#356. Parodies

There’s a very fine line between a film that’s self-aware and a parody. Often, a self-aware movie is one that ascribes to the tropes of a particular genre but does so with a tongue-in-cheek knowing wink. Parodies are usually films that play off the success of another film (or series/franchise of films) to make fun of the little foibles that make the referenced film so successful. In terms of straight comedy, these movies rely on previous knowledge of source material endemic to the popular culture surrounding it. Consequently, while parodies are seen as “lower” comedy, and are rarely taken seriously (for obvious reasons), by piggybacking on a pop culture phenomenon, some of these parodies are almost as well-known as the movies they’re parodying. This week’s two films examine some successes from the golden age of parody: the 1980s.

Spaceballs
Year: 1987
Rating: PG
Length: 96 minutes / 1.60 hours

Despite acts like Abbot and Costello and The Marx Brothers being some of the trailblazers of parodies, the sub-genre of comedy didn’t really take off until the late 1970s and early 1980s. Part of this stemmed from the box office successes of big-budget action films, which themselves were ripe for parody. No genre, film, or franchise is safe from parody. Documentaries were parodied in This is Spinal Tap (1984), Frankenstein (1931) was parodied in Young Frankenstein (1974), and the James Bond franchise was parodied by the Austin Powers franchise. Of course, one of the kings of film parodies is none other than Mel Brooks. He parodied Broadway musicals in The Producers (1968), westerns in Blazing Saddles (1974), and the epitome of the space opera, Star Wars (1977), in Spaceballs (1987).

Planet Spaceball is in trouble! They’ve run out of fresh air, and now President Skroob (Mel Brooks) is trying to figure out how to steal the clean air from nearby planet Druidia. By holding Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) hostage, Skroob believes he can get the access codes for Druidia’s atmosphere shield. Before Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis) can arrive to kidnap the princess, she runs away from home, causing her father to hire the mercenary Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) to pursue her. While Lone Starr gets to Vespa first, his spacecraft runs out of fuel, causing them to crash land on a desert planet. While Lone Starr comes across a sage known as Yogurt (Mel Brooks) and learns about “The Schwartz,” Vespa is finally captured by Dark Helmet. It’s then up to Lone Starr to chase after Dark Helmet and use his newly acquired Schwarz powers to save the day.

Airplane!
Year: 1980
Rating: PG
Length: 88 minutes / 1.47 hours

Sometimes parodies don’t necessarily poke fun at a single popular film. Sometimes these parodies cover many films within a genre. Sure, with as many Dracula films as there are, you’d expect to see a Mel Brooks film like Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995). But for each of these films, you’d have parodies for high box office grossing films like Top Gun (1986) that was parodied in Hot Shots! (1991). However, with no Top Gun sequel, the Hot Shots! sequel (Part Deux (1993)) had to resort to parodying war films in general. Likewise, the Naked Gun series was a spinoff of the Police Squad! parodies of the “cop drama” genre. Even animated films are not immune, as shown by the parody that is Shrek (2001). And yet, in the 1970s, the “disaster” genre really took off, thus providing plenty of fuel for the cult classic that is Airplane! (1980).

On a flight from Los Angeles to Chicago, an in-flight meal causes the flight crew and many of the passengers to become ill due to food poisoning. With nobody to fly the plane, flight attendant Elaine Dickinson (Julie Hagerty) contacts the control tower in Chicago, where she learns that the inflatable autopilot should get them to Chicago, but is unable to land the plane. Fortunately, Elaine’s former boyfriend, Ted Striker (Robert Hays), is a former fighter pilot and is also one of the passengers on the plane. Unfortunately, he has PTSD from his military service and has developed a “drinking problem,” as well as an aversion to flying, as a result. It’s now up to Ted’s former commanding officer, Rex Kramer (Robert Stack), to help him land the plane safely at Chicago. While the introduction of his former commanding officer causes some PTSD for Ted, the weather also creates a wrinkle in the landing. Will Ted safely land?

2 sum it up: 2 films, 2 perfect parodies

#156. Gene Hackman

You can often tell a lot about an actor by the movies on his resume. If they only appear in serious, “Oscar bait” films, you wonder if they ever have any fun while acting. Those actors who can transcend multiple genre boundaries must love what they do. Whether it’s a courtroom/police drama, a superhero adventure, a western, or a comedy, someone who can successfully act in all of these genres can be hard to find. Gene Hackman is just such an actor. His repertoire is vast and includes many well-known films, such as The Poseidon Adventure (1972), Bonnie and Clyde (1967), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Young Frankenstein (1974), Hoosiers (1986), and three of the first four Superman (1978) films, amongst many others. This week’s two films showcase Gene Hackman’s acting talent at both ends of his career. One thing’s for sure: he’s no hack!

Runaway Jury
Year: 2003
Rating: PG-13
Length: 127 minutes / 2.12 hours

Even though Hackman has acted in many genres, there seems to be a tendency to stick with a genre for a few years. For instance, in the same early 1990s timeframe, he acted in four westerns in four consecutive years: Unforgiven (1992), Geronimo: An American Legend (1993), Wyatt Earp (1994), and The Quick and the Dead (1995). Following that stint of westerns, he acted in some comedies, including Get Shorty (1995) and The Birdcage (1996). However, the genre that started off Gene Hackman’s resume for the ’90s was that of the courtroom drama. Starting with Class Action in 1991, two years later he appeared in The Firm (1993), one of the best-known films based off of a John Grisham novel. A decade later, Hackman made it back to the courtroom in another John Grisham adaptation: Runaway Jury (2003).

In Runaway Jury, Gene Hackman portrays Rankin Fitch, a jury consultant who is assisting the defense attorney of Vicksburg Firearms, a gun manufacturing corporation that is being accused of gross negligence after a workplace shooting. Even though Fitch tries to get the entire jury needed to acquit Vicksburg Firearms, a few outliers like Nick Easter (John Cusack) get through. When Fitch and the prosecuting attorney, Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman), are offered the verdict to the first person to pay $10 million, Fitch wonders if this mysterious woman named Marlee can actually make it happen. While Fitch gets his proof, he quickly loses control of the jury when they’re placed in sequestration. Now it’s up to whoever will provide the bribe needed to sway the verdict to determine the outcome of this heated trial.

The French Connection
Year: 1971
Rating: R
Length: 104 minutes / 1.73 hours

While his performance in the aforementioned Unforgiven (1992) earned Gene Hackman an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, it was hardly his first Oscar. Ten years after the start of his acting career, Hackman won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection (1971). In fact, despite acting in many different genres, Gene Hackman did play many roles as a part of the police force. The only other roles that surpassed those of detectives and sergeants were those of the military. He ran the gamut of ranks, including Sergeant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier General, Major General, General, and Admiral. On top of those positions, he has also portrayed an FBI Special Agent, a Senator, the Secretary of Defense, and even the President of the United States.

As a narcotics Detective in the New York Police Department, Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle (Gene Hackman) and his partner, Buddy “Cloudy” Russo (Roy Scheider) make a few links between drug transactions and some well-to-do people to learn that a big shipment of heroin will be arriving in New York City soon. That shipment was arranged by Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey), a Frenchman who has used the car of an innocent friend to ship the drugs to the United States. After Charnier finds out that Popeye knows about the shipment, one of his henchmen attempts to assassinate Popeye, but ends up being chased by the detective in an intense sequence involving an elevated train and a commandeered vehicle. Meanwhile, the drug car is taken apart, and the drugs are found inside and removed. When the car is put back together, nobody’s the wiser as the film reaches its exciting conclusion.

2 sum it up: 2 films, 2 Hackman highlights

Bacon #: 2 (Enemy of the State / Scott Caan -> Novocaine / Kevin Bacon)

#024. Mel Brooks

A lot of comedies tend toward the gross, the rude, and the uncouth. However, there are some that use wit and comedic timing to generate laughs. Personally, I prefer the latter. If the laughs aren’t aimed at the lowest common denominator, then the film generally has some merit as a legitimate piece of cinema. While some of the best comedic timing comes from well-choreographed slapstick (see films by The Marx Brothers, Charlie Chaplin, or Buster Keaton), there are cases that could be deemed “self-aware.” Mel Brooks is perhaps the master of the self-aware comedy. I’d like to make a distinction between self-aware comedies and films that are merely self-aware: the former is the exaggeration of the latter. Self-aware films are still a part of their respective genres, where the self-aware comedies of Mel Brooks are considered to be comedy in genre, but tend to poke fun at the genre they are based on. This week’s two films highlight the self-aware comedies that Mel Brooks excels in. Interestingly enough, he really doesn’t appear in either of them, which is uncommon for a Mel Brooks film.

Young Frankenstein
Year: 1974
Rating: PG
Length: 106 minutes / 1.77 hours

Everyone is familiar with the monsters of Universal Studios. These classic black and white films set the foundation for the horror genre that we have today. Movies about Dracula, the Wolfman, and Frankenstein’s monster have stood the test of time and are now referenced as part of our collective pop culture. In Young Frankenstein (1974), Mel Brooks takes the series of Frankenstein movies from the 1930s and ’40s and pokes fun at the whole set in one masterful jab. Shot in black and white to emulate the film style of the original movies, Young Frankenstein uses the characters, themes, and motifs from the classic films and over-exaggerates them into a caricature full of comedy.

Young Frankenstein follows the plot of the first Frankenstein (1931) film but adds in a few different sections from other Frankenstein sequels. Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) has resisted his grandfather’s legacy, up until the point where he moves into the castle he inherited. After The Monster (Peter Boyle) is created, it goes on a rampage, eventually running into a blind hermit (Gene Hackman), which was a re-enactment of a scene from Bride of Frankenstein (1935). In order to keep peace in the village, Inspector Kemp (Kenneth Mars) sets out to capture the Monster (again, a reference to Son of Frankenstein (1938), especially with the artificial arm). Of course, the Monster just wants to be understood, which helps the film end on a happy note.

The Producers
Year: 1968
Rating: PG
Length: 88 minutes / 1.47 hours

While the last film of this post made fun of classic horror movies, The Producers (1968) is Mel Brooks’ parody of musicals. Or, more accurately, what it takes to produce one. Broadway can be a strange place, especially with what becomes a successful smash-hit and what doesn’t even make it to the stage. What’s somewhat ironic about the whole thing is that The Producers was eventually turned into a Broadway musical, and then turned into a movie again in 2005. So, by the end, it had become a movie about a musical, based on a musical about making musicals, which was based on a movie about making a musical. Are we clear? No? Great.

When accountant Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder) starts his job working for Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel), he discovers something interesting about some of the musicals Max has produced. They both learn that, while Max is not a successful producer by any means, for the musicals he produces which flop, he doesn’t have to pay the investors. With this revelation in place, the two men start planning the most unsuccessful musical ever seen on the stage. With the unique biographical premise of Franz Liebkind’s (Kenneth Mars) Springtime for Hitler, played by the most un-Hitler like actor (Dick Shawn), they’ve got a sure-fire flop on their hands. Or do they?

2 sum it up: 2 films, 2 Mel Brooks masterpieces

Bacon #: 2 (Spaceballs / John Candy -> Planes, Trains and Automobiles / Kevin Bacon)

#023. Purposely Black and White

There are some people out there who wonder, “If color film has been around for so long, why would you ever shoot your movie in black and white?” Now, these people would probably ask the same thing of the 2011 Academy Award for Best Picture, The Artist, and its (almost) complete lack of sound. Those of you who have been following along from the beginning know I briefly touched on movies that either use the addition of color or the separation of color and black and white to help the filmmaker tell a story. While the purpose of making a film in black and white may vary from artistic direction or as an homage to films that had no full-color options, there were still valid reasons that they should be filmed in this fashion. This week, I’d like to examine two films that were made entirely in black and white for a purpose.

Raging Bull
Year: 1980
Rating: R
Length: 129 minutes / 2.15 hours

While not entirely shot in black and white, Raging Bull (1980) does stand out as a great example of a movie that almost needs the monochromatic treatment. There have been a few ideas as to why this film needed to be shot in black in white. One thought is that the color of the boxing gloves didn’t look quite right to director Martin Scorsese, which led him to make the whole movie in black and white. Another thought is that since boxing can be a very violent sport, the excessive amount of blood involved with making this movie wouldn’t have allowed it to be released, which led to the decision to shoot in black and white. At the very least, Raging Bull was definitely shot in black and white for a reason.

I certainly consider this to be Martin Scorsese’s best film (of many great films). Raging Bull chronicles the life of Jake La Motta (Robert DeNiro). Throughout the film, we watch Jake’s rise through the ranks of middleweight boxing. We also get a look into his tumultuous personal life, in conflict with his wife (Cathy Moriarty) and brother (Joe Pesci). Stylistically, this movie is beautiful, shot entirely in black and white (for the aforementioned reasons). Somehow, this style intensifies the bouts in the ring, producing some incredible fight sequences. But even with all of his success, Jake ends up working a nightclub, quoting Marlon Brando’s famous speech from On the Waterfront (1954).

Young Frankenstein
Year: 1974
Rating: PG
Length: 106 minutes / 1.77 hours

On the flip-side of the black and white coin is a film that takes the route of the homage. Those who are familiar with Mel Brooks’ films know that most of them take a particular genre and create a comedy based on that theme or style. Young Frankenstein (1974) is just one of those movies. The choice to go with black and white for this movie was because the original set of films (Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), and House of Frankenstein (1944), etc. etc. etc.) were all shot in black and white because it was the easiest medium to film in at the time they were made. To more fully mimic their style, Young Frankenstein kept with tradition and filmed in black and white as well.

The story of Frankenstein is certainly timeless, which is why Mel Brooks can poke fun at it so easily. Gene Wilder plays Dr. Frankenstein, but not the one originally famous for the re-animation experiment. No, he’s the grandson of that Frankenstein. When he inherits his grandfather’s castle, he goes up to check it out. Inside, he finds an array of odd characters including a hunchback assistant named Igor (Marty Feldman). Even though he passed off his grandfather’s experiment as crazy, he eventually ends up doing it himself anyway. Taking bits and pieces from all the classic Frankenstein movies, Young Frankenstein is almost a Frankenstein monster of itself, but a laugh riot and a must watch nonetheless.

2 sum it up: 2 films, 2 monochromatic masterpieces