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Thursday, May 9, 2013

Mel Brooks: Mel Brooks Live at the Paley Center by Tom McNamara

Live from the Paley Center in L.A., a discussion with the 2,000 Year Old Man, Mel Brooks about his upcoming biography film, Mel Brooks: Make a Noise. Joining Brooks are Robert Trachtenberg (…

SOURCE: PBS at 06:00PM

Monday, May 6, 2013

Mel Brooks: Spaceballs: The Art of the Trope (or, making the cliché absurd) by Tom McNamara

What came first: the Mel Brooks movie or the cliché? The classic Hollywood Sci-Fi spaceship always gets gratuitous screentime from every camera angle. Mel Brooks’s Hollywood spaceship …

SOURCE: PBS at 01:04PM

Mel Brooks: Young Frankenstein: The Art of the Homage (or, to spoof with accuracy) by Tom McNamara

For Mel Brooks the spoofing is in the details. The classic Hollywood Horror film is always black-and-white and includes scene transitions like iris outs, wipes and fades to black. Mel Bro…

SOURCE: PBS at 12:53PM

Mel Brooks: Blazing Saddles: The Art of the Stereotype (and it on its head) by Tom McNamara

Mel Brooks never met a stereotype he couldn’t upend. The classic Hollywood cowboy is always white. Mel Brooks’s Hollywood cowboy is black. And his Indian chief speaks Yiddish.

SOURCE: PBS at 12:26PM

Monday, April 29, 2013

Mel Brooks: #ComedyFest Live: Mel Brooks & Carl Reiner with Judd Apatow by Tom McNamara

Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner in conversation with director and writer Judd Apatow, marking the day on which the 2000 Year Old Man joins Twitter.

SOURCE: PBS at 11:39AM

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Mel Brooks: Film Excerpt: The Difference Between Comedy & Tragedy Is… by Tom McNamara

The logic here is, as long as it isn't happening to Mel Brooks, it's funny.

SOURCE: PBS at 12:24PM

Mel Brooks: Film Excerpt: Mel Brooks’ Debut by Tom McNamara

"I'm fifteen! I never did this before! I'm not an actor!" That's a Mel Brooks ad-lib from his first stage appearance. The crowd loved it. The director did not.

SOURCE: PBS at 12:23PM

Monday, April 15, 2013

Mel Brooks: Film Outtake: Melon Balls Mean Money by Tom McNamara

Mel Brooks remembers growing up poor and exotic fruit cocktails.

SOURCE: PBS at 06:44PM

Mel Brooks: Film Outtake: Walking out on Hitler by Tom McNamara

Not everybody gets Mel Brooks. Don't worry though, he'll take it personally. Susan Stroman, director for the Broadway run of Brooks' The Producers, remembers a WWII vet who walked out on the…

SOURCE: PBS at 06:05PM

Mel Brooks: Film Outtake: Carl Reiner’s Buttons by Tom McNamara

The literal buttons on Carl Reiner's jacket.

SOURCE: PBS at 05:17PM

Mel Brooks: Film Comment: Robert Trachtenberg, ‘Mel Brooks: Make A Noise’ writer, director, producer and editor by Tom McNamara

Writer, director, producer and editor Robert Trachtenberg talks Mel Brooks: Make A Noise with AMERICAN MASTERS.

SOURCE: PBS at 04:28PM

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Mel Brooks: Mel Brooks: Make a Noise by Tom McNamara

After 60 years in show business, Mel Brooks has earned more major awards than any other living entertainer; he is one of 14 EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winners. Yet, the comedy giant…

SOURCE: PBS at 04:37PM