When Mel Brooks wanted to do this movie, he had the professional courtesy to ask George Lucas first. Lucas said ok at the condition they wouldn’t sell merchandise of the movie. The merchandising joke is a wink at Lucas for that.
@@Rocket1377 That's because George Lucas absolutely loved the movie and thought it was hilarious, and probably didn't feel the need to hold Mel Brooks to that "agreement".
16:02 Fun fact: Rick Moranis improvised that entire scene with the dolls. He was handed the dolls and told to do something funny, and the cameras started rolling only a few moments later.
also the actress playing princess vespa (daphne zuniga) singing was really her singing, as her father was a classically trained singer..so she learned how to go in lower and higher octaves singing
When Dark Helmet hit his head and said to take a 5 minute break, it was literally 5 minutes of running time before any of the Spaceballs were back on screen again
The guy making the sound effects with his voice in the radar scene is Micheal Winslow. If you haven't already you should check out Police Academy, He features in that movie too.
@@boblester8641 Michael Winslow was on America's got talent recently. Don't remember the year. Just know I watched his audition. Think he had stepped away from showbiz to focus on family or something, and was now working on getting himself "re-discovered"
i saw this at a drive thru when i was 7 , and it was the first film i saw where everyone was in tears laughing at the jokes, including me, as soon as dark helmet slid his face mask off and he was breathing heavily i laughed thoughout lol love this movie....rip mel brooks, john candy, don patton, john hurt, and joan rivers
Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and Robin Hood: Men in Tights are essential Mel Brooks movies. However I do recommend seeing the Kevin Costner Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves before Men in Tights as many of the parodied scenes and jokes are lifted directly from the Costner movie.
A fun thing about this movie is that Industrial Light and Magic did the model effects for the film, and the footage of the escape pods during the evacuation of Spaceball I is actually leftover shots from Star Wars: A New Hope.
@@robertanderson6929 Brooks wasnt afraid of being sued (he did nothing that could be sued), it was an agreement between Brooks and Lucas "If you dont sell merchandise, you can use ILM for the movie"
@@robertanderson6929 Except Mel Brooks and George Lucas talked and agreed about this film. Lucas gave Brooks full written permission to do this film with all the copywrites on the agreement that Brooks did not sell one single bit of merch because that is where the real money is made and Lucas didn't want Brooks to infringe on the Star Wars merch. That is why the tongue in cheek about yogurt doing merchandising in the movie. It was a a joke about the agreement.
Mel Brooks sent the script to George Lucas who loved it so much that he had them use Industrial Light and Magic do the special effects. His only stipulation was that Mel couldn't sell merchandise from the movie, hence the scene in the movie. When George Lucas negotiated his deal for Star Wars he would up taking a lot less money up front for all the merchandising rights. The studio didn't have much faith in th film so they agreed. That is what made Lucas a Billionaire. The scene at the end is from the original Planet of the Apes but I don't want to say anything else without ruining the movie, in case you don't know that ending.
The chestburster singing gag is an homage to Michigan J. Frog, an animated cartoon character from the Warner Brother's "Merrie Melodies" cartoon "One Froggy Evening" in 1955.
Michigan J. Frog is my favorite WB character because he's just an eternal Lovecraftian being that only exists to torment those who discover him, tempting them with the prospects of riches before destroying their sanity
When the good guys met Yogurt for the first time, it was a reference to "the Wizard of Oz". The robot was Tin Man, and Barfolomew was the Cowardly Lion. You also called a reference to Indiana Jones.... Also, Dot's voice was Joan Rivers.... famous comedienne, talk show host, and reality TV star.
also its direct homage to george lucas as he originally wanted c3po to have a brookyln style new york accent and joan rivers was raised in brooklyn as a little girl and teenager
Also the Yogurt temple scene was actually shot on the same sound stage as parts of Wizard of Oz, some of the Megamaid ear canal effects were reused in Star Trek the Next Generation, Barf getting caught in his seatbelt was because John Candy actually forgot to unbuckle but stayed in character, and voice actor Rob Paulsen has a cameo in the "Comb the desert" scene as one of the Spaceballs.
The person in the Dot suit was Lorene Yarnell, a well-known mime, formerly of "Shields & Yarnell" who were famous for their "robot couple" routines. They were the featured guest stars in an episode of The Muppet Show, very funny.
"Young Frankenstein" is my favorite Mel Brooks movie and probably in my top 5 of all-time favorite comedies. Thanks for the reaction. BTW, the "Hello, My Baby" references an old cartoon, only instead of an alien, it was a talking / singing frog.
@@robertpearson8798 also john hurt was the original actor for the famous chest buster scene came back to do the homage to that scene from aliens hence his "oh no not again" line
I remember being confused with these homonym jokes as a kid because they don't translate to other languages and the subtitle people didn't even try to explain the joke
Oh, please watch, Rambo: First Blood. Every person who has reacted to on UA-cam has said the same thing, "That is not at all what I expected." As they wipe away tears.
Also dont think anyone has said it but the "We aint found shit" guy is Tim Russ Russ would go on to play a security/tactical officers on a very small Sci Fi show. You may of heard of it its called Star Trek Voyager. Yes the "We aint found shit" guy IS Lieutenant Commander Tuvok.
@@robertcartier5088 Yeah. If you look it up Tim has a Twitter/UA-cam/Tik Tok video, not sure which. Where in he quietly goes over his career and at the end says in a soft voice that his best know for We aint found Shit. ua-cam.com/video/UQ7TnQBSV00/v-deo.html
I was about to post it, good thing I searched. Favorite cameo in the movie; I love actors who have been pigeonholed into a certain role act completely opposite that known persona in another role.
@@ChadGarion25 Tiny correction: Tim Russ' appearance in this film is not a "cameo" because, at the time, he was not yet a celebrity. He was in ST: Voyager, which started 8 years *after* this movie came out. If he appeared today in ST: Discovery, *that* would be a cameo. ;-]
Tesla cars have a "ludicrous speed" setting, a direct tribute to this film. You really can't go wrong with Mel Brooks' movies, and with your senses of humor you'd enjoy them all. "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein" are two of the more popular titles, but seriously--they're all great.
At the end it was John Hurt who has the alien burst out of his chest, exactly the same as in Alien which is why he said "oh no not again". The radar person, Michael Winslow, really made all those noises himself he is extremely talented in that.. I highly recommend you try to find and watch Police Academy which he also stars in.
"We live in a country with laws! Why do you think I dragged you to all those Police Academy movies? For fun? Well I didn't hear anybody laughing- did YOU? ... except at that guy who made sound effects!"
The "Schwartz" was possibly named after Mel Brooks lawyer Alan U. Schwartz, as Brooks feared to be sued by George Lukas. Hence "may the Schwartz be with you". These fears turned out to be unfounded, George loved the Movie and never sued.
I am surprised our Canadian friends did not recognize him. He was one of Canada's best comedy exports back then. Honey, I shrunk the kids was a classic.
The silver guy, Vinnie, is meant to be a cross of Boba Fett and Max Headroom. Max Headroom is the name of a British computer generated TV host, known for making wisecracks and talking while stuttering and having his voice pitched up or down, who first appeared in a TV-made movie called Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future.
In case you were wondering about the voice of the droid, Dot, that voice was none other than comedienne Joan Rivers. Close to that time, the fall of 1986 to be exact, she started hosting her own late night talk show, "Late Show Starring Joan Rivers". It was actually the first program to ever be shown on the Fox network. She would last about a year with this show.
Fun fact: the castle that King Roland and Princess Vespa live in on Druidia is a real place - Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. (It is also used as the model for the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland.) The interior was never finished (because the king died before it was done), but it's been a popular tourist attraction since it was built in the 19th century.
I'm not sure it either of you realized it when the four of them was walking up to the statue of "Yogurt", but that was a nod to The Wizard of Oz: Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion.
Rick Moranis and John Candy(RIP) were Canadians btw! 😉😉 Mel Brooks is Jewish also btw "One Froggy Evening" was the Warner Brothers short and the song was "Hello, My Baby"
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen... Is a cultural gem. _The song is one of the five spirituals included in the oratorio A Child of Our Time, first performed in 1944, by the classical composer Michael Tippett_
You should lead with "an African-American spiritual song that originated during the period of slavery". The joke is that there's a white (Druish?) girl singing about her problems, being overly dramatic.
Prince “Valium” is a joke on Prince “Valiant” which was a VERY long running Sunday comics character. Prince Valiant was even made into movies in the 40s and 50s. So that’s what that was about. Mel Brooks was criticized for waiting so long to make this obvious parody several years AFTER Star Wars but they failed to recognize that Young Frankenstein which was hailed as a comedy masterpiece was made thirty three years after the original. So when you look at it like that, Spaceballs is very timely and relevant. Great video guys! Keep ‘em coming!
Prince Valient was also a pretty decent cartoon in the nineties. While there was a bit of time between SW:ANW and this, there were sequels to most of the movies spoofed here coming out in the 80's. So this movie was still pretty timely. There are a lot of critics with little to no sense of humor who will look for any minutia to downplay fun. Just look to criticism of the new Ghostbusters film for evidence of this.
Speaking of Star Trek....the poor guy 'combing the desert' with the hair pick is Tim Russ....who later goes on to play Tuvok in series Star Trek Voyager.
Highly recommend these three Mel movies next, in order of what you should watch first. Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and Robing Hood: Men in Tights. Also Mel is known for the 4th wall breaks in his movies. Not directly talking to the camera, well sometimes, but characters kind of knowing/acknowleding they are IN a movie.
Want another reference? When they reference the "Temple of Doom" when they first meet Yogurt, the team looks like the crew from Wizard of Oz, sans Toto.
One of the most overlooked bits in the entire film in the desert, when Helmet uses the megaphone to talk to Sanders who is standing right next to him, then yells out to the guys combing without it. Classic Brooks.
I think naming their ship "Eagle 5" was a reference to the Apollo 11 lunar lander, which was called the "Eagle," which led to the famous transmission "the Eagle has landed" when it touched down on the Moon. A fair number of science fiction films have used it as a name since then.
Mel even referenced The Wizard of Oz (the line-up of them approaching the statue is the same as Dorothy and co going towards the Wizard's altar). This is one of my favourite John Candy films. May the schwartz be with you!
Great movie, I wish they had made a sequel, especially after discussing "Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money". I'm pretty sure that was a reference to "Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock", which came out around the same time. There were a few sequel attempts, but none of them made it to the theater. The proposed title I like the best was "Spaceballs 3: The Search for Spaceballs 2".
Opening with a Monster Magnet reference was dope to infinity! Having said that..... Get some more Mel Brooks in your life STAT!! (There will be many suggestions)
There was a Wizard of Oz reference too. As they're approaching the statue of Yogurt, they're lined up like those characters. Lonestar=Scarecrow, Dot Matrix=Tin Man, Vespa=Dorothy, and Barf=The Cowardly Lion
The guy who played Pizza the Hutt was the late Dom DeLuise, who not only collaborated with the late Burt Reynolds, but was also known for being a chef and is also known for his voice work such as Itchy from All Dogs Go to Heaven, Tiger from An American Tail and Koosalagoopagoop or Koosy from Dexter's Laboratory.
funny thing about the Diner scene that not many people seems to mention, maybe you noticed it, but when they show the parking Dock , you can actually see the Millenium Falcon parked there
If you both enjoyed this then highly recommend Mel Brooks other work. Specifically Robin hood men in tights and young Frankenstein! As far as laughs in space as well as a more serious tone, definitely check out Galaxy Quest! A killer cast and a sci-fi classic! Also in regard to what you mentioned in this vid, Rambo first blood (the first in the series) holds up really well and the newest Planet of the Apes trilogy is definitely worth the watch
Little side note - the ‘Temple of Doom’ scene included a little “Wizard of Oz” reference. The large statue was a riff on the large talking head that the wizard used to intimidate people and he was eventually discovered to be an ordinary guy by Toto the dog. Of course, none of that will make any sense unless you’ve seen “Wizard of Oz”. Perhaps you should add it to the list. Great reaction as usual. This movie was actually inspired by the success of movies like “Airplane”, “Hotshots”, et al. Mel Brooks’ previous films had cultural references, but not to same degree as this film. The primary parody here was obviously “Star Wars”, so a lot of people, myself included, thought Mel was a little late to party with this spoof (like…by a decade).
Yes, this is my favorite movie-reference. IT fits so well with Dott Matrix being Tinman, Barf being Lion, Vespa being Dorothy and Lonestar being Scarecrow. All the characters needed the roles and the looks for this joke to be as perfect as it is. That is dedication =)
Another side note, the reason Yoda is depicted completely different here is that the original Yoda design was closer to one depicted in Spaceballs than the one when The Empire Strikes Back was released.The Marvel Comics Illustrated Version of The Empire Strikes Back shows theoriginal Yoda before the release of the movie
I always love the performance Rick Moranis brings! Even when he's typecasted as an incompetent loser or need, every character feels a little unique and he's actually a great performer all around. He doesn't mind setting himself up as the brunt of the joke and he works with it, his delivery is spot on
Wanted to add that this whole cast is comedy gold. Bill Pullman and John Candy along with Mel Brooks- all of them. The whole movie feels like a feature length SNL skit and I'm here for it lol
There's actually character-development in this one if you can believe it. Dark Helmet starts as the loyal hatchetman for Skroob and then evolves into holding Skroob's gross and public incompetence in contempt.
Since this is your first recorded venture into Brooks, one of the extras during the scene where they're caught has a Hitler mustache. Mel Brooks, a Jewish man, puts Hitler in a ridiculous situation in almost every one of his movies as a means of continuously making fun of him. Keep your eyes peeled for him as you continue to watch more Mel Brooks movies, it's a fun Easter egg!
Michael Winslow is the radar tech that made sounds. If you enjoyed him here, you will LOVE him in the Police Academy series. I do hope you react to that.
The "merchandising" scene is a reference to the fact that one of George Lucas' conditions for Mel Brooks to make this film was that he wasn't allowed to produce any merchandise for it. The other was that Lone Star couldn't look like Han Solo.
The voice of Dot Matrix (the golden robot maid) is comedy legend Joan Rivers BTW so probably why you recognize it. Also "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" is an African-American spiritual song often sung by men.
Eagle 5 was a reference to the Space 1999 TV series. The spaceships were called Eagles and often crashed... The merchandise is not available and never was. George Lucas liked the idea of the movie and allowed Mel Brooks to use almost everything he wanted from the Star Wars movie but part of the deal was that he could not profit from selling merchandise.
The singing alien is indeed a reference to old Looney Tunes, an extra fun fact about that song: it was the first song ever recorded to directly reference the telephone!
A small bit: When they approach the statue of Yogurt; Barf, Vespa, Dot, and Lonestar are like characters in the Wizard of Oz approaching the (fake) wizard; Lion, Dorothy, Tin Man, and Scarecrow.
"Nobody knows the troubles I've seen" originated from African slaves in America and was a very well-known song for the first half of the 20th century. Many filmmakers who grew up while the song was still popular started using it in their films and TV shows. Funny enough, today it is mostly associated with a lone prisoner singing it. But this is the first film where that happens. Nobody else had put this song to a prison scene before. A year later, Police Academy 4 would also use it for a prison scene, with the addition of dragging a metal cup along the metal bars. A year after that, Boys Life (a magazine published by Boy Scouts of America) had a comic strip with this scene in it as well, a boy in a cell singing the song. TV show Space Cats would also use this exact scene, a prisoner singing the song. All of these before Zazu sang it in Lion King in 1994. But it all started with Spaceballs...
Sleeping with Prince Vallum. Also a line from Beetlejuice.. way of saying someone is knocked the hell out and dead to the world pretty much because of sleeping medication
Lessons learned from this movie: a) Always buckle up b) Don't be stingy when it comes to petrol/gas c) Everyone has different definitions of what they need to survive
Just starting watching, and 2 things. 1) The ship panning in front the right is a nod to the Star Destroyer in A New Hope, also panning in from the right. 2) the music is a nod to the Jaws theme. :B
Love you guys. Finally someone who is really tuned up to this kind of humor. You got a lot of references (recommend to watch Planet od the apes) and you got many foreshadowing. (literally jammed, lost prince, statue of Liberty and others.)
Just a little comment in praise of you guys. I went from thinking reaction videos were dumb in general to finding a few I liked and I reckon you are my favourites. I think seeing you guys watching classic silly comedy movies might be the best of the bunch.
Same, I think is because many of those are either seemingly exaggerating their reactions or just simply faking it, whereas with these two, they do seem to be genuinely enjoying the movie, very few channels have that.
Oh man you may have opened a can of worms with Mel Brooks films. I highly recommend Dracula: Dead and Loving It. It’s a Mel Brooks movie staring Leslie Neilson as Dracula and Mel Brooks as Van Helsing. Underrated older comedy. Also Robin Hood Men in Tights. But that sort of requires seeing the Kevin Costner Robin Hood movie first.
It’s also not a bad idea to watch FFC’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) before Dracula Dead and Loving It. As it is largely a direct parody of that movie much like Robin Hood Men in Tights is a parody of Robin Hood Prince of Thieves.
For the record I wasn’t saying the other Mel Brooks movies aren’t worth watching or reacting to. I just feel like Dracula: Dead and Loving It gets kinda slept on. Everyone reacts to Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs, etc. Few go for the Robin Hood movie and less for Dracula but they’re both great, and Dracula has the added bonus of Leslie Neilson as the main antagonist lol
Mel is a international treasure, the man gave us some of the best comedies in movie history. He loves to break 4th walls all the time and often pushes boundaries which is instantly recognizable, you know when you're watching a Mel Brooks movie. "History of the world - part 1" is one of my favorite ones, and "Spaceballs" too obviously and "Blazing saddles" is legendary, but you really cant go wrong with his works, he created so many great and funny moments in movie, theater and tv, the man is an icon. (keep exploring his stuff :) )
Mel Brooks is so known for his style of just going for it in his comedies. There are virtually no limits to what he would try to work into the stories and the pace can be so great that you really have to watch his films more than once to have any hope of catching all the references and jokes. Definitely suggest you check out more of his films. BTW, you would probably like Rambo: First blood also, heard George suggest you add that to your watch list.
The jokes move really fast in this one, so it may take another watch to pick up on all of them (and even then you may need another few movies and some tv to catch all the references). Mel Brooks is wicked clever, and I highly suggest getting into his films. "They've gone to plaid!" remains my favorite joke, and I quote it to this day.
If you do enjoy a good spoof comedy, I recommend "Wrongfully Accused" with Leslie Nielsen. A fun game to play while watching is trying to spot how many other movies were referenced in it.
The silver guy is a reference to Max Headroom. Upon agreeing to the release of Spaceballs... the main stipulation from George Lucas was NO MERCHENDISING.
I definitely agree with Dracula dead and Loving it. I will say it's definitely not the best Mel Brooks film, but it's easily my favorite and there's not many UA-camrs out there that have done it. Unlike a lot of the other Mel Brooks films where there's like 50,
The voice of Dot Matrix is the late Joan Rivers ("Can we talk?"). The person in the suit, however, is Lorene Yarnell of Shields & Yarnell fame - a talented physical comedy team that were famous for portraying robots very effectively in addition to high energy dancing and mime work. Here's a sample: ua-cam.com/video/IrOrHHos9aI/v-deo.html
When Mel Brooks wanted to do this movie, he had the professional courtesy to ask George Lucas first. Lucas said ok at the condition they wouldn’t sell merchandise of the movie. The merchandising joke is a wink at Lucas for that.
I don't know that he asked him if it was alright beforehand , but he did also get the blessing of Alfred Hitchcock when he made High Anxiety.
That AND the Dolls scene.
@@Rocket1377 I have Spaceballs: the Facemask, but idk if it’s legally licensed or a bootleg
@@Rocket1377
That's because George Lucas absolutely loved the movie and thought it was hilarious, and probably didn't feel the need to hold Mel Brooks to that "agreement".
Lucas asked Mel Brooks to use the same special effects company that he used; Industrial light and magic. That's why the special effects were so good.
16:02 Fun fact: Rick Moranis improvised that entire scene with the dolls. He was handed the dolls and told to do something funny, and the cameras started rolling only a few moments later.
also the actress playing princess vespa (daphne zuniga) singing was really her singing, as her father was a classically trained singer..so she learned how to go in lower and higher octaves singing
When Dark Helmet hit his head and said to take a 5 minute break, it was literally 5 minutes of running time before any of the Spaceballs were back on screen again
The guy making the sound effects with his voice in the radar scene is Micheal Winslow. If you haven't already you should check out Police Academy, He features in that movie too.
He is great in the Police Academy movies:)
Police Academy also brings us to the wonder that is Bobcat Goldthwait!!!! 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣🤣
Everyone misses the Bridge Over The River Kwai marching song
@@boblester8641 Michael Winslow was on America's got talent recently. Don't remember the year. Just know I watched his audition. Think he had stepped away from showbiz to focus on family or something, and was now working on getting himself "re-discovered"
@@nathancline4000 His wife passed away. So he retired from the biz to take care of his family.
Mel Brooks is the kind of silly we all need.
i saw this at a drive thru when i was 7 , and it was the first film i saw where everyone was in tears laughing at the jokes, including me, as soon as dark helmet slid his face mask off and he was breathing heavily i laughed thoughout lol love this movie....rip mel brooks, john candy, don patton, john hurt, and joan rivers
@@Chuck_EL mel Brooks is still alive and well hes soon 96 years old.!
@@markusforsberg6741 Proof that laughter is the best medicine.
@@markusforsberg6741 97 now.
Quite true.
Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and Robin Hood: Men in Tights are essential Mel Brooks movies. However I do recommend seeing the Kevin Costner Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves before Men in Tights as many of the parodied scenes and jokes are lifted directly from the Costner movie.
Blazing Saddles is a must.
The Sharif is near.
Dracula: Dead and Loving It is a fun one, too.
I consider Spaceballs to be Brooks' weakest film but it's still funny.
Brooks also used a lot from the Errol Flynn Robin Hood movies in his spoof.
A fun thing about this movie is that Industrial Light and Magic did the model effects for the film, and the footage of the escape pods during the evacuation of Spaceball I is actually leftover shots from Star Wars: A New Hope.
And if you look very closely at the ships parked at that diner near the end, one of them is actually the Millennium Falcon.
@@robertanderson6929 Brooks wasnt afraid of being sued (he did nothing that could be sued), it was an agreement between Brooks and Lucas "If you dont sell merchandise, you can use ILM for the movie"
@@robertanderson6929 Except Mel Brooks and George Lucas talked and agreed about this film. Lucas gave Brooks full written permission to do this film with all the copywrites on the agreement that Brooks did not sell one single bit of merch because that is where the real money is made and Lucas didn't want Brooks to infringe on the Star Wars merch. That is why the tongue in cheek about yogurt doing merchandising in the movie. It was a a joke about the agreement.
_"But he's also kinda wearing an Indiana Jones outfit."_
And who played both Indiana Jones and Han Solo...?
Just what I was about to write 😆
And Mel Brooks didn't get the permission to dress him like Han Solo, so he went with Harrison Ford's other character.
Mel Gibson?
Mel Brooks sent the script to George Lucas who loved it so much that he had them use Industrial Light and Magic do the special effects. His only stipulation was that Mel couldn't sell merchandise from the movie, hence the scene in the movie. When George Lucas negotiated his deal for Star Wars he would up taking a lot less money up front for all the merchandising rights. The studio didn't have much faith in th film so they agreed. That is what made Lucas a Billionaire.
The scene at the end is from the original Planet of the Apes but I don't want to say anything else without ruining the movie, in case you don't know that ending.
That is the most insane part about it, no you can't merchandise but you can use ILM.
The chestburster singing gag is an homage to Michigan J. Frog, an animated cartoon character from the Warner Brother's "Merrie Melodies" cartoon "One Froggy Evening" in 1955.
Michigan J. Frog is my favorite WB character because he's just an eternal Lovecraftian being that only exists to torment those who discover him, tempting them with the prospects of riches before destroying their sanity
Michigan J Frog: ua-cam.com/video/evgEJlOPoeo/v-deo.html
GOOD one! I was trying like a lunatic to pull that title out of my brain, but it stayed lodged in there.
@@SlickAstley_TV He's related to the Lurker at the Threshold, known as the Dancer on the Countertop.
Michigan J. Frog was also used as the mascot of the WB TV network from 1995-2006.
When the good guys met Yogurt for the first time, it was a reference to "the Wizard of Oz". The robot was Tin Man, and Barfolomew was the Cowardly Lion. You also called a reference to Indiana Jones.... Also, Dot's voice was Joan Rivers.... famous comedienne, talk show host, and reality TV star.
also its direct homage to george lucas as he originally wanted c3po to have a brookyln style new york accent and joan rivers was raised in brooklyn as a little girl and teenager
The robot was also a reference to Max Headroom
Also the Yogurt temple scene was actually shot on the same sound stage as parts of Wizard of Oz, some of the Megamaid ear canal effects were reused in Star Trek the Next Generation, Barf getting caught in his seatbelt was because John Candy actually forgot to unbuckle but stayed in character, and voice actor Rob Paulsen has a cameo in the "Comb the desert" scene as one of the Spaceballs.
The person in the Dot suit was Lorene Yarnell, a well-known mime, formerly of "Shields & Yarnell" who were famous for their "robot couple" routines. They were the featured guest stars in an episode of The Muppet Show, very funny.
"Young Frankenstein" is my favorite Mel Brooks movie and probably in my top 5 of all-time favorite comedies.
Thanks for the reaction.
BTW, the "Hello, My Baby" references an old cartoon, only instead of an alien, it was a talking / singing frog.
Michigan J. Frog from “One Froggy Evening”, a Merrie Melodies cartoon from 1955.
Yeah, and Blazing Saddles is up there too!
ua-cam.com/video/bkjsN-J27aU/v-deo.html&ab_channel=MrKobredabre
+1 for "Young Frankenstein"
@@robertpearson8798 also john hurt was the original actor for the famous chest buster scene came back to do the homage to that scene from aliens hence his "oh no not again" line
6:49 “is it gonna be literal?” Oh George, the perfect question at the perfect moment.
I remember being confused with these homonym jokes as a kid because they don't translate to other languages and the subtitle people didn't even try to explain the joke
Oh, please watch, Rambo: First Blood. Every person who has reacted to on UA-cam has said the same thing, "That is not at all what I expected." As they wipe away tears.
Also dont think anyone has said it but the "We aint found shit" guy is Tim Russ Russ would go on to play a security/tactical officers on a very small Sci Fi show. You may of heard of it its called Star Trek Voyager. Yes the "We aint found shit" guy IS Lieutenant Commander Tuvok.
Holy crap! I'm a huge Trek fan and I didn't know that! Wow! lol
@@robertcartier5088 Yeah. If you look it up Tim has a Twitter/UA-cam/Tik Tok video, not sure which. Where in he quietly goes over his career and at the end says in a soft voice that his best know for We aint found Shit.
ua-cam.com/video/UQ7TnQBSV00/v-deo.html
I was about to post it, good thing I searched. Favorite cameo in the movie; I love actors who have been pigeonholed into a certain role act completely opposite that known persona in another role.
@@ChadGarion25 Tiny correction: Tim Russ' appearance in this film is not a "cameo" because, at the time, he was not yet a celebrity.
He was in ST: Voyager, which started 8 years *after* this movie came out. If he appeared today in ST: Discovery, *that* would be a cameo. ;-]
I had to check to see if anyone had already pointed this out. Tim Russ has actually played four different characters in the Star Trek franchise.
Tesla cars have a "ludicrous speed" setting, a direct tribute to this film. You really can't go wrong with Mel Brooks' movies, and with your senses of humor you'd enjoy them all. "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein" are two of the more popular titles, but seriously--they're all great.
Tesla also has Plaid mode, and its also the inspiration for Elon Musk's Boring Company Flamethrower
You *MUST* see those movies.
Dracula Dead and Loving it
Robin Hood, Men in Tights
History of the World Part 1
...
@@nobodx I agree with everything except History of the World, Part 1. I always felt Part 2 was a much better film.
@@henryvandeventer2457 you mean the one with "Jews in SPACE" ? ;P
The part where dark helmet tells everybody take 5 minutes, you don't see dark helmet and the rest of the gang for 5 minutes.
Rick Moranis and John Candy are true Canadian treasure. :) Anyone who was on SCTV instantly earns that title, but those two especially!
At the end it was John Hurt who has the alien burst out of his chest, exactly the same as in Alien which is why he said "oh no not again". The radar person, Michael Winslow, really made all those noises himself he is extremely talented in that.. I highly recommend you try to find and watch Police Academy which he also stars in.
"We live in a country with laws! Why do you think I dragged you to all those Police Academy movies? For fun? Well I didn't hear anybody laughing- did YOU? ... except at that guy who made sound effects!"
The scene with them watching the VHS of Spaceballs is the greatest 4th wall break of all time. 😂🤣😂🤣
Mel Brooks has also stated that this is his all-time favourite gag from his own movies.
The "Schwartz" was possibly named after Mel Brooks lawyer Alan U. Schwartz,
as Brooks feared to be sued by George Lukas. Hence "may the Schwartz be with you".
These fears turned out to be unfounded,
George loved the Movie and never sued.
Or, you know, Schwartz watches.
@@raphaelperry8159 the only watch makers with a similar name are Schwarz-Etienne.
Which aren't written with a t.
He said in his autobiography that it was indeed named after Alan.
Rick Moranis, is ALWAYS a treat! Definitely check out Little Shop of Horrors!
I am surprised our Canadian friends did not recognize him. He was one of Canada's best comedy exports back then. Honey, I shrunk the kids was a classic.
I second Little Shop of Horrors!
The silver guy, Vinnie, is meant to be a cross of Boba Fett and Max Headroom.
Max Headroom is the name of a British computer generated TV host, known for making wisecracks and talking while stuttering and having his voice pitched up or down, who first appeared in a TV-made movie called Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future.
In case you were wondering about the voice of the droid, Dot, that voice was none other than comedienne Joan Rivers. Close to that time, the fall of 1986 to be exact, she started hosting her own late night talk show, "Late Show Starring Joan Rivers". It was actually the first program to ever be shown on the Fox network. She would last about a year with this show.
"Hitch hikers Guide To The Galaxy"" had Alan Rickman voice theirs!
@@walkingwounded3824 joan also was in the outfit the whole time despite brooks said she can be dubbed, she insisted on wearing it instead :D
@@Chuck_EL The mime, Lorene Yarnell, was inside the droid, Dot Matrix. Joan did the voice.
Tesla cars reference this movie quite a bit. The fastest Model X is a Ludicrous, and the newest super fast Model S is called the Plaid.
Musk also sold flamethrowers (the kids love this one!) from the Boring Company.
Fun fact, if it hasn't been already mentioned - Joan Rivers, the voice of Dot, improvised EVERY single line. She did not have a script.
Mel recognised a superior comedian and had the humility to let her loose.
23:05 It floors me that John Hurt had basically agreed to parody himself.
Fun fact: the castle that King Roland and Princess Vespa live in on Druidia is a real place - Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. (It is also used as the model for the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland.) The interior was never finished (because the king died before it was done), but it's been a popular tourist attraction since it was built in the 19th century.
14:54 "Man, we ain't found SHIT!"
Mannnn, that's my favorite line in the movie and you didn't have it here!
I'm not sure it either of you realized it when the four of them was walking up to the statue of "Yogurt", but that was a nod to The Wizard of Oz: Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion.
fun fact, when Lord Helmet said "Why don't we take a 5 minute break?", they are not seen for exactly 5 minutes into the movies
Rick Moranis and John Candy(RIP) were Canadians btw! 😉😉
Mel Brooks is Jewish also btw
"One Froggy Evening" was the Warner Brothers short and the song was "Hello, My Baby"
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen... Is a cultural gem.
_The song is one of the five spirituals included in the oratorio A Child of Our Time, first performed in 1944, by the classical composer Michael Tippett_
You should lead with "an African-American spiritual song that originated during the period of slavery". The joke is that there's a white (Druish?) girl singing about her problems, being overly dramatic.
@@grife3000 Agreed, but I thought it was obvious and therefore didn't need stating....
@@daveofyorkshire301 I hate to be the one to say it but, when dealing with Millennials, nothing is obvious! ;-]
Prince “Valium” is a joke on Prince “Valiant” which was a VERY long running Sunday comics character. Prince Valiant was even made into movies in the 40s and 50s. So that’s what that was about. Mel Brooks was criticized for waiting so long to make this obvious parody several years AFTER Star Wars but they failed to recognize that Young Frankenstein which was hailed as a comedy masterpiece was made thirty three years after the original. So when you look at it like that, Spaceballs is very timely and relevant. Great video guys! Keep ‘em coming!
Prince Valient was also a pretty decent cartoon in the nineties. While there was a bit of time between SW:ANW and this, there were sequels to most of the movies spoofed here coming out in the 80's. So this movie was still pretty timely. There are a lot of critics with little to no sense of humor who will look for any minutia to downplay fun. Just look to criticism of the new Ghostbusters film for evidence of this.
@@bobbybobbatunday9959 - Agreed.
Speaking of Star Trek....the poor guy 'combing the desert' with the hair pick is Tim Russ....who later goes on to play Tuvok in series Star Trek Voyager.
3:25 Dark helmet: "Everybody got that?!" You: "Oh, yes!" :-D You just made my day. 😀
Highly recommend these three Mel movies next, in order of what you should watch first. Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and Robing Hood: Men in Tights.
Also Mel is known for the 4th wall breaks in his movies. Not directly talking to the camera, well sometimes, but characters kind of knowing/acknowleding they are IN a movie.
Maybe listen to some early 1990s rap to get in the mood.
History of the World Pt 1 should be third at least. You have to watch History of the World and Prince of Thieves before Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
The "We ain't found shit" guy combing the desert with an afro pick is Tim Russ, Tuvok from Star Trek Voyager.
Want another reference? When they reference the "Temple of Doom" when they first meet Yogurt, the team looks like the crew from Wizard of Oz, sans Toto.
One of the most overlooked bits in the entire film in the desert, when Helmet uses the megaphone to talk to Sanders who is standing right next to him, then yells out to the guys combing without it.
Classic Brooks.
I think naming their ship "Eagle 5" was a reference to the Apollo 11 lunar lander, which was called the "Eagle," which led to the famous transmission "the Eagle has landed" when it touched down on the Moon. A fair number of science fiction films have used it as a name since then.
Loved the Monster Magnet reference at the beginning!
YEEESSSSSS!!!
The original Planet of the Apes is well worth a look.
" History Of The World Part 1 " is a must for your Mel Brooks list 👌👌👌
Mel even referenced The Wizard of Oz (the line-up of them approaching the statue is the same as Dorothy and co going towards the Wizard's altar). This is one of my favourite John Candy films. May the schwartz be with you!
Great movie, I wish they had made a sequel, especially after discussing "Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money". I'm pretty sure that was a reference to "Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock", which came out around the same time.
There were a few sequel attempts, but none of them made it to the theater. The proposed title I like the best was "Spaceballs 3: The Search for Spaceballs 2".
Clearly a dig at Lucas.
Opening with a Monster Magnet reference was dope to infinity!
Having said that..... Get some more Mel Brooks in your life STAT!!
(There will be many suggestions)
The silver Guy was a parody of Max Headroom.
He was a sentient A.I. style Showmaster/Veejay from 1985 to 1988.
If you want to see Radar guy really show his skills you need to watch Police Acadamy.
He's also in the syfy movie lavalatula
There was a Wizard of Oz reference too. As they're approaching the statue of Yogurt, they're lined up like those characters. Lonestar=Scarecrow, Dot Matrix=Tin Man, Vespa=Dorothy, and Barf=The Cowardly Lion
The guy who played Pizza the Hutt was the late Dom DeLuise, who not only collaborated with the late Burt Reynolds, but was also known for being a chef and is also known for his voice work such as Itchy from All Dogs Go to Heaven, Tiger from An American Tail and Koosalagoopagoop or Koosy from Dexter's Laboratory.
funny thing about the Diner scene that not many people seems to mention, maybe you noticed it, but when they show the parking Dock , you can actually see the Millenium Falcon parked there
If you both enjoyed this then highly recommend Mel Brooks other work. Specifically Robin hood men in tights and young Frankenstein! As far as laughs in space as well as a more serious tone, definitely check out Galaxy Quest! A killer cast and a sci-fi classic!
Also in regard to what you mentioned in this vid, Rambo first blood (the first in the series) holds up really well and the newest Planet of the Apes trilogy is definitely worth the watch
Blücher! *horse screams in the distance*
Little side note - the ‘Temple of Doom’ scene included a little “Wizard of Oz” reference. The large statue was a riff on the large talking head that the wizard used to intimidate people and he was eventually discovered to be an ordinary guy by Toto the dog. Of course, none of that will make any sense unless you’ve seen “Wizard of Oz”. Perhaps you should add it to the list.
Great reaction as usual.
This movie was actually inspired by the success of movies like “Airplane”, “Hotshots”, et al. Mel Brooks’ previous films had cultural references, but not to same degree as this film. The primary parody here was obviously “Star Wars”, so a lot of people, myself included, thought Mel was a little late to party with this spoof (like…by a decade).
Yes, this is my favorite movie-reference. IT fits so well with Dott Matrix being Tinman, Barf being Lion, Vespa being Dorothy and Lonestar being Scarecrow. All the characters needed the roles and the looks for this joke to be as perfect as it is. That is dedication =)
Another side note, the reason Yoda is depicted completely different here is that the original Yoda design was closer to one depicted in Spaceballs than the one when The Empire Strikes Back was released.The Marvel Comics Illustrated Version of The Empire Strikes Back shows theoriginal Yoda before the release of the movie
the guy who said "We aint found shit", is Tim Russ. Lt. Tuvok from Star Trek Voyager
Dancing xenomorph is a "One Froggy Evening" cartoon reference.
4:00 Prince Valium. A parody of both the Prince Valiant comic strip and Valium, the sleeping pills.
23:16 The pure look on Simone's face when she sees that alien dancing scene made this review so awesome! Well done, you two!
I always love the performance Rick Moranis brings! Even when he's typecasted as an incompetent loser or need, every character feels a little unique and he's actually a great performer all around. He doesn't mind setting himself up as the brunt of the joke and he works with it, his delivery is spot on
Wanted to add that this whole cast is comedy gold. Bill Pullman and John Candy along with Mel Brooks- all of them. The whole movie feels like a feature length SNL skit and I'm here for it lol
There's actually character-development in this one if you can believe it. Dark Helmet starts as the loyal hatchetman for Skroob and then evolves into holding Skroob's gross and public incompetence in contempt.
The part where Sanders busts in on Helmet playing with dolls was ad libbed.
The radar guy (Michael Winslow) voiced some of the Gremlins. Not Gizmo, though; that was Howie Mandel.
Simone right out the gate with a Monster Magnet reference, of all things, made me sit up and take notice!
Since this is your first recorded venture into Brooks, one of the extras during the scene where they're caught has a Hitler mustache. Mel Brooks, a Jewish man, puts Hitler in a ridiculous situation in almost every one of his movies as a means of continuously making fun of him. Keep your eyes peeled for him as you continue to watch more Mel Brooks movies, it's a fun Easter egg!
my favorite joke about him is the movie the producers 😂
Yes, the Alien reference was to Michigan J. Frog from the classic Merrie Melodies cartoon "One Froggy Evening."
Michael Winslow is the radar tech that made sounds. If you enjoyed him here, you will LOVE him in the Police Academy series. I do hope you react to that.
The "merchandising" scene is a reference to the fact that one of George Lucas' conditions for Mel Brooks to make this film was that he wasn't allowed to produce any merchandise for it. The other was that Lone Star couldn't look like Han Solo.
The voice of Dot Matrix (the golden robot maid) is comedy legend Joan Rivers BTW so probably why you recognize it.
Also "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" is an African-American spiritual song often sung by men.
Eagle 5 was a reference to the Space 1999 TV series. The spaceships were called Eagles and often crashed... The merchandise is not available and never was. George Lucas liked the idea of the movie and allowed Mel Brooks to use almost everything he wanted from the Star Wars movie but part of the deal was that he could not profit from selling merchandise.
The singing alien is indeed a reference to old Looney Tunes, an extra fun fact about that song: it was the first song ever recorded to directly reference the telephone!
A small bit: When they approach the statue of Yogurt; Barf, Vespa, Dot, and Lonestar are like characters in the Wizard of Oz approaching the (fake) wizard; Lion, Dorothy, Tin Man, and Scarecrow.
Please watch GALAXY QUEST!
"Nobody knows the troubles I've seen" originated from African slaves in America and was a very well-known song for the first half of the 20th century.
Many filmmakers who grew up while the song was still popular started using it in their films and TV shows.
Funny enough, today it is mostly associated with a lone prisoner singing it. But this is the first film where that happens.
Nobody else had put this song to a prison scene before.
A year later, Police Academy 4 would also use it for a prison scene, with the addition of dragging a metal cup along the metal bars.
A year after that, Boys Life (a magazine published by Boy Scouts of America) had a comic strip with this scene in it as well, a boy in a cell singing the song.
TV show Space Cats would also use this exact scene, a prisoner singing the song.
All of these before Zazu sang it in Lion King in 1994.
But it all started with Spaceballs...
Sleeping with Prince Vallum. Also a line from Beetlejuice.. way of saying someone is knocked the hell out and dead to the world pretty much because of sleeping medication
The silver guy is representing Max headroom from old Coke & Pepsi taste test commercials
Lessons learned from this movie:
a) Always buckle up
b) Don't be stingy when it comes to petrol/gas
c) Everyone has different definitions of what they need to survive
Just starting watching, and 2 things. 1) The ship panning in front the right is a nod to the Star Destroyer in A New Hope, also panning in from the right. 2) the music is a nod to the Jaws theme. :B
Love you guys. Finally someone who is really tuned up to this kind of humor. You got a lot of references (recommend to watch Planet od the apes) and you got many foreshadowing. (literally jammed, lost prince, statue of Liberty and others.)
Lots of reactors love this movie.
20:42 - The 1989 movie Skin Deep with John Ritter has a "lightsaber" duel like the one you're thinking of.
Rick Moranis and John Candy are legends!!!
Simone going all in on "Monster Magnet" in the beginning. LOL
Just a little comment in praise of you guys. I went from thinking reaction videos were dumb in general to finding a few I liked and I reckon you are my favourites.
I think seeing you guys watching classic silly comedy movies might be the best of the bunch.
Same, I think is because many of those are either seemingly exaggerating their reactions or just simply faking it, whereas with these two, they do seem to be genuinely enjoying the movie, very few channels have that.
the guy saying we aint found shit with the little comb is Tim Russ who played Tuvox on Star Trek Voyager
Oh man you may have opened a can of worms with Mel Brooks films. I highly recommend Dracula: Dead and Loving It. It’s a Mel Brooks movie staring Leslie Neilson as Dracula and Mel Brooks as Van Helsing. Underrated older comedy. Also Robin Hood Men in Tights. But that sort of requires seeing the Kevin Costner Robin Hood movie first.
It’s also not a bad idea to watch FFC’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) before Dracula Dead and Loving It. As it is largely a direct parody of that movie much like Robin Hood Men in Tights is a parody of Robin Hood Prince of Thieves.
Mel Brook's movies should be watched in chronologic order for catch al the references to his previous movies he put everytime.
For the record I wasn’t saying the other Mel Brooks movies aren’t worth watching or reacting to. I just feel like Dracula: Dead and Loving It gets kinda slept on. Everyone reacts to Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs, etc. Few go for the Robin Hood movie and less for Dracula but they’re both great, and Dracula has the added bonus of Leslie Neilson as the main antagonist lol
Mel is a international treasure, the man gave us some of the best comedies in movie history.
He loves to break 4th walls all the time and often pushes boundaries which is instantly recognizable, you know when you're watching a Mel Brooks movie.
"History of the world - part 1" is one of my favorite ones, and "Spaceballs" too obviously and "Blazing saddles" is legendary, but you really cant go wrong with his works, he created so many great and funny moments in movie, theater and tv, the man is an icon. (keep exploring his stuff :) )
"Young Frankenstein" is also great of this kind of comedy. It would be great if you could make a video with reactions for this movie as well 😉
Mel Brooks is so known for his style of just going for it in his comedies. There are virtually no limits to what he would try to work into the stories and the pace can be so great that you really have to watch his films more than once to have any hope of catching all the references and jokes. Definitely suggest you check out more of his films. BTW, you would probably like Rambo: First blood also, heard George suggest you add that to your watch list.
Mel Brooks is one of the greats. Not my favorite of his films, but a classic.
When they first met Yoghurt, that's from The Wizard of Oz
The jokes move really fast in this one, so it may take another watch to pick up on all of them (and even then you may need another few movies and some tv to catch all the references). Mel Brooks is wicked clever, and I highly suggest getting into his films.
"They've gone to plaid!" remains my favorite joke, and I quote it to this day.
My favorite is still "what's the matter Colonel Sanders......chicken?"
Rick Moranis showing off his amazing improv skills with the action figures is so good!
If you do enjoy a good spoof comedy, I recommend "Wrongfully Accused" with Leslie Nielsen. A fun game to play while watching is trying to spot how many other movies were referenced in it.
The silver guy is a reference to Max Headroom. Upon agreeing to the release of Spaceballs... the main stipulation from George Lucas was NO MERCHENDISING.
Love the Monster Magnet, I'm a fellow Dope To Infinity :)
Crazy moustache = Salvador Dali for sure.
The john hurt/ dancing alien 👽 scene is one of my favourite ever
The Producers is a great Mel Brooks movie
It's good, but I have to say I enjoy the remake with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick way more
The scene where they walk in to see Yogurt was a clear parody of The Wizard of Oz. 13:53
I definitely agree with Dracula dead and Loving it. I will say it's definitely not the best Mel Brooks film, but it's easily my favorite and there's not many UA-camrs out there that have done it. Unlike a lot of the other Mel Brooks films where there's like 50,
You can never have too many Mel Brooks films reactions.
Robots Voice is Joan Rivers and the actress is Lorene Yarnell.
My favorite Mel Brooks movie BY FAR is "Blazing Saddles" - it couldn't be made today but it's one of the greatest comedies ever made!
Mel has said, "I couldn't make it then!" Lol
Yes it could. It's satire. It's written by a jewish man & a black man.
The voice of Dot Matrix is the late Joan Rivers ("Can we talk?"). The person in the suit, however, is Lorene Yarnell of Shields & Yarnell fame - a talented physical comedy team that were famous for portraying robots very effectively in addition to high energy dancing and mime work. Here's a sample: ua-cam.com/video/IrOrHHos9aI/v-deo.html