31 Days of Film - Day 5: Movie that reminds you of someone

Another Mel Brooks classic makes the list with day five's prompt. Robin Hood: Men In Tights was a movie I didn't want to like - and for the longest time I didn't. It is my best friend's absolute favorite movie. She knows it backwards, forwards, and upside-down. She knows the choreography to the title song. She was so sad when I said I just couldn't find what she found funny about it.

And then one day I actually sat down and paid attention to it. And I fell in love. It IS Mel Brooks' humor, after all, and the subtle (and not so subtle) parodies of all prior Robin Hood movies are hilarious. I don't know why I didn't like the movie sooner. It leaves me in stitches.

It also makes me really miss Erin. With her being in Montana we don't get to see each other much, and she has a busy life that leaves little time to actually chat these days. I miss my friend. I watched this movie today and thought of her. We have 40 days until our Disney trip and I cannot wait. As excited as I am for Disney and SoCal and VACATION, I'm more excited to see her. It's been over a year. It's overdue. WAY overdue.

31 Days of Film - Day 3: Movie that makes you happy

Who doesn't love a good Mel Brooks creation? The Producers (Musical starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick) is one of my favorite Broadway shows. It was based on the film that Mel Brooks wrote and directed starring Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel, and then Mel brought it to Broadway several decades later. It became an instant classic, and its stars went on to reprise their roles when they took the musical to the movies.

Nathan and Matthew are perfect in their roles. I prefer them to their counterparts in the 1967 film version. Granted, they had far more time getting the feel for their characters, but still - they just had more energy and overall made for a funnier movie. The songs are catchy and play quite often from my iPod.

The supporting cast of characters are also a who's who in the comedy and stage world. Will Ferrell is surprisingly funny as Franz Liebkin the playwright who drafts the "love letter to Hitler", giving a very good skewed look of a German Nazi. Brooks, of course, is known for his stereotyping of Nazi's and taking a lot of jabs at the group of "neo-nazi nitwits." It never gets old. He even takes some shots at Hitler, and not just in the show's "Springtime For Hitler". We learn quite a bit that our history books never revealed (Hitler is a descendent from a long line of English Queens.)

This movie never fails to put me in a good mood. I'm a big fan of Nathan Lane anyway, and it's like this role was written for him (it wasn't, though, as the lines are almost identical to what was written for the 1967 version). As I said, both Lane and Broderick have great on screen chemistry as an unlikely duo turned partners and best friends. The music is fun, and it's Mel Brooks humor at its best.

In fact, I think I might plug it in and watch it right now...