Revisiting Rock Ridge

Every now and then, as frustrated as I get with the whole movie-going experience (the talking patrons, the ringing cell phones, the endless commercials before the film starts), I have a completely contradictory experience that "renews the faith," as it were. And usually, it's one of those "flashback" movie nights at Denver's Continental theater.

This past week, the film was Blazing Saddles, and the auditorium was more full than for any other Wednesday night flashback film I've yet attended. Blazing Saddles is, of course, the perfect film to not watch on television, edited and sanitized to pointlessness. And as a comedy, it's perfect to be viewed with an audience in any case -- especially this case, as it's not just any comedy, but a parody and mean social satire to boot.

The crowd was absolutely live. People were giggling at the starts of scenes, before the jokes even came -- and laughing hard when eventually they did. Madeline Kahn had yet to speak a single word in her ridiculous accent; the moment the name "Lili Von Shtupp" was spoken, a knowing laugh washed through the audience.

And the movie is still just great. To my mind, this movie was The Producers, done right. (I refer to the original Producers, not the more recent musical interpretation -- which I actually did like, but I didn't think it worked its "message" as hard as the original.) The Producers put an uncomfortable topic front and center and said, "Look! Not only should we not avoid this subject, but it can be funny." It's just that to my mind, no matter how laudable the message, the movie itself wasn't really that good. (The characters and situation were so far over the top, that's ultimately why I think it worked better as a musical.)

Subtitute Nazis for racism, and sharpen the biting social commentary to a much finer edge, and you get Blazing Saddles. For raw belly laughs, I think History of the World, Part I is Mel Brooks' best movie. But his most important film, most deserving of praise, most deserving to stand the test of time for decades to come? It's gotta be Blazing Saddles.

And thanks to a great audience, I got to enjoy it as never before, on the big screen.