This version of the Producers has been very good to me I have seen it multiple times both on stage, at the cinema as well as at home on the DVD. This is another Mel Brooks productions so I would assume it’s a marmite movie. You either love it or not. The typical gay romp and Nazis are aplenty again which may put some people off or on as the case may be. The movie was released in 2005 and followed on the successful stage production of the same version. The full story of this is that Mel Brooks wrote it for the stage and someone said its too big for the stage and they made into the movie released in the sixties. Having the success with that and with modern technology improving Mel re-wrote it to be a musical and released it on Broadway and then the West End over here which was going to have two of my hero’s performing being Richard Dreyfuss and Lee Evans. Late in the production Richard dropped out and they replaced with the Broadway casted Nathan Lane who was fantastic and I now cannot see anyone else in that role. Having the success on the stage they took the musical version back to screen and released it as a film. Which I saw at the cinema with the Broadway version of the leads with Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane. Then the DVD was released with added outtakes which made me laugh at Nathan even more. I then saw a local theatre production of it and although not Nathan it was still pretty good. Although my love is evident the critic’s were not quite so happy with a 6.3/10 from IMDb and even less from Rotten Tomatoes with a 50% score. The box-office were none too pleased either with production costs at $45m it only returned $38.1m from the box-office which is a flop in anyones eyes. They used the same director as the stage show in Susan Stroman and it stars Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman, Will Ferrell, Gary Beach, Roger Bart & Jon Lovitz. The story is a simple one…
Max Bialystock is a Broadway Producer who is down on his luck after a string of flops on stage. It hasn’t stopped him being crafty devious and desperate for money. Leo Bloom who is Max’s appointed and very nervous, highly anxious account who is also a fan of Max Bialystock’s work. When doing his books he releases that he spent more than took for the show and Max asked no begs him to move the numbers around to hide that he spent a day in a Turkish bath. Leo then surmises that its possible you could make much more money with a flop than you could with a hit. If you raise a lot more money than needed put on a flop no one will ask for their money back as it flopped so no need to worry just disappear with the cash. The plan is hatched to get the worst play, the worst director and the worst actors to put on this flop. Raising $2m they are going to share what could go wrong. They buy a play called ‘Springtime For Hitler’ and then hire the very camp director and then stage hiring for the cast with the first one being a very blonde and attractive Swedish woman who turns both Max’s and Leo’s head as well as other things. The plan is set with the Nazi loving play writer in the lead role with Nazi’s dancing around the stage a sure fire flop is bound to happen. What could possible go wrong?
Well you’ll have to watch it to find that out. As mentioned I saw this with Lee Evans in the Leo role and preferred him to Matthew. That’s just my taste, this movie has all the inappropriate songs as the show which may make you laugh or cringe. For me it is hysterical and very funny. There are so many little things here and there that just keeps making me laugh and what was really impressive seeing the show everything that was there was on the screen. This is a great film for me it always reminds me of being at work one Christmas just as the MD walked through just as the movie was playing ‘Keep it Gay’ and him pretending he couldn’t hear it as he walked away. Leaving it playing when I went to the warehouse was probably not a great idea. Mel Brooks is never afraid of flying close to the edge but as far as the things I’ve seen he has not crossed that line. The lets laugh at Nazis always comes shining through and this is no exception. The best way to belittle something that is deemed wrong is to laugh at it, and this works for me. If you want an evening of silly laughs then this is your show and you’ll love the pigeons as well.
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