Spaceballs (Collector’s Edition)
Directed by: Mel Brooks
(MGM)
Mel Brooks gets the last laugh by releasing Spaceballs (Collector’s Edition) while the geeks are out taking their wookie suits to the dry-cleaners. The 1987 sci-fi parody takes the piss out of George Lucas, but according to an interview with Brooks—one of many special features on the DVD—he consulted with the Star Wars director before the movie was shot. Not everyone’s a fan of Brooks’ groaner adolescent humour, but his films are cult classics. They’re funny because he mocks familiar formulas: Lone Starr, played by Bill Pullman, and John Candy as his loyal side-kick Barf (“I’m a mowg: half man, half dog. I’m my own best friend!”), try to save Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) from the evil Dark Helmet, hilariously played by Rick Moranis before he started shrinking kids. (“So, Lone Star, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb!”) There are plenty of treats for Spaceball’ers, including galleries, a trivia game and a couple of short documentaries. One highlight is a touching, albeit too short, feature on John Candy. Still no tie-in merchandising for “Spaceballs Big Macs,” although Brooks (as Yogurt) offers: “Spaceballs-the T-shirt…Spaceballs-the Breakfast Cereal, Spaceballs-the Flame Thrower…”
-Sue Carter Flinn
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.
