Hey, what ever happened to...?

...Mel Brooks

It's true that we haven't seen a lot of him lately. I know that he isn't dead. I know that quasi-recently, he created "Spaceballs: The Animated Series", which is broadcast on G4 TV and some Canadian channel. I know that the series is going to see a DVD release this year at some point. I also know that he wrote, composed, and directed the recent "Young Frankenstein: The Musical". Although he has been somewhat "lime-lit" in recent years, I ask the titular question because he hasn't divulged any new films in quite a long time. I mean, this was one of the most iconic comedic madmen in film history. From "Silent Movie" to "Blazing Saddles" to "History of the World Part 1" and all the way up to "Spaceballs" and "Robin Hood: Men In Tights", this guy came up with some of the funniest films I do believe I have ever had the privilege seeing.

The spoofy 'MOVIE' movies that we've been dealing with today are becoming quite redundant and well...stupid. The only one of that long line of crap that was even remotely any good was "Not Another Teen Movie" - the very first one. The Scary Movie titles are especially painful (although I will give a little due credit...the first one was actually funny). Being that I am an avid horror movie buff (and somewhat of a historian at that), I think if you're gonna do it...do it right (I cite Mel Brooks' original "Young Frankenstein" as my source). I think perhaps Mel Brooks should return to the helm of comedy one more time and show these people just how it should really be done.

On a relevant side note...did anybody watch the Comedy Central Roast of Joan Rivers? I found it incredibly peculiar that no one in the entire building (namely, the roasters) mentioned Spaceballs. It was almost as if nobody there had actually ever seen the movie...

...Great Horror Movies

I think there is an old saying that applies itself very well to this next topic: "They just don't make'em like they used to". This statement is (unfortunately) very true. It's like film makers today have just lost the edge, you know? It's like too many of them are just in it for the money. I've watched a number of interviews with some of the older and more venerable directors in horror cinema - people like Richard Donner, Wes Craven, John Carpenter, Clive Barker and others. They all made their respective films with the expressed intent of scaring people to the point that they either clung painfully to the person next to them or just ran screaming from the theatre all together - but mostly to just scare them. You know, to make people lose themselves in a great story...to believe that these things could really happen to you...and to make you subsequently check in your closets and under your beds and say a few prayers before you went to sleep.

Nowadays, people are running from the theatre for a different reason. The films aren't scary anymore. I think my cousin put it right on the nose when he said that people have just become so desensitized to films these days. Personally, I think this is because we've just been re-introduced to the same re-hashed material over and over again. I mean, this does, afterall, seem to be the "Year of the Remake". Another problem is that we don't have any real visionaries in the business today. Nobody's churned out any fresh or new ideas (I promise that if I ever get into the business, I WILL make horror movies scary again).

Now, I will admit that there have been a couple of legitimately scary films that have come out in the last few years. The 2003 remake of "the Texas Chainsaw Maasacre" was really good. 2004's "Exorcist: The Beginning" was absolutely terrifying. More recently, two films came out last year, the first of which wasn't very scary, but it was something new and different. Those films were "Midnight Movie" and Clive Barker's "Midnight Meat Train". The Midnight Meat Train was spectacular...but then again it is Clive Barker.

The exception to all of this, good people, is Rob Zombie...and the two Halloween films that he has graciously created in his own image (wow, it just got biblical for a second there). I believe that Rob Zombie is steadfastly re-defining horror cinema, whether he knows it or not. His first couple of films were groundbreaking (whether anyone will admit it or not), and of course I speak of 2003's "House of a 1000 Corpses" and 2005's "The Devil's Rejects", both of which brought with them a new level of gore and a rather cool 'psychadelic' feel (something of a Zombie signature) to the proverbial horror film table. Needless to say, I am anxiously awaiting further projects from him. (P.S. he has a new album coming out this year).

In a final note, the badass rock n' roll Anti-Christ Marilyn Manson is soon to be making his directorial debut with his film "Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Caroll", a film that he claims will re-define the horror genre. Now, I've read a lot about it and I have the promotional poster as my wallpaper on this computer, so at least it seems like it's going to be good. I am certainly looking forward to this one and hopefully, it won't disappoint. Of course, if his music and image are any indication, I really don't think I have to worry about being disappointed LOL.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope you have enjoyed tonight's in flight movie...