John Landis on IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD

[@theycallmerisky619]

Not a good movie?? This is probably the greatest comedy of all time!!

[@bobbyslater1198]

You'd have to be familiar with vaudeville in order to appreciate this movie, which is probably way before your time. Each actor brought his own shtick into the movie, ie when Jack Benny says "well". That would have been equivalent to Steve Martin's "Excuuuuse me".

[@sveltebarry]

TheycallmeRisky yeah Landis is something of a douchebag

[@tonyd7601]

I loved the movie it criticizes the greed of people and has so many flashes of brilliant acting and comedy.

[@colinwilliams553]

Yeah, you tell e'm.it's a mad, mad,mad,mad world is a laugh riot with a who's who of comedy!

[@kensmith8152]

Absolutely!!!!

[@sgpproductions9016]

And I'm sorry Mr. Landis, you're one of my favorite directors, but I have to disagree. This film is incredible, and is highly funny! I know every moment of it inside and out and I still laugh at each joke :')

[@rjs1959]

John L. , It is a good movie and it is very funny. A total classic. Winters destroying the gas station is fantastic and very funny.

[@jamesziegler997]

I was 12 years old. The family-mom, dad, my brother and me-moved from So. California to Little Rock, Arkansas temporarily for my dad’s work. One fine afternoon, mom took us to see this on the matinee. We laughed and cried. Laughed because of the gags and the stellar cast and cried because we were homesick for our desert. Even though I know every line by heart, I’ll still laugh out loud when I see it.

[@thommysides4616]

Hope your in the desert you love..... God bless!

[@nickd1961]

Just watched it again with my kids, they loved it

[@lewisclark5694]

Landis says this is not a great movie? He's dead wrong, pure and simple. It is a great one. It's almost as if he's apologizing for showing us the clip.

[@Blackfireproduction1]

You can't have a wrong opinion

He can’t even get the title right.

[@samuelesaltimbocca3567]

Is this Mr. John Landis kidding?....This is the best comedy movie of alla times!!

[@garyfoster3854]

No, no it isn’t.

[@leoraytorres4936]

We had the best of everything back than , I am 64 and I Loved it..

[@thommysides4616]

I'm 64 now.... and yes, we grew up in the golden age. The last few years of the best of times this old world will ever see. At least that is..... until Jesus coms back....lol.

[@TonkaSoul]

It was a great movie. It's still a great movie.

[@BrowneyedDiva]

Great movie! Saw it on a rainy afternoon as a kid and thought it was hysterical! Caught it later on TV as an adult and tried to name all the actors. I couldn't of course.

[@grafikdrummer]

In the 80s here in germany it almost was a tradition that this movie was on TV at the night of December 31. It´s funny that american reviews always list all the star names, because for us, it didn´t matter, because the only actors known to a larger audience in germany were Spencer Tracy, Jerry Lewis, Buster Keaton and Peter Falk. And that´s it. For us it was just a very funny and weird movie. And it was dubbed with brilliant voice actors - an art that died, when private TV-stations started to show every crap they could get. Since then, the art of dubbing went down the hill ...

[@thommysides4616]

Your English is quite good. I'm an American living in South Africa. Watching this movie makes me home sick.....for the good old days. Cheers!

[@igloocookie]

I used to borrow this from my library every couple of months when I was a kid.

[@walrusonion]

For "not a great movie" the last half hour of Blues Brothers is awfully similar to Mad Mad Mad Mad World, just sayin'.

[@notthebannerboys]

OK, now THERE'S a "not great" movie.

[@thommysides4616]

@@notthebannerboys I love them both!

[@scottwhitt9379]

dumbfounded he said it's not a good movie. it's tremendous one of my favorites. beyond great in fact I'm going to watch it now. take that John !!!

[@koomo801]

Every dad needs to watch this movie with their son(s). It'll become a life-long, cherished memory and source of random inside-joke comments. Pass it on. Trust me on this one.

[@major600]

It is very funny. Ethel Merman rises out of that all-star cast as one of the funniest people in it. "Drive on...you big stupid idiot." :-D

[@manuelkong10]

TOTALLY AGREE

[@12classics39]

“EXACTLY LIKE YOUR FATHER! A BIG STUPID MUSCLE HEADED MORON! I TELL YA HE’S EXACTLY LIKE YOUR FATHER!!!!”

[@thommysides4616]

You can't replace people like her. Who could fill her shoes today?

[@BetaMaxxX]

One of my favorite old school comedies of all time

[@sgpproductions9016]

My favorite movie since I was in 4th Grade, and I'm only 16!

[@rtnproductions5411]

My favorite movie since I was in 4th Grade, and I'm only 56

[@tomtweed123]

How can Landis say this is "not that funny" and that it is not a great film? THe film is a masterpiece and extremely funny. It's certainly better than anything Landis has done and nobody was killed making it.

[@SirSmoldham]

An all time favorite. Epic! It is the only film with an ending that manages to make me laugh and cry at the same time. Cool score by Ernest Gold.

[@bobbyslater1198]

Did anyone notice two songs by The Shirelles in that movie?

[@drewjeers815]

I was born in 69' so it was on TV growing up. Always a treat, To this day I'd put it my top 10 rewatchable, must own movies that always makes me feel good and makes me feel I can go take on the world like they did or at least try, win or loose. The Blues Brothers, probably in my top 20 to thst I own makes me feel the same way.

[@djohn1671]

watched this first time in the late 70's, my dad ran a club in a small mining village in uk. he put the 'big screen' on which was probably 20", while he stocked-up the bottles and barrels i sat there as a 9/10 year old and didn't move. great times.

[@weirdproq]

Criterion has announced that they're bringing this film onto Blu-ray on January 21 in the originally released 197-minute cut roadshow version of the film. :D YAY! (Still wish they could find the 210-minute preview version, but this is great!)

[@bobbyslater1198]

When I saw it in the movie theater it actually had an intermission. By the way, the best way to see it is in Panavision.

[@AnthonySmith-ty7ij]

I agree with Mr. Landis. This is a generation of both radio film and TV stars Put together that could never happen.

[@davidwise3426]

Really, it's a wonderful movie. A classic.

[@jackgrattan3144]

Going to see this movie was a BIG EVENT when I was a kid. It had a big TV ad campaign, and it was a huge production to drive the family clear downtown to the CineramaDome. A lot of great people, too many gone.

[@bobbyslater1198]

"That woman is somethin' else!" - Rochester.

[@josephcalderon906]

Mr. landis is right about one belief: you can't acquire the talent of today to make this type of movie,especially movie comedy.

[@thommysides4616]

Yep..... most comedians today are low life scumbags!

[@borusa32]

I'm with Landis on this. My parents took me to see this when I was small and I didn't like it at the time but I didn't understand the enormity of getting all these famous actors in one movie.

[@felipecardoza5829]

Too young to have seen in theaters but I remember getting overexcited anytime it aired on TV! Automobile stunts like the flying '62 Dodge Polara and the twin '59 Plymouth taxis with almost no safety equipment is awesome. Those drivers were crazy good.

[@Jimvanhise]

Actually it was essentially remade some years ago as the movie Rat Race, which had about 90% of all the well known comedic actors in the business, including Rowan Atkinson. In fact Stanley Kramer's widow threatened to sue them because Rat Race was so similar to Mad World that she said that no one wanted to remake Mad Mad World now.

[@josephkearny5874]

Get it together John!

[@ddgallion]

This video came up as recommended, and John Landis could not be more wrong. An unsurpassed comedy script, combined with the brilliant timing and delivery of the many of the finest comedic actors ever to appear on film, a tremendous musical score, first rate direction by Stanley Kramer, and some of the most amazing stunt work ever, makes this one of the best, and arguably the best, comedy ever made. I am sure I have seen this film dozens of times, and over those many viewings I would pick up new details in shots, including the expressions and physical actions of the actors, inflections in dialog, and framing and constructions of scenes. But beyond technical excellence, it is quite simply laugh out loud funny. There is one other aspect that makes this film stand alone, and that is that despite the film being stuffed with brilliant comedic actors, the film works. Many times a film with too many stars makes a film unfocused with characters being lost or overwhelmed by the performances of other people. That did not happen with Mad Mad World, which is proof that this is a great film.

[@johnappleby405]

I agree it’s very funny indeed. I liked the flying sequences in particular. Maybe the chaos in the control tower influenced Airplane?

[@thommysides4616]

@@johnappleby405 You know your right..... and Airplane was a wacko movie as well....lol.

[@sveltebarry]

it's not great? Landis is truly and completely off his game here. could not disagree more with him. A true classic!

[@thoughtsurferzone5012]

I think the funniest moments are between Phil Silvers and Jonathan Winters. "They're gonna be tripping over you in the dark." 😄😄😄😄😄😄

[@resurrectionjose]

What??? For a long time I was never able to decide if this one was my all-time favorite comedy flick or *_'Animal House.'_* I think I'll give *_'...Mad...'_* the #1 slot out of spite! :P

[@thommysides4616]

Ha ha..... Amen brother!!!

[@DigitalEelRich]

Have to disagree with Mr. Landis. This is actually a great film, and an American film classic. It's also hilarious-- for three hours straight! That, of course, is impossible but Kramer & co. pulled it off.

[@jamesblames2]

I love this film so much....saw it first when I was 7....seen it every year since.

[@kev3d]

Not that funny? Pffft. The physical comedy works, the casting works, the cinematography and color palate is perfect, the soundtrack is wonderful, and the dialog is gold. Literally, not figuratively, one of the greatest movies ever made in *any* genre.

[@Blaqjaqshellaq]

For me it's a guilty pleasure: it succeeds through sheer relentlessness!

[@Tsnore]

This is a great movie because it does what most movies are meant to do - provide escapism and laughs for an hour or two or three I guess with this one. Saw it as a youth on TV probably circa 1972. Mr. Winters is the most memorable.

[@terrywright8731]

He's wrong. It is so great.

[@captainmarvel63]

I'm sorry Landis doesn't appreciate this film. I laugh plenty whenever I see it.

[@thommysides4616]

I think he was jealous that he didn't make this picture. He knows it's great but won't admit it!

[@THECARS7879]

it is a great movie, it can never be remade again . the best you can do is get the extended version. the parts they exempted on the last releases of the actual dvd

[@jerryrichardson2799]

Landis, I love all your TFH reviews, but I have to agree with everybody else, it's an excellent and hilarious classic.

[@davidgrace2951]

a great movie...one of the funniest movies of all time.

[@reedlanger5988]

But this movie is very funny.

[@charlesmarquez8724]

I don't agree with John Landis, this movie was a laugh out loud film! The stuff that when on in this film, you can't do today! The flying scene's are one of a kind, Frank Tallman who was flying the twin engine beech, said that flying through the billboragh took out an engine an windows on the right side of the plane, no one will do this type of flying today period!

[@thommysides4616]

You are 100 percent right about that! Didn't know that about the plane engine. He could have got killed.

[@Docklead]

I laughed too hard when jimmy literally kicked the bucket

[@thommysides4616]

Lol...

[@PontiacS.]

I LOVE This Film. Saw it First on TV Saturday afternoon in the 70's. I've watched it a Dozen times.

[@georgepenton6023]

MMMMW is my favorite movie of all time. I first saw it at age 11. When Jimmy Durante kicked the bucket I thought I never would stop laughing.

[@bobbyslater1198]

"If American women stopped wearing brassieres, your entire economy would collapse overnight" - Terry Thomas.

[@edelweisssmith5345]

I really think that the funniest part of this movie is Sylvester crying when he goes to "rescue" his mother

[@Madbandit77]

Dick Shawn was a brilliant nut. I wouldn't be surprised if Robin Williams idolized him.

[@edelweisssmith5345]

@@Madbandit77 He was brilliant. Ever see him in "The Producers?"

[@Madbandit77]

@@edelweisssmith5345 Absolutely. He steals the whole film.

[@johnkun77]

I love this movie.....but I must say that with all the comedy my favorite part is when Edie Adams rips her dress getting into the plane........

[@peg202xo7]

Totally understandable, great legs!

[@jefmay3053]

aaaaaahhhhh EDIE ADAMS ....................

[@pauldzim]

I still remember the Cleveland Amory review of this movie in TV Guide when I saw it for the first time back in the mid-to-late 60's. "At almost 3 hours long, maybe it is too much of a good thing, but it is still a good thing that there is too much of". Or something like that.

[@andrewwebster4348]

Not a great or funny movie? I'm nearly 28, love the film, and can't tell you who half the people in it are (or were).

[@blodgettshouseofinsanity]

Im 22. It’s my favorite film

[@FRANKTHRING1]

What does Landis mean "This is not a great movie" ! Perhaps its a question of taste, but the film is amazing and most of the cast especially Ethel Merman, Terry-Thomas, Sid Ceasar etc are brilliant. Landis also says "Its not that funny !" I can`t imagine why the site let a guy, who clearly does not love this movie as many of us do, review it. If you have never seen this 3 hr comedy epic its whacky, knockabout fun - and certainly a gem compared to most comedy movie crap produced these days !

[@papuchon1212]

ɷ I Haveeee Watchedddd Thisss Movieee Leakedddd Version Hereee : - t.co/EQMyZQlo5e

[@CountNadir]

My question exactly.

[@gamers7800]

william wright I have to agree he's full of shit, this without a doubt is the funniest film of all time ,even airplane comes in second to this . Every time I watch it I laughed my ass off.

[@victorkong82]

I think the scope of it elevates the quality of the picture. It's mostly a big dumb spectacle. It's a bit like Cecil B. DeMille's pictures. They're not really that good, but the quality of them just ain't comparable.

[@NostalgiNorden]

"I can`t imagine why the site let a guy, who clearly does not love this movie as many of us do, review it" Yes every movie should just be reviewed by people who like it. That makes total sense.......

[@Blaqjaqshellaq]

My favorite moment: their turning Ethel Merman upside down to shake the keys or something out of her!

[@coolhandanny]

How is this not a great movie?

[@sebastianyoutube5964]

One of the best american comedies.

[@FlamingoKicker]

I don't agree with Landis that it's "not a funny movie". I laughed. Not sure what movie he was watching.

[@StevieStitches]

Phil Adams I don't know what video you were watch, you seem to just be confirming to others comments bashing John Landis for not totally praising the film. John Landis doesn't consider it the greatest comedy ever made but he does call it "an epic comedy", "comedy nirvana", "it's got great stuff", "it's hysterical" (at least in parts), and he said "there are brilliant things in it."

[@thommysides4616]

@@StevieStitches He also said it's not a good movie. Well.....the proof is in the pudding!

[@John-rz4cu]

Saw this as a ten year old in a drive in. Couldn’t stop laughing. My dad was cracking up too.

[@PaulTesta]

Mike Schlesinger (TFH): "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" IS the greatest movie ever!

[@alexpollock6932]

It’s not great? I watched it half a year ago for the first time and It had me rolling for almost 3 hours. The gas station scene alone is one of the funniest scenes I’ve ever watched

[@robertknuist9754]

My favorite cameo is by Jim Backus..has me howling every time

[@Onneff69]

Far better than anything Landis ever made.

[@NostalgiNorden]

No.

[@thommysides4616]

Landis was just a jealous man.

[@rdecredico]

Its not that funny? ITS THE FUNNIEST FILM EVER MADE GREATEST COMEDY OF ALL TIME

[@solbrenner5141]

Oh, John...what in God's name are you talking about..?

[@thommysides4616]

Amen to that?

[@Agislife1960]

Always interested in aviation, I remember the Beech 18 and the flying, they'd use some stupid CGI effects for something like that now.

[@thommysides4616]

It's much safer now. That pilot lost an engine going through that sign. He could have been killed!!!

[@victorbustillos9053]

Its not weird..its marvelous and unique

[@jontibloom]

Disagree with John Landis ...it is "That Funny" !

[@Jimvanhise]

Actually they did make a similar film a few years ago called RAT RACE. It didn't have all of today's biggest comics in it but it did have a lot of them (John Cleese, Dave Thomas, Rowan Atkinson) and the ending of the film is very similar to MAD WORLD. Stanley Kramer's widow threatened to sue the film for making a remake of MAD WORLD impossible now.

[@accam6734]

I always enjoyed watching this movie.

[@1961ang]

its a great movie

[@fliegeroh]

Landis is wrong. It is a very funny movie. Those were the best comedians in the world and they were having fun.

[@davidwise3426]

A wonderful movie.

[@jsl151850b]

Thanks to the Mandella Effect I could have sworn there was a vocal version of the theme in the style of a James Bond movie.

[@hifijohn]

its not just a great comedy but a beautiful movie to look at.

[@darrenhoskins8382]

Aaaaw love the set-up, dissatisfied real people would go for it if given the chance. Love the Spencer Tracy storyline, love the moment where the forgotten wife knows where the treasure is first… really sweet ❤️ bit.

[@cepson]

Not a good movie? I can think of another movie that's not considered a "good" movie, but is today considered a classic, and it was directed by a nobody named John Landis and starred a bunch of kids no one ever heard of at the time. But what's a good movie, if not a classic that is beloved and enjoyed by everyone who sees it? Movies are a form of entertainment, and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World entertains magnificently.

[@surearrow]

>> "Not that funny?" What are you, nuts? It's hilarious!!!

[@TheLookingOne]

...and Mad Magazine's parody: It's a World, World, World, World Mad !

[@joea1433]

I memorized all the MAD Magazine movie parodies from 1960 - 70!

[@MVonLang]

Not funny Mr. Landis!? I beg to differ! Very funny!

[@alexalex13131]

I agree it's not "that" funny, but every other and conceivable aspect of it is superb.

[@MrMolecularscientist]

Not a good film????....How ridiculous! It's a great film.

[@thomastimlin1724]

Oh and yes, that one joke in the beginning by Durante, Kick the Bucket, literal humor straight out of Vaudeville. That kind of humor became standard in those Airplane Movies, etc nonstop, as if it were something new...

[@victorhernandez8723]

They just don't make comedy movies like that anymore.

[@scratchers7916]

At the 33 second mark he says, "It's a great film!" At .58 he says', "It's quite something!" And comedy "Nirvana." Followed by, "It's not great." Hell, I'm confused!!! At 1.50 he says, "It's not a good movie." He observes the incident with Jerry Lewis driving over Spencer Tracy's hat ( a relatively minor part of the movie) as being "hysterical." At 3.22 he says, "This is a movie you've got to see!"Blimey, either Landis only had a perfunctory viewing and thought about this GREAT movie, or he has no idea about comedy,I hope he is a far better communicator as a director than he is as a reviewer. Because as a reviewer he is EXCEPTIONALLY poor. Most of his verbiage involved a rote recital of the cast members, and even then he got that wrong, omitting Marvin Kaplan's name.It is a STUNNING stellar all star cast. And at least Landis got it right that that is a MAJOR cause of the joy the movie generates.We are left waiting to see just what legend of the silver screen will appear nest.It is not meant to be the Shakespeare of comedy, with witty repartee etcetera. It is MEANT to be a wonderful piece of frippery engaging a myriad of extraordinary stars.It is a truly BRILLIANT movie in all regards. I watched it again just now, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Having forgotten the final scene I was delighted to see the brilliant Ethel Merman, the grand dame, take ANOTHER tumble. They ALL had a rough ride throughout, but Ethel really copped it.I give Mad World 10/10. I cannot think of how they could have done a better job of allowing/getting all those superstars to express their personas so well.

[@kalsolarUK]

Its a great crazy romp which although not perfect is enjoyable because all of the talent in it appear to be having such a good time.

[@BillHosko]

"Although not prefect"... good grief. You are as passive aggressive as this host.

[@kalsolarUK]

@@BillHosko Yes, I'm always "passively aggressive" to films I really enjoy. You on the other hand seem just plain aggressive.

[@glen1ster]

It features Marvin Kaplan (service station co-owner Irwi) and Arnold Stang (service station co-owner Ray)--not Stanley Myron Handelman.

[@flipperdale51]

...I loved it!

[@tommccallan8802]

All cast members have passed away..except one..the woman dancing with Dick Shawn in the black bikini in his beach apartment is still with us. The little kid who tells Phill Silvers to cross the stream passed away in his 30s

[@thomastimlin1724]

It Is THAT funny in the context of the year it was made and many years afterward. It is way better to see it in the theater where it was MEANT TO BE SEEN. Just because it is no longer in vogue for slapstick humor in this decade, without potty mouth, nudity, fart jokes, and computerized alien special effects BS, does not mean it's not funny. The stuntmen and special effects dept alone deserved an Oscar for all they did. Landis' constant repetition of "It's not that funny" with contradictory statements does this movie a great disservice and assumes everyone has the same tastes, or lack of taste, that he has. It's not that funny and yet Lansids loves it? What a load of BS. Ha, Ethel Merman should have gotten as Oscar for her performance as the mother in law, she was hysterical.

[@SydBarrettsGhost]

I wish I'd known from John Landis earlier that it wasn't a funny movie....... Would have saved me a double hernia from laughing so hard

[@williamenslen6385]

Who is he kidding saying this movie isn't funny???? I saw it when it wast first released in Cinerama. I now own the Blu Ray DVD and I think its hilarious every time I watch it!!

[@28mark]

Aaaa, Mr. Landis...it's very funny

[@joycegibbs5267]

not a good movie ???? John, you're are a genius but I could not DISAGREE with you more !!!! This is one of the best films ever mad.

[@footofjuniper8212]

Well, I disagree that it's "not great," but Mr. Landis is entitled to his opinion. For those of us that grew up on Landis comedy, however, it's just kind of a kick in the balls to hear one of our icons rubbish another icon.

[@clyde9803]

I'll see Mr. Landis' "it's not a good movie " and raise him The Blues Brothers.

[@aurahyel4700]

The best thing about this attempt at comedy is the brilliant credits by Sol Bass. Add Ernest Gold's ebullient score and we almost reach our destination. Almost!

[@notthebannerboys]

It's NOT great????? Are you nuts? It's one of the greatest film comedies ever made, up there with The Bank Dick and Some Like It Hot. Where are some of the "not great" moments? Brilliant film.

[@danwroy]

"Lots of pyrotechnics, in the basement with Syd" Uh...