In this long memoir, iconic writer, director, actor, and all-around funnyman Mel Brooks reminisces about his experiences in Hollywood, from writing for Your Show of Shows and the Sid Caesar Variety Hour to making The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs and more riotous movies that both skewer and pay homage to genre classics.
I loved hearing the behind-the-scenes stories (particularly as 96-year-old Brooks reads the audiobook himself) and found myself laughing MANY times throughout the book. However, Brooks isn't afraid to toot his own horn, and at times, he seemed to really make a meal of his accolades and boundary-pushing methods. The book may have come off a bit more even-handed if someone else had written it, or even if it had been more tightly edited. Still, the stories certainly inspired me to dig out my DVD copies of his various movies, and I definitely annoyed my family by spitting out random tidbits throughout our screenings of Silent Movie and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. If you're a fan of Brooks' films, it's worth checking out.
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