Why Mel Brooks Is More Memorable Than Vincent Canby: "Blazing Saddles"
When Blazing Saddles first arrived in theaters not everyone was laughing. Some film reviewers found it cheap; according to Vincent Canby of the New York Times, it was "full of desperate, bone-crushing efforts to be funny." Ouch. Learn to take a fart joke already. Gag-hater! The people have spoken and they love this film. Roger Ebert got it. In his 1974 review he acknowledged, "It's an audience picture; it doesn't have a lot of classy polish and its structure is a total mess. But of course! What does that matter while Alex Karras is knocking a horse cold with a right cross to the jaw?"
Let's see what some regular folks are writing about the film these days:
“I have to start this by saying that this is one of the funniest movies of all time." —Amazon Member Review
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" —BarnesandNoble.com customer review
"The title fit the movie because it was blazing." —Ebay user review
"Start the Bid! at $.99" —Ebay seller
Mel Brooks is laughing all the way to the bank. The film was nominated for three Oscars and was selected for
preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Blazing Saddles is on AMC tonight at 8 p.m. EST | 7 C.
I wonder which version will be on. Will it be the version I saw in the theatre in 1974?
Why are film makers afraid of a complete theme? Example: Blazing Saddles...we're laughing and having a great time, then BAM out of no where Brooks' mean streak slithers in and abuses a horse. As a horse racing junkie, this scene was depressing. My friends and I vowed to never watch a Brook's film again.
Please someone, get a theme and stick to it!