To call Mel Brooks a comedy legend would be understating his importance to the history of comedy and would undervalue the impact he has made on the entertainment world. He’s on the Mount Rushmore of comedic filmmakers, and his unique approach to get the big laugh is what sets him apart. As a writer, actor, producer and director, he is one of the few extraordinary talents to earn each of the four major showbiz awards: an Oscar, a Grammy, an Emmy and a Tony.
MEL BROOKS: MAKE A NOISE (2013) is an outstanding offering from the award-winning PBS biography series AMERICAN MASTERS, a television program that has lauded the achievements of illustrious Americans since 1986. The affair kicks off with a bustling Mel Brooks introducing himself by way of a cappella song, belting out an obnoxious tune that encapsulates his tendency toward self-admiration, while at the same time letting his charming arrogance shine. The artist’s ego is a running theme which a delightfully cavalier Mel Brooks is keenly self-aware of, and to which notable comedy heavyweights earnestly attest to throughout the film.
