The 2009 movie scene Mel Brooks called the funniest of the 21st century: “It was hysterical”
Since comedy is so subjective, there’s no such thing as a definitive funniest movie, scene, or performance of all time, but try telling that to Mel Brooks, who’s got some opinions that he refuses to budge on.
He thinks Blazing Saddles is the most hilarious motion picture that’s ever been produced, and while you wouldn’t have to go too far to find someone who’d agree with that, it’s not exactly objective when it’s coming from the film’s writer and director, but that doesn’t mean he’s not allowed to say it.
Along similar lines, he considers Anne Bancroft the single greatest actor in cinema history. Again, not an invalid opinion, as a trophy cabinet overflowing with an Academy Award, three Baftas, two Golden Globes, a pair of Primetime Emmys, and two Tonys would suggest, but they were married for 41 years, so he’s biased.
Brooks also called Madeline Kahn “the single best comedian that ever lived,” and she starred in four features that he helmed, which doesn’t invalidate the lofty accolade, but it does remove any sense of impartiality. Whenever he takes himself and his personal feelings out of the equation, though, it’s much easier to get a sense of what leaves the EGOT-winning veteran keeled over in laughter.
He adored Frankenstein and Dracula when he saw them as a nipper in the early 1930s, so he spoofed them. He’s been obsessed with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers for as long as he can remember, which is a very long time, considering that he’s on the cusp of turning 100 years old, but that doesn’t mean he can’t appreciate modernity.
Brooks cited Sacha Baron Cohen and Seth MacFarlane as two of his comedic heirs, but when he was pressed to name his favourite movie scenes of all time, only one of them hailed from the 21st century. In fact, it was also the only one from a picture that was released after 1960, which just goes to show the impression that it made on him.
“I liked The Hangover so much!” the comedy icon exclaimed. “The discovery of the tiger in the bathroom, it was hysterical. Oh my god! There’s a tiger in the bathroom that they stole from the heavyweight champion of the world. It’s an amazingly funny concept.”
It was at the time, even if the lightning didn’t strike twice. As much as Brooks likes Todd Phillips’ original, which became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time when it hit cinemas in the summer of 2009, he didn’t extend the same courtesy to the sequel, when he agreed with everyone in saying that rehashing the formula was a complete waste of everyone’s time.
On paper, a bunch of pissed-up fellas on a stag do gone wrong, waking up to discover that they’d drunkenly nicked Mike Tyson’s tiger and squirrelled it back to their hotel room, has no shortage of comedic potential. However, according to Brooks, it’s one of the greatest scenes he’s ever seen, and by far the best that 21st-century comedy has had to offer.
