History of the World, Part I (1981) or, Brooks the History Teacher

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A wealth of elements are teased on this chaotic poster for Mel Brooks' History of the World, Part I

The history of the world, from Neanderthal man to the ardor of the Roman Empire: from the time of Christ to the French Revolution, covering the Spanish Inquisition and more! 

History of the World, Part I is written, produced, starring and directed by New-Yorker master filmmaker Mel Brooks (The Producers (1967)), whose 7th film it is.

Everything goes through Brooks' lewd, irreverent, often risible and continuously entertaining wringer in History of the World, Part I. The film is truly 'the Mel Brooks show', as it is wholly his making, while he also portrays Moses, King Louis XVI - and three other characters in it! Surrounding him are a gang of his 'usual suspects': Dom DeLuise (Always Greener (2001)) as Emperor Nero; Gregory Hines (Will & Grace (1999-00)) as the African slave in trouble; Madeline Kahn (Mixed Nuts (1994)) as Empress Nympho (the royal comedienne delivers a line as few others can) and many more.

With a considerable budget many of Brooks' outrageous ideas are possible here. History of the World, Part I is salutary, insanely silly - and very funny!

 

Related posts:

Mel Brooks: Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) - Brooks wrongly castigated last directorial effort 

Top 10: Best comedies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

Blazing Saddles (1974) or, The Black Sheriff of Rock Ridge 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 10-11 mil. $ (different reports)

Box office: 31.6 mil. $ (North America only); projected world gross 51.6 mil. $

= Big hit (projected return of 4.91 times its cost)

[History of the World, Part I was released 12 June (North America) and runs 92 minutes. The film was conceived as a reaction to a short studio backlot exchange between Brooks and a grip person. Orson Welles was paid 25k $ to record his narration for the film, which he did in a few hours instead of the 5 days that Brooks had thought it might take him. Richard Pryor was to play the slave part but had to bow out due to setting himself on fire while free-basing cocaine. Shooting took place from May 1980 - ? in France, England, California, including in Los Angeles, and in Las Vegas, Nevada. The film opened #4, behind Raiders of the Lost Ark, Clash of the Titans and Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams, to a 4.7 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it grossed 31.6 mil. $. Its foreign numbers are regrettably not public, as per studio policy at the time, but the film must have made a good deal of money internationally as well: In France it was the year's 13th highest-grossing film with more than 2.2 mil. admissions, totaling around 6.6 mil. $, and in Denmark 218k paid admission, totaling around 1.75 mil. $. With a conservative projected world gross of 25 mil. $, the world gross would be 51.6 mil. $, making the film a big hit. Roger Ebert gave it a 2/4 star review, translating to two notches under this one. A sequel series was made for Hulu as VoD, History of the World, Part II (2023), with Brooks co-writing and co-producing. Brooks returned with Spaceballs (1987); and as an actor in To Be Or Not To Be (1983). History of the World, Part I is fresh at 63 % with a 5.70/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of History of the World, Part I?

Grev Axel (2001) - Frödin and Gråbøl pull laughter from 18th century-set crazy-comedy

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Star Peter Frödin looks silly before a woman in a chastity belt on this DVD cover for Søren Fauli's Grev Axel

In late 18th century Denmark a performing actor without much luck steals a man's pony and learns that said man was about to become a count. He swiftly assumes the man's identity and suddenly becomes a popular man of means and power.

Grev Axel is written by Anders Thomas Jensen (Men & Chicken/Mænd og Høns (2015)) and directed by Søren Fauli (Antenneforeningen (1999)). The titles means 'count Axel'.
The film launches crazy comedy in the Mel Brooks vein, though with a clear Danish style  and engaged performances all the way around:
Peter Frödin (Grethe (2016-17)) and Sofie Gråbøl (Flickering Lights/Blinkende Lygter (2000)) are tremendous.
The film would have benefited from a larger budget, and its script is clearly politely structured to follow the 'three act handbook', which isn't a compliment in this case.

Related post:

Søren Fauli: How to Get Rid of the Others/Hvordan Vi Slipper Af med De Andre (2007) - A generally awful Danish surreal comedy turkey (co-star)

Watch a scene from the film here, which is regrettably without subtitles but hysterically funny if you understand Danish

Cost: 13.5 mil. DKK, approximately 2.03 mil. $
Box office: 348k $
= Box office disaster (returned 0.17 times its cost)
[Grev Axel premiered 6 April (Denmark) and runs 90 minutes. The film was supported with a sum of money from the Danish Film Institute. It sold 67,468 tickets in production country Denmark. The listed gross, - only from there, - makes for an average ticket prize of 5.15 $. The film was not theatrically released elsewhere. The film won 2/5 Robert award nominations (Denmark's Oscar). Fauli returned with Polle Fiction (2002). Frödin returned in En Kort En Lang (2001); Gråbøl in Livsforsikringen (2003, short), Nikolaj og Julie (2002-03) and theatrically in Lad De Små Børn... (2004). 645 IMDb users have given Grev Axel a 5.5/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Grev Axel?

Freddy Got Fingered (2001) - Green's nonstop insane comedy feat

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Sloppily dressed co-writer/director/star Tom Green looks more or less insane on this poster for his Freddy Got Fingered

Gord is 28 years old and lives in his parents' basement with a dream of being an animator. Now he will attempt to materialize that dream in Hollywood!

Freddy Got Fingered is written by Derek Harvie (Meet the Family (2013-14)) and debuting co-writer/director/star Tom Green (Tom Green: Endangered Feces (1999, video)).
It is an insane film that parts opinions sharply, - but I'm one of its fans!
Green creates a kind of performance comedy in it, which may remind one of Jim Carrey's overwrought performances as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994; sequel 1995), - but Green's work is just more insane and transgressive. The fact that he attracted a considerable studio budget and some established stars to this lunacy is incredible.
Rip Torn (Slaughter (1972)) runs admirably amok in the film, and Julie Hagerty (Held Up (1999)) is also hilarious.
Freddy Got Fingered is like no other film: It is vulgar and naughty, (some would say tasteless); a comedy with a mission to be outrageous, which it achieves in one crazy scene after another, tightly packed with screaming, yelling, violence and major hit songs. Green seems manic and not much of a healthy individual here, but darn is it fun to watch.
The title is fittingly outrageous and vulgar to match the movie and doesn't really have much of an import in the story itself.

Related post:

Tom Green: Charlie's Angels (2000) - McG's saucy Hollywood Entertainment winner (actor)

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 14 mil. $
Box office: 14.3 mil. $
= Huge flop (returned 1.02 times its cost)
[Freddy Got Fingered premiered 18 April (USA) and runs 87 minutes. Shooting took place from August - October 2000 in British Columbia, including Vancouver, and in California. The film opened #5, behind holdover hits Bridget Jones' Diary, Spy Kids and Along Came a Spider and fellow new release Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles, to a 7 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd week and grossed 14.2 mil. $ (99.3 % of the total gross). The film was released in at least 6 other markets, so the assertion that these should have grossed less than 100k $ for the film seems dubious but could be true given its critical negation. Roger Ebert gave the film a zero star rating, translating to 4 notches under this one. The film earned more than 24.3 mil. $ from North-American video sales, which, if added into the equation, would make the film a box office success. Green returned with Subway Monkey Hour (2002, TV movie), Light Coming Out of Ear!!! (2005, short) and theatrically with the little-seen Prankstar (2010). As an actor he returned in Malcolm in the Middle (2002, TV-series) and theatrically in Stealing Harvard (2002). Freddy Got Fingered is rotten at 10 % with a 2.64/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Freddy Got Fingered?

Land of the Lost (2009) - Ferrell is hilarious in Silberling's wacky time travel adventure

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+ Best Huge Flop Movie of the Year + Most Expensive Flop of the Year (72.52 mil. $ range)

Screaming Will Ferrell and a T-rex are the winning features on this dramatic, funny poster for Brad Silberling's Land of the Lost

A ridiculed time warp scientist with an eating disorder travels through time using his invention, bringing along a beautiful admirer doctoral candidate and a reclusive amusement park owner to a lost land ...

Land of the Lost is written by Chris Henchy (The Other Guys (2010)) and Dennis McNicholas (The Ladies Man (2000)), based on the same-titled 1974-76 NBC TV-series, and directed by Brad Silberling (Casper (1995)). The film references and clearly loves great adventure films, which it is indebted to (such as The Time Machine (1960), Planet of the Apes (1968), Jurassic Park (1993), Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977))), and the narrative gushes with boyish storytelling glee and Hollywood magic.
The 3D effects and visual concept is designed and shot in a hyper-realistic way that is fascinating and makes the outlandishness of it all stand out to humorous effect. Will Ferrell (Winter Passing (2005)) is hilarious here, blotting out that Anna Friel's (The Cleanse (2016)) fan scientist doesn't add much to the scenes. 
Land of the Lost is a funny, wacky and at times psychedelic concoction, which commercially turned out to be a fatal combination of kid-indicating high adventure and adult drug comedy elements.

Related posts: 

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 100 mil. $
Box office: 68.7 mil. $
= Huge flop (returned 0.68 times the cost)
[Land of the Lost was released 5 June (North America) and runs 102 minutes. Shooting took place in California, including Los Angeles, from March - June 2008. The film opened #3, behind fellow new release The Hangover and holdover hit Up, to a flat 18.8 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another week in the top 5 (#5) and grossed 49.4 mil. $ (71.9 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Russia with 3.2 mil. $ (4.7 %) and Australia with 3.1 mil. $ (4.5 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, translating to similar to the one it gets here. It won 1/7 Razzie award nominations. Universal Pictures president Ron Meyer in 2011 tried to distance himself from the costly flop, saying: "Land of the Lost was just crap. I mean, there was no excuse for it. The best intentions all went wrong." The film made in excess of 20.2 mil. $ on the domestic home video market, which wouldn't change its huge flop status, if it was counted into the equation. Silberling returned with 5 TV credits before he hit the big screen again with Ben Kingsley-starring An Ordinary Man (2017). Ferrell returned with an uncredited cameo in The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009), and in 5 non-theatrical appearances before starring in The Other Guys (2010). Land of the Lost is rotten at 26 % with a 4.1/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Land of the Lost?

The Heartbreak Kid (2007) or, The Seven Day Itch

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+ Best Crazy-Comedy of the Year

Ben Stiller and his co-stars are highlighted in some funny moments from the film on this poster for Bobby and Peter Farrelly's The Heartbreak Kid

Eddie is our sympathetic protagonist here, who meets a sweet woman and gets pressured into a quick wedding to her by his encouraging father and friend. But on the following honeymoon she turns out to have been the completely wrong choice, a disaster, meanwhile he falls for someone else ...

The Heartbreak Kid is written by Scot Armstrong (Semi-Pro (2008)), Leslie Dixon (Freaky Friday (2003)), Kevin Barnett (Hall Pass (2011)) and co-writer/director brothers Bobby and Peter Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber (1994), both), remaking the Elaine May/Neil Simon-created The Heartbreak Kid (1972).
The film is an incredibly wacky round of Farrelly zaniness, led by a top-motivated Ben Stiller (Arrested Development (2005-18)). His real-life father Jerry Stiller (Cousins (2013)) and Rob Corddry (Childrens Hospital (2008-16)) are funny as Eddie's father and friend, respectively, who act as his dubious advisers. Michelle Monaghan (Blindsided (2013)) is sweet as the real romantic interest, and Malin Akerman (Catch .44 (2011)) is a nightmare as the bride. The Heartbreak Kid works as a loose romantic crazy-comedy that has a lot of laughs along the way, (Danny McBride (Alien: Covenant (2017)) also supplies his share of them.)
SPOILER The ending goes for one last, sardonic tail on Eddie's predicaments instead of that whiff of Hollywood romance that I for one was sighing for after watching Stiller's many unenviable situations throughout the movie. The Heartbreak Kid also has poor posters and a reused title that doesn't really fit the film. - But it's a gaga fun train nonetheless!

Related posts:
 
Peter & Bobby Farrelly: Dumb and Dumber To (2014) or, Harry and Lloyd: Still Dumb and Lovin' It!  
2011 in films - according to Film Excess
Hall Pass (2011) - The Farrelly brothers' probably worst film to date 
2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
Dumb and Dumber/Dumb & Dumber (1994) - The Farrellys brothers and Carrey/Daniels' comedy classic 

Watch a politically incorrect, early wedding scene from the film here, - and if this makes you laugh, you'll like the film

Cost: 60 mil. $
Box office: 127.7 mil. $ 
= Flop (2.12 times the cost)
[The Heartbreak Kid premiered 27 September (Westwood, Hollywood, Los Angeles) and runs 116 minutes. The Farrelly brothers wanted the film to have the title The Seven Day Itch, humorously riffing on the classic Marilyn Monroe-starring marriage comedy The Seven Year Itch (1955), but they lost a lawsuit (likely to Fox, the studio behind the film) and were pushed instead to reuse the Heartbreak Kid title. Shooting took place in Mexico and California, including San Francisco and Los Angeles from September 2006 - ?. Some nudity was reportedly cut from a sex scene in the film. It opened #2, behind holdover hot The Game Plan, to a weak 14 mil. $ opening weekend in North America, where it spent another week in the top 5 (#5) and grossed disappointing 36.7 mil. $ (28.7 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 11.6 mil. $ (9.1 %) and the UK with 9.9 mil. $ (7.8 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 2/4 star review, translating to two notches harder than this one. The Farrelly brothers returned with an episode of Unhitched (2008, TV-series) and theatrically with the awful Hall Pass (2011). Stiller returned in Curb Your Enthusiasm (2004-07), Elmo's Christmas Countdown (2007, TV movie) and theatrically in Tropic Thunder (2008). The Heartbreak Kid is rotten at 29 % with a 4.6/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Heartbreak Kid?

Evolution (2001) - Reitman's sci-fi crazy-comedy is thoroughly entertaining

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The game stars are aligned for a visit from space, on this poster for Ivan Reitman's Evolution

 

A meteor lands in Arizona, and freaky aliens start evolving with alarming speed, while a few scientists fight with the military over who is to be in charge and what is to be done.

Evolution, written by David Weissman (The Family Man (2000)), Don Jakoby (Arachnophobia (1990)) and David Diamond (Old Dogs (2009)) and directed by Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters (1984)), is a sometimes funny and wacky special effects-driven sci-fi comedy.

David Duchovny (Playing God (1997)) and Julianne Moore (The English Teacher (2013)) are a pretty nice match as the scientific protagonists who (of course) become romantically entangled during the whole ballyhoo. Seann William Scott (Role Models (2008)) is gung-ho as a wannabe firefighter, and the relatively unknown Orlando Jones (Woo (1998)) as the fourth part of the ragtag team also does well. Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers (1980)) as the governor is the crowning piece of the ensemble that also features several well-known actors and comedians in smaller parts. The characters are to some extent cliched: Jones' black scientist seems oblivious to basic laws of science and only interested in women; Ted Levine's general character is a stiff, unsympathetic macho a-hole; and the two obese students are good-humored imbeciles. But the film retains a strange, light-hearted charm, even if it did seem a bit better at its release than it does today.

The effects, most of which are CGI, are surprisingly successful; the creatures are inventive and only add to the fun. Evolution is a very wacky spectacle, - exactly what you'd expect from Reitman, and also what Hollywood does so well from time to time. It is very silly and quite entertaining.

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 80 mil. $

Box office: 98.3 mil. $

= Big flop

[Evolution was released June 8 and runs 101 minutes. Reitman reportedly rewrote most of the script, which had hitherto been a serious sci-fi piece. Shooting took place from October 2000 - February 2001 in Arizona and California, including in Universal Studios and at California State University. Head and Shoulders shampoo plays a part in the film, - but its inclusion is not an act of commercial product placement; instead it is meant to mock the phenomenon, which is very common in especially big-budget features. The film opened #4, behind Swordfish, Shrek and Pearl Harbor, to a 13.4 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it fell from the top 5 in its second week and only grossed a weak 38.3 mil. $ (39 % of the total gross). Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 10.7 mil. $ (10.9 %) and Germany with 7 mil. $ (7.1 %). Evolution is rotten at 42 % with a 4.9 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Evolution?

The Disorderly Orderly (1964) or, Lewis in a Hospital

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The splashy, busy poster for Frank Tashlin's The Disorderly Orderly

QUICK REVIEW:

Jerry Lewis (The Errand Boy (1961)) is presented to us as Napoleon, a mountain climber and a medic (all equally ridiculous identities for him), before we get to see him as the latter: In an exclusive hospital, he goofs and tumbles around for the duration of the film.

Disorderly Orderly might appeal more to American taste than Scandinavian. I saw most of it mostly as a curiosity of its time period, a pretty bizarre curiosity, I might add. Lewis grimaces, screams, tumbles, yell, tumbles again and then screams some more. His brand of slapstick comedy is often nearly cringe-worthy, and to me it's a far cry from the disciplines' masters like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.
But Disorderly Orderly is also an exuberant, colorful and highly energetic work, (even if its plot could fit in a teaspoon.)
It is written by writer-director Frank Tashlin (Son of Paleface (1952)), based on a story by Norm Liebmann (The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1977-79)) and Ed Haas (The Jerry Lewis Show (1967-68)).

 Watch the original trailer for the film here

Cost: Unknown
Box office: 2.7 mil. $ (North America only)
= Unknown
[The Disorderly Orderly was released December 16 and runs 89 minutes. It was filmed at Greystone Park and Mansion in Beverly Hills, CA. Sammy Davis Jr. sings the opening song. Besides the above number, the film drew 1.4+ mil. admissions in France, but those are the only numbers I have found on its release. I suspect it was a box office success. The Disorderly Orderly has been given a 3.5/5 rating by 2,214 users on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Disorderly Orderly?

Date Night (2010) - Carell and Fey bring out the big laugh guns

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+ Best Comedy of the Year

Steve Carell and Tina Fey report for crazy-comedy duty on the poster for Shawn Levy's Date Night

An exhausted parent couple from Jersey drive to the city and lie to get a table at a fancy new restaurant as the 'Tripplehorns.' - But in doing so they accidentally become the center of a dangerous, criminal game of cat and mouse!

Steve Carell (The Big Short (2015)) and Tina Fey's (Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt (2015), TV-series) comedy chops are red hot, and their chemistry is undeniably present here. The story is fresh and freshly paced. Date Night presents a slew of situational comedy with great stars like Mark Wahlberg (Lone Survivor (2013)), James Franco (The Night Before (2015)), Mila Kunis (Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)) and Ray Liotta (Goodfellas (1990)) crowning different sections of the film.
Josh Klausner (Shrek Forever After (2010)) wrote the screenplay, and great Montrealer filmmaker Shawn Levy (This Is Where I Leave You (2014)) directed it. Date Night is simple and Old Hollywood-reminiscent in the cool way. A solid laugh riot.

Related posts:

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Watch the trailer for the hilarious movie here

Cost: 55 mil. $
Box office: 152.2 mil. $
= Box office success
[Date Night had a 25.2 mil. $ opening weekend in North America, #2 behind Clash of the Titans. It grossed 98.7 mil. $ in North America (64.8 % of the total gross), with the 2nd and 3rd biggest markets being Australia with 7.5 mil. $ (4.9 %) and the UK with 5.5 mil. $ (3.6 %). It received mixed reviews from critics; however, Roger Ebert agreed with Film Excess in giving it 3½ stars. Date Night is fresh at 67 % with a 6.1 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Date Night?

Dinner for Schmucks/Dinner with Schmucks (2010) - Carell carries Roach's flawed but utterly hilarious comedy

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1 Film Excess nomination:

Best Supporting Actor: Zach Galifianakis (lost to John C. Reilly for The Extra Man)
 
+ Best Remake of the Year

Paul Rudd and Steve Carell's lovable funny-faces are competing to sell you Jay Roach's Dinner for Schmucks

Paul Rudd (Ant-Man (2015)) is the sweet, ambitious boyfriend (d'uh!), whose career is on the move and who has to present an utterly foolish person at a strange dinner party to his boss (Bruce Greenwood (Flight (2012))) in order to advance.

Dinner opens weakly, because the premise with the girlfriend (Stephanie Szostack (R.I.P.D. (2013)) is utterly without logic or charm (besides being completely predictable), and because Steve Carell (Hope Springs (2012)) carries the film, (and he isn't there yet.)
Later, Kristen Schaal (The Last Man on Earth (2015), TV-series) is funny in a few scenes, Zack Galifianakis (Muppets Most Wanted (2014)) is priceless as a mind-reading tax collector, and New Zealander Jemaine Clement (What We Do in the Shadows (2014)) and Brit David Walliams (Marmaduke (2010)) are also both good fun. The kooky idiot escapades culminate in the hysterically funny dinner, an eruption of crazy-comedy anarchy that somehow ricocheted right into my laugh-center.
The mouse props (!) play way too big a part of the film, and its structure is also an awful mess, but Carell (and Rudd, too) deliver so many laughs that Schmucks, despite everything, remains completely lovable.
Dinner for Schmucks is written by David Guion  and Michael Handelman (Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014), both), remaking the French hit comedy Le Dîner de Cons/The Dinner Game (1998), and directed by great New Mexico-born filmmaker Jay Roach (Trumbo (2015)).

Related posts:

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Watch the trailer for the movie here, and you'll know fast if it's your style...

Cost: 62.7 mil. $ (down from 69 mil. $ after tax credits)
Box office: 86.8 mil. $
= Big flop
[Dinner opened #2 in North America with a 23.5 mil. $ first weekend and grossed 73 mil. $ (84.5 % of the total gross) there. The film's international performance was especially disappointing; its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK (4 mil. $/4.6%) and Australia (3.2 mil. $/3.7 %). Dinner with Schmucks is rotten at 42 % with a 5.4 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Dinner with Schmucks?
Compare it to the original French film, if you've seen it

Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) - Brooks wrongly castigated last directorial effort

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The classy-fun poster for Mel Brooks' Dracula: Dead and Loving It

QUICK REVIEW:

Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula (1897) and its adaptations into cinema are the basis of this spoof.

Dead and Loving It is a warm-hearted crazy-comedy from some of the old guys in the profession: Master co-writer-director/producer/star Mel Brooks (Blazing Saddles (1974)) and Leslie Nielsen (Airplane! (1980)). Especially Nielsen's aura of comicality and Brooks' verbal comedy make the laughter roar here, while Peter MacNicol (24 (2007), TV-series) as Renfield is a bit tame.
The film contains lots of gags and fun, and it gives the Dracula world a serious squeeze in the butt. It is co-written by Brooks, Rudy De Luca (Silent Movie (1976)) and Steve Haberman (Life Stinks (1991)), and directed by Brooks as his last film in that role.
Dracula: Dead and Loving It is simply fun!

Related review:

Mel Brooks: Blazing Saddles (1974) or, The Black Sheriff of Rock Ridge

Try not to be amused while watching the trailer for the film here - I dare you!

Cost: 30 mil. $
Box office: 10.6 mil. $ (North America only)
= Uncertainty
[But certainly a big flop, and probably even a huge flop. Dead and Loving It was met with contempt by critics at home, (its Rotten Tomatoes critics' average is just 3/10), and audiences stayed away from this otherwise undemanding serving. Only few foreign figures are out, (the film made 0.4 mil. £ in the UK, 148k paid admission in France, 16k in Portugal), which makes it impossible to determine the film's final commercial result. - How did it do in Germany, and in South America, for instance? That would be interesting to know. It was a sorry end to Brooks' career as a filmmaker, - but at least audiences today don't wholly agree with the harsh critics of '95: Dead and Loving It has an IMDb score of 5.7.]

What do you think of Dracula: Dead and Loving It?