Hey Folks, Harry here and YES! This can not get here soon enough. Last time I was in New York I desperately tried to get tickets to the stage version, yet it was sold out. Curses! Foiled again! So, I've taken a degree of solace that at least I will see a film version which should be freakin amazing - especially since this was one time that they actually brought talent over in the translation. If you don't know the story, and what the hell is wrong with you - check out the original film now! But there are spoilers below - for those that have no frame of reference for this coming bit of brilliance. Here ya go...
Harry, I’m finally settling down from the screening of The Producers tonight up in the Valley. Let me start off with one word … scrumtulecent.
First off, for those of you who made it to the screening, I hope you too had the chance to congratulate Mel Brooks on his newly produced version for the screen. He was in the back and the moment the film was over all the executive stood up to hug him and congratulate him.
Getting into it, the film starts with a kick and doesn’t let up. If this is your first musical, you’re gonna love it. If you’ve seen many before, then you’ll be able to enjoy this for all it’s worth. I can’t compare it to the stage, unfortunately, I never had the chance to see it.
Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane are simply hysterical together. Matthew plays an uptight accountant with a security blanket who wants to be a powerful producer. He is jux-a-posed to Nathan Lane, the washed up old Broadway producer looking to make a quick buck. Once together, they realize they can make more money on a flop than on a hit if they raise far more money than they need to actually put the play on.
Broderick, being a bit of a goody goody, refused the offer. After returning ot his job and imagining his life in lights, he realizes the only way he’s going to get it is to sieze the day. He returns to Nathan Lane and they shake on it. Finding the first flop was easy, convincing Mr. Liebskind (Ferrel), the author of the worst play ever written, “Springtime For Hitler”, was a riot. Ferrel lives on the roof of a building and is still convinced the war is going on. He speaks with the thickest German accent, which is maybe the funniest accent he’s had on screen. They convince him to sign over the rights after taking an oath and doing a dance. A very funny dance. Nay, a very very funny dance.
Maybe the funniest part of the movie followed. They need to convince the worst director to sign on. It proves hard in the beginning. He’s a cross-dressing homosexual surrounded by many other gay men. HE doesn’t want to do it, until the producers (Broderick and Lane) let him “make it gay”. And boy do they. In a romp around the house they sing and dance and tell exactly how the director, and his team, plan to make ‘Spring Time for Hitler” very gay.
They hold auditions, and after a number of failed hitlers, Will Ferrel hops up on states to make a mockery of those portraying his “Furher”. Everyone agrees he should play the part.
It’s opening night, and the sure fire flop is about to begin. Ferrel breaks his leg, and the cross dressing is forced to take the part of Hitler. He does, and again, it sent the audience into hysterics “don’t be stupid be a smarty, come and join the Nazi party!”. The screen crowd is so offended, they get up to leave, until Hitler comes out. Then they see how good it actually is (it really isn’t) and they love it! It becomes the next hit. This is bad, because now they will make more than the needed to produce the play, but not enough to pay back the investors (the little old women Lane has to sleep with to get money from them).
The ending from here on out is just hysterical, and I’ll leave it to you to see it. But the chemistry on film hasn’t been seen like it’s seen here. I wish I could say something bad about this film. But the audience I saw it with agreed. At the end they stood up and cheered, along with clapping after every musical number. The energy in the theater really made the experience awesome. I think this film is going to be a hit, and I think you all should see it come this X Mas. .
I hope you can use this …. BeeGee
