364: Young Frankenstein (1974)

SPEAKER_05 0:04

The sad part though is that everyone, the main cast of this film, has now passed away. Now they're all together, hopefully, having a good old reunion.

SPEAKER_06 0:13

Imagine passing away, and your afterlife is just getting back together with your co-workers. Greetings and salutations, and welcome to Hackerslash. If you're joining us again, welcome back. For what we are about to see next, we must enter quietly into the realm of genius. If this is your first time listening, welcome to the party. We are a horror movie review podcast dedicated to telling you whether a movie is a hack, a total joke, a waste of time, or a slash.

SPEAKER_03 0:46

Totally killer, pun intended.

SPEAKER_06 0:48

We believe horror is for everyone, and as such, we're rating these movies with a perspective we've gained from our varying walks of life and the flavors of fear we fancy most. My name is Chris, I'm your friendly neighborhood slasher enthusiast. This week I'm joined by the Superfly Space Guy Mac.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

I think you'll be more comfortable in the rear.

SPEAKER_06 1:02

The classic horror connoisseur Sean.

SPEAKER_03 1:04

There. Now I've touched it. Happy?

SPEAKER_06 1:06

And the paranormal paramour, Binx. Wait, where are you going? I was gonna make espresso. This week we're checking out a 1974 film that traces its roots back to an iconic universal monster.

SPEAKER_03 1:18

And if you support the show by being a patron or subscribing through Apple Podcasts, you'll also get to join us for our B side at the end of this episode, where we get into celebrities we would bring back from the dead, but completely switch their careers.

SPEAKER_06 1:31

Now, back in episode 316, we explored the groundbreaking story of Frankenstein from 1931 and dove into the birth of one of horror's most iconic creatures. This week we're taking another look at the legacy of Victor Frankenstein, but this time through a new lens. One that takes a sharp comedic twist on the story we thought we knew. By the early 70s, Mel Brooks had already established a reputation for taking familiar genres and flipping them on their heads. His knack for satire and absurdity had audiences laughing at Western spy thrillers and historical epics. In the midst of this comedic streak, Brooks took an unexpected turn when he partnered with Gene Wilder to reimagine one of horror's most enduring stories. Armed with a script co-written by Wilder, they brought together a cast that included some of the sharpest actors of the era and recreated the shadowy world of Universal's classic horror films, complete with sets that once home to Boris Karloff in the original film. The story follows an American grandson who wants nothing to do with his family's legacy, one marked by a famous experiment in life and death. When he's invited to his ancestral home in Transylvania, he soon finds himself stepping into his grandfather's shoes, confronting a discovery that could change his view on what his family was really capable of. This week we're talking about young Frankenstein. Who's seen this one before?

SPEAKER_03 2:54

Oh my god. This movie is a motherfucking staple. It was a staple growing up. I had this movie, I feel like, on repeat for years. I mean, literally, I have probably seen this movie a hundred times. A lot of times just playing in the background, but still, I've seen this movie a lot.

SPEAKER_05 3:13

I remember being very little thinking that this was actually Frankenstein. This was the Frankenstein movie. So I've definitely seen it as a kid. But funny enough, because of course this tends to happen, I think, to some of us on the pod. I was on a cruise with my brother, and there's only like two channels in the cruise ship that are dedicated to movies at random. And I was getting ready for one of the dinners, and they were playing young Frankenstein. So I sat and I watched through the whole thing. Next thing I know, I'm looking at our lineup and we're we're recording this episode. So I literally just saw it less than a month ago, give or take. But it's so fun that I did not mind having to watch it again for sure.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

I watched this so recently that my wife was like, didn't you guys just review it? Because she thought I must have watched it for the podcast. But no, this is one of those movies that I've seen a bunch and probably will continue to see a bunch as well.

SPEAKER_03 4:08

Willed it to existence, you know?

SPEAKER_06 4:10

Yeah, honestly, this is the power of manifestation from all of you. Because listen, I've seen this one before, but it's the first time I've actually seen it as an adult. And I'm so glad I'm now re-watching it after having what feels like a still fresh viewing of Frankenstein when we did that episode. So watching it a ton as a kid and then watching mostly just like smaller clips of it to really enjoy that over the years. Man. Walking into this one again, I just really sat in and felt sheer joy. Not side-splitting laughter, like the way I experienced it in my youth, but this movie plays with expectations and it opens up with an almost what feels like Reverend approach to Mary Shelley's world, but it also feels like it's straight up obviously from the first moments of the film parodying horror, right? So we have this new Frankenstein who's wrestling with his sense of ambition and his detest for his family lineage. And from the second you get that taste of what Gene Wilder is in this movie, holy shit, he just takes you on a ride of just sheer joy.

SPEAKER_03 5:14

So good.

SPEAKER_00 5:15

Yeah, this would it's so good. This is like a movie, if it were a blanket, it would be warm and cozy, but somehow it tickles you and makes you giggle. That's what watching this movie feels like. And if you've never seen it before, I hope you have that reaction. I hope you feel warm and cuddly. And if you have seen this before, y you know what that feeling is. There's maybe not like the right words to describe it, but I think everyone who's seen it, it just tickles you the right way.

SPEAKER_05 5:39

And I think it encapsulates a lot of different people's sense of humor. There's lots of different moments in the film that call to maybe a little bit of dark humor, sarcasm, just full-on like in your face laughs. Overall, the whole film is gonna get you feeling good and laughing one way or the other. And I felt that even the second time around, and I think that's why this is one of the few films that out that are out there, especially in comedy, because I think that in that genre you can find a bit more of it. But one of the few films out there that you can re-watch and still have a good time seeing, even if it's in the background. Shawnee mentioned you've seen it over a hundred thousand times, probably. And I'm not surprised. Even just now, I was cracking up over a scene that I didn't even realize was actually happening when I watched it a month ago. Like you just don't realize it. And I think it's something special about that. And Gene Wilder definitely plays a big part of that, obviously, but the rest of the cast does too.

SPEAKER_03 6:41

Yeah, for sure. I mean, this movie is just a good fucking time. It's full of puns and witty humor. I feel like it's sprinkled with little tidbits of like hilarious banter. The dialogue is great. I love how Mel Brooks was able to really capture the feel of a 1930s or 40s film, but in 1974. Like you've got the comedy aspect, right? But you have this feel and look of what a movie was. And I think it's just such a brilliantly made film that you just have such a good time. And I'm always laughing and really just enjoying the ride every time I watch this movie. And that's why I think probably one of the most surprising things about this movie is how it never gets fucking old. I mean, you would think that the humor doesn't really hold up because a lot of comedies don't always hold up or age well, but I think this one does. And I don't know, maybe I'm just getting old, but I feel like the humor in this one is just the kind of silliness that most everyone can enjoy.

SPEAKER_05 7:39

And I think it's because this film reminds me a lot of scary movie in a sense, where it knows what it's doing. It's just like a really good fucking parody. It's really good. And we talk more about it in the B sides, but for me, what I found so surprising was how stellar that cast was. That's why I mentioned it. Like it's not just Gene Wilder, but there are so many great stars coming out of here. Peter Boyle is the main one, obviously, for me. I love Everybody Loves Raymond. I grew up watching it. Funny enough, they were playing episodes on the cruise ship. So I was like, this is so my jam. But I wanted to share another fun fact that I was stumbling upon when I was doing some more research about the film. Gene Welder actually dated both female leads in this film, Madeline Ken and Terry Garr. And I'm like, you know, my man really does pool. Okay. Good for him.

SPEAKER_06 8:33

Gene had to do how far apart was the dating?

SPEAKER_05 8:36

That far, actually. So the real T is that he was married, and his stepdaughter had suspected that he actually was having an affair with Madeline Ken. So that's con. It's not fully, you know, it's still up in the air and up for debate as to whether he actually did date her or not, but he did date Terry Garr.

SPEAKER_03 8:57

We need the TMZ report on this.

SPEAKER_05 8:59

I know.

SPEAKER_06 8:59

The Bing's MZ report.

SPEAKER_05 9:01

Wouldn't that be crazy? The sad part though is that everyone, like all the main cast of this film, has now passed away. Although I guess in some cases that's reasonable. I mean, I know that this is 1974, you know, all that, but it's a little sad, but a little bittersweet too, because now they're all together, hopefully, having a good old reunion. So there's that.

SPEAKER_06 9:22

Imagine passing away, and your afterlife is just getting back together with your co-workers.

SPEAKER_01 9:28

The equivalent of Well, I hope you like your fucking co-workers. That could be also hell.

SPEAKER_06 9:34

These people are way fucking cooler. But if Gene Wilde is already kicking it up there with two ex-girlfriends that he was also in a movie with, and one of them may have been a mistress, maybe it's a little problematic.

SPEAKER_03 9:42

Listen, if you tell me that if I were to die today, I'm gonna go kick it with the cast of young Frankenstein for eternity. Take me now, baby. Let's go.

SPEAKER_06 9:51

Yeah, but what if I told you you're kicking it today and hanging out with your co-workers?

SPEAKER_03 9:56

Then I will do whatever I can to not allow that to happen.

SPEAKER_06 10:01

And listen, it's the reality.

SPEAKER_03 10:02

Your co-workers be like, damn.

SPEAKER_06 10:04

My co-workers are cool people. It doesn't mean I want the afterlife with them.

SPEAKER_03 10:07

They would understand, I think.

SPEAKER_06 10:08

They have cooler people to fucking hang out with than me.

SPEAKER_03 10:11

That's yeah, come on. For sure. It's probably an equal decision here.

SPEAKER_05 10:15

No, I'm pretty amazing. So my co-workers definitely want to I think that they hope to see me again. I'm a good time.

SPEAKER_06 10:21

Listen, I want to go back to Sean, what you were saying about how this movie doesn't get old. And what I think surprises me most about this movie is how perfectly, even along with that cast, they capture the era. And if you were to sit someone down and play Frankenstein and this, I think the sophistication of the comedy and the sophistication of the sound would obviously make it very apparent. But honestly, I feel like you could play this back to back, the first one and then a sequel. I feel like you'd almost get away with it. I loved how seamlessly this feels, like it blends together. And we think about that, right? We talked about it with Ty West and how he really knows how to capture a time period in cinema. And it's not just this place or the time in which he sets his film, it's like he creates his film within that time, and that's what this felt like. It's not enough to just shoot a movie in black and white, right? But you have to be intentional to make sure that black and white still hits and that the colors still carry over in a specific way. Uh it's just it was absolutely beautiful to look at.

SPEAKER_00 11:27

It's such a good point. I mean, I think something that caught me off guard, you know, prior to probably this viewing was like how much effort they put into mirroring the 1931 film. Not just trying to like mesh with it, but show parts of it in their own way. And I just never paid enough attention to like how good of a job they did. If this wasn't comedy, you'd be like, oh my gosh, this is amazing. This drama, this sci-fi drama just nailed it. But no, I think like the fact that they were able to do that and also make it comedic was just like top-notch.

SPEAKER_06 12:01

Okay. Hear me out. We got Halloween 2018. That was a requel and it erased a lot of the timelines of the Halloween universe, but it gave Easter eggs within that movie to a lot of the other Halloween films. This feels like a requel for Frankenstein.

SPEAKER_01 12:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 12:16

I mean, it mentions the five incidents, right? And we talk about each film, but it feels like you could again erase the timeline and just go one and two, and then these two just go together.

SPEAKER_03 12:26

Alright, listen, I'm with you on that, because I wasn't even thinking about that. This might be a hot take, but I was thinking about this as I was watching this film, and I was thinking about movies like Scream, and I'm thinking, Is Young Frankenstein a legacy sequel? It's essentially a new installment in a franchise that continues from the original story and takes place at a later time. I mean, it could be a legacy sequel, y'all.

SPEAKER_06 12:50

Oh yeah. Young Frankenstein is the Jamie Lloyd of Halloween. Absolutely. Just get one of these kids carrying on the fucking story.

SPEAKER_03 12:58

Damn.

SPEAKER_06 12:58

Wow. You've seen it here.

SPEAKER_03 13:01

Oh man, that's wild. Wild to think about for sure. I will say though, aside from the comedic aspect of the film, I think that the film is not like the most scary, right? Obviously. It's like the perfect horror comedy to show your kids. I feel like the adult stuff, they probably won't even understand. You know what I mean? And they will probably start to just get accustomed to the kind of visual that you would get in some classic horror monster movies. So, like, man, this is the a great movie to get your kids into Frankenstein early, because it's not going to be too over the top, but it's just not a super scary film. It's a horror comedy. It takes itself much more, I think, on the funny side than the horrific side. It takes a horrific tale, but it makes a parody of it. You know what I mean? You're just meant to have a good time.

SPEAKER_06 13:48

100%, because even some of the more grim aspects of Frankenstein get watered down and toned down here and converted into comedy. So this is absolutely fun for the whole family. Except okay, a surprising bit, I forgot, it gets a little adult.

SPEAKER_05 14:06

So I was going to say that the exception to this is that there is a lot of adult humor in this. I would put it a grade above Beetlejuice, because Beetlejuice also has those kind of innuendos in kind of a little bit above Beetlejuice as a cautionary thing. But again, as a kid, I saw it plenty of times, and I don't even think I realized what the hell was actually happening, truthfully.

SPEAKER_03 14:33

That's what I'm saying, you know. Listen, we watched Beetlejuice as a kid, and maybe some of that stuff missed too early on, but it's close. I'm with you. I think I'd put this right under Beetlejuice, though. They're just wrestling, you know, they're just wrestling.

SPEAKER_06 14:46

Wrestling.

SPEAKER_00 14:47

Yeah, that's true. It's not scary. Maybe for kids it could be scary. It's not kid appropriate, even though it's rated PG. Honestly, it reminds me of like when you watch cartoons as a as an adult that you used to watch when you were a kid, and you realize these cartoons were for adults. They just also wrote them in a way that made kids able to watch them safely. The comedy here is intelligence-wise very adult, but safety-wise, you could sneak it by and the kids they may not pick up on it. Aside from one scene. Yeah, that that scene, yeah, that's a little bit worse.

SPEAKER_03 15:20

But I still think they ain't catching that shit either, man. They're gonna get something.

SPEAKER_06 15:25

Yeah. I think it for sure depends on the kid. In elementary school, you're safe. In middle school, you're you're toe in the line and asking a lot.

SPEAKER_03 15:33

Yeah, yeah. Middle school, you're you're figuring that shit out for you.

SPEAKER_06 15:36

Which again, it's not even the worst fucking thing, right? That's it.

SPEAKER_00 15:39

Parental guidance, right? Yep, yep. But not scary. Aside from being absolutely hilarious, I don't really know how to compare it to other movies. To me, it doesn't feel like them, aside from Frankenstein. It's a league of its own, this movie. Maybe Spaceballs is up there, but I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 15:55

Spaceballs.

SPEAKER_03 15:56

I would say Spaceballs is up there for sure.

SPEAKER_06 15:58

Yeah, Spaceballs is fantastic. But what I love about this is yes, it's very much the Melbrooke special, but in a time where Frankenstein was played very straight, I'm just so glad that they leaned in and acknowledged how absurd it can be. Because the decision to blend horror and comedy in this way with Gene Wilder, with the rest of this cast, with the lengths that they went to, that feels like such a fucking great move. And sure, yes, we've seen parody, we've seen satire, we've seen spoofs of other movies. Spaceballs is a really great example of that. However, when you sit down and think and and look back to what Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks were discussing when they're talking about just doing Frankenstein in general, it's like, what do you do with Frankenstein? They've seen that story so many times before. But to start it with, but what if the guy wants nothing to do with Frankenstein? Hey, I commend you for taking a step in the right direction.

SPEAKER_03 16:54

I mean, it's great. I know this movie is ultimately indistinguishable from its influences. You know what I mean? Like it has heavy Frankenstein influences, and there's no doubt about it, but it doesn't just completely remake that film. Like it just doesn't remake Frankenstein and make fun of it. It finds its own way to tell its own story within a tale that we all know and love and make it a good time. It's brilliantly written, if you ask me.

SPEAKER_05 17:22

I think what also makes it stand the test of time is that delicate blend of all the comedy, like I was mentioning, the different types of humor. But at the same time, it's so apparent the impact that this film has made down the road. Because I might be a very small subsect of this horror community that we're a part of. But for some reason, when people tell me Frankenstein, I'm more likely to think of young Frankenstein and Gene Wilder than I am the original. And I could be my age, right? It could be because when I was young, I thought that was the movie. But I just feel like the impact and the meme culture and the pop culture of it all. And yeah, I mean fucking Gene Wilder, obviously, but I think it just really solidifies itself as an icon and a powerhouse of a movie. And although maybe you don't necessarily consider it horror as much because it's way just more comedy and horror as a byproduct of it making fun of horror. I think that this movie has impacted and influenced so many other things afterwards. I cannot believe that I did not know this until today. And I'm sure Sean does know this, or because you know a lot of things about music. I did not know that Aerosmith named the song Walk This Way because of seeing it the night before. Yeah. How did that how it's 2024 and I just learned this today?

SPEAKER_03 18:51

Inspiration.

SPEAKER_05 18:52

Insane. I can't even believe that I you should have seen my face when I found it out. I was shook. But there you go. So even if you've never even seen this goddamn movie, you know Walk This Way, Arosmith. You've been on that Disney ride. Don't even come for me. You know it, you sang it, and now you know where it came from. Nice.

unknown 19:08

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 19:08

I do think you're right though, that probably for a lot of people in our generation, if we're in the same generation, I'm not sure, really equate this movie with Frankenstein to the point that we all assumed that Igor was in the original, not because of the sequels, but because of this film. That's why we assumed that the character must have been in there, and we're all surprised to find out that he wasn't. It wasn't the sequels, it was this Igor. That's what did it for us. I think it he got baked into our brain. Just like Scream and Scary Movie often get mixed up in people's brains now.

SPEAKER_03 19:40

Totally.

SPEAKER_00 19:40

Because they did such a good job of delivering scream-adjacent stuff that the two are now the same in our brains. That's just how impactful that it all is. And I think this film recognizes the impact of the ending of the original, and it was like, no, we still have to give a banger ending.

SPEAKER_06 19:59

We still have to know this thing gets really wild with its ending. And this is where, again, I can appreciate it's not like a full copy-paste situation.

SPEAKER_04 20:09

Right.

SPEAKER_06 20:09

This is a movie that wraps up the story in Mel Brooke's signature style. You have a lot of silliness, but you also have a lot of unexpected heart. And you should be able to expect that. That's just what he does. But I love that we get this like ridiculous and yet simultaneously satisfying conclusion that also feels really earned. It doesn't let you forget about the character's growth and what they've been through. So it's a very unserious movie, but it still feels nice. It's a satisfying ending.

SPEAKER_03 20:41

Yeah, I mean, what's not to love about the ending, if you ask me? You know, it's a happy ending, I would say, for sure. Everyone wins, you know. There is some crude humor, maybe, but it's really not that bad. And I think it's just a good time all the way to the end, in all seriousness. It is kind of fun at the end. There's some silly stuff that goes down, but just like the rest of the movie, I think it's just a good time.

SPEAKER_05 21:02

Yeah, it's absolutely unhinged. And I think you all kind of said all the thoughts that I had about it, but I will say the catchphrase of this film, especially in the ending, is one that I think I will have in the noggin for a while. And I can't wait to dig a little bit deeper because I do want to make a joke about it, but I'm I can't without revealing. So I'm just gonna save the joke for later and be as unhinged as I usually am on this podcast.

SPEAKER_06 21:27

Well, I can't wait to see what that joke ends up being, but let's go ahead and start making our way to our ratings before we get there. Sean, how would you describe the gore score?

SPEAKER_03 21:36

Well, it's a horror comedy, and while it does play with some spooky themes and iconic horror elements, the gore in this movie is virtually non existent. So listen, you don't even see blood when someone gets stabbed in the leg. Just throwing it out there. So this is getting an NA for not applicable because even low would be a lot.

SPEAKER_05 22:01

I would say that it's generally safe. I mean, ultimately there's some occasional potential experimentation going on, but quite frankly, it's not a big prerogative. It's an alright time. We're safe here.

SPEAKER_06 22:13

Well, let's go ahead and get into our ratings then. Young Frankenstein from 1974. Was it a hack or slash?

SPEAKER_03 22:19

Well, I'll just kick it off. This one is probably one of the greatest spoof movies of all time. I'm just gonna say it. Mel Brooks created a horror comedy fucking masterpiece with the help of the brilliant Gene Wilder and not just Gene, right? But all of these actors and actresses helping to create unforgettable characters. And what I love about this movie is that there are layers to the comedy here. The humor is wild and outrageous at times. Other times it's perfectly timed one-liners that are witty and fun. The cinematography matched with some iconic scenes makes young Frankenstein a timeless classic that I feel like serves as both a love letter and a cheeky jab at old school horror. And Gene Wilder himself considers this to be his favorite of all the films he's done. And how can Willie fucking Wonka be wrong? So grab your fucking popcorn and settle in because whether it's Frankenstein or Frankenstein, I don't really care. It's a monstrously good time. It's a slash.

SPEAKER_05 23:24

Absolutely. Yeah, you know, I don't know if this movie will be entirely for everyone, in the sense that parodies can either hit or miss for some people. You know, there's gonna be fans of horror comedies, and there's gonna be people that don't really jive with comedy as a genre. And so I can also see that if you aren't entirely familiar with classic horror films, then perhaps a lot of the tropes that are picked at in this will go over your head a bit. But to that, I would say don't get stuck in that then, right? I'm gonna set the expectations for you. Expect that you're just gonna have a good laugh. Don't try to force yourself to get all of the jokes because then you can just realize it's not intended for that, right? You can still have a good laugh and not have seen the original Frankenstein. I think that overall, this film ultimately is just simple and it's fun. And Mel Brooks is so good at that. All of his films are really good at just having a good time, having a good laugh, and not making you feel like you have to be in on the joke. He's welcoming you into the joke. And I think it's hilarious. And even though I just so happened to have seen this one recently, I had zero complaints to have seen it again because I knew that it was so funny. And at one point I was just laughing out loud, ridiculous, even more so than I did a month ago. So I definitely would recommend this to people that want to watch something with their friends, with their family, just want to relax and have a good time. Because quite frankly, nowadays, I feel like we really fucking need it more than ever. So I'm definitely giving this one a slash.

SPEAKER_00 24:59

Well, straight up, I love this movie. Start to finish, it is a great time. The comedy is absolutely top-notch. The black and white film is gorgeous, the script is immaculate. But let's talk about this absolute superstar cast. You mentioned it earlier, Binks, Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Gene Hackman, Malin Kahn, and pour one out for my fellow MS Club member Terry Garvis in Peace. The acting here is just perfection. The physical comedy we get is so well executed that it should serve as the example for anybody interested in film in any capacity. It's just an absolutely amazing homage to classic horror films while simultaneously delivering modern comedic gold. This is the slashest of slashes.

SPEAKER_06 25:42

Listen, young Frankenstein walked so student bodies could jog and scary movie could run. This is an obvious, undeniable slash. It feels like this masterclass in blending horror with comedy because it manages to seek its teeth into honoring the original Frankenstein while also turning the genre on its head in a way that just feels delightful and whimsical and affectionately funny. It's making fun of this with you, not making fun of just you. Gene Wilder is at an absolute ten, and his energy is just unmatched, but he's perfectly complimented by an incredible cast that holds up the laughs. This is a film that feels simultaneously reverent and hilariously irreverent. And the use of the original labs, oh my gosh, it adds this layer of authenticity and it elevates the satire. This makes it feel like a twisted tribute more than it feels like a spoof. And that's why this feels so wholesome to me. This doesn't just deliver a laugh or a laugh's sake. This celebrates horror history. This feels like it's an essential watch for any horror comedy fan. And honestly, even if you're someone who can appreciate film, but you're not a huge horror fan. You can appreciate the history of Frankenstein, but you don't want to dive into the horror of it all. This feels like, again, something you can watch with your entire family, even if they're not a horror lover like you. And with that, young Frankenstein from 1974 has earned a universal slash. Now, there's a lot to say about this movie. We have so much more to discuss when we return from our break. So if you've already seen this before, please let us know what you would rate it. You can join the conversation for free in our Discord server, which we have a link to in the show notes. But when we return from break, we're gonna dive deep into the spoiler zone territory and unpack a little bit more of this comedic gold. We'll see you in a bit.

SPEAKER_02 28:54

Perfect for keeping your monsters case and well. If you're ready to turn over a new leaf, we just want to raise the joy that fucking steam lambda.

SPEAKER_03 29:39

Well, you actually may be surprised to find that there are actually six deaths that we can squeeze out of this film. Most of them off-screen, I know, and only maybe aftermath or whatever really shown. But I'm curious if any of these actually did shock you.

SPEAKER_06 29:57

Okay. I I want to jump into this really quick because I have one that's a little unorthodox.

SPEAKER_01 30:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 30:03

Friends, I hope you'll trust me and follow me on this journey. Okay. I want to lean in here on the death, Dr. Frankenstein's dignity.

SPEAKER_04 30:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 30:14

The reanimation scene? Hysterical. It is super comedy driven. And you then you have deaths and then the re-deaths of all things in reanimation. But it brings this attention of horror, and you think back to the original, and you think about what a serious moment that was, and it just feels fucking hilarious. And when this doesn't happen, and he's just really classy about it, and then turns around and starts beating the fucking monster's chest and tries to choke him. I fucking died laughing. That was absolutely hysterical. And you see this man on high and how the mighty has fallen, because as soon as he walks away, he goes back into saying, I don't want to do this. What'd you do to me? I don't want to be alive. It's fucking great. Fucking great. It was so dramatic and hilarious.

SPEAKER_03 31:06

So I mean, so overdramatic. Literally, when just the comedic value of saying that I don't want to be alive anymore after trying to bring something back from the dead is hilarious. Incredible. Man, so good.

SPEAKER_00 31:20

It is almost a bummer that you don't get more kills here to really make it stack up as a horror film. But I think the fake outs that we get are probably my favorite near-death experience in this film. I think the the choke out as soon as we get a little bit of a flame, awesome and hilarious. The more and then when we switch it around, now we're gonna be choking Igor, really good. Really good use of that mirroring. But I mean, we don't get enough to chew on in terms of monster kills.

SPEAKER_03 31:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:49

But the Seesaw, another great near-death experience, reversing it from the first movie.

SPEAKER_05 31:54

I agree with you that there's not enough like monster kills in particular, but that policeman was really funny, and I was gonna unpack it a little bit more in my favorite scenes, but I actually have a few others that I can talk about. So I'll just say it now. I was cracking up during that whole thing because it reminded me a lot of the substance. I don't know if you guys have seen it yet or not, but just the unhinged nature was giving a little bit of the substance and also Carrie, but obviously in a funny way, not in a traumatic way, like Carrie, but just like that being on the stage, good old time, and then all of a sudden it just goes from zero to five thousand, reminded me of those two films. And a little bit of humor.

SPEAKER_03 32:39

Definitely. We do have whoever the dude was that became the monster. We got to see him just straight up hanging. So that's I think maybe the outside of the policeman, that's like the only on-screen death that we would actually witness in this film, aside from just decomposing bodies, like the heads they find that's like what is it, six years dead, one year dead, and then six months dead, and it's fucking Igor's head just fucking with them. Fantastic.

SPEAKER_06 33:09

I also love the dead corpse that we opened the film up on that's holding for dear life onto this box.

SPEAKER_03 33:16

Pry it from my cold dead hands. Literally.

SPEAKER_06 33:20

There's the cold dead hands. Never looked better.

SPEAKER_03 33:22

Amazing. I will say though, the best part of this movie is the fucking set design because you said it, Chris. The fact that they were able to fucking find Ken Strickfaiden, the dude who made all of the electrical machinery for the lab sequences in Frankenstein 1931. The fact that Mel Brooks was able to find this dude, and the fact that he still had all of this equipment stashed in his fucking garage, the fact that Mel Brooks was able to use all of this really added to the already perfect set design we had. The castle shots, the spider webs everywhere. It was just perfect.

SPEAKER_06 34:02

Yeah, no, see, this is the thing about this. This feels so special because it connects it right back to the roots. It's what really what makes it a spiritual successor, even if it is a comedy and a parody of the original source material, because this wasn't just about saving money. This isn't just about, hey, let's cut a few corners and use some, you know, 40 plus year old equipment. This is Mel Brooks and this entire team choosing these sets because they knew how important and how iconic that lab was. They had more reverence for this than most films have for most critical locations in cinema. Because that old lab with its weird ass machines, with its spooky atmosphere, that is what makes this feel even funnier. Because it's almost like the cinematic equivalent of dancing on someone's grave, but with love, and like you know, celebrating with the ghosts of your predecessors. It's a great contrast, and I loved it so much.

SPEAKER_00 35:02

And the the way that they nailed using black and white to add to that effect was I mean, one, brilliant, but two, gorgeous, just visually. So combining that with the completely accurate set design was fantastic. I love though they have a couple transitions between scenes here that are not only nice to look at, but they add to the comedy. There's one where we have the swinging of the drawing of the creature, you know, before it's created, and that transitions right into the swinging of the corpse that would eventually become Frankenstein's creature. I mean, just like a brilliant move. And we have a couple other ones later. We have the classics where we have that, I don't even know what that's called, where it starts as a small shape and then zooms out, for instance, like the heart. So you have a couple like fun transitions, but the ones where it like helps to the comedy here, it's just icing on the cake.

SPEAKER_05 35:50

And can I say for for me personally, it's gotta be Igor's costume design specifically, because that hump switching throughout the movie and even addressing it in the film is fucking hilarious. And this actually is a great opportunity for me to bring up my other favorite scene. So the first one was obviously the theater and the substance of it all. But the second, I full on fucking lost it laughing when Igor says, You take the blonde and I'll take the one in the turban and starts to bark and bite the mink scarf. I couldn't even contain myself. I'm like cracking up, just thinking about it again. Because it's the look on his face, him like barking and gnawing at it, the girl just being like, Get the fuck off me. It was so funny, and all of it to just know that the hump continues to move. It's just that's the gag.

SPEAKER_03 36:44

That was ad-libbed too, the whole thing.

SPEAKER_06 36:46

Incredible.

SPEAKER_00 36:47

They had to keep shooting it again because they would keep laughing, or he would get chunks of fur in his mouth. Yes, so they had to keep doing it again and again and again.

SPEAKER_05 36:55

God, it's perfect. So good.

SPEAKER_06 36:58

Igor is such a fucking champ and a hero in this movie. Yes, Gene Wilder is Gene Wilder, but Igor is a fucking star. We love it. And here's the thing for as charming as that is, there is something about the chemistry not only between Frankenstein and Igor, but even Frankenstein and the monster. Because my favorite scene, hands down, was my introduction in life to the song Putin on the writs. Oh I fucking love that song, and this movie was the first time I ever heard it. This scene is just fucking incredible. It is so hilarious to me that this man has the audacity to parade this monster that he promised to not make and parade him on a stage and say, hold on, it's okay, because he can dance. It's hysterical.

SPEAKER_05 37:52

You see, we almost did have the same favorite scene.

SPEAKER_06 37:54

Yeah, it's just that yeah, it's incredible. And what's even better is that Gene Wilder fought to keep this scene in, and Mel Brooks thought it might be too silly.

SPEAKER_03 38:03

Thank God it it stayed there. You know what I mean? Can you imagine this movie without that scene?

SPEAKER_05 38:08

With everything else that they did, and they thought that this was too silly.

SPEAKER_06 38:12

Yeah. Yeah. Well, apparently there were so many more jokes in this movie that got cut out.

SPEAKER_03 38:18

Yeah. Well, this movie was almost twice as long.

SPEAKER_06 38:20

Heavily redacted, heavily truncated. But oh my gosh. This dance between them, this is Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle performing together and showing you the heart of what this movie is. It's silly as fuck, but it's also really sincere. And this is just that spirit, and they do it with total commitment, and it's just fucking stellar.

SPEAKER_00 38:42

I think another scene that I love that has to deal with chemistry between probably the actors, but definitely the characters, is when they're doing the whole charades thing after the sedative and just like that back and forth. And there's no way they could have pulled it off for it to really land if those actors weren't able to work off of each other as well as they were able to. It was just so perfect. And then to lead into the whole abbey normal conversation, that like tonal shift that you have is so expertly navigated.

SPEAKER_06 39:11

See, that's the shit right there. That chemistry, the Abbey Normal, and just thinking about the sincerity with which he says, You won't be mad, and Gomorrah says, I will not be mad. You just know he's gonna lose his shit.

SPEAKER_01 39:26

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_06 39:27

But it's just that energy that gets brought, right? It's these characters and their performers are fucking funny and over the top, but they fit in so well in this world, and they don't overdo it, they don't outstay their welcome. It's the exact level of precision that you need to deliver this kind of comedy. Uh it feels natural, it feels good.

SPEAKER_00 39:51

Even when you have a super cheesy character like Inspector Kemp on screen, it's done in a way that's like just long enough for you to not grow uninterested in what's happening. Like when they're playing darts and he cheats, you know? Even that moment, you're like, he's incredibly cheesy compared to everybody else here, but for some reason I don't hate it.

SPEAKER_03 40:07

Yeah. I don't know. This is one of those movies where you're just finding yourself trying to think through what's your favorite fucking scene in this movie, and I feel like there's just so many to choose from. You can literally just probably start the movie and randomly stop the movie. It's probably gonna land on a scene that you really enjoy. You know what I mean? There's the perfect comedic bullshit where Dr. Frankenstein is leaving Elizabeth and they're speaking so affectionately, ready to leave, and she won't let him kiss, she won't let him touch her hair, she won't let him do anything, right? Like it's just this hilarious, stupid banter that's just like, what the fuck? Why are we doing this? But it's so good. Oh man, so many good moments for sure. The oval teen. So much of this stuff was ad-libbed by some of these characters that it just makes it so good. You know, when Frau or whatever is asking Fred if he wants brandy, then warm milk, then oval fucking teen of all things, man. Does anyone even know in this new generation what oval teen is? Have you ever heard of that shit?

SPEAKER_05 41:06

Man, my god, wow, what a TBT.

SPEAKER_03 41:09

So good. And the werewolf scene, like werewolf? Uh werewolf? They're castle.

SPEAKER_06 41:18

Why are we talking like this?

SPEAKER_00 41:20

It's just so good. They definitely nail repetition in comedy. It's so powerful when used correctly, and every time they use it, it just completely lands.

SPEAKER_03 41:30

Yeah. There's the oh my gosh, the scene. Okay, this is probably one of my favorite scenes, if not the most favorite scene, is when they drop the coffin and the hand pops out of the fucking coffin, and then the fucking police show up and they're just trying to cover it up, making this his actual arm sticking out, and they just have all the stupid hand puns going on, like need a hand on the other hand, you know what I mean? And oh my gosh, too good, absolutely pure gold.

SPEAKER_05 41:57

I don't know if this is so much like a scene, but rather a moment, a thing that really just embodies Gene Wilder, but also Frankenstein. When that particular scene where the table goes down and he's laying down with Inga smoking a cigarette, what a boss ass bitch. All right. That was a power move. Something about it, man. I was like, I'm t again, I'm telling you, plus the fun fact I gave earlier about the fact that they're actually dating, he just oozes Riz.

SPEAKER_06 42:30

Okay. Well, apparently the monster also oozed Riz and maybe a few other things.

SPEAKER_05 42:35

Oh.

SPEAKER_06 42:36

Because speaking of smoking cigarettes, I was gonna bring that up too.

SPEAKER_05 42:41

Actually, let's get into that. Thank you. But then when the monster had two cigarettes, lit them both up, and then handed over to Elizabeth, that's hot. All right. That's the kind of energy that I'm talking about. That right there is evident that he fucks, okay? Obviously, as we saw in the movie. But that's the moment. And not only am I standing on this, I'm gonna tell you why. There's a movie that is out called Honora. I haven't seen it yet. It's very popular. I'm very excited to see it. Apparently, there is a character. God, is his name also Igor? I actually am not too sure. But, anyways, the point is that there is a character in that movie that does the same thing. He lights up two cigarettes, and the girlies are losing their minds on all the social media platforms.

SPEAKER_03 43:29

So I don't know why that's such a surprising thing. I feel like anyone that smoked cigarettes has done that in one way or another. Yeah, I agree. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_05 43:37

Like I agree. But the way that he did it, I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 43:47

Meanwhile, my asthmatic ass is like, ew.

SPEAKER_03 43:50

I can't breathe.

SPEAKER_05 43:51

Yeah, to be clear, I don't even smoke, and I'm not a big fan of smoking to begin with, but something about it, you know.

SPEAKER_03 43:56

But listen, it worked out. Yeah, I think there's just so much Much to talk about with the characters. We've already gone through a bunch of shit where some of these characters just ad-libbed stuff. We talked about the Ovalteen bit, we talked about the scene at the train station, the whole no-tongues bit, the I was gonna make espresso that Gene Hackman threw out there. That was an ad-libbed line that was just not ever written into the movie, but Gene Hackman threw it out there. And fucking Gene Hackman, by the way, not even credited for his role as the blind man in this movie. He worked for fucking free. He did this movie for fucking free, Gene Hackman.

SPEAKER_05 44:34

That's another that one had me giggling, especially since I had bought so many fucking espresso pods today.

unknown 44:39

Right?

SPEAKER_03 44:40

Nice. Oh my god. What about the horse's reactions to saying Frau's name or whatever the fuck was happening? Dude, the horse reactions every time, come on. That's hilarious.

SPEAKER_06 44:52

Yeah. This makes me feel like I want to go back and just pay attention to a certain character every time because I feel like I get so much of this mist and the comedy of just like maybe it's some of the more central characters in this movie. But I feel like this is one of those where every extra in this movie just adds a little something to it.

SPEAKER_03 45:10

Yeah, they do. I think even some of the smaller touches, like you've got the monster, and the fact that instead of like you would see bolts and stuff on the monster in 1931, this dude has a fucking zipper on the side of his head or his neck. You know what I mean? Just some of that shit.

SPEAKER_06 45:26

I was like, this motherfucker has a zipper on his neck, but women's jeans can't have real pockets. Get the fuck out of here.

SPEAKER_03 45:34

You got a zipper on your neck, but you can't have a pocket.

SPEAKER_06 45:37

Is it a decorative pocket or is it a real pocket? Open that shit up, bitch. Let's see it. Are you putting some AirPods in that pocket?

SPEAKER_03 45:42

Might have been a decorative zipper. We don't know. We're not sure. But uh let me tell you, one of my favorite things about this film is that I love how Elizabeth specifically shows up in a Bride of Frankenstein type outfit on her wedding night and even hisses at her husband the same way that the OG bride did in 1935. What a brilliant thing to still have in this movie.

SPEAKER_06 46:08

And that's the good shit right there. That's when I was talking about this movie being a requel that maybe it could have erased some of the other movies, not to say that this necessarily did, but you have the Easter eggs of other Frankenstein films built within this. You have the bride.

SPEAKER_00 46:24

Yeah. It's so good. It happens just at the right time, too, because I feel like you're making a race toward the end of the movie, you're really enjoying it, and you're thinking, I wish there was a sequel, I wish I could see what happens next. And they're like, no, no, no, we're gonna show you what happens next.

SPEAKER_05 46:38

Yeah, I feel like we got more Bride of Frankenstein in this one than the actual Bride of Frankenstein movie.

SPEAKER_06 46:44

We got the honeymoon of Frankenstein.

SPEAKER_03 46:46

Oh man, not the honeymoon. Technically, we kind of did get the honeymoon of Frankenstein.

SPEAKER_06 46:52

More intimacy than I ever thought I really needed in a Frankenstein movie, but like go off.

SPEAKER_03 46:57

It kind of works, you know? Kind of works.

SPEAKER_00 46:59

But he has an enormous Schwanzstücker.

SPEAKER_05 47:03

Well, there you go. There it is. The joke of it all that I was referencing is just like that song that they sing after the deed is done. And I can just imagine it now. Like, how off-putting would it be if that was an actual thing?

SPEAKER_03 47:16

It is. I'm just kidding. It would be a little bit strange.

SPEAKER_06 47:20

Have you never? Wait a minute. Hold on.

SPEAKER_03 47:22

Yeah, you haven't?

SPEAKER_06 47:23

Have you never? No, guys. Oh my god, could you no stop it?

SPEAKER_01 47:27

You haven't met them.

SPEAKER_06 47:28

That is a nightmare.

SPEAKER_01 47:29

It's a nightmare.

SPEAKER_06 47:30

I mean, listen, we're all theater kids, okay? Can't enjoy little musical celebration.

SPEAKER_03 47:36

This is what it's like with the theater kids. I would lose it. Amazing. You know, for years, I didn't even realize that Marty Feldman, the actor that plays Igor or Igor, that his eyes were actually like that in real life.

SPEAKER_05 47:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 47:55

Not to make fun of him in any way, but I just honestly did not realize that for however many years I've been watching this film. I guess what thyroid disease is what caused, you know, uh I I don't even know how to pronounce what he had, but like causing his eyes to protrude and become kind of misaligned like that. When I first was watching this movie, could have swore that that was just movie magic, but that's just this dude, man.

SPEAKER_05 48:15

Yeah. I had no idea either until I was a little bit older for sure. And I think it's just as a kid, of course, you don't necessarily like how would you know that a condition like that even exists? You wouldn't, you know. But I will say how incredible it is that despite having said condition, obviously a star.

SPEAKER_03 48:31

Heck yeah. It's really cool. Still making still making a good life, man. Heck yeah.

SPEAKER_06 48:36

Which is why I've got to say the absolute worst part about this movie is how difficult it is to find unless you own it right now.

SPEAKER_03 48:45

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 48:46

It has very limited availability.

SPEAKER_03 48:48

So hard to find. Like, I hope they plan to release this in some capacity on like a major anniversary or something and let more people get access to this film. Because yeah, if you don't own this, you're kind of like dead out of the water almost.

SPEAKER_05 49:01

Well, that needs to be rectified very quickly. I'm actually really surprised that this isn't even on Criterion. Not to be that cinephile or whatever, right? I'm not to be pretentious either, but on the real, that's what Criterion is technically for, is to preserve films. And how is young Frankenstein not on there? It's very bizarre. I'm gonna have to write a letter. I think so.

SPEAKER_03 49:21

A strongly worded letter.

SPEAKER_05 49:23

Yeah. The worst part of the film for sure is that you have to say a little bit of the screaming all the time. After a while, Gene Wilder's screaming can get a lot. It can be a lot. Not too much, because I still enjoy it and have a good time. And maybe it's just a smidge nip picky, but after a while it's like it's doing the most. Granted, some would argue that that's the point, trying to make fun of that particular, you know, especially the screaming in the original, so that's fair, but damn, two hours of it is a lot.

SPEAKER_06 49:53

Okay. I have some devastating real-time follow-up. Young Frankenstein for its 50th anniversary was available in 4K in cinemas across the UK and Ireland.

SPEAKER_03 50:04

Oh, but not the US.

SPEAKER_06 50:06

But not the US. Y'all are living your best dreams.

SPEAKER_00 50:09

Come on. Because how dare we Time to take a trip. I think aside from the fact that you can't find this streaming, you could complain that we don't get the magic that is Gene Wilder's interaction with Richard Pryor in future movies, like see no evil, hear no evil. I think had we been able to have something like that in this film, it would have been next level. But yeah, you can't really I just feel like there's not a lot to complain about. There really isn't, you know, there really isn't.

SPEAKER_03 50:37

And you guys brought up some good stuff for sure, but I'm over here just saying, is the worst part of this movie really that it ends? That's it. I mean, honestly, it's just such a cleverly crafted film that I feel like never really disappoints. So yeah, I really can't really see like a worse part other than the fact that to all your point, like there's not there's gonna be people that just can't get their hands on it for however long. And that's sad.

SPEAKER_06 51:01

Yeah, well, to be clear, the difficulty in getting your hands on it comes if you're trying to stream it, but I'm absolutely about to just buy it right now. Hard copy. Which is I only own a few movies hard copy anymore, but this will absolutely be one of them because it's a it's one of those that you need to be able to watch. You need to be able to access it. I definitely plan on re-watching this, and apparently the next time I do is gonna be for my PS5. There we go.

SPEAKER_03 51:24

There you go. There you go. I mean, I've already watched this movie like a hundred times, so what's another hundred, you know? I got this.

SPEAKER_05 51:29

Yeah, exactly. I mean, I've seen it now twice in the span of like a month, two months. So I I think I'm gonna give it a beat just a bit, especially because I didn't expect to see this movie at all this year. So it'll be a bit, but not too much. You know, I would love to throw this back on if I ever needed something in the background. Honestly, I'm the kind of person that I like to watch things when I go to sleep, so might be the move there as well. Except Gene Welder screaming might wake me up in the middle of the night. So debatable. Maybe at a low volume.

SPEAKER_00 52:00

This needs to be in your yearly comfort watch list, if not just whenever you need to pick me up, you know, but at least yearly, this deserves a watch. Especially since to get this right now, you've got to get a hard copy, get your money's worth, and watch it all the time.

SPEAKER_06 52:15

Yeah, I'm just imagining now watching all the Frankenstein movies, including this one, and what a great vibe that would be for a nice it's getting dark at 6 p.m. kind of day. I love that feeling. But listen, for now, there you have it, folks. Young Frankenstein has earned a universal slash. Now we've certainly had a robust discussion here, but the conversation about this movie just does not end here by any means.

SPEAKER_03 52:38

Yeah, if you want to find out how you can go further than this episode, consider supporting the show by subscribing through Apple Podcasts or visiting patreon.com/slash hackerslash where you can enjoy more of the show, including bonus content with early access, extended episodes with our B-sides, movie nominations, and live shows.

SPEAKER_05 52:57

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