Although never one known for subtlety nor tact, the loud and brassy comic Mel Brooks has turned out a great many films of varying quality from the groundbreaking (for it’s day) western hit BLAZING SADDLES (1973), the delightful and lovingly crafted James Whale spoof YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974) and Mel’s Hitchcock tip of the hat, HIGH ANXIETY (1978) which according to reports the great man himself loved! Sadly Mel’s consistency hasn’t always been on target, and today’s movie under my matte shot microscope HISTORY OF THE WORLD-PART ONE (1980) is one of those which although amusing in a ‘once over lightly’ sort of way is in fact pretty weak with way too much Brooksian schtick. I do however love Mel’s use of fantastic art in his movie one sheets and ad campaigns for this and those other mentioned titles – brilliant, and the sort never seen these days, sadly. That said, I still hold the film quite high on the scale of must see’s due in no small part to the astonishing work from Albert Whitlock and Syd Dutton at Universal Studios in what we all will agree is a monumental matte shot roll out
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A Tribute to Golden Era Special FX
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