My Favourite Gene Wilder Movies

As many other movie fans, I was very saddened by the death of actor, director and writer Gene Wilder last Monday. Sometimes, you feel like some people will live forever, and will never stop creating.

I first saw Wilder in Blazing Saddles all the way back in the 1990's, and his movies have always been a warm and welcome presence in my life. He surprised me with his versatility as an actor and charmed me with his endless charisma.

Today, I want to share with you my favourite movies that star Gene Wilder.

Blazing Saddles

"My name is Jim but most people call me... Jim."

To ruin a western town, a corrupt political boss appoints a black sheriff, who promptly becomes his most formidable adversary.

This was one of the first American comedies I have seen as a child. I loved it. It was funny, silly, clever, dirty and daring. And how can I not mention the amazing chemistry between Wilder and the talented Cleavon Little?

See No Evil, Hear No Evil

"Why don't you look me in the eye and say that?"

Dave is deaf, and Wally is blind. They witness a murder, but it was Dave who was looking at her, and Wally who was listening.

Not the best comedy. Not even the funniest. But Wilder's and Richard Pryor's performances make it a very enjoyable watch.

The Producers

"I'm in pain and I'm wet and I'm still hysterical!"

Producers Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom make money by producing a sure-fire flop.

Mel Brook's first feature film, that's also not a parody. Wilder is just endearing as Leo Bloom, the insecure and neurotic accountant.

Young Frankenstein

"My grandfather's work was doo-doo!"

An American grandson of the infamous scientist, struggling to prove that he is not as insane as people believe, is invited to Transylvania, where he discovers the process that reanimates a dead body.

One of the best Mel Brooks movies (did they know how to make a good parody back in the day, or what?), and possibly the best of Gene Wilder's performances.

These are my picks. I took the plot summaries from the IMDB and the pictures from Wikipedia.

Rest in peace, Doctor Fronknesteen.

Comments

Musing Mondays

Musing Mondays is an original meme created by A Daily Rhythm . This week's random question: Have you ever chosen a book mostly because of its cover art and then regretted it because the content didn't live up to your expectations? Three words: Pride, prejudice, zombies. I mostly read this book because of the upcoming movie adaptation, but it was the cover art that made this book stand out from all the other titles on my "maybe" list. The image of a high society zombie girl, created by Doogie Horner was basically a spoof of William Beechey's painting of Marcia Fox (thank you, Wikipedia). It's a funny and provocative artwork that promises an equally funny and provocative story. Alas, the story is boring and the humour is dull and juvenile. Image source: Wikipedia

Thursday Quotables (Feb 4)

Welcome to Thursday Quotables, a weekly meme hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies . Every Thursday you can post a quote from a book that you're currently reading. It can be meaningful, funny, a real tearjerker or just something beautifully written. You decide. Click on the link above if you want to learn more. First of all, my latest post - Top Ten Futuristic Worlds I Want to Live in - got six likes on Google+. I don't think I ever had this many likes in the short time that I've been running this blog, so I'm a little surprised, but also grateful. A big thanks to you guys :) Back to the meme... Orange is the New Black is one of the most interesting books I have read in a long time. While writing about her experience as inmate at a women's prison, Piper Kerman tackles some very serious issues about American judicial system and the treatment of inmates. The book is sad and disturbing on a multitude of levels. But at the same time, there is a lot of humour and...

Audiobook Review: The Man in the High Castle

Image source: Audible Title: The Man in the High Castle Author: Philip K. Dick Year of publishing: 1962 I listened to: Audiobook by Brilliance Audio Narrated by: Jeff Cummings It's America in 1962. Slavery is legal once again. The few Jews who still survive hide under assumed names. In San Francisco the I Ching is as common as the Yellow Pages. All because some 20 years earlier the United States lost a war, and is now occupied jointly by Nazi Germany and Japan. I streamed The Man in the High Castle on Audible, and it took me about two weeks to finish it. And while for the most part I enjoyed both the story and the narration, I have to say I was a little disappointed. Cummings, I thought, did a very good job narrating this book. Aside from having a voice that's nice to listen to, he gave great performances, portraying very diverse characters in this book. While I found his German and Japanese accents comical at first, I then got used to them. So much about...

Dinara Tengri

Search This Blog