"It's Springtime for Hitler and Germany!"

[Drakon]

I own both versions of the movie, and I absolutely love both. Nathan Lane and Matt Broderick together rock [doubly so if you're kinda drunk and close your eyes, and imagine them as Timon and Simba respectively].

Uma as Ulla was impressive--especially since I don't really care for Uma that much. Granted-she's no Lee Meredith, but I'm not complaining overall.

Anyone else's thoughts?

 

[TheVileOne]

While I still love the original more, I like the new one as well. It has its own sort of appeal to it. It's basically just the stage version on film and they did a decent job. I enjoyed it.

 

[DACrowe]

Can't wait to buy it on DVD next Tuesday then.

 

[블라스]

Great chance to brag about me being on the 3rd. row while watching The Odd Couple with Matthew and Nathan, in NY
Freaking hilarious.

 

[DACrowe]

Bastard.

I got bad seats for the Producers but there were four open seats in second row center when I wnet so where do you think I was in the second act?

But I have not had the oppurtunity to view The Odd Couple yet.

 

[블라스]

Bastard.

I got bad seats for the Producers but there were four open seats in second row center when I wnet so where do you think I was in the second act?

But I have not had the oppurtunity to view The Odd Couple yet.

Second row?
Awesome

I guess Mathew and Nathan opened the first shows of The Producers, cause they had some other guys playing them in said play.

The Odd Couple was incredibly hilarious, btw.

 

[Matt]

My only exposure to The Producers is the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode where Larry was in it with David Schwimmer and Mel Brooks only cast him in order to make the play fail (which from what I understand is the story of the play/movie).

I can't wait to see it on DVD next week.

 

[Holly Goodhead]

This film was way too long.

 

[reggiebar]

The original film is the single funniest American movie in history - period. The movie gets funnier and funnier on each viewing. While I enjoyed the stage version in NY with Lane and Broderick, a movie version of that play did not need to be made (the play really didn't need to made either but that is a different point). Broderick and Lane were okay, but they could not match in any way the chemistry and absolute pandemonium of Wilder and Mostell.

Zero Mostell's performance as Max Bialystock is unrivaled in American comedic performances - pure genius.

 

[DACrowe]

I wouldn't go that far. I really enjoy the original. I owqn it and think it is a classic but it is very slow. The pacing isn't the best and there are a lot of dead parts in between the great scenes.

I'm not saying the new movie is better (I would say the stage show is funnier, however) but that is just something I felt needed to be said about the original. Besides I think Gene Wilder as the neurotic Leo Bloom was far better in the original and stole the show from Zero. Matthew had no such luck with Nathan Lane however.

Anyway, got the new movie and it is a great comedy musical. Quite a few jokes don't translate well to screen. While hilarious to the point of tears on stage, the movie is more of a number of good belly laughs and just a big grin on your face for the rest. But it is probably Brooks' best movie in 20 years (even if he didn't direct it) and more akin to Blazing Saddles than the original Producers in terms of tone and shtick.

I really enjoy this movie and think if you like musicals or love politically incorrect Brooksian humor this is a winner and if not you'll just be scartching your head then.

 

[Movies205]

I dug the Producers the new one because the supporting cast was actually good, in the original I always felt everyone besides Mostel and Wilder were dull, but on the other hand Broderick and Lane came no where close to Wilder and Mostel, to be honest they were cheap carictures of WIlder and Mostel. But I dug the new Producers, none the less, like others have said it has it's own charm.

 

[Flexo]

I have yet to see the remake, but I enjoy the original so much that it's bound to disapoint.

Althought it seems to have a great cast.

 

[DACrowe]

It IS NOT A REMAKE.

It is an adaptation of the stage show, which is a musical. The first scene (well actually second in this film) is shot almost shot for shot as the office scene in the original (which can show how Lane and Brodderick should not try and imitate Zero and Wilder and don't after this scene) but after that scene it goes very much into its own thing. It is a musical and is closer to the zany tone of Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein than the more grounded satire the original Producers was.

But for the record the stage show is better than this new movie, but this new movie is very good (if you enjoy musicals and Brooksian comedy) but it is not a remake though.

 

[Holly Goodhead]

I dont see what the big deal is. It was OK

 

[fallenAngel]

I went to see the new movie just because I was bored that day. My only previous exposure to the material was Curb your enthusiasm as well. After about five minutes my mouth was hanging open like the crowd in the film, (and Jerry Seinfeld in Larry Davids show which was hilarious). I ended up enjoying it, but at first I was like WTF am I watching. I'm sure it's much better as a play.

I need to see the original movie though.

 

[reggiebar]

I dug the Producers the new one because the supporting cast was actually good, in the original I always felt everyone besides Mostel and Wilder were dull, but on the other hand Broderick and Lane came no where close to Wilder and Mostel, to be honest they were cheap carictures of WIlder and Mostel. But I dug the new Producers, none the less, like others have said it has it's own charm.

The supporting cast of the 1968 movie wasn't good? You're mad. Kenneth Mars as Franz Liebkind, Christopher (Mr. Belvedere) Hewett as Roger De Bris, Dick Shawn as Lorenzo St. DuBois (L.S.D.), Lee Meredith's Ulla - please, the supporting cast in the 68 movie were great.

Honestly, the humor in the original movie (believe it or not) is a very sophisticated humor.

Watch the documentary on the DVD and you can get a sense of the humor of the film.

Seriously, the movie does get funnier and funnier on each viewing as you appreciate these charcaters more - especially Mostell's Max B.

 

[reggiebar]

Besides I think Gene Wilder as the neurotic Leo Bloom was far better in the original and stole the show from Zero.

It may appear that way at first, but the more the 68 version is viewed the more one is able to truly understand Zero's performance.

 

[Movies205]

The supporting cast of the 1968 movie wasn't good? You're mad. Kenneth Mars as Franz Liebkind, Christopher (Mr. Belvedere) Hewett as Roger De Bris, Dick Shawn as Lorenzo St. DuBois (L.S.D.), Lee Meredith's Ulla - please, the supporting cast in the 68 movie were great.

Honestly, the humor in the original movie (believe it or not) is a very sophisticated humor.

Watch the documentary on the DVD and you can get a sense of the humor of the film.

Seriously, the movie does get funnier and funnier on each viewing as you appreciate these charcaters more - especially Mostell's Max B.

I watched ti once, and I own it so I'll pop it in and watch it again. I just found the supporting cast dull when I watched it 2-3 years ago for the first time.

 

[DACrowe]

Oh I understand it. Zero is the type of performer who takes the camera and unapologetically will try and drown it in his charisamic prescence (I've been told that he had a huge ego and watching any of his movies I can believe that).

However, Wilder just steals the show from him by doing less. I feel what makes the opening scene such a classic is not so much Zero's craziness but Wilder's perofrmance and how Zero reacts to it. And the original cast is great. Kenneth Mars was brilliant and had more to do than Ferrell (albeit I enjoy Ferrell's performance JUST as much and both are better than the very underused Franz on stage which is honestly the only disappointing aspect of the play) and of course Dick Shawn was great as LSD, however I thought the love power song is a bit tedious and on repeat viewings his Hitler isn't so much funny as the audience's reaction. While I feel Brooks knows how to make the audiences' reaction more of a bit of cynical irony than Stroman does in the new movie where it just more over the top absurdity, I honestly thought Roger DeBris's gay hitler in the musical and new film was funnier.

There is not much comparing Ulla as Lee Meredith really didn't have to do anything which was the joke. Uma had a lot more to do and wins merely on that fact, however compared to both stage Ullas I have seen, Uma pails in comparison for the simple fact that they can BELT like the lyrics say. Uma could sing but had no upper register at all though.

 

[DACrowe]

This thread deserves at least one good bump.

 

[Matt]

I finally watched it yesterday. Good solid flick...I love the Betrayed scene in prison where Nathan Lane re-enacts the entire movie. Nathan Lane is incredibly underrated.

The Springtime for Hitler sequence was one of the funniest I've ever seen.

That being said....I still like Larry David's Max Bialystock better

 

[reggiebar]

That being said....I still like Larry David's Max Bialystock better

I literally almost lost my mind when I realized that season of Curb was going to be about Larry playing Bialy since the original movie has been one of my favorite films since I first saw it back in the 7th grade in 1985. I couldn't believe that one of the funniest shows in the history of TV was doing a season about the funniest American movie ever made - it was heaven for me as a huge PRODUCERS fan.

When the season finally ended that year and Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft were in the bar doing the Max/Leo bit from the movie about the audience killing them for having Larry play Max only to find out he was a hit - pure gold "...and I'm not talking fool's gold. I'm talking real gold"

It was TV nirvana for me.

 

[reggiebar]

Oh I understand it. Zero is the type of performer who takes the camera and unapologetically will try and drown it in his charisamic prescence (I've been told that he had a huge ego and watching any of his movies I can believe that).

However, Wilder just steals the show from him by doing less. I feel what makes the opening scene such a classic is not so much Zero's craziness but Wilder's perofrmance and how Zero reacts to it. And the original cast is great. Kenneth Mars was brilliant and had more to do than Ferrell (albeit I enjoy Ferrell's performance JUST as much and both are better than the very underused Franz on stage which is honestly the only disappointing aspect of the play) and of course Dick Shawn was great as LSD, however I thought the love power song is a bit tedious and on repeat viewings his Hitler isn't so much funny as the audience's reaction. While I feel Brooks knows how to make the audiences' reaction more of a bit of cynical irony than Stroman does in the new movie where it just more over the top absurdity, I honestly thought Roger DeBris's gay hitler in the musical and new film was funnier.

There is not much comparing Ulla as Lee Meredith really didn't have to do anything which was the joke. Uma had a lot more to do and wins merely on that fact, however compared to both stage Ullas I have seen, Uma pails in comparison for the simple fact that they can BELT like the lyrics say. Uma could sing but had no upper register at all though.

I have to respectfully disagree with your thoughts about Dick Shawn as LSD. His lines are great and so good for qouting....

"Chicks man all these chicks" when he is stomping his feet as Hitler - CLASSIC!

"I lieb yah baby. I lieb yah. Now lieb me alone" How can that not kill you?

"And I'm gonna miss the country club and all my friends and then there's little Joe. Hey, where's my little Joe" "They try. Oh, how they try" - Great stuff.

Even better than the audiences reaction to LSD as Hitler is Franz's reaction "What is with this Baby. The furor never said Baby" "I am the author. You are the audience. I outrank you!"

On the real, keep watching this movie and I am not kidding you, you will simply start to love it more and more (You will also really see what Zero does as Max and grow to love that man)

 

[DACrowe]

I know how good Zero was as Max and he was great. It is an iconic performance, however I think Wilder was better and stole the show from him. I am not so much putting Zero down as saying how good Wilder really was in this movie.

But I need to see it again as I haven't seen it in about 6 months or so, so it would not hurt.

And Matt glad you like it. That is a great number, especially on stage when there are no cuts and you can see the actor sweating and turning red in the face (they do literally take a break on stage though halfway through the song when Max ssays "Intermission" and just sits there a little unnerved....a joke that would not work on screen for obvious reasons).

Nathan Lane is a great actor whose underrated. It's funny, he is stage royalty on Broadway with 3 Tonys but in Hollywood he is completely ignored. Oh well. And I never saw the fourth season of Curb Your Enthusiasm but the way you say it, I hope that the season is reaired eventually.

 

[black_dust]

Gene Wilder played it much much better.


"Im hysterical!...... Im wet! Im hysterical and im wet! Im in PAIN!"

You CAN NOT mimic a great.