Le Grand Frisson

Original title: High Anxiety

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

25K

YOUR RATING

Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Ron Carey, Harvey Korman, and Howard Morris in Le Grand Frisson (1977)

Play trailer2:42

1 Video

80 Photos

Parody Slapstick Comedy Mystery Thriller

A psychiatrist with intense acrophobia (fear of heights) goes to work for a mental institution run by doctors who appear to be crazier than their patients, and have secrets that they are wil... Read allA psychiatrist with intense acrophobia (fear of heights) goes to work for a mental institution run by doctors who appear to be crazier than their patients, and have secrets that they are willing to commit murder to keep.A psychiatrist with intense acrophobia (fear of heights) goes to work for a mental institution run by doctors who appear to be crazier than their patients, and have secrets that they are willing to commit murder to keep.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

25K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 2:42

High Anxiety

Photos80

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
During a special preview screening, Alfred Hitchcock's only criticism of the film to Mel Brooks was that in the shower scene, when the shower curtain is torn off the rail, they used 13 shower curtain rings, whereas in Psychose (1960), they used only 10.

Goofs
In the Psychose (1960) scene when the bellboy finishes stabbing the doctor with the newspaper, he clearly drops the rolled paper on the floor next to him. The next shot shows the folded paper's ink running down the drain.

Quotes
Nurse Diesel: Those who are tardy do not get fruit cup.

Crazy credits
Opening dedication: This film is dedicated to the Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock

Alternate versions
Extra footage added for network versions.

Connections
Edited into The Green Fog (2017)

Soundtracks
High Anxiety
(1977)
(title song)
Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks
Original music and lyrics copyright © 1977 Fox Fanfare Music, Inc.
Sung by Mel Brooks

User reviews151

Featured review

6/10

Fast and furious gags in monumental spoof tribute to Hitchcock...

HIGH ANXIETY suffers only by comparison to Mel's YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, but it stands by itself as a frisky, very funny screwball spoof of the works of Alfred Hitchcock.

I do agree with others who complain that Mel should have given the Dr. Thorndyke role to someone like Gene Wilder since Brooks does lack the charisma needed to carry this sort of thing. But the other pros in the cast more than made up for this handicap--especially HARVEY KORMAN, CLORIS LEACHMAN, MADELINE KAHN and HOWARD MORRIS.

Cloris Leachman is hilarious as Nurse Diesel (practically repeating her formidable character in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN) and Madeline Kahn is equally funny as the blonde femme fatale who finds herself in one ditzy situation after another as she tries to reach her father inside the asylum--here called "Psychoneurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous." Nothing subtle here. The gags are touch and go, some funny, some painfully unfunny--so it's strictly a mixed bag.

But if you know MEL BROOKS and his kind of satire, this has enough gags to keep you satisfied. Just don't expect anything on the level of YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.