Product Description

Mel Brooks' monstrously crazy tribute to Mary Shelley's classic pokes hilarious fun at just about every Frankenstein movie ever made. Summoned by a will to his late grandfather's castle in Transylvania young Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) soon discovers the scientist's step-by-step manual explaining how to bring a corpse to life. Assisted by the hunchback Igor (Marty Feldman) and the curvaceous Ings (Teri Garr) he creates a monster (Peter Boyle) who only wants to be loved.System Requirements:Running Time: 130 MinutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG UPC: 024543371571 Manufacturer No: 2237157

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #514 in DVD
• Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
• Released on: 2006-09-05
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Black & White, NTSC, Subtitled
• Original language: English, German
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 102 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
If you were to argue that Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein ranks among the top-ten funniest movies of all time, nobody could reasonably dispute the claim. Spoofing classic horror in the way that Brooks's previous film Blazing Saddles sent up classic Westerns, the movie is both a loving tribute and a raucous, irreverent parody of Universal's classic horror films Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Filming in glorious black and white, Brooks re-created the Frankenstein laboratory using the same equipment from the original Frankenstein (courtesy of designer Kenneth Strickfaden), and this loving attention to physical and stylistic detail creates a solid foundation for nonstop comedy. The story, of course, involves Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) and his effort to resume experiments in re-animation pioneered by his late father. (He's got some help, since dad left behind a book titled How I Did It.) Assisting him is the hapless hunchback Igor (Marty Feldman) and the buxom but none-too-bright maiden Inga (Teri Garr), and when Frankenstein succeeds in creating his monster (Peter Boyle), the stage is set for an outrageous revision of the Frankenstein legend. With comedy highlights too numerous to mention, Brooks guides his brilliant cast (also including Cloris Leachman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, and Gene Hackman in a classic cameo role) through scene after scene of inspired hilarity. Indeed, Young Frankenstein is a charmed film, nothing less than a comedy classic, representing the finest work from everyone involved. Not one joke has lost its payoff, and none of the countless gags have lost their zany appeal. From a career that includes some of the best comedies ever made, this is the film for which Mel Brooks will be most fondly remembered. Befitting a classic, the Special Edition DVD includes audio commentary by Mel Brooks, a "making of" documentary, interviews with the cast, hilarious bloopers and outtakes, and the original theatrical trailers. No video library should be without a copy of Young Frankenstein. And just remember--that's Fronkensteen. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

A lot funnier than I expected it to be.
Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks, 1974)

I watched two movies over the weekend I'd only ever seen pieces of before and figured, from the pieces I'd seen, that I'd hate. One was Dr. Strangelove, and it fulfilled my expectations. Young Frankenstein was the other, and this time, I have to say, I was quite wrong. Young Frankenstein is superb all the way around. (It probably helps that I had a recent re-watch of James Whale's Frankenstein under my belt, for those of you who haven't seen it yet.)

The plot concerns Dr. Frederick Frankenstein ("that's FRONK-en-shteen") (Gene Wilder), the grandson of Victor, the doctor in the original. He's spent years trying to get rid of the family taint, which all comes spiralling down around him when he inherits the old castle and the accompanying lab. Leaving behind his cloying, uptight fiancée Elizabeth (Madeline Kahn), he travels to the castle and meets the staff-- Igor (Marty Feldman), Inga (Teri Garr), and Frau Blucher (Cloris Leachman). Surreptitiously encouraged by Inga, Frederick becomes obsessed with the idea of repeating the experiments of his grandfather, and soon, the new monster (Peter Boyle) comes to life. The rest of the movie is half homage to James Whale's original and half screwball comedy.

The real strength of this movie is the cast; Mel Brooks could've sat back and pointed a camera, and they could make this work. Wilder, Boyle, Feldman, Leachman, Garr, Kahn, Gene Hackman, and Richard Haydn (in his final film) are all either in career-best form of darned close to it here. All are actors with impeccable comic timing (yes, even Gene Hackman), and it often seems as if Brooks just said "okay, do whatever it is you were planning to do, then put it way over the top." The result is in no way a sophisticated comedy; this is just a straightforward gut-buster with dozens, if not hundreds of quotable one-liners and great sight gags. One for the books. ****

great movie
Love Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle. I bought this movie for my grandson. He kept saying he was going to get this but couldn't find it anywhere. I told him go to Amazon he can find anything that he needs.

The Doctor Is In
WARNING: This film may lead to incontinence due to hysterical laughter!

Mel Brooks' 1974 film, Young Frankenstein is arguably the funniest film ever made. Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks, who had previously collaborated on The Producers and Blazing Saddles, wrote the script together. This film is a superbly crafted parody of the Universal Frankenstein films.

The story begins with young Doctor Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced Fronkensteen) discovering that he has inherited his great-grandfather's Transylvanian mansion. Upon his arrival Dr. Frankenstein meets Igor (pronounced Eye-Gore), an eccentric servant with a hunched back. He is also introduced to the vivacious vixen, Inga who just wants "to have a roll in ze hay." Before long Frederick discovers the secret library of his infamous grandfather, Victor von Frankenstein and becomes totally obsessed with creating a "monster" of his own. Naturally this doesn't go over well with the local peasantry. After the monster goes on a rampage of terror (or more accurately a rampage of hilarity), the villagers form an angry mob and set out to destroy it. But don't worry, all's well that ends well in the world of Mel Brooks.

The gags in the film are hilarious (I won't ruin them for any of you yet to see the film). The satire is heightened by the brilliance of the set design, and by the black and white cinematography, which perfectly captures the look of classic horror films. The cast is terrific especially Gene Wilder as the infirm Dr. Frankenstein, Marty Feldman as the zany hunchback Igor, Teri Garr as the delightfully ditzy assistant Inga, Madeline Kahn as Dr. Frankenstein's obnoxious and vain fiancée, Kenneth Mars as the one-armed Inspector Kemp, Cloris Leachman as the mysterious Frau Blucher whose name incites terror in the hearts of all horses, and Peter Boyle as the mumbling monster. Also look for a memorable cameo appearance by Gene Hackman.

As often as Young Frankenstein is referred to as being "the greatest comedy ever", it's odd that it never received any awards for its talented cast and crew. They certainly deserved them. There are few works of comedic genius out there today, for which I am grateful to Mel Brooks for giving us this loony masterpiece to watch again and again.

The DVD features some great supplemental material including cast interviews, an audio commentary with Mel Brooks reminiscing about the making of the film, production stills, trailers and TV spots, a wonderful documentary, seven deleted scenes and an outrageously funny blooper reel (watch the documentary before the blooper reel for maximum effect).

And remember next time a reanimated corpse is on the loose that "A riot is an ugly thing... und I think it is just about time that we have one!"