Artist Blazing Saddles
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Blazing Saddles
Of all Mel Brooks’ comedic triumphs, 1974’s Blazing Saddles was his most uneven—and most controversial. Harnessing the “let bigotry spoof itself” approach of All In The Family, the film’s casual lampooning of racism can be a little uncomfortable to watch in 2010. However, the anarchic gags still ring weirdly funny, mostly because the humor (rooted in vaudevillian slapstick) seems even stranger today. This episodically slapdash formula was picked up and radically stylized soon after by Kentucky Fried Movie and its offspring, but Blazing Saddles remains an unsettling, hilarious and, well, trailblazing landmark.
Updated 01/20/2010
