Product Details

• Actors: Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Cloris Leachman
• Directors: Mel Brooks
• Writers: Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks, Mary Shelley
• Producers: Michael Gruskoff
• Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Letterboxed, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 1.0), French (Dolby Digital 1.0), Spanish (Dolby Digital 1.0)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: November 3, 1998
• Run Time: 106 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (557 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305168857
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,864 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Young Frankenstein (Special Edition)" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

If you were to argue that Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein ranks among the top-ten funniest movies of all time, nobody could reasonably dispute the claim. Spoofing classic horror in the way that Brooks's previous film Blazing Saddles sent up classic Westerns, the movie is both a loving tribute and a raucous, irreverent parody of Universal's classic horror films Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Filming in glorious black and white, Brooks re-created the Frankenstein laboratory using the same equipment from the original Frankenstein (courtesy of designer Kenneth Strickfaden), and this loving attention to physical and stylistic detail creates a solid foundation for nonstop comedy. The story, of course, involves Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) and his effort to resume experiments in re-animation pioneered by his late father. (He's got some help, since dad left behind a book titled How I Did It.) Assisting him is the hapless hunchback Igor (Marty Feldman) and the buxom but none-too-bright maiden Inga (Teri Garr), and when Frankenstein succeeds in creating his monster (Peter Boyle), the stage is set for an outrageous revision of the Frankenstein legend. With comedy highlights too numerous to mention, Brooks guides his brilliant cast (also including Cloris Leachman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, and Gene Hackman in a classic cameo role) through scene after scene of inspired hilarity. Indeed, Young Frankenstein is a charmed film, nothing less than a comedy classic, representing the finest work from everyone involved. Not one joke has lost its payoff, and none of the countless gags have lost their zany appeal. From a career that includes some of the best comedies ever made, this is the film for which Mel Brooks will be most fondly remembered. Befitting a classic, the Special Edition DVD includes audio commentary by Mel Brooks, a "making of" documentary, interviews with the cast, hilarious bloopers and outtakes, and the original theatrical trailers. No video library should be without a copy of Young Frankenstein. And just remember--that's Fronkensteen. --Jeff Shannon

Beyond Young Frankenstein

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Blazing Saddles

Stills from Young Frankenstein (Click for larger image)

Product Description

Features new behind-the-scenes footage, bloopers, and outtakes, including the reading of the Frankenstein will in Transylvania, an "intellectual discussion" between Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) and Inga (Teri Garr), the monster's encounter with highwaym

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

170 of 189 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great movie...DVD worth the money (but warning!) May 26, 2003

By Lori L. Graham

Format:DVD

First, let me begin by saying that the only reason I don't give this 5 stars is that I wanted a bit more from the commentary track, as I indicate below.
The content of this wonderful movie is covered amply elsewhere, so I won't repeat what others have so well synopsized. I WOULD like to point out a couple of things about this particular DVD:
1) The commentary track is accessible from the the LANGUAGE SELECTION menu, rather than from the special features menu (as is usual for commentary tracks). I was terribly frustrated by this until I got some help from Christian at boldopinions.com (thanks Christian!).
2) Yes, the commentary track IS mostly Mel babbling, but there are some nice tidbits here (many of the cut-away shots were put in because Gene Wilder kept breaking, Mel thought "Puttin' On The Ritz" was frivolous, etc.). It's also heart-breaking to hear about how Marty Feldman's health habits led to his death at age 59. Unfortunately, since Mel's commentary leans toward the personal, we don't get to hear about the roots of the dart-throwing scene (practically a duplication of a scene in "Son of Frankenstein")-- and I would SWEAR that the trees going by the window in the Transylvanian train sequence are the same ones in the train sequence in "Son of Frankenstein." So we can't have everything.
3) The documentary is really wonderful-- it's obvious that everyone has warm feelings about the film, and the recollections are sharp and insightful. It gives the movie added dimension, so don't pass it over....

I haven't seen mention in the Amazon reviews of "Young Frankenstein" the multiple homages to "Son of Frankenstein," not the least of which is Gene Wilder's spot-on lord-of-the-manor affectations through many of the early Transylvanian sequences (in his grandfather's bedroom: "And where is my grandfather's PRIVATE library?...[book snatched from shelf] Why, these books are all very general [snap snap snap the pages]; any doctor might have them in his study [SLAP book closed]" and the entirety of the aforementioned dart-throwing scene (in which Wilder is positively CHANNELING Basil Rathbone). So make "Son of Frankenstein" ALSO required viewing prior to seeing "Young Frankenstein."

Finally, I think that Mel hits the nail on the head when he says (repeatedly) that so many scenes are emotional at the same time that they're being funny. This film was made with such love by all concerned, and it shows. Yes, it can be occasionally crass, and go for obvious cheap laughs (albeit MUCH less so than any movie Mel has made before or since), but what one ultimately takes away from this movie is the incredible amount of care everyone took with the project. Hell, you might even find yourself with a tear in your eye at the end (I did-- the awesome score by John Morris helps a lot!). Alas, Mel and Gene were never again to collaborate on a script (it is amazing that the Borscht Belt comedy of Mel Brooks and the hopeless romanticism of Gene Wilder found such fertile creative ground in the first place!), so this movie is lightning in a bottle (pun intended). Don't miss it. Read more ›

53 of 56 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost too good! December 3, 1999

By A Customer

Format:DVD

Features, features, features. Anyone who loves this film and loves special DVD features MUST buy this special addition. There are about 30 minutes of deleted scenes, hilarious bloopers and Mel Brooks tops it all off with insightful, intelligent commentary. A great DVD that does justice to one of the greatest classic comedies of all time. I couldn't turn it off.

56 of 60 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Roll, roll, roll in ze hay!" February 19, 2001

By Jay Dickson VINE™ VOICE

Format:VHS Tape

This may just be the funniest movie of all time. Mel Brooks never before (and never again) worked with the tight parameters he did here: gene Wilder actually wrote most of the script, and that plus the use of the old Universal sets and props seem to have kept Borooks's more sophomoric instincts (which have gone overboard in some of his later films) tightly in check. Thus he--and everyone else in the film--is doing their absolutely finest work ever.

From Teri Garr "rolling in ze hay," to Kenneth Mars's inspired Police Inspector, everyone in the entire film seems to be working at their most hysterically hilarious. Special mention must be given to Gene Wilder giving one of his most classic performances of his strangled-fury schtick ever ("Put... the candle... back!!!") and to Peter Boyle, for his very poignant and funny depiction of the Monster.

But standing above all of the end in terms of sheer brilliance is Madeline Kahn, giving what must be the funniest female performace ever on film as Frankenstein's fiancee and the monster's eventual bride. Unlike everyone else in the film, she's not really parodying anyone other than herself; yet nevertheless her depiction of Elizabeth, the wealthy prude who discovers she's a volcano of passion undeneath, is so funny I'm practically crying almost every time I see this film. There's one brief little scene where she's brushing her hair in her boudoir before the Monster steals into her room and kidnaps her, and for absolutely no apparent reason(which makes the scene all the funnier) she's giving vent to a deeply lusty rendition of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" while brushing out her hair. It is the funniest five seconds in the entire film--and in a film this hilarious that's saying a lot.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST Parody Film of All Time... December 6, 1999

By "rockchalk-mbs"

Format:VHS Tape

...yes, even better than "Airplane", and quite possibly the funniest film of all time, period. Side-splittingly funny and infinitely quotable, this is film is absolutely priceless. Filmed in black and white, the movie is filled with atmosphere, fantastic one-liners and classic characters. Marty Feldman and Madeline Kahn completely steal the show, you'd never guess that Inga was the same Terri Garr from "Tootsie", Cloris Leachman is virtually, wonderfully, unrecognizable, and you will never- and I mean NEVER- be able to look at Peter Boyle the same way again after seeing his portrayal of the monster (especially after viewing "Puttin' on the Ritz"). The fantastic script, by both Brooks and star Gene ("it's pronounced Fronkensteen") Wilder, was nominated for an Oscar, and so fantastic are the lines that you will find yourself using them in every-day life (I have and still do). This movie will make you giggle, chuckle and laugh out loud. It's the blueprint for all parody films ever made and it's still the very best. This is a movie that can be watched over and over, as little things will get by you on the first couple of viewings. I love the tip of the cap to "The Bride of Frankenstein" near the end of the film and especially love Kenneth Mars' portrayal of the heavily accented town Constable ("Footschteps, footschteps, footschteps!"). This is my all-time favorite movie. And "Bluecher" in German means "glue"...