Young Frankenstein review

Number 279 on the top 1000 films of all time is Mel Brooks' parody of the horror genre ‘Young Frankenstein.’

Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) is the grandson of the legendary Victor Frankenstein. But he wants nothing to do with his grandfather, so much so, that he goes by “Fronkensteen.” However, upon returning to Transylvannia, he soon returns to his grandfather’s experiments aided by his deformed servant I-gor (Marty Feldman) and his love interest and assistant Inga. (Terri Garr)

Mel Brooks is well-known for his parodies from Blazing Saddles to the fantastic Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Although primarily a loving pastiche of the Frankenstein films of the thirties, it also pastiches the horror genre of a whole. Mel Brooks utilised a number of transitions, such as the screenwipes that you would never see today.

He also made the unusual choice of rendering the film in black and white. Yet this stylistic decision coupled with the background scenery of houses painted at abstract angles, made for a delightful call-back to the German expressionist films of the thirties. Brooks’ scenery, music and camerawork wouldn’t have been out of place in a Fritz Lang film.

Wilder and Feldman were also brilliant. Wilder gave it his all, as the maniacal Frankenstein. He was delightfully over-the-top, just how you would expect in one of the horror films of old. Marty Feldman provided most of the laughs as the hapless assistant I-gor. Some of this came from his brilliant improvisational talents. I-gor has a hump which Feldman kept secretly moving from side to side. When Frankenstein questions him about this, I-gor replies “what hump?”

Lastly, I have to give some credit to Terri Garr who played Inga. She very much encapsulated the standard damsel-in-distress prone to standing around and looking pretty/scared. It’s a role you would commonly expect from the old horror films. And it’s a role that she did well.

Yet despite all this, the film felt lacking. Sure it was funny, but I wasn’t crying tears of laughter. I’m glad I saw it the once, but I don’t need to see it again. 

Bugsy Malone (1976) review

 This film does not feature on the top 1000 films. It is a musical pastiche of the gangster genre with teenagers playing the role of adults. It tells the story of the titular 'Bugsy Malone' (Scott Baio) who is caught in a war between rival mobsters Fat Sam (John Cassisi) and Dandy Dan (Martin Lev). Jodie Foster co-stars in one of her earliest roles.

I would count the Godfather as one of my favourite films and the Sopranos as one of my favourite TV series. You could say I am a big fan of the mobster genre. And I am an even bigger fan of this pastiche. it lovingly poked fun at a genre that as a whole takes itself too seriously.

Instead of tommy guns, we have cream-shooting splurge guns. If you're splurged then your street cred is dead and you are no longer a gangster. It's a clever way sanitising the often gratuitous violence you often find in gangster films. Who can forget the famous scene where Sunny Corleone is massacred in a volley of machine-gun fire?

Musicals aren't for everyone - I don't always like them - but the songs in Bugsy Malone are memorable whether it is of the janitor Fizzy singing about an audition that he will probably never have or Fat Sam's henchmen celebrating being bad guys, there are plenty of great musical numbers. Considering the film is set in the prohibition/jazz era, it is only appropriate.

The teenager actors all did a good job creating strong, likeable characters. We've already talked about the two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster, but Scott Baio, John Cassisi, Martin Lev and all the rest were great as well. Despite being primarily a comedy, there was a lot of heart and a lot of drama.

Sure, you can argue the ending becomes a bit soppy, but this is a pastiche after all. It's unlikely that we'll have a scene where all of Michael Corleone's enemies are gunned down while his son is being christened.

Overall, Bugsy Malone was a self-aware heart-warming pastiche of one of my favourite genres. It is a great family film for children and parents alike.