Oscar Best Picture Winner 1961: The Apartment

BY: ORANGECHAIR

As should already be evident with these Oscar posts, I am going in no specific order or pattern. I have a list of all the Best Picture winners since the Oscar’s started and have been randomly choosing films off the list to watch. For this installment in this series of posts I chose the winning film from 1961, a film called The Apartment. Filmed in black and white and starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, I was skeptical about this film at first but found it to be one of the better films I have seen in the past couple of weeks.

My skepticisms in watching this film did not come from the fact that it was in black and white. My skepticism came from a dumb assumption I made before actually watching the film. Judging by the screenshots I had seen and by the description of the film, I assumed that it was an old romantic comedy, which aren’t always my favorite films. The Apartment taught me pretty quickly not to, pardon the cliché, judge a movie by its cover. Though the majority of the film did have a humorous, light-hearted feel, the movie touched on a number of fairly serious and dark topics.

The plot and drama of the film is fueled by the ambitious C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon), Buddy Boy for short, a man who does not want to become a nameless employee where he works. To climb the corporate ladder at his insurance company, C.C. Baxter allows four of his superiors to use his apartment as a place to enact their extramarital activities. In return, Baxter’s superiors all recommended Baxter for promotion where a fifth higher higher up begins to use the apartment as well. Ignoring the fact that his superiors are taking complete advantage of Baxter, making him leave his own apartment when they need to use it, the real drama enters the film when Baxter falls in love with one of the superior’s mistresses, Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine).

Fran and Baxter both have their own plot lines that both converge and diverge multiple times. Both plot lines are incredibly depressing. Fran, who works as elevator operator in Baxter’s building, has fallen in love with the powerful and married Jeff D. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray) who also happens to be Baxter’s boss. Throughout the film, Fran has to deal with loving a man she must sneak around with and can never truly be with. After suffering endless heartache, Fran falls into such despair that she even attempts to take her own life.

While Fran is dealing with heartache, Baxter spends the film desperately trying to figure out how to stand up for himself. As his superiors continue to take advantage of him and the perks of climbing the corporate ladder do not trump sharing his apartment with five adulterers, Baxter starts to get fed up. Fighting to win Fran’s heart and keep his dignity at the same time, Baxter eventually finds a way to stand up for himself and be happy with his own life.

This film is full of great performances. Lemmon brings the eager to please yet inherently sad C.C. Baxter to life and MacLaine is absolutely charming as Miss Kubelik. The adulterous superiors are represented by a hilarious crew of fast talking actors including Ray Walston and David Lewis. Jack Druschen gives a hilarious performance as Doctor Dreyfus, Baxter’s judgmental and scolding neighbor. The film was directed by the extremely talented Billy Wilder, winning him Oscars for both Best Director and Best Writing. The film also won the 1961 Oscar for Best Picture beating out the Alamo, Elmer Gantry, Sons and Lovers and the Sundowners. I give this film a 9 out of 10. With great acting, directing and writing, this film made you care for the characters from beginning to end.

Oscar Best Picture Winner 1932: Cimarron

BY: ORANGECHAIR

In 1932, the film to win Best Picture was a film by the name Cimarron. A film that crosses vast distances in time and space, Cimarron is set during the expansion of the United States. A film that creates heroes and villains where you least expect it, Cimarron is a thought provoking work of art.

Cimarron is the story of Yancey Cravat (Richard Dix), a man thirsty for adventure. After the United States government opens the Oklahoma Territory for settlement, Yancey brings his wife Sabra Cravat (Irene Dunne) and his son to the settlement of Osage. A lawyer and newspaper editor, Yancey sets up a newspaper and quickly becomes well known around town. Yancey begins to do all he can to help Osage, protecting the town from a group of roughnecks that live there and dispatching a group of outlaws that raid the town. Growing restless, Yancey eventually goes to settle Cherokee Territory, leaving his wife to run the newspaper and fend for herself. The rest of the film follows the Cravat family, now with daughter Donna Cravat (Judith Barrett), as they grow up with their father appearing every couple of years.

This film was a well done film with a great story. First off the character of Yancey Cravat was absolutely fascinating. Yancey is set-up as a hero figure. He chivalrously attempts to save a woman, Dixie Lee (Estelle Taylor), though Dixie ends up stealing Yancey’s horse and his plot of land. Furthermore he saves Osage from bandits on his own and turns the town into a safer place to live. While overall Yancey seems heroic he is not as heroic with his family, constantly leaving them on their own so that he can go out in search of adventure. Yancey has done great things for Osage and the country but is not the husband and father a traditionally “good” character should be which makes it difficult to know how to feel about Yancey.

This film moves through a number of different time periods, showing Yancey and Sabre as they grow older and older. Moving through time serves a larger purpose than just showing the characters grow up. In a film that is based in the expansion and growth of America, moving through time also shows how America grows. We see the settlement of Osage turn into a city and see America expand its borders. Beyond simply growing in size we also get to see how America grows socially. The film touches heavily on the racial issues between the pioneers and the Native Americans. By the end of the film, time has passed and feelings have changed.

Yancey walks with a cowboy-like swagger, moving through the films action scenes with quick hands and a quicker tongue. This film was well written with well developed characters and a structure that allows the film to delve into social issues. In 1931 Cimmaron beat East Lynne, the Front Page, Skippy and Trader Horn for Best Picture. The film also won for Best Art Direction and Howard Estabrook took home the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. This was a 7 out of 10 film for me, not necessarily what I think of when I think of an Oscar Best Picture winner but a great film all the same.

Oscar Best Actress Winner 1977: Faye Dunaway in Network

BY: ORANGECHAIR

You’re television incarnate Diana. Indifferent to suffering; insensitive to joy.

After being nominated for her iconic roles in Bonnie and Clyde as well as Chinatown, Faye Dunaway took home her first and only Oscar win for her portrayal of Diana Christensen in Network. Earning herself the 1977 Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Dunaway embodies the ruthless television executive who will do anything for her job.

The film Network centers around a man named Howard Beale (Peter Finch), a deranged television anchor who is slowly losing his mind. After learning he is going to be taken off air, Beale announces that he is going to commit suicide on air. The announcement immediately catches peoples’ attention including the head of the network’s programming department, Diana Christensen. Jumping on the chance to exploit the madman Diana puts him on air,
using him until he is a destroyed shell of a man. Beyond simply exploiting Beale, Christensen also seduces Beale’s best friend Max Schumacher (William Holden) away from his wife and into an affair. Unlike Beale however, Schumacher identifies Diana for the soulless, work obsessed person that she is and leaves her before he ends up like Howard Beale.

Faye Dunaway gives a great performance, certainly earning her Oscar win. Dunaway gives the character  of Diana a charming facade when she is attempting to get people on her side but at the same time allows the audience to understand the depths of her obsession with ratings and the job. Faye Dunaway beat out Marie-Christine Barrault (Cousin Cousine), Talia Shire (Rocky), Sissy Spacek (Carrie) and Liv Ullmann (Face to Face) for the 1977 Best Actress in a Leading Role Oscar. Giving an amazing performance as a less than lovable character, Faye Dunaway certainly deserves her Oscar.

Natural Born Killers: Violence Doesn’t Always Make the Point

BY: ORANGECHAIR

Though I loved the film Platoon, I am quickly starting to learn that I am not the biggest fan of Oliver Stone. In his most notorious and experimental of films Natural Born Killers, a clinically insane couple travels across the country on a murder spree. A scathing commentary on the relationship between the media and violence, Stone’s point gets muddled by the gratuitous violence and experimental film techniques that rule this film.

This film has two parts to it, the first following Mickey Knox (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory Knox (Juliette Lewis) on a cross country murder spree. Mickey and Mallory get married shortly after Mickey saves Mallory from her physically and sexually abusive father, played by Rodney Dangerfield. It is eventually realized that Mickey’s past is as twisted as Mallory’s which starts to explain why the couple is so incredibly disturbed. The film transitions into its second part when the couple is incarcerated, caught by the questionable Detective Jack Scagnetti (Tom Sizemore). After spending some time in jail, Mickey Knox agrees to do an interview with the sleazy reporter that had been following their story since their killing spree, Wayne Gale (Robert Downey Jr.). The film comes to an end as the Knox’s make their final move on broadcast television.

Mickey and Mallory get media coverage during their killing spree and before long the entire country knows the Knox name. The film is filled with quick cuts to people across the country commenting on the murderous couple and often times glorifying them. The media’s coverage of the couple helps to fuel their violence while at the same time enticing viewers to demand they get move coverage. While I understand the point Stone was trying to make, that the media’s relationship with violence acts only serves to fuel and glorify violence, he lets the violence in the film distract from it. Stone fills his film with experimental film techniques; some scenes are made to mimic a laugh track sitcom while others use black and white or even cartoons. To top it all off the scenes all cover horrible events and include horrific and unspeakable violence. These techniques only serve to make the entire situation seem unrealistic. It is difficult to separate the real point Stone was trying to make from the unrealistic events of the film and the filming techniques that most people associate with sitcoms and cartoons. The film was too experimental and unrealistic to drive Stone’s very real point home.

This is not to say that experimental films cannot make a point or make a difference. Violence in the news and the media is surrounded by sitcoms and dramas, programs that we know are fake. By adding aspects of these fake programs that already cloud our idea of reality, Stone associates his real point with the fake items that already cloud it. Stone should be commended for what he tried to do and clearly many famous actors, from Woody Harrleson to Tommy Lee Jones, believed in him. Unfortunately, in my opinion the film did not make the point it promised. This is a 4 out of 10 film; I can appreciate what it tried to do but cannot say it was successful.

Looking to Oscar 2015: Whiplash Exceeds a Good Job

BY: ORANGECHAIR

Sometimes the most remarkable films come from the least likely of stories and places. Had you told me that a film about a drummer would be nominated for Best Picture in 2015 and simultaneously be one of my favorite films of the year, I would have been very skeptical. Whiplash is a phenomenal film with a unique story and unique characters. I believe it has some of the best acting performances of the year and an ending that forces audiences to get on their feet and cheer.

Nineteen year old Andrew Neimann (Miles Teller) has a singular dream and that is to be the best. Attending the prestigious Shaffer Conservatory Music School, it becomes clear early on in the film that Neimann thinks of little else past growing as a drummer. Working at Shaffer is the legendary conductor Terrence Fletcher (J. K. Simmons). Despite being a verbally, physically and emotionally abusive conductor, being a part of Fletcher’s band is Neimann’s ultimate goal as he knows that it can make his career. Neimann is given a chance to play in Fletcher’s band after Fletcher walks in on him practicing and spends the rest of the film under the abusive tutelage of the conductor. Neimann gives everything he has physically and emotionally to attempt to gain Fletcher’s approval and stay in the band. It is not until the end of the film that Neimann realizes what he needs to do to gain Fletcher’s coveted approval and truly be the best.

Ultimately there were only two main characters in this film, Fletcher and Neimann. There were two drummers that were fighting for Neimann’s spot but their characters did not get much development at all. Neimann’s father (Paul Reiser) shows up a few times and for a while Neimann romantically pursues a young woman named Nichole (Melissa Benoist) but Neimann leaves these characters behind as he continues to pursue his dream. The film focuses on Fletcher and Neimann and they are two very rich characters. There is a scene in the film where Fletcher attempts to explain why he acts the way he does, explaining that he expects his musicians to go beyond what they are capable of. During this scene Fletcher explains that “there are no two words in the English language more harmful than good job.” Fletcher does not want his students to do a good job, they are to do their best or better. This is a goal he tries to accomplish through humiliation, bullying, anger, fear and abuse. All he wants however is a student to go above and beyond to become the best. Neimann and Fletcher’s goals line up  but it takes Neimann a while to realize that simply the approval of his abusive conductor will not make him the best. It is something he must do on his own.

This film has been nominated for 5 Oscars, including Best Picture. I can say that in my opinion Whiplash is the only film I have seen so far that gives Birdman a run for its money as Best Picture of the Year. Of course this is just my opinion and the world’s opinion does not match up with mine, which so often happens. Though it was one of my favorite and most well done films of the year, I do not see anyway that it will win Best Picture. The film was also nominated for Best Editing and Best Sound Mixing. J. K. Simmons earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actor and he is clearly the front runner for this award. His performance was absolutely brilliant. The film’s writer and director Damien Chazelle earned a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. This is a 10 out of 10 film and a must see for 2014.

Looking to Oscar 2015- American Sniper’s Black and White World

BY: ORANGECHAIR

It couldn’t be Oscar season without controversy or hype and American Sniper has quickly brought both to the table. Clint Eastwood’s most recent film is based on the true story of the man deemed to be the world’s deadliest sniper, Chris Kyle. This film was very similar to the Hurt Locker (2008) but cultivated more controversy and mixed feelings because it is the story of a real man. It was a well shot film with a subject matter to cultivate endless conversation.

Based on the book American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History written by Chris Kyle, the novel’s title explains the basic plot of the film. The story of Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) begins with a momentary blip of his childhood, a single scene the speaks volumes about how Chris Kyle and his brother Jeff Kyle (Keir O’Donnell) were raised. The story then follows Chris as he trains to be a Navy SEAL sniper. He meets and marries Taya (Sienna Miller) before he is sent to Iraq. Kyle’s remarkable skill and accuracy with a sniper rifle makes him a quick legend. Despite having two kids and growing more and more distant from his family, Kyle finds that he has a harder time leaving behind war than his family and completes four tours. The film ends as Kyle tries to rebuild his relationship with his family and acclimate to life stateside.

It was very difficult to decipher how to feel about this film. On one hand there are scenes where Chris Kyle is thanked for all the men he saved and his only response was that he was haunted by all the men he could not save. This scene all but defines Chris Kyle as a hero. On the other hand there are many scenes where the war itself and killing seem to affect the main character like a drug, as if he is completely addicted to killing every person he is told or sees as an enemy. The film seems to act as if the world is black and white or as if each person in the world fits into two categories: ally or enemy. Chris Kyle’s main goal throughout the film is to save Americans which is admirable but that virtue is stripped away as it is realized that anybody that stands in the way, knowingly or not, is expendable including the family trying to simply have their father/husband home. The film presents our very grey world through they eyes of someone who sees it in black and white and in my opinion, that view is terrifying.

Beyond the material in the film, controversy has leaked out in the form of public response. Rather than focusing on some of the heroic acts Chris Kyle accomplishes in the film or the struggle the man has leaving war, some of the public has used this film to vilify the Muslin religion. This film is not an attack on the Muslin religion, it is an attack on war itself. Eastwood himself defines this film as anti-war. My opinion is that people are horribly misunderstanding this film and are not paying attention to the truth of what is being said. This was a film that was supposed to make the audience realize the horrors of war affect people in ways we cannot even imagine. I found it to be very difficult to watch and cannot believe how this film could be so misinterpreted.

This film was nominated for 6 Oscars. It earned itself a Best Picture nomination, Bradley Cooper earned a nomination for Best Actor, Jason Hall was nominated for Best Screenplay and the film was also nominated for Best Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing. This was a very well done film but I do not believe it will take home Best Writing, Best Actor or Best Picture. I support its nomination for Best Picture but cannot vote for it to win. While watching American Sniper I couldn’t help but think “I remember this movie when it was called Hurt Locker.” The acting and directing were great but the story and message was already given during the Hurt Locker in 2008. Ultimately this is an 8 out of 10 film for me, something to watch, analyze and learn from but not the Best Picture of 2014.

Looking to Oscar 2015: An Enjoyably Amusing Trip Into the Woods

BY: ORANGECHAIR

I will admit I saw this film almost a full month before I wrote this review. I was not going to write a review of it not because it was a bad film but I was working on other things. I really did not there was much in it that would be nominated for an Oscar but once I again I underestimated the wondrous Actress that is Meryl Streep. This film was pure fun with solid, though not Oscar worthy, performances from every man and woman in it.

Based on a play of the same name, Into the Woods takes a number of famous fairy tales and weaves their stories together to create something wholly unique and entertaining. The story begins with a number of main characters making wishes, the most important wish being made by the Baker (James Corden) and the Baker’s Wife (Emily Blunt). The two wish for a child and it is quickly revealed that they are having such trouble because the Baker’s father angered a Witch (Meryl Streep) who then cast a curse on his house. The Baker and his wife still live in the same house so the curse has been passed down to them. The Witch offers to take away the curse if they bring her “the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn and the slipper as pure as gold.” The Baker and his wife head into the woods to collect the items. While trying to break the curse the two encounter Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy), Prince Charming (Chris Pine), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), the Wolf (Johnny Depp), Jack (Daniel Huttlestone), Jack’s beanstalk and Jack’s giants.

This was a very well rounded film. Led by the always talented Meryl Streep, the cast of well known actors and actresses proved not only their acting skills but that they could also sing. The most surprising voice was that of Chris Pine who performed one of the two best songs in the film, the hilarious ‘Agony.’ While each character was nearly perfectly cast, the two most remarkable performances came from the youngest of the cast. Daniel Huttlestone, who played Jack, and Lilla Crawford, who played Little Red Riding Hood, commanded the screen as they sang and danced across it. The fact that the two actors came from Broadway explains their comfort with the musical but their ability to hold their own with Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep and many more made them the most engaging and entertaining characters in the film.

This film was very fun to watch but it does not surprise me that it did not get many big nominations. Every member of the cast did their part and the film was well shot but nothing stood out as Oscar worthy much beyond Costume or Production Design. Meryl Streep did earn a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Her performance did warrant a nomination but I would be shocked if she won. The field is much too strong this season for Meryl’s role and performance to win. This is a 7 out of 10 film. While it is not necessarily an Oscar winning film, it is quite fun and worthwhile to watch.

Oscar Best Actor Winner 1985: F. Murray Abraham for Amadeus

BY: ORANGECHAIR

When the 1985 Oscar nominations came out, it was almost a given that the Oscar for Best Actor was going to go to the film Amadeus. Both lead actors, F. Murray Abraham who played Antonio Salieri and Tom Hulce who played Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, were nominated for the award. The two shared the screen for much of the film, both giving outstanding performances, but ultimately F. Murray Abraham managed to barely out-act Tom Hulce and come home with the award.

The film Amadeus chronicles the rivalry between veteran composer Antonio Salieri and rookie savant Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Painting Mozart as a giggling yet brilliant fool and Salieri as a jealous, at times villainous elder composer, the film looks at the dynamic that occurred between the two as Mozart grew in popularity. While this story does focus on Mozart and his increasing madness, the real story is the relationship between Salieri and Mozart. They begin as enemies and Salieri even works to exacerbate Mozart’s madness. As Salieri gets to know Mozart however and respect his skill, he begins to care for the man; they even end up working together.

F. Murray Abraham plays the role of Antonio Salieri perfectly. He expertly evolves the relationship between Salieri and Mozart, showing each stage of Salieri’s tortured acceptance of Mozart’s talent and presence. Taking it beyond Salieri’s hatred of Mozart, Abraham gives his character yet another dimension by examining the effect Mozart’s talent has on him. Salieri believed that the talents one has were given to them by God so to see someone like Mozart, a man he considers to be a fool, with such raw talent shakes Salieri’s entire belief system. From the films beginning to its end, Salieri is constantly tortured and Abraham makes it seem as if it were easy to bring the tortured soul to life.

F.  Murray Abraham beat Jeff Bridges (Starman), Albert Finney (Under the Volcano), Sam Waterson (The Killing Fields) and his own costar Tom Hulce for the 1985 Best Actor Oscar. In my opinion, the man closest to taking the award from Abraham was Tom Hulce and I do not believe that Abraham would have taken home the Oscar had it not been for Hulce. The two played off each other perfectly, cultivating the constantly evolving and changing relationship between Salieri and Mozart. The two give brilliant performances in an absolutely brilliant film. While F. Murray Abraham took home to win, the film’s brilliance came largely from both lead actors.

Looking to Oscar 2015- Despite Oscar Snub, Fincher Wins With Gone Girl

BY: ORANGECHAIR

Shocking, brilliant, disturbing, the list of adjectives that describe David Fincher’s most recent masterpiece, Gone Girl, could go on forever. It will be quite a challenge to write a review of this film without giving away one of its many spoilers but it is a promise that the following is a spoiler free review. Prior to seeing this film, I had almost no knowledge of the story so Gillian Flynn’s screenplay and Fincher’s camera walked me through this highly disturbing story for the first time.

The plot overview section of this review is going to be a little bit light because the twists show up quickly in the film and don’t stop. The story begins when Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) comes home to find his wife, Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike), missing and evidence of a struggle in the living room. Nick immediately calls the cops and it does not take long for the media to turn its attention towards the case.  The case grows like wild fire as lead Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) attempts to determine if Nick Dunne killed his wife or if it was someone else, all while America constantly chimes in. The truth about the disappearance of Amy Dunne is only finally revealed as the film’s twisted plot unravels itself.

David Fincher’s directing style can be best described as dark and Gone Girl is certainly no exception. Only those with strong moral mind and, for one scene specifically, a strong stomach should attempt to view this film. Gillian Flynn, who wrote the novel the film is based on, wrote the screenplay filled with twisted and morally ambiguous characters. Coupled with Fincher’s directing, the two created a dark tale that searches the depths of the human soul. The story is written to keep the audience guessing the entire time and Fincher uses the camera to make the film a thriller. Each line delivered has the same effect as a villain jumping out of the shadows and each new piece of information uncovered is a suspenseful chase through an abandoned warehouse. The film is a masterpiece but like many cinematic masterpieces, it is not easy to watch.

This film was subject to one of the worst snub years in the 2015 Oscars. Earning only one nomination, the film deserved to be nominated in at least three other categories. Rosamund Pike holds the films only nomination, earning one for Best Actress. From what I’ve seen of the other nominees, Rosamund Pike has a legitimate shot at the Oscar. Her performance was unreal, bringing a very dark character to life. The film should have been given a nomination for Best Picture, David Fincher should have been nominated for Best Director and it could be argued that Gillian Flynn earned herself a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Beyond simply what was and what should have been nominated, the rest of the film was great. Ben Affleck played Nick Dunne perfectly, playing the character without letting the audience easily decide if he was a mourning husband or a deranged killer. Every character was well acted, including Tyler Perry and Neil Patrick Harris in unique roles for the two actors. This is a 9 out of 10 film, one of the best of the year. It is unfortunate that the 2015 Oscar nominations do not reflect how great a film it is.

Blazing Saddles: Evolving Comedy With Fart Jokes

BY: ORANGECHAIR

By mixing equal parts slap stick and brilliantly written, pointed jokes, Mel Brooks created a film that shocked the comedy world. When Blazing Saddles was released the vulgarity in the film was something that had not really been seen in other films of the time period. While the film introduced a new level of vulgarity, it was not vulgar simply to be vulgar. Shrouded in the fart jokes and physical humor was a well written film that made pointed statements about racism.

At its most basic, Blazing Saddles is a spoof on Western films. The film introduces us to the happy town of Rock Ridge, a town that States Attorney General Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman) wants to buy and destroy for a railroad. Lamarr appoints Sheriff Bart (Cleavon Little) as Rock Ridge’s new sheriff in the hopes that having a black sheriff would make the residents leave. With the help of the drunken gunslinger Jim “the Waco Kid” (Gene Wilder), Sheriff Bart manages to win over the racist residents of Rock Ridge so they can all ban together to save the town from Hedley Lamarr.

This film is packed full of funny moments. Director/Writer Mel Brooks effortlessly incorporates wit, physical humor, vulgarity, political statements, breaking the fourth wall and biting satire throughout the film, building a layered and deep comedy. Though the rumor is the part of Sheriff Bart almost went to Richard Prior, Cleavon Little played the part perfectly. Gene Wilder once again proves that it does not matter who he is paired with, he is always funny. Beyond the two main characters, Blazing Saddles is full of quirky and hilarious side characters. Mel Brooks himself even appeared as the incompetent Governor and as an Indian Chief.

Mel Brooks is a genre defining comedic master and Blazing Saddles is an example of him at his best. The film has many elements of crude and physical humor but is also filled with intelligent, pointed jokes. This is a 10 out of 10 film. Blazing Saddles is more than just a great, classic comedy; it introduced a previously unseen level of humor that evolved the comedy genre itself.