An Audience with Mel Brooks

An Audience with Mel Brooks (1983)

*** (out of 4)

This television special has Mel Brooks in front of a British audience as he tries to promote his new movie TO BE OR NOT TO BE. Brooks takes some "staged" questions from the audience, which includes him answering about his entrance into show business, his wife and even one about his mother's reaction to BLAZING SADDLES. If you're a fan of Brooks then you'll certainly want to check this out as it has his typical humor, which of course means a lot of jokes about Jewish people and he even gets in a couple British jokes. There are a number of cameos including Anne Bancroft, Jonathan Pryce, Helen Mirren and Ronny Graham. The highlight would have to be Brooks' response to his opinion on those who thinks he deals in bad taste.

Many people know that Mel Started off in stand up and moved into writing, and in an Audience with Mel Brooks we see what that stand up would have been like, fun, interactive, exciting and utterly hilarious. As seen in many great stand up performances the entire show seems improvised but Mel and the surprise celebrity guests tell us most of it is set up.

Mel challenges Jonathan Pryce to a sort of hamlet-off with actual money riding on it and does a whole lot of promotion for To Be or not to be while entertaining a bunch of British people.

I obtained my copy through ebay, it's an original release video from Melbourne Victoria and i have checked everywhere but have been unable to find another copy. I am not sure whether it is on Youtube or not but it is definitely worth looking into seeing it as it is well worth paying up to 30 bucks for it.