Spend years burrowing through legions and libraries of the greatest comic achievements in the history of cinema and you’re still unlikely to come up with anything funnier than Gene Wilder shouting, “Sedagive?!” at Marty Feldman after being strangled half to death by a tremendous monster with an abby normal brain. For my money, Young Frankenstein is the best of the late, great Wilder’s feature films, likewise the most hilarious of Mel Brooks‘ directorial endeavors. Proof that it has sustained its comic oomph over the four decades since its release: the ’74 film is returning to theaters in October in honor of the recently deceased Wilder.
Making matters both more exciting and a good deal less convenient, Young Frankenstein will enjoy a theatrical revival that lasts only one night: Wednesday, October 5. The Hollywood Reporter reports that screening will take place at 500 theaters across the country; Slashfilm adds that these showings will begin simultaneously nationwide, kicking off at 8 ET/7 CT/6 MT/5 PT with a live-streamed introduction by writer and director Mel Brooks.
Though a laugh-a-minute parody like Young Frankenstein may be the perfect candidate for an at-home viewing session, the cinematic grandeur of the film—something we don’t find in quite so many contemporary comedies of its sort—makes the big screen experience a necessary one to fully appreciate how much work, thought, and creativity went into this work of genius. It isn’t just a series of good jokes and funny performances that renders Young Frankenstein a cinematic icon, but how strongly it operates in regard to earnest cinematic standards.
So far we’ve gotten Blazing Saddles and Willy Wonka, and now Young Frankenstein. Which other Gene Wilder movies do you hope head back to the theaters? Let us know!
Featured Image: 20th Century Fox
