Springtiiiiiiiiiiiime For Hitlerrrrrrrrr and Germanyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Rating: 8/10 (21 November 2004)

THE PRODUCERS (4 outta 5 stars)
Incredibly bizarre debut comedy film from Mel Brooks. The premise might not seem as shocking today as I'm sure it did when the film first came out (the creation of a Broadway musical about Adolph Hitler)... but the dark humour is still as potent now as was then. Zero Mostel is the down-and-out producer of failed shows who has sunk to the level of seducing old ladies for money. Gene Wilder is the emotionally dysfunctional accountant who stumbles upon the idea that more money could be made by producing a "flop" show than a "hit". So Mostel and Wilder gather up the lousiest writer, director and actors they can and hope for the worst. But, of course, things don't quite turn out as planned. I swear, once you've heard it you won't be able to get "Springtime for Hitler" out of your head. The open audition for the lead role of Hitler is one of the funniest sequences ever. Wilder makes such an impression with his wildly manic role that I can't even begin to imagine how Matthew Broderick could do it justice. (Guess I'll just have to wait for the upcoming musical re-make.) "I'm hysterical... and I'm WET!"