Search - High Anxiety on DVD

Waiting for the DVD in San Diego

Pappy | San Diego | 07/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the funniest movie, and the world awaits the DVD. When, oh when, will it finally arrive????? There are so many of my all time favorite movie moments in this classic comedy. Who could forget Dr. Charles Montague and Nurse Diesel's cagey response after being interrupted during an intimate moment: 'Sorry for the dissssturbance.' (I probably know the dialogue for this entire movie by heart!) Nurse Diesel arrived on the scene long before Madonna and her tectonic bras. What about Dr. Wentworth's trouble with the car radio? Or Brophey's ineptitude? Every scene is memorable, but if I had the DVD, I would repeatedly jump to Dr. Thorndyke's dramatic lounge act where he wooed Victoria Brisbane by singing the very romantic song 'High Anxiety,' all the while slapping the microphone chord on the ground for dramatic effect. Which is to say nothing of Hitchcock--whose movie plots provide endless fodder for this Mel Brooks masterpiece. The cast is superb, and the movie divine. Granted, this is one review that is not written with those who've never seen the movie in mind. My intent is to take a stroll down memory lane, because this movie deserves to be on DVD."

Beautiful parody, hysterical film

Rocco Dormarunno | Brooklyn, NY | 05/19/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For my money, the best Mel Brooks' movies are the ones that he doesn't appear or barely appears in, like THE TWELVE CHAIRS, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, and THE PRODUCERS. This film is one of the exceptions. Also, for my money, the best Mel Brooks' movies are those that are flat out parodies of film genres--like BLAZING SADDLES and SPACEBALLS. This film is the highest achievement of his parodic form.HIGH ANXIETY is Alfred Hitchcock on goofballs. The references are wide-ranging: "Psycho", "The Birds", "Vertigo" (the main parody plot), "The Man Who Knew Too Much", "Notorious", etc. The result is out and out Brooks' mania, and, of course, a certain reverence to Hitchcock. My only negative comment isn't specific to this film but it does apply: most parodies run out of gas during the course of a feature length film. Once the novelty wears off, the film kind of lags. That's why the best film parodies are usually skits on variety or comedy television shows. Probably the only exception to my theory would be 1980's "Airplane". (See my review of that for a further explanation.) Still, HIGH ANXIETY has enough manic energy to sustain it for the most part. It's a clever film and extremely entertaining."

One of the greatest underrated comedies of all time.

Harold V. Merkinbush | Los Angeles, CA USA | 11/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Allow me to begin by stating that "High Anxiety" is by far, one the all-time BEST Mel Brooks films. Being a huge Hitchcock fan, I immediately became attached to this one. Thank you to 20th Century Fox for finally making this available in Region 1 DVD format for the US.

If you're even just a bit curious, check this title out. You won't be dissatisfied.

Enjoy,
Jeff"

Classic Mel Brooks

Byron Kolln | the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood | 05/20/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"HIGH ANXIETY was Mel Brooks' salute to Alfred Hitchcock. Though many of the gags do fall flat, the entire movie as a whole is a complete joy.

Mel Brooks plays Richard Thorndyke, the new head psychiatrist of the leading `Institute For the Very, Very Nervous'. Thorndyke himself is plagued by bouts of `high anxiety' (vertigo). When Thorndyke is framed for murder and discovers the sinister cover-ups at the Institute, he joins the leggy Victoria Brisbane (Madeline Kahn) in a race against time to rescue her father from the clutches of sadistic Head Nurse Diesel (Cloris Leachman)!

Brooks and the rest of the cast have an absolute ball. Cloris Leachman sports a traffic-cone decolletage that would make Madonna jealous, in her inspired performance as Nurse Diesel (and her scenes with Harvey Korman are hysterical; you won't be able to view their performances in HERBIE GOES BANANAS the same way again). Madeline Kahn is Kim Novak, Eva Marie Saint and Tippi Hedren combined in her performance as Victoria Brisbane (now that's quite a lot of Hitchcock cool blonde-ness!).

Classic Mel Brooks."