When my husband and I were dating in college, we used to frequent this now-defunct video store in Morningside Heights called The Movie Place. It was the kind of old-fashioned video store that kept track of your rentals (two for the price of one) with pen on large index cards. They even used White Out to cross out your late charges once you turned in your late VHS tapes. And the owner schooled his staff, ala Quentin Tarantino before he became a writer/director. They knew everything!
Since we could get two tapes at a time, the then-boyfriend and I decided to do "auteur marathons" and watched as much of a director's filmography as we could before moving on to another director. We did Hitchcock, Allen, Almodovar, Spielberg (to name a few), and obviously, Mel Brooks. We laughed so, so hard.
When we were done with History of the World, Part I we naively believed the fake trailer for Part II was a real teaser. We walked back to The Movie Place to return Part I and ask for the sequel. God bless the manager, who didn't tease us at all. I could tell she was second-guessing herself, and after a few moments, she said, "Oh, that was a joke! There is no sequel!"We were soooooo embarrassed! So Mel Brooks comedies -- that movie in particular -- remind me of all those lovely evenings my husband and I spent watching classic movies together as a young couple. When we found out The Movie Place had closed its doors, we were sad, because it was a little part of our history together that no longer exists. But we'll always remember the video store that is partially responsible for our compatibility in movies.
To enter to win my extra copy of The Mel Brooks Collection (Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, To Be or Not to Be, History of the World, Part 1, The Twelve Chairs, High Anxiety), tell me your favorite Mel Brooks movie, or recall a movie you memorably saw with your significant other. Post by midnight on Saturday, Sept. 18th, and I'll announce the random winner on Monday, Sept. 20th.
My favorite is spaceballs! LOVE that movie. It helps that my maiden name is Schwartz :)
Posted by: Emily | September 14, 2010 at 03:00 PM
I love High Anxiety! I'm giggling thinking about it now.
Posted by: Sarah | September 14, 2010 at 03:17 PM
When I was a teen, we took a family vacation to obx, where it rained half the week. I think we watched the copy of Men in Tights we found in the rental house at least half a dozen times.
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Posted by: Delora | September 15, 2010 at 12:32 AM
Definitely Young Frankenstein but I usually watched it with my sister or my mom. Not romantic, but that movie is seriously funny.
Posted by: Montessori Mommy | September 17, 2010 at 09:15 AM