High Anxiety [Blu-ray]

Director: Mel Brooks Mel Brooks

Overview

Mel Brooks parodies the films of Alfred Hitchcock -- particularly Vertigo - with High Anxiety, in which the comedian plays Richard Thorndyke, a psychiatrist with a fear of heights who discovers a plot to drive wealthy patients crazy.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/11/2010
UPC:	0024543657842
Original Release:	1977
Rating:	PG
Source:	20Th Century Fox
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:34:00

Special Features

Hitchcock and Mel: Spoofing the master of suspense HD featurette; The "Am I Very, Very Nervous?" test; Don't get anxious! The trivia of Hitchcock trivia track; Isolated score track

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Mel Brooks	Richard H. Thorndyke
Madeline Kahn	Victoria Brisbane
Cloris Leachman	Infirmière Diesel
Harvey Korman	Docteur Charles Montague
Ron Carey	Brophy
Howard Morris	Professeur Lilloman
Dick Van Patten	Dr. Wentworth
Jack Riley	Desk Clerk
Barry Levinson	Bellboy
Charlie Callas	Cocker Spaniel
Ron Clark	Zachary Cartwright
Lee Delano	Norton
Richard Stahl	Dr. Baxter
Darrell Zwerling	Dr. Eckhardt
Murphy Dunne	Piano Player
Al Hopson	Man Who Is Shot
Bob Ridgely	Flasher,Flasher
Albert J. Whitlock	Arthur Brisbane
Eddie Ryder	Doctor at Convention
Bernie Kuby	Dr. Wilson
Rudy de Luca	Killer
Billy Sands	Customer
Ira Miller	Psychiatrist with Children
Jimmy Martinez	Waiter
Robert Manuel	Policeman at Airport
John Dennis	Orderly
Robin Menken	Cocktail Waitress
Frank Campanella	Bartender
Bullets Durgom	Man in Phone Booth
Joe Bellan	Male Attendant
Henry Kaiser	New Groom
Bryan Englund	Orderly #2
Alan U. Schwartz	Psychiatrist
Pearl Shear	Screaming Woman at Gate
Arnold Soboloff	Dr. Colburn
Mitchell Bock	Bar Patron
Sandy Helberg	Airport Attendant
Deborah Dawes	Stewardess

Technical Credits

Mel Brooks

Ron Clark

Rudy de Luca

Barry Levinson

Mel Brooks	Director,Screenwriter,Producer
Ron Clark	Screenwriter
Rudy de Luca	Screenwriter
Barry Levinson	Screenwriter
Albert Whitlock	Special Effects
Gene S. Cantamessa	Sound Effects
William Hartman	Sound Effects
Richard Portman	Sound Effects
Jerry Brutsche	Stunts

Editorial Reviews

Mel Brooks' brand of humor -- over-the-top, non-stop, often outrageous -- tends to be a matter of taste, although when he's in top form (e.g., The Producers, Young Frankenstein) he's appreciated by almost everyone. High Anxiety is definitely lesser Brooks and wildly uneven, but partisans will embrace it wholeheartedly. As a Hitchcock parody, it includes some excellent visual touches, such as skewed camera angles, use of "caged" shadow motifs, Madeline Kahn's icy blond wig, and especially the Psycho shower scene, here staged with Brooks the victim of a crazed bellhop with a newspaper. Unfortunately, the take-off on The Birds, which starts out well, degenerates into cheapness, though fans of the Farrelly Brothers will probably appreciate it. Brooks is fine in the lead role; as usual, there's both a "distance" and an excess to his performance that keep him from being as good as he should be. Kahn is delightful, though her role doesn't make wise use of her considerable talents. (Do watch for her reaction when she thinks she's getting an obscene phone call, however, as well as her airport scene.) Cloris Leachman gives a performance of tremendous skill and total commitment and creates another memorable character; unfortunately, much of what she and Harvey Korman are called upon to do, while daring in 1977, is a little embarrassing today. After High Anxiety, Brooks went into something of a commercial decline as his style of humor fell out of favor with audiences.