Judd Apatow on Mel Brooks, Interviewing Rob Reiner and What It’ll Take to Revive Studio Comedies
Judd Apatow thought he was an expert on Mel Brooks until HBO approached him with the idea to make a documentary about the comedy trailblazer.
"I watched a bunch of other pieces that had been made about Mel, but I don’t know if I ever heard him really speak from the heart," says Apatow. "He’s told a lot of funny stories about show business, but not World War II, his marriages, his feelings about his life and what he’d learned. That, I thought, would make for great documentary if Mel was up for it."
Mel was up for it. The result of Apatow’s and co-director Mike Bonfiglio’s work, Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!, is a two-part deep dive with the living legend. The first half debuted Thursday, with the conclusion premiering tonight, Jan. 23. It features a who’s who of comedy notables, including Rob Reiner.
Speaking during the latest episode of The Hollywood Reporter podcast I’m Having an Episode, Apatow discussed Brooks’ place in Hollywood history, the state of the studio comedy and the unlikely film he made that really, really over-performed in South Korea.
Mel Brooks had been making comedy for decades before you were born. What was your first awareness of him?
"I was born in 1967, and Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles came out in ‘74. This was right as he exploded — almost like the Beyoncé of that time. It was the biggest thing happening in comedy and entertainment. So, I saw Blazing Saddles in the theater with my parents—probably at an inappropriate age. I remember it getting the biggest laughs. I don’t remember seeing Young Frankenstein in the theater, but that was the early days of VHS machines. Blazing Saddles, The Producers and Young Frankenstein were the key components of the 16 tapes that we had."
Apatow then delves into his personal connection to Mel Brooks, his thoughts on the documentary, and his insights on the state of studio comedy, all while highlighting the importance of preserving and celebrating the work of comedy legends like Mel Brooks.
