By Dan Skip Allen 

Mel Brooks, or Melvin Kaminsky, his birth name, wasn’t always a household name in film and television. He had to work his way through back rooms and writers’ rooms to get his start in show business. That was all after he had a stint in WWII. From a young age, he hated Hitler, so joining the army auxiliary was a no-brainer for him at that time. Ever since he was young though he wanted to be in showbusiness in some way. He always made his family laugh, but that wasn’t what kids did back then. He grew up in the Bronx, which was the garment district at the time. All the kids figured they’d be like their parents working in the garment district. He ended up on a small vacation to the Jewish catskills and got the break of his lifetime. That led to the beginning of his stand-up comedian career. In “Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man” all of this and more is discussed.

Judd Apatow is the director of the documentary, and he was inspired by Brooks many years before to start in showbusiness as a writer and eventually director. He got a lot of famous people who worked with or were in awe of the talent of this amazing man. The talking heads were extensive in the film. They ranged from Adam Sandler, actor/comedian,Conan O’Brien, writer/talk show host, Nick Kroll, comedian, Amy Shumar, actor/comedian, Ben Stiller, actor/director, Carl Reiner, comedian/friend, Rob Reiner, actor/director, Nicholas Brooks (Son), Jerry Seinfeld, actor/comedian,Dick Kavitt, a talk show host, Nathan Lane & Matthew Broderick, actors in The Producers on Broadway, Dave Chapelle, comedian, Dana Gould, writer/critic, Max Brooks (Son), Eddie Brooks (Son) and Sarah Silverman, actor, stand up comedian. They all had nothing but great things to say about this man and his amazing career in front of and behind the camera. 

More and more documentaries are showing plenty of archival footage. This one is no different than the others in that regard. There are loads of photos, recordings, and tape on all the various things Brooks did in his early days. A lot of stuff was recorded for television shows and various specials. One particular sketch he did with Carl Reiner would be his signature bit. It was called the 2,000 Year Old Man. They got laughs for many years with this bit. That would help Brooks land some of his other jobs. Once he became a filmmaker and producer, there was a lot of behind the scenes footage of his films and television shows. This documentary is filled with all of that stuff. 

Brooks has had a couple of wives, but the one he was married to the longest was Anne Bangcroft. A famous actress in the 60s. They had one child together, but Brooks had three other children with his previous wife Florence Baum. Even though they weren’t married long, he gave his kids a good life. Despite his filmmaking career and all of the traveling he was doing, Brooks tried to be there for his kids as often as possible. It was hard, though, because of the lifestyle he had. However, he deeply loved Bancroft, and that was very evident in interviews and so forth Brooks gave. He had a joyous spirit and still does to this very day. Everybody says that about him. He was a good family man despite his chosen career.

I grew up watching Brooks films at a young age. I probably shouldn’t have watched them, but I was left to my own devices at a young age. His classic movies like Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein were staples of my childhood. I loved Gene Wilder and Gene Hackman as a kid, for that matter. Clevon Little was hilarious to me. The History of the World Pt 1, Spaceballs  and Robin Hood: Men in Tites were films I absolutely loved in my teen years. Nobody was making movies like this when I was growing up except Brooks. He even produced some amazing films like The Elaphant Man by David Lynch and The Fly by David Cronenberg. He inspired Rob Reiner and others to do spoofs. His film legacy will live on forever. Even The Producers was turned into a big budget Broadway play. That’s how much his work inspired so many.

Brooks stood up for the little guy who needed a break in Hollywood. He gave chances to those with talent and ability. That’s why so many have such amazing things to say about this man. His work lives on in history as some of the great comedies of all time. He basically spawned a genre all by himself. This documentary “Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man” delves into his entire life on and off the screen. It’s a two part docu-series because there was so much to tell about this incredible Jewish, as he says a lot, man. Many others and I can talk about him at adnoxiam, but it’ll be easier to watch this docu-series. It’ll be more informative than I or others could possibly be. It’s a terrific look at this man’s life and incredible career.

4 stars