High Anxiety (1977)

Director: Mel Brooks

Writers: Mel Brooks, Ron Clark, Rudy De Luca, Barry Levinson

Composer: John Morris

Starring: Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, Ron Carey, Howard Morris, Dick Van Patten, Jack Riley, Charlie Callas, Ron Clark, Rudy De Luca, Barry Levinson

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The Master of Comedy takes on The Master of Suspense!

Plot: Dr. Richard Thorndyke arrives as new administrator of the Psychoneurotic Institute for the Very, VERY Nervous to discover some suspicious goings-on. When he's framed for murder, Dr. Thorndyke must confront his own psychiatric condition, "high anxiety," in order to clear his name. An homage to the films of Alfred Hitchcock; contains many parodies of famous Hitchcock scenes from THE BIRDS, PSYCHO, and VERTIGO.

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

Mel Brooks owned the 1970s when it came to comedy.  If he were known for only BLAZING SADDLES and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, which both came out in 1974, he has secured his place in the comedy geniuses book.  Like YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, for this picture he chose to do a spoof of sorts that walks side by side with an homage of Alfred Hitchcock.  There are a of gags that work but there's also a lot that don't.  In the end it doesn't satisfy as much as it should have.  The cast is fantastic especially Ron Carey as Thorndyke's chauffeur and then there's the scrummy Madeline Kahn, number one on my list of gals that need to have my babies.  Mmmmmmmm.  I'll watch it again someday.  Maybe I'll be in a better mood or more receptive to it.  I hope so.  I really want to love this picture but it drags just enough to get me primed and ready for a nap.