Mel Brooks parodying Hitchcock is already a fun idea, and the fact that the man met with Brooks during production and liked the film is great.
Dr. Richard Thorndyke has just assumed control of the Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous, but things quickly prove to be amiss. The staff makes healthy patients act insane when Thorndyke is around, and kills other doctors who oppose the corruption. Thorndyke learns something is wrong when one patient proves to have been a planted fake, and tries to stop the death of the real patient.
The cast is pretty good. Mel Brooks is fine as Thorndyke, but I feel like not having a moody hunk as the lead misses the mark pretty hard on the angle of Hitchcock. Madeline Kahn has great moments but her character feels the least defined and distinct of her comedy roles. Cloris Leachman is an absolute highlight as the bizarre Nurse Diesel. She's never looked worse or weirder and she plays that with pride to make a hilarious character.
The film doesn't hit the peak of Brooks' parody (it's maybe the third-best homage in his work), but it's a pretty good take on Hitchcock. There are some brilliant camera gags, the setting feels beautifully fleshed out, and some iconic scenes get clever parodic twists. What's most impressive is how the script constructs an engaging original thriller out of plot beats from various Hitchcock films so the disparate pieces turn into something functional and new and give the film its own identity. The characters may be what weakens the accuracy—Brooks doesn't fit the mold of the Hitchcock male lead, Madeline Kahn's hairstyle is too long, and the sidekick character Brophy feels too goofy on the whole.
This film may not be the most artful and accurate of Brooks' parodies, but watching more Hitchcock helped me to see how much it got right and managed to mix together in a successful way. An unintentional appeal is that it offers a decent Hitchock film that doesn't have weird baggage with women—it just has weird women performed by actors the director respects. Some of the jokes and performances are must-sees as well, so...
Film Not Brooks' best, but a worthwhile watch.
Mel Brooks parodying Hitchcock is already a fun idea, and the fact that the man met with Brooks during production and liked the film is great.
Dr. Richard Thorndyke has just assumed control of the Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous, but things quickly prove to be amiss. The staff makes healthy patients act insane when Thorndyke is around, and kills other doctors who oppose the corruption. Thorndyke learns something is wrong when one patient proves to have been a planted fake, and tries to stop the death of the real patient.
The cast is pretty good. Mel Brooks is fine as Thorndyke, but I feel like not having a moody hunk as the lead misses the mark pretty hard on the angle of Hitchcock. Madeline Kahn has great moments but her character feels the least defined and distinct of her comedy roles. Cloris Leachman is an absolute highlight as the bizarre Nurse Diesel. She's never looked worse or weirder and she plays that with pride to make a hilarious character.
The film doesn't hit the peak of Brooks' parody (it's maybe the third-best homage in his work), but it's a pretty good take on Hitchcock. There are some brilliant camera gags, the setting feels beautifully fleshed out, and some iconic scenes get clever parodic twists. What's most impressive is how the script constructs an engaging original thriller out of plot beats from various Hitchcock films so the disparate pieces turn into something functional and new and give the film its own identity. The characters may be what weakens the accuracy—Brooks doesn't fit the mold of the Hitchcock male lead, Madeline Kahn's hairstyle is too long, and the sidekick character Brophy feels too goofy on the whole.
This film may not be the most artful and accurate of Brooks' parodies, but watching more Hitchcock helped me to see how much it got right and managed to mix together in a successful way. An unintentional appeal is that it offers a decent Hitchock film that doesn't have weird baggage with women—it just has weird women performed by actors the director respects. Some of the jokes and performances are must-sees as well, so...
High Anxiety...you win.