Okay, Jim, since you are my guest and I am your host... ...what is your pleasure? What
do you like to do? // Oh, I don't know... play chess... review "Wild Wild West". // Well,
let's play chess. // Checkmate. // Well, I'll be damned. I guess I'll have to review that
Western comedy after all. // Man, why do you do that to yourself? // Oh, you don't want
to know why... // I do, I do! // Well, if you must pry. // I must, I must! // I don't
know if you've heard of me before, but I used to be called the film reviewing kid. // Well,
if you're the kid... show me something. // This is Movie Night!
Hello and welcome to Movie Night, in-d epth reviews in five-minutes or less. I'm your
host, Jonathan Paula. Tonight we'll take a look at western comedies, from the granddaddy
of them all, to the most recent. We'll begin with "Blazing Saddles".
This $3-million dollar satirical comedy western by acclaimed writer, director, and EGOT-winning
Mel Brooks earned $120 million at the box-office following its February release in 1974. Nominated
for three Academy Awards, and listed 6th on AFI's top-100 comedies of all time, the 93-minute
film is also, reportedly, the first with a fart-joke to be selected for preservation
by the National Film Registry. After literally opening with the crack of a whip, the R-rated
story follows Cleavon Little, a charismatic black man who is appointed sheriff of a small
western town in hopes of driving out its racist inhabitants so a corrupt politician can extend
a railroad through the area. As the handsome sheriff with his own Gucci handbag, Little
is especially amusing... keeping his dignity and wits about him amongst old western discrimination,
particularly in a terrific scene where he tricks the slow townsfolk (all with the last
name Johnson) by holding himself hostage. This truth is later confirmed when his sidekick,
Gene Wilder reminds him, "These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West.
You know... morons." Slim Pickens, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn, and Mel Brooks himself
round out the talented supporting cast - each player contributing some rather exaggerated
and goofy performances. While Pickens and Korman deliver the majority of the best jokes,
the always enjoyable Wilder is sadly given very little to do himself, and feels particularly
wasted in his smaller role. His inclusion is another western comedy, "The Frisco Kid",
co-starring Harrison Ford that was released three years later, was a better fit for him.
Brooks take full advantage of the anamorphic frame, squeezing in plenty of sight-gags,
and beautiful frontier scenery. deliberate anachronistic jokes are abound in a narrative
supposedly set 100-years in the past, including references to the "Wide World Of Sports",
Frank Sinatra music, and an inspired climax that sees the characters literally breaking
the fourth wall... ending up right here in Mann's Chinese Theater. Littered with plenty
of slapstick humor, word-play, puns, and physical comedy, there are moments when the film delivers
up to 10-jokes a minute in the tighter scenes. Plus, watching the large brute "Mongo" punch
a horse in the face remains a hilarious moment 40 years later. And although it may be a bit
tame by today's standards, the film pushes boundaries, and tackles racism head-on. Backed
by a light and playful score from longtime collaborator John Morris, and some great original
numbers by Brooks - the picture starts off very fast and interesting, but slows to a
crawl for the middle act, before the aforementioned final act that helps cement this film's place
in cinema history. A silly experience I probably shouldn't have seen as a kid - this is one
movie I'm happy to revisit as an adult... still as entertaining as ever, "Blazing Saddles",
"Juvenile laughs drive western nonsense." Here are three of your reviews from the comments.
Our ratings for "Blazing Saddles"... a TEN and an EIGHT. Your praise for this picture
unanimous with many citing it as an all-time classic, you thought it was AMAZING. I've
never been a *huge* fan of Mel Brooks... I mean, don't get me wrong - I really enjoy
this film, and laugh every time I watch. But it's also rather silly too, so I'm only giving
it a GREAT. For tonight's poll question, what's your favorite Mel Brooks film? Leave your
response as a comment below. Next up tonight, let's review "Wild Wild West".
This steampunk western action-comedy film by director Barry Sonnefield is a loose adaptation
of the 1960's TV series of the same name. Despite notoriously mixed reviews, the $170-million
dollar picture managed to earn over $50 million in profit when it was released in June of
1999. Will Smith and Kevin Kline star in the 106-minute adventure as two of the best gunslingers
in the old west, who attempt to save the President from a cunning 19th century inventor-villain.
At the height of his popularity, Smith is slick, handsome, charismatic, charming, and
reasonably funny as he effortlessly moves from romancing a fine looking lady to corralling
a runaway stagecoach. Complete opposites in style and approach, the two make a perfect
pair: Kline is the resourceful US Marshall who prefers careful planning, disguises and
mechanical inventions, whereas Smith likes to, as one character puts it, "shoot first,
shoot later, shoot some more and then when everybody's dead try to ask a question or
two." Meanwhile, the remarkably talented Kenneth Branagh is featured as the crackpot bad-guy
with distracting facial hair - and remains one of the more memorable aspects of this
PG-13 rated picture... chewing the scenery with his over-zealous southern accent at every
opportunity. In a dual role, Kline also plays the President of the United States, again
- resulting in some humorous moments where he shares a scene opposite himself. The film
that famously broke Roger Ebert's longstanding "Statnon-Walsh Rule" that stipulated, "No
movie featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh in a supporting role can
be altogether bad." If I may devise something similar, no film featuring the timelessly
beautiful Salma Hayek can be altogether bad either. Her inclusion, helps - pardon the
pun - round out the talented, if underutilized cast. Showcasing plenty of impossible, but
fascinating gadgetry, the movie's visuals and style are both unique and interesting.
A scene where our two intrepid heroes must outrun flying death magnets through a dense
cornfield is practically original, and fun to watch unfold. Blending the period-accurate
costumes and western locations with anachronistic steam-powered contraptions makes for a less
than consistent visual style, but the effects themselves are done well, look quite good.
The musical score from Elmer Bernstein isn't anything special, but remains suitably low-key
and appropriate through out. Although the film could have been about 10 minutes shorter,
the adventure is paced well enough to keep you interested in its absurd premise and larger-than-life
characters. Feeling more like a modern-day action movie wrapped in a post-Civil War setting
than a proper western, the movie's tone, which bounces from serious to goofy is perhaps its
biggest flaw. If you're able to overlook the many shortcomings here though, it's a surprisingly
fun and carefree adventure worth watching at least once or twice, especially for the
superbly catchy pop-song by Smith himself that closes out the picture. "Wild Wild West",
"Unconventional heroics in unique situations." Now let's read the YouTube comments to see
what you had to say.
Our scores for "Wild Wild West", a FIVE and a SIX. Some were very critical of the entire
experience, while others were able to find some enjoyment out of this weird western,
your scores averaged to an ALRIGHT. A very 90's action flick, this one might be flawed,
but it's an fun guilty pleasure, I thought it was GOOD. A reminder now to check out the
Movie Night Archive channel for an organized collection of all our reviews, and to hear
my thoughts on upcoming movies - including an early review for "Edge Of Tomorrow", which
you can watch right now via the link below. Last up tonight, let's discuss "A Million
Ways To Die In The West."
Following 2012's rather enjoyable "Ted", this is the second live-action effort from writer,
director, producer, Seth MacFarlane and his "Fuzzy Door" productions - which was released
worldwide on May 30, 2014, on a budget of $40 million. MacFarlane himself stars in this
western comedy adventure as a cowardly sheep herder who falls for the new woman in town,
the stunning Charlize Theron, before having to duel her notoriously evil gun-slinger husband,
Liam Neeson. The ensemble cast also includes a host of talented individuals; Giovanni Ribisi,
Sarah Silvermann, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, and a half dozen truly awesome surprise
cameos. In his live-action debut, MacFarlane is particularly convincing as he goes through
several dramatic turns. The rest of the cast is also expertly utilized in each of their
specific roles, with MacFarlane making fantastic use of the western landscape, particularly
Monument Valley, which has never looked so beautiful in the wide frame. The R-rated story
is itself, a rather conventional rom-com set in the old west, but it has some undeniably
tender moments as well... set against the moon's glowing backlight. While the 116-minute
picture lulls quite a bit between the funniest moments, when the jokes do arrive, they're
laugh-out-loud hilarious. The noticeably modern-sounding dialogue is often lewd and blunt, with MacFarlane
taking laughs wherever he can get them, whether they be prat-falls, diarrhea mishaps, or a
gag involving a sheep's penis. It also pokes fun at the absurdity of the old west itself,
from its unorthodox medical practices, to its amusingly simple children's toys, with
the narrative making the best of its surroundings with some truly authentic costumes
and sets. Delivering on its name, the film does indeed feature a number of gruesome,
but amusing deaths, and these unexpected scenes provide some of the film's funniest moments,
with MacFarlane's character warning early, "The American west is a terrible place in
time. Everything out here that's not you wants to kill you." I make it a point to discuss
the musical score of a film in nearly all of my reviews, but the work here by Joel McNeely
deserves special praise. His majestic score is a fantastic ode to old fashioned western
themes, fluttering beneath every scene, and elevating this picture to wonderful heights.
Never taking itself too seriously, the almost-believable story is a filled with strong characters,
fun moments, and a nice message about self-worth and standing up for yourself. Like most comedies
these days though, I was disappointed that various trailers and TV spots did indeed give
away a fair amount of this film, and many of its funnier jokes. For those who go into
this movie sufficiently spoiled however, there's still enough meat on the proverbial bone to
result in an entertaining time. I definitely won't mind seeing this film again, or listening
to its lovely soundtrack. "A Million Ways To Die In The West." "Indulgently long, but
very amusing."
I'll score this a SEVEN on the rate-o-matic. Although it could have been improved with
a tighter edit, this was a simple, charming, and enjoyable story with likable characters
and plenty of funny moments, I thought it was COOL. Now let's take a look some Tweet
Critiques to see what you're saying about other films currently playing in theaters.
If you see a new movie in theaters, Tweet your review with the #JPMN hashtag. Next week,
on the 70th anniversary of D-Day, we'll be reviewing five war pictures, one from each
of America's biggest conflicts, "The Patriot", "Gettysburg", "All Quiet On The Western Front",
"Shindler's List", and "Lone Survivor", brand new on DVD next week. A wide selection of
movies from across the decades, but if you get a chance to see them, share your opinions
by voting in the polls below, or by leaving a comment review. If you'd like to watch more
Movie Night reviews, check out the "related videos" on the right, or click SUBSCRIBE to
be notified of all new content. Also be sure to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Google+,
or Instagram for updates between episodes. Once again, my name is Jonathan Paula, thank
you for watching and listening. Until next time, have a good Movie Night!