.

Spaceballs also marked the point when Brooks' movies became a bit more family friendly. Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein relied heavily on knowing the intricacies of western tropes and the classic Frankenstein film, while Star Wars and Star Trek were a lot more contemporary and familiar to kids. Still plenty of sex and dick jokes, though.

Spaceballs was released on this day 30 years ago - and another thing makes me feel old.

Mel Brooks's last good movie.

"We ain't found shit."

Didn't like Robin Hood Men In Tights?

Eh, that one is fine but it loses its luster after a while.

"Robin Hood: Men in Tights" is OK in a "flipping channels, oh look what's on TBS" sense, but it doesn't hold up to his really great films. This one has always struck me as Brooks's last hurrah.

And yes, I am old enough to remember this coming out and how there was a little skepticism at the time of a Star Wars parody coming out a decade after the movie.

What's the matter Colonel Sandurz? CHICKEN?

"Comb the desert!"

John Hurt appears in one of the finest cameos of all time.

In Spaceballs galaxy, Pizza sends out for you!

His movies try too hard to be funny at this point.

I disagree...sorry for repeating myself in post #12 above but I think it's after this movie that he started trying too hard. This movie may not rank up there with Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein but it is funny and it has a lot of great gags.

"When will it be now?" "Soon."

Neither Spaceballs or Robin Hood: Men in Tights are seen as brilliant as his earlier films, but still have a couple of classic scenes. They are far better remembered than History of the World Part I. Dracula: Dead and Loving It is essentially Brooks Creator Killer.

Funny you should mention that. I'll actually be having fried chicken for dinner tonight while I watch the movie. ;)

I saw a vid about "facts you probably don't know about Space Balls" and they tried using the Millennium Falcon being in the parking lot of the space diner as proof that Space Balls is actually in the Star Wars universe. Problem being that also means it's in the Aliens universe, and so is Star Wars . . .

So I'm going to nix that idea in my headcanon pronto. There's enough weird parasitic things in Star Wars as it is.

Only the Spaceballs could turn a hotel maid into a terrifying death machine. XD

I believe it was this video