High Anxiety

Pleasant but unexceptional tribute to Hitchcock that's never quite as funny as it thinks it is.

If Mel Brooks was as funny as he thinks he is, this would've been hilarious.

In terms of comedy it's definitely one of Brooks' lesser efforts, but as a love letter to all things Hitchcock, it's a great success. The film perfectly recreates moments from all sorts of Hitchcock classics, and film buffs get to feel clever for knowing what's being spoofed. Still, while there are several great gags that had me laughing quite hard, the over-arcing plot tying it all together isn't enough to hold interest. For a Hitchcockian comedy, I prefer Dave Foley's The Wrong Man.

This doesn't work at all if you're not doused in hitchCOCK prior. Just like this review it isn't really that funyy but it's entertaining enough.

Not one of Brooks' best but it has some nice gags and it's a good tribute to Hitchcock. The best parts involve Brooks poking fun at filming conventions, such as when cameras crash into windows that they're zooming through, or when what sounds like a dramatic score turns out to be diegetic music from a local source.

A humorous Mel Brooks comedy that takes a big swing at parodying Hitchcock films. Do you need another few paragraphs to convince yourself to watch this?

Some of the references to Hitchcock films are fun but others fall flat. I did not find Mel Brooks to be very funny in this film. There are a few good jokes but there are far more that miss the mark. Overall this film is disappointing.

I could pick away at the inconsistency of the movie's replication of its genre target and say things like composer John Morris emulates Franz Waxman better than he does Bernard Herrmann, but High Anxiety is substandard Brooks really because it functions on two categorically inconsistent ideas: that Hitchcock was a genre unto himself, and that scenery-chewing Brooks is a fitting proxy for Jimmy Stewart or Cary Grant or Gregory Peck.

The comedy was good, but it's really the Hitchcock homages that I liked the most. Brooks' style is a bit tiring to me at times but I enjoyed it on the whole.

If Mel Brooks's movies were ranked on a Hitchcockian cameo scale, "High Anxiety" would be a voyeuristic Alfred Hitchcock silhouette watching two people making out.

About as close to a dud as Mel Brooks has in under his belt, nevertheless there are a couple laughable moments, and it is entertaining for the most part. I have nothing to rave about in direction or writing or acting, but most people familiar with Hitchcock's work can appreciate this homage to him.

There's enough in here to think this is close to classic status parodying all those Hitchcock movies, yet there's also enough here to rate it as one of Brooks' lesser efforts. I was wondering if Brooks would try a cameo in his own movie, and I guess he sort of pulled it off. Some very funny bits, but not quite enough of them, and a few times he goes for the too-easy jokes that aren't really funny.

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A lesser effort by Brooks with quite a few groaners but I rarely caught myself not smiling. I suspect I missed at least half the jokes.

Brophy is not smart enough to have a mental breakdown.

Pretty lame. Kinda embarrassing to watch with someone: over the top and unfunny characters, bad timing, about 3 real laughs thorough the whole movie.

There's only one Mel Brooks movie that i love and that's Spaceballs. His other movies, including this partial Hitchcock spoof, never quite get it right. High Anxiety has a couple of good laughs and some at best mildly amusing references. Dated jokes, unfunny overlong skits and a plot that goes nowhere result in a subpar product.

I remember watching "High Anxiety" in the 70s and not enjoying it much. After seeing a special on Mel Brooks, I decided to try it again. While I loved his other parody movies, this one still didn't click. The humor fell flat, and I think Gene Wilder deserves more credit as a lead in the other Brook’s films.

Great Hitchcock spoof

Haters

Its a Mel Brooks movie, so you should know that he's gonna take something and spoof it. Beyond the expected parodies you actually get some very genuinely hilarious laughs. Brooks is simply the master of his craft and High Anxiety is just about as good as anything he's done. So maybe its not quite on the same level as Blazing saddles or Young Frankenstein, but if you liked History of the world, Robin Hood Men In Tights, or Spaceballs I don't see why you wouldn't like this one as well.

Supposedly Hitchcock found this amusing, but it was becoming clear at this point that Brooks was entirely too self satisfied, convinced of his own genius, believed he could do no wrong; and this unfortunately translated directly into increasingly uneven films. His spoof of Hitchcock classics works in fits and starts, but there are a handful of cheap yet hilarious parodies of The Birds and Vertigo to drag it over the finish line.

Not Brooks best by any means, but there's a few inspired moments.

I could tell jokes were being made, very few did anything for me.

Mel Brooks has the worst habit of telegraphing his jokes, but I still enjoyed the affection he clearly has for Hitchcock. This film actually back-loads its best material, which I found very unusual. (I particularly enjoyed the subtle gag where Brooks name-drops Harpo Marx before his prolonged musical interlude.) This film didn't end up on par with Brooks at his best, but it still remains far from his worst.

The problem is that it's just not all that funny.

Watchable if highly flawed.

what a tasteless humor. waste of time.

I dig Leachman's overenunciation so much. 'Harsh.'

As a big fan of both Mel Brooks and Hitchcock, I expected to like this more than I did. That being said, if you like Mel Brooks, it's worth seeing.

Probably could be considered the beginning of Mel Brooks' slide into mediocrity.

This was my (indirect) introduction to Hitchcock, when I was a kid, and even though it doesn't reach the same comedic heights as Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, it's still a great genre farce and a highly enjoyable movie!

It looks rather sloppy and thrown together (especially ironic, considering it's a Hitchcock pastiche) but it is still charming and very, very funny.

Not exactly the Producers, but still worth seeing

The more Hitchcock you have seen, the more you may appreciate this, but even then this is still weak. Don't expect this to evoke anything more than a few chuckles or smiles.

Very spotty.

One of Mel Brooks greatest flicks. This truly awe-inspiring tale of a man who is forced to cope with "High Anxiety" (which is slang for "extreme fear of heights") provides hope for all who find themselves in similar situations.

Love the mike cord over his shoulder trick...and the impossible blow-up of the picture.

I thought this was funny when I was a preteen but now it grates.

Score based on distant memory.

Better once you've seen enough Hitchcock, but it'll never be great.

A few laughs.