The film makers pull a bait-and-switch on the viewer with this disappointing documentary.
The description for the film promised that comedy legend Mel Brooks was going to discuss the films he produced uncredited. He didn't want his name attached to "The Elephant Man," David Lynch's heartbreaking 1980 drama, because with a title like that people might mistake it for one of his comedies. Brooks also had his hand in "Frances" and David Cronenberg's "The Fly," all films that no one should be guffawing at.
The film is a filmed interview with Brooks, who is as spry and sharp as ever as he closes in on 100 years old, and padded with onscreen factoids about whatever the subject being discussed is- including his comedies. In fact, despite the description, more time is spent on his comedies than his dramas. While this was very interesting, I still wanted to learn more about what attracted him to these heavy dramas and genre fare (1986's "Solarbabies" starring Jami Gertz and Jason Patric isn't even mentioned). The film makers waste time telling the viewer who Alfred Hitchcock and Errol Flynn are, and I spotted a misspelling in the end credits that should not have been there. Brooks mentions his wife Anne Bancroft, and I could have listened to another three hours of stories about her, instead of how "High Anxiety" got greenlighted.
"Mel Brooks: Seriously... Well, Almost" was a quick watch, and just as hurried. I looked at it as nothing but filler on a New Year's Eve before a new year brings in new movies.
Stats:
(2024) 38 min. (4/10)
-Directed by Stanley Isaacs
-Featuring Mel Brooks, Michael Gruskoff, Alan Ladd Jr.
-(US: NR)- Some profanity
