Well Deserved Praise

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Get this! Silent Movie's tag-line was - "The only sound you'll hear is laughter!".... (Oh!? Really!?)... And, of course, when it came to that laughter, the only one you're likely to hear chuckling merrily away would be director Mel Brooks (all the way to the bank) 'cause his $4 million movie had just grossed $36 million at the box-office.Yep. That's the only laughter you're gonna hear in regards to this unfunny dud. 'Cause, believe me, it didn't provoke any laughter in me.And, speaking about slapstick comedy - If this particular genre wasn't already dead by the time Silent Movie was released in 1976, then, to be sure, this film certainly succeeded in killing it, once and for all.With the exception of but a few good sight gags - I swear Silent Movie's storyline (which came across like a Made-For-TV movie) was being made up as they went along. And cameo appearances by the likes of Paul Newman, James Caan, and Burt Reynolds did nothing to compensate for the utter stupidity of this picture.And, finally - This dumber-than-dumb movie lost itself some very serious points for its blatant (and very unwelcome) product placement of the all-familiar Coca Cola logo.

What I'm reviewing here is the last of the "Slapstickers" series of Movies on the Lawn at the Baton Rouge Gallery-a series of classic silent comedies presented at the last Saturday of each month with an accompaniment of a live contemporary band of which this particular movie I'm commenting on had the musical stylings of Caftan Green (I think that was the name of the group). Anyway, I had previously seen this on Cinemax with the original John Morris score so it was such a treat to watch this again with a brand new score with some familiar jazz numbers spread throughout. The gags thought by director/star Mel Brooks and others were quite funny especially when they involved getting Big Stars to do his movie of which one of them was his actual wife Anne Bancroft. And both Dom DeLuise and Marty Feldman as his associates also contributed their own funny turns. I'm sure some gags may be dated to anyone born after the year this film was actually made but most of them are still quite effective today like the board of Engulf and Devour's reaction to their first viewing of a picture of Bernadette Peters' sexy poster. Oh, and many of the mostly middle aged audience I saw this with reacted appreciatively, laughing as loud as I did during the whole thing. So on that note, I very highly recommend Silent Movie. P.S. Since the score was a live one on this viewing, someone behind the screen said "Non!" when Marcel Marceau said the only spoken part of this picture.

Far and away Brook's best film, even though that's not saying much. Sight gags are Mel's forte, so turning the sound off was the best idea he ever had. Funny most of the way through, it is only occasionally that this dig at the silent pic gets tiresome. Moments of real hilarity serve to temper the dull ones.Stars are in plentiful supply, including main players Brooks, Feldman, Dom DeLuise, Bernadette Peters and Sid Caesar. Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Liza Minelli, Anne Bancroft, Paul Newman and Marcel Marceau all drop in to help make "Silent Movie" a hit.Saturday, January 8, 2000 - Video

although i wouldn't call this movie a laugh riot,id id found it amusing.and i did chuckles a few times.some of the slapstick is fairly funny.and it is essentially a silent movie.there is one audible word word uttered in the whole movie.there is some music and sound effects,as well.but otherwise,foe all intents and purposes,it's a silent movie.making a Silent Movie in 1976 must have taken quite a lot of moxie,so you have to hand it to Mel Brooks for that.i guess it didn't hurt that he got some big names of the day to agree to appear in it.still,it's no masterpiece,but it's a step up from History of the World Part I,which i had watched just prior to it.for me,Silent Movie is a 5/10