Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 1: REDemption Review

Last year, DC introduced a new team of existing characters during their New 52 reboot. Red Hood and the Outlaws features the one-time Robin, Jason Todd, Starfire, and Arsenal (Red Arrow). This dysfunctional team is both a fun and unique title, something which the New 52 was in desperate need of.

Follow these three Outlaws, in their quest to find themselves and kick ass doing it! REDemption collects issues #1-7 written by Scott Lobdell (Teen Titans).

I don't know really what to say about this title other than it's AWESOME! Definitely a great take on the characters despite its initial controversy over the "too sexy" Starfire. I have read the current issues and they have delved deeper into Starfire's past, solidifying her as a character in the New 52 Universe. This title kicks major ass and is violent, hilarious, and heartfelt.

Ummm... I'm not sure I see the problem...

Do yourself a favor and pick up Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 1: REDemption! Also, look for the monthly series at your local comic shop!

Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 1: REDemption is 10 out of 10 Red Hoods!

RAWR(for more)

How To Destroy Angels An Omen EP Review

Since Trent Reznor announced Nine Inch Nails' hiatus in 2009, he's been busier than ever! He made his way into Hollywood (again) composing the scores for both David Fincher's The Social Network (2010) and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011) with longtime collaborator Atticus Ross. More recently, Reznor went back to video games (after scoring Quake in 1996) composing the theme song for Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

In 2010, Reznor, his wife Mariqueen Maandig, Atticus Ross, and Rob Sheridan formed the band How To Destroy Angels. Beyond, releasing their self-titled EP in 2010 and having a track on The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo soundtrack, they've been pretty quiet... Until Now!

Recently, HTDA signed with Columbia Records, which is the first time Reznor has been on a label since his early NIN days.

On November 13th, HTDA will release their digital and vinyl only EP titled An Omen EP_.

Here is a quick summary of the tracks on the EP.

1. Keep it Together - The opening track is very haunting and definitely has that familiar sound from NIN's The Fragile and a little bit like some of the tracks from Ghosts.

2. Ice Age - This track is the longest on the EP clocking in at 7 mins. It has a very different feel to it. There's a country twang to it that makes it sound very out of place. It's a good song, it just seems out of place.

3. On the Wing - gets right back to the NIN sound this time drawing from The Downward Spiral.

4. The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters- opens very much like the music Reznor and Ross recorded for The Social Network soundtrack.

5. The Loop Closes - might be my favorite track on the EP! It sounds like it was taken right off of a NIN album!

6. Speaking in Tongues - has a really catchy beat. It's similar to the country twang beat in Ice Age, but more electronic. It features that familiar muted background vocals from other Reznor's project.

Following An Omen EP_  HTDA will release their first full length album sometime in early 2013!

In other news, Reznor recently announced that new NIN material and a possible tour is coming! (Still no news on Tapeworm though...)

Right now you can stream HTDA's An Omen EP_ in its entirety here and you can pre-order the EP here.

How To Destroy Angels' An Omen EP_ is a 8 out of 10 Trent Reznors!

RAWR(for more)

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Graphic Novel Vol. 1 Review

In the past few years, Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy has really taken off and has taken many adaptations. From a Swedish film series and last year's American version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, there seems to be no stopping this amazing series from hitting every medium.

DC's adult targeted imprint Vertigo Comics has released the first volume of the first novel. Adapted by novelist Denise Mina, the story stays very true to the book. It's a little condensed, but still great!

Leonardo Manco's artwork is fairly standard, comic speaking. It's nothing I haven't seen a dozen times. Honestly, looking at the cover, I expected a more stylized and gritty approach to the work in order to make it stand out as an interpretation rather than a rewrite. Manco does a fascinating job with capturing the intensity of the violence in it, however the other panels tend to be uninteresting and even boring at parts. Perhaps, this had a lot to do with it being the first fourth of the novel, which is a lot of setup. I'll have to wait for the other parts to see.

It's a neat idea, but if you've already read the books and/ or seen the movie(s), the graphic novel doesn't really add much else. I think Vertigo missed the boat on cashing in on the property by about a year. Without a uniquely stylized retelling, it just falls flat.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Graphic Novel Vol. 1 is a 6 out of 10 Dragon Tattoos!

RAWR(for more)

George Lopez: "It's Not Me, It's You" (2012) CD Review

George Lopez might be most well known for his television show, which ran for six seasons, but of course he's first and foremost a comedian.  His new album, It's Not Me, It's You, showcases his style of stand-up comedy. This album has a lot of racial humor, as you might expect. And it's a self-declared celebration of being Latino. (At one point George Lopez says, "Latinas are beautiful. The problem is you've got to get them before they get fat.")

I admit this might sound a bit juvenile, but it's great to hear George Lopez swear, because I'm used to the much tamer version from his television program. Here he is completely unrestrained. He also mixes Spanish and English together freely throughout the performance, so if you speak both languages, you'll get a lot more enjoyment out of this album than those who speak only English. (I finally feel that my college degree in Spanish has come in handy.)  For example, you need to know the correct pronunciation, as well as definition, of "peligro" to get some early jokes.

He performs in front of a wildly enthusiastic crowd. It's almost too easy for him at this point to get laughs and cheers. But you can't hold that against him. George Lopez is pretty damn funny.

When the album opens, we hear just a bit of War's "Low Rider" to start, as George Lopez takes the stage. You can tell it's a big crowd even before he mentions that there are seven thousand people. He says, "You seven thousand people have paid to see a Mexican."  In his opening bit about Latinos working, he says that they're not concerned with safety. He mentions the caution signs you see on store floors, and says, "We don't have those signs when we work because we've taken them home and we're using them as soccer goal posts." That's hilarious, and then he continues by saying, "We assume that you know the difference between a wet floor and a dry floor."

A lot of the humor on this CD is racial humor, including lots of stuff about how Latinos raise their kids differently from white folks. He says Latinos raise their kids to be tough, that they're not spoiled ("We don't get our kids phones, especially when they're eight"). He says, "We're not there to entertain our kids." White kids feel entitled, with "that stupid fucking look on their faces." From the amount of audible laughter, it's clear there is some visual humor we miss on the CD. 

The bit on baby proofing is seriously hilarious. He says Latinos don't baby proof their homes, but rather leave everything the same. How else is the kid to learn? Society's current obsession with child safety has clearly gone overboard. He says, "To put a kid in a car seat now, it's like the motherfucker's going to the moon." No kidding. I've watched my brother strap his kids in, and it takes several minutes. George says, "We don't have time for that shit."

I love the bit about trick-or-treating, about how kids these days go out while it's still daylight (because, again, everything has to be safe for the kids). "Latinos, we want it to be pitch black. We don't want nobody to see us, because we trick or treat well into our early forties."

During the "Drunk Wedding" segment, he gives us this wonderful bit of dialogue:
Woman: "I don't like you when you're drunk."
Man: "I don't like you when I'm sober."

The snoring bit isn't as funny, at least not on the CD. I'm guessing you need to see his facial expressions for this bit to really work. And then at the end of the performance, he talks about this being an election year, and stresses the importance of the Latino vote.  George Lopez has been to the White House three times, "And every time I've been to the White House I steal some shit."

CD Track List

1. Latinos Work
2. Talking Shit
3. Racist Grandmother
4. Raising Our Kids
5. Trick Or Treating
6. Almost Swimming
7. Baby Proofing
8. Ethnic Shopping
9. Intervention
10. Drunk Wedding
11. I Don't Snore!
12. Latino Vote
13. White House Visit

It's Not Me, It's You was released on September 25, 2012 on Comedy Central Records.

RAWR(for more)

World War Z-Official Trailer (2013)

RAWR(for more)

Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume XXV (2012) DVD Review

For those who are unfamiliar with Mystery Science Theater 3000, the basic idea is that Joel is working for some people who don't like him, and they shoot him off into space and experiment on him (and torture him) by making him watch bad films on his ship. To remain sane, Joel creates a couple of robots and the three of them make jokes about the movies. So yes, this show essentially turns B-grade films into The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  It sounds lame, I know, but trust me, it isn't.

Also, you might think these would be good for just one viewing. But you'd be wrong. I still have some episodes of this show on videocassette, and that is one of the reasons I can't get rid of my VCR. I do still watch those episodes on a somewhat regular basis.

The show is filled out with some very short sketches aboard the ship, named the Satellite of Love. Those sketches are hit or miss, but the jokes about the films are often incredibly clever and witty. These aren't idiots shouting at a screen.  There are often literary references (for example, in this box set there are references to Shakespeare and Steinbeck, among others), as well as references to films and television programs and music. Pop culture geeks rejoice!

Volume XXV features four episodes that were previously unavailable on DVD, each episode on its own disc. There are some special features on each of the discs, including introductions by Joel Hodgson and Mike Nelson. I do wish, however, that the DVDs also included the original films, preferably widescreen. This is especially true of Operation: Kid Brother, which isn't available in any other DVD format.

Disc 1: Robot Holocaust

The first episode is from 1990 and so quite early in the series.  The film they watch is called Robot Holocaust. Sometimes the movies they watch aren't too terrible, but this one is unbelievably bad. And often when the film is particularly bad, the show is particularly good.  Before the feature, there is a short segment of a Commander Cody serial. As for the feature, the evil overlords tell Joel the movie is in color. Joel and the robots cheer, until they hear, "but it's edited for television," and the excitement turns to despair.  That was always my reaction upon learning something was edited for television.  At one point during the film, Joel holds his hands up to cover the nipples of a male wrestling spectator, and says, "I'm editing this."

This episode has a lot of great moments. Here are a few that stood out for me:
- When four of the actors enter frame individually and stop suddenly, Joel says, "Uh, here's my mark" (and yes, the actor on screen actually looks down for his mark).
- A pointless voice over says, "A knife is placed in the ground." Their response: "A voiceover is placed in the script." 
- A female character says, "We have no history. We have always been here."  Crow responds, "So you have a history."
- One character says, "We must be quiet from here on in."  Another asks, "Why?"  Crow answers, "Writers' strike."

One of the female actors has some sort of outrageous speech impediment, so the gang has a lot of fun at her expense.

I also like the invention exchange at the beginning of the episode: a ski mask that shows expressions so criminals won't be misunderstood. So thoughtful.

There are a couple of special features on this disc. The first is a five-minute introduction by Joel Hodgson, in which he says this is one of the first episodes and talks about production being rushed. The second feature is titled Life After MST3K: J. Elvis Weinstein, and it's an eighteen-minute interview with J. Elvis Weinstein about - you guessed it - what he's done since leaving the series. He talks about going on the road as a comic, moving to Los Angeles, writing for Later With Greg Kinnear, Talk Soup, Freaks And Geeks, and then Dead Last (I actually liked that show). He also talks about Cinematic Titanic.

Disc 2: Operation: Kid Brother

The second disc features a film titled Operation: Kid Brother (though the title on screen is Operation Double 007). During the film's opening credits, Crow says, "You know when there's four people on a screenplay, there's going to be trouble." Indeed. In this film, Sean Connery's brother Neil plays James Bonds' brother, though the character is named Neil Connery. Go figure. Several actors from the Bond series are featured, including the woman who played Moneypenny. I've seen all the Bond pictures, but had never heard of this.  There's a reason for that: It's terrible (worse than Never Say Never Again and perhaps even worse than Die Another Day). But that means it's bound to be a good film for the MST3K gang.

Here are a couple of my favorite moments:
- A character says, "This is beginning to look pretty serious." Tom Servo responds, "We'd better bring Sean in."
- Connery tells a woman, "You have gorgeous eyes, you know." She asks, "Do you really like them?" Connery replies, "Very much." Crow then asks, "Can I have one?"
- The female lead wears an adorable fur outfit, sort of like Diana Rigg in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, but with the addition of fur mittens. And when she's in a helicopter, they quip, "Airwolf meets Doctor Zhivago." Perfect.

As always, there are plenty of pop culture references, including references to "El Paso," Sleeper and Police Squad. (And I'm always intrigued because there are several references I don't get.) And during one of the breaks from the film, the gang contrasts the careers of Sean Connery and Neil Connery.

This disc has only one special feature, a three-minute introduction by Joel Hodgson, in which he talks about how it was his last season.  By the way, as far as I know, this movie is not available on DVD, so this is basically its only DVD release.

Disc 3: Kitten With A Whip

When you pop in the third disc, let the menu screen play for a while. It's hilarious.  This movie, Kitten With A Whip, isn't nearly as bad as the others. For one thing, it stars Ann-Margret and John Forsythe. Ann-Margret plays a sexy and completely insane young woman who thrusts herself into the life of a man who might later pursue a political career. As she tries to jump a train at the beginning, the gang jokes, "Ann-Margret in The Woody Guthrie Story." (For anyone who hasn't seen Bound For Glory, you should absolutely check out that film.) The Apocalypse Now reference is great. During a sudden action sequence, they say, "Whoa, the cameraman must not have expected this."

This disc's special feature is an introduction by Mike Nelson, in which he talks about how this film is outside their usual fare.

Disc 4: Revenge Of The Creature

The fourth disc's episode is from 1997, much later in the series. This one adds a bit of a plot to the show, the plot coming from Planet Of The Apes. Yes, you guessed it: It's completely unnecessary, and Mike Nelson actually talks about that in one of the disc's special features. This one starts slowly, but ends up being one of the funniest episodes.

For those who don't know, Revenge Of The Creature is the seriously lame sequel to The Creature From The Black Lagoon. Some men go to capture the creature. And on the boat on the Amazon, there is of course the obligatory Jaws reference. But there is also a Manimal reference (Remember that one? Of course you do).

Here are a few of my favorite bits:
- The creature actually waves at the camera, and the gang jokes, "Hi, Pop," "Hey, Ted, how's it going?"
- They capture the creature and bring him to Florida, where they move him around in a tank to revive him. When it works, the gang quips, "Oh ho, that's good chlorine" and "Great, I've got to change my name to Creature Of The Edinburgh Park Kiddie Pool" and "Open creature swim until 5 p.m."
- When they move the creature to a large tank, while he's tied up and chained, they guys say, "They're treating him like Bobby Seale" (a nice reference to the Black Panther who was a defendant in the Trial Of The Chicago 8).
- As a turtle swims by, they sing a line of "Happy Together." (There's also a Country Joe & The Fish reference.)

But one of my favorite bits is when the gang makes fun of an extra who keeps pointing off into space. (Extras should never point or look at their watches.)

There are some great baseball references in this episode, as well as a Grapes Of Wrath reference. But my favorite is, of course, the Hamlet reference. The girl goes to look in the tank, to find the creature seated by himself at the bottom. Tom Servo says, "O that this too, too solid flesh." That is the first line from Hamlet's first soliloquy, from Act I Scene ii.

The segment on board the ship with the nanites - Wade and Ned - is great. Often the sketches on the ship aren't all that good. But this is a definite exception.

This fourth disc has more special features than the others, including an introduction by Mike Nelson (7 minutes), in which he says this was the first episode on the Sci-Fi Channel, and how the folks there wanted a story. Ah-ha. Auteur On The Campus: Jack Arnold At Universal is a 20-minute documentary about Jack Arnold, who also directed It Came From Outer Space. In this documentary, they explain that that film was shot with the idea of never seeing the monster, but the studio went ahead and designed a creature anyway. This documentary also has segments about Creature From The Black Lagoon, Revenge Of The Creature, Tarantula, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Monster On The Campus and No Name On The Bullet.  The third special feature is Life After MST3K: Bill Corbett, a twelve-minute interview in which Bill Corbett talks about the animated series he worked on and RiffTrax.

This box set also includes 4 mini-posters of the individual DVD cases for the episodes.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume XXV is scheduled to be released on December 4, 2012 through Shout! Factory.

RAWR(for more)

Movie Review: Samsara

Director Ron Fricke and producer Mark Magidson, who collaborated on 1992’s Baraka, bring their next documentary of a similar ilk, Samsara, to the big screen.  The film was in production for five years, showcasing footage and images from 25 different countries, sending the reader on a narration-less journey to explore the advancements and flaws in human civilization.  Without dialogue, written or spoken, the breathtaking and sometimes shocking images are paired with an equally as adventurous score composed by Michael Stearns, Lisa Gerrard, and Marcello De Francisci.  Samsara premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September of 2011 and can now be seen on a limited number of screens around the US.

This is a film that you really have to be in the mood for and have a good idea of what you are getting into.  You may assume that a documentary without dialogue may be a a low-key, relaxing experience with little thinking involved, but this movie provides quite the opposite.  Samsara has a strong message no doubt, though it is not entirely clear.  The filmmakers have let the visually brilliant imagery and complex score lead the way as the viewer draws their own interpretation.  A truly intriguing movie-going experience and a great change of pace from today’s cinema if you ask me.

The footage, shot on 70mm film, is a collage of human civilization and some of the most fascinating parts of the world, starting with ancient religious monuments to vast foreign landscapes and progressing towards a fairly shocking view of today’s society, displaying images of things like the inside of a gun manufacturing plant and natural disasters.  There are a lot of images you will see in Samsara that you definitely will not see anywhere else.  A time lapse technique is also used a lot in this film, and it is used very well.  Also the content is put together very well.  You can tell that a lot of time went into this production.

Though Samsara went in a slightly different direction than I anticipated, it is a powerful production that makes you think about things that you normally wouldn’t think about.  Maybe there is a hidden agenda, I wouldn’t be surprised, but in my experience this movie has no real opinion of its own and its message is up to ones own interpretation.  This is one to see, if not just for the visually spectacular presentation.

7/10 Mustaches

RAWR(for more)

The Incredible Mel Brooks: An Irresistible Collection Of Unhinged Comedy (2012) DVD Review

Sometimes I forget just how funny Mel Brooks is. Certainly some of his films are funnier than others. But this is the guy that gave us The Producers, The Twelve Chairs, Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles, among others. He gave us the song "Springtime For Hitler."  He co-created Get Smart.  He wrote for Your Show Of Shows. That's some amazing stuff right there. All of those credits prove him to be a talented writer. But he's also incredibly intelligent and one heck of an improviser, as some of the material in the new box set, The Incredible Mel Brooks: An Irresistible Collection Of Unhinged Comedy, clearly demonstrates. This box set is a collection of television appearances, interviews and other miscellaneous items. If you're a huge Mel Brooks fan, you're going to love this collection, no question. But for those who are, say, lukewarm fans, this set might surprise you. It might be enough to make you big fans. It gave me a renewed respect for his talent, and I now plan on revisiting as many of his films as I can.

A sort of centerpiece to this collection is the documentary Mel And His Movies, which is split into five parts, one part per disc.  This documentary features interviews with Mel Brooks in which he talks about his films in chronological order. In the first part, he talks about Get Smart, The Producers (first titled Springtime For Hitler), and The Twelve Chairs. The second part is about Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. Mel talks about hiring Gene Wilder. This part also features a interviews with Harvey Korman (from 2004) and Cloris Leachman.  In the third part, Mel Brooks discusses about Silent Movie and High Anxiety. He talks about meeting Alfred Hitchcock, and about the phone booth sequence. There is also a bit of an interview with Cloris Leachman. The fifth part is about History Of The World Part I, To Be Or Not To Be and Spaceballs.  Regarding History Of The World, Mel talks about Orson Welles narrating the film. He hired Welles for five days, four hours a day, and he finished it all in one day. In the final part, Mel Brooks talks about Life Stinks, Robin Hood: Men In Tights and Dracula: Dead And Loving It. Mel talks about what led him to want to tell the story of Life Stinks, and jokes about now having to give money to every homeless guy who comes up to him. He talks about the running theme present in his more serious films - about how love and friendship are more important than money.

This box set includes a book. Actually, the whole thing is presented as a hardcover book, with lots of photos and several essays. The discs are in sleeves at the end.  I usually don't like sleeves for DVDs (as I fear I'm going to scratch the discs while taking them out or putting them back in), but this packaging is well thought-out.

There is so much in this collection, and it's a wide range of material, so it's probably best to go through it disc by disc.

Disc 1

The first disc opens with some Hitler humor, which of course is just perfect. Titled Hitler Rap, this bit is seriously funny. It features Mel Brooks as Hitler, with sexy backing vocalists. (At one point, one of the girls sports the Hitler moustache.) The disc includes the option of playing it with an introduction by Mel Books. 

Mel Brooks And Dick Cavett Together Again is an hour-long show with Mel and Dick seated in front of an audience, joking, reminiscing, telling anecdotes. Of course they talk about The 2,000 Year Old Man. (Carl is in audience and talks about the beginning of that sketch, and they do a bit of it, which is bloody great.) Dick Cavett tells a short Alfred Hitchcock anecdote. When Mel mentions High Anxiety, there is some applause in the audience. He turns to them and says, "Please, either a lot or nothing." They take questions from the audience too. There is also twelve and a half minutes of bonus footage from this special on the DVD, and some of that stuff is absolutely wonderful.

The first disc also includes a funny sketch from The Tracey Ullman Show, in which Mel Brooks plays a film director who needs a hit and has a meeting with a big star. And there are bits from appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. You also have the option of playing these with an introduction by Mel Brooks.

Disc 2

The second disc begins with Peeping Times, a sketch I'd never seen before in which Mel Brooks plays Hitler in a supposed Hitler home movie. Hitler just never ceases to be a great source of comedy. Mel whistles a bit of "Springtime For Hitler." There is also a Simon & Garfunkel reference, and Mel saying, "Heil me!" 

Inside Danny Baker is a television pilot that Mel Brooks wrote before Get Smart. It stars Roger Mobley, and was directed by Arthur Hiller (yes, the guy that directed Love Story and Teachers). It's kind of a sweet show about two boys who want to buy a boat so they can go fishing. Whitey Ford has a cameo.

In The Beginning: The Caesar Years features an interview with Mel Brooks about meeting Sid Caesar, and how they started working together (it includes some old footage). At one point, he talks about how Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, Woody Allen, and Joe Stein were all writing for Sid Caesar. Insane. This also features bits of interviews with Carl Reiner, and great footage from a panel with several of these great writers including Neil Simon and Carl Reiner.

The second disc also features an appearance by Mel Brooks on 60 Minutes, with the focus on the Broadway production of The Producers. There are bits of interviews Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane and Susan Stroman (the director of the play). Mel Brooks says that one of his life-long jobs is "to make the world laugh at Adolf Hitler." He also gives this bit of advice: "Don't tiptoe into show business. Jump into show business."

Disc 3

The third disc opens with The Critic, a funny animated short with Mel Brooks as old Jewish guy talking back to the strange images on the screen. This includes an option to play with an introduction by Mel Brooks, in which he talks about how the idea came about.  This animated short won an Academy Award.

I Thought I Was Taller: A Short History Of Mel Brooks is a goofy 44-minute documentary from 1981 that features an interview with Mel Brooks, in which he tells lots of Jewish jokes, talks about The Producers, and about learning drums from Buddy Rich. I love the bit where he talks about his films being serious, that they have something to say. We see bits of some of his films, including Young Frankenstein and Silent Movie, as well as a bit of the animated version of The 2,000 Year Old Man. And Mel does another Hitler bit. Some of it is great, but the whole search for an ending is rather lame.  This documentary also features interviews with Gene Wilder (who tells the chocolate bar story, which is great, because Mel tells the story elsewhere in this set), Sid Caesar (talking about Your Show Of Shows), and Alan Schwartz, Mel's lawyer.

This disc also includes Mel Brooks' 1970 appearance on The Dick Cavett Show, talking about The Twelve Chairs, and his 1972 appearance, when he talks about the idea behind The Producers.

In the introduction to the commercials, Mel Brooks talks about how the first thing he directed was a Frito Lay commercial. Then we see that commercial, along with a series of six different commercials for the Bic Banana (including one with some wonderful Shakespeare silliness).

Excavating The 2000 Year Old Man is a 44-minute special on one of the most famous sketches in the history of comedy. It features Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks talking about the sketch, about how they did it at parties and about Steve Allen getting them to do the record.  There are several segments from the sketch included in this special.  I love how the 2000 Year Old Man criticizes Shakespeare's penmanship. There are also interviews with other comedians (including Paul Reiser, Garry Shandling, Richard Lewis and Bob Newhart) about the impact that sketch has had, and recounting memories of listening to the records.

Bonus 2000 Year Old Man Appearances is a special feature that includes three appearances by that character. The first features Mel Brooks alone, and is from an episode of Jeopardy. When Mel Brooks enters, "Springtime For Hitler" is playing. The second is on the Colgate Comedy Hour. I love the bit on the origin of applause. And the third is on The Danny Thomas Variety Show. Interestingly, this one also features the origin of applause, and yet is quite different.

Disc 4

The fourth disc opens with Mel's Television Debut. This has the option of playing it with Mel Brooks' introduction, in which he says he was writing Your Show Of Shows, got an agent from that, and that agent got him this job on the Milton Berle Show.

An Audience With Mel Brooks  (44 minutes) is probably my favorite thing from this set. In this special, shot in London in 1984, Mel takes questions from famous people in the audience. I'm not sure how much of this was precisely arranged, but it's basically all funny. When asked about being a war hero, he says, "After they found me in Canada, I immediately enlisted."  He performs a musical number called "Retreat," which is great.  But my favorite part is when he talks about Shakespeare, referring to him as "William Cohen Shakespeare."  He jokes about his penmanship, but this time he says it's perfect. Then goes on to say that he does Hamlet's most well-known soliloquy in his movie (To Be Or Not To Be). From the audience, Helen Mirren (gorgeous as always) interrupts to ask him about his qualifications for playing Hamlet, and tells him there are several Hamlets in the audience, including Alan Howard and, seated directly next to her, Jonathan Pryce. So Jonathan Pryce comes on stage and does part of the famous speech.  At "to sleep/No more," Mel stops him, "No more."  (Oddly, we don't see the clip of Mel Brooks doing the speech from the film. He sets it up, but we don't see it. Why not? Is it edited out?)  And Ann Bancroft is so funny and adorable when Mel pulls her up on stage.

Another excellent bit on the fourth disc is Mel Brooks' appearance on Terry Wogan's show, from 1984. This might be the best appearance on a talk show that Mel has ever done. It's bloody hilarious.

This disc also includes an episode of Mad About You, in which Mel Brooks plays Paul Reiser's Uncle Phil, as well as some short animated segments from The Electric Company that Mel Brooks provides the voice for.

Disc 5

The fifth disc begins with "My Son, The Hero" Trailer, which is narrated by Mel Brooks. He should narrate every trailer from now on. In "How To Be A Jewish Son," Mel talks about his mother and demonstrates that one side of him is Fred Astaire.

This disc also features the Get Smart pilot, which you can play with an introduction by Buck Henry and Mel Brooks. You definitely want to watch the introduction, in which they talk about Don Adams, the writing and the credits. In the episode, a midget orders his cronies, "Get Smart, you fools!"

When Things Were Rotten is a show I never heard of, spoofing Robin Hood (this was quite a while before Robin Hood: Men In Tights). Mel Brooks co-created it, and it stars Dick Gautier as Robin Hood and Dick Van Patten as Friar Tuck. It's not very good, but it's kind of amusing, mostly because of Sid Caesar as the Marquis de la Salle.

One of my favorite bits on this disc is Free To Be... You And Me, in which Mel Brooks and Marlo Thomas provide voices for newborn puppets who are confused about their genders. It's totally wonderful. And then separated as each goes home from the hospital.

Disc 6: The CD

This set also contains a CD, which features several of the songs from Mel Brooks' films, including "The Inquisition" and "It's Good To Be King" (both from History Of The World Part I), "Theme From Blazing Saddles" and "I'm Tired" (from Blazing Saddles), "Springtime For Hitler," "Le Grand Frisson" (a song from the French version of High Anxiety), and "Men In Tights."  The CD ends with the song "Hope For The Best, Expect The Worst" (from The Twelve Chairs), which is my favorite of the songs, at least in part because the lines, "The world's a stage/We're unrehearsed" and "So take your chances/There are no answers." I love this song.

There are several other recordings on the CD, including one from 1947 of Mel Brooks reciting a bit of Keats (interesting because it's not comedy), excerpts from Open End With David Susskind from 1964 (Mel Brooks was a guest panelist), an appearance on The Tonight Show from April 21, 1964, two of Mel's appearances on The Celebrity Game, a game show hosted by Carl Reiner (and yes, Mel does a bit of the 2000 Year Old Man), and a series of six radio commercials for Circus Nuts done by Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett - these are seriously funny.

One of my favorite tracks on the CD is a series of three audio air checks for The New Les Crane Show from 1964 featuring Mel Brooks critiquing the show. During the first one, he does a bit of the 2000 Year Old Man, talking about working at the arena during fights between the Christians and the Lions - very funny. This is kind of a tease, because it makes me want to watch the show, which is lost.  The line that made me burst out laughing from the second air check is this: "It's the kind of non-objective television that we've got to keep trying until we abandon."

The Incredible Mel Brooks: An Irresistible Collection Of Unhinged Comedy is scheduled to be released on November 13, 2012 through Shout! Factory.

RAWR(for more)